Senate Source Threatens Vote of Confidence/No Confidence Unless Lott Racial Firestorm Stops

ABC News and the Los Angeles Times ^ | December 13, 2002 | Richard Simon and Janet Hook

[A2J]

It appears that the Republicans are becoming more like Democrats as each day goes by. They are reactionary instead of visionary, which is what cost the Democrats dearly on November 5th.

[Cousin Eddie]

If, a few days ago, Lott had given the speech that Bush gave yesterday, this situation might have calmed down. (Probably not given that he said the same thing before.)

Regardless, Lott might step aside.

[Cousin Eddie]

Make that MUST step aside.

[A2J]

This whole sorry mess is a political hit job, pure and simple, and the fingerprints of Terry McAuliffe, James Carville, and Hillary Clinton are all over this one.

While the murder weapon may have been manufactured by the Democrats, the fingerprints on it are Republican.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Lott should step down from the leadership not because of what he said or didn’t mean to say. It’s because he is a ninnyfied moron and a RINO (redundant I know). He’s a non team player.

[No Truce With Kings]

"This isn't about Trent Lott, it's about which party controls the U.S. Senate when it reconvenes in January."

So how does Lott's stepping down as Majority Leader affect that? Or are you saying that if Lott cannot be Majority Leader he is going to take his marbles and go home?

I think the back bench is a *fine* place for Lott.

[brbethke]

That is a problem with Republicans, innit? Give us a brief reprieve from being the minority party, and we immediately turn inward and start the purges and cannibalism. Just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

[aristeides]

The sudden appearance of stories about Lott's racist activities as a college frat boy has as much credibility as the sudden appearance of Linda Tripp's shoplifting arrest record.

Funny you should mention the Linda Tripp story. The reporter, Jane Mayer, claimed she got the information from some relative of Tripp's that she talked to. In fact, she got the information from Tripp's official government files, released in violation of the Privacy Act.

[ewing]

I have to agree, if this Senate staffer comes forward more publicly that Lott is dropping frequent N-bombs in the Cloakroom.. it may be hard for anyone to defend him

[aristeides]

I think the back bench is a *fine* place for Lott.

And if Lott decides to leave, why should that matter?

What might still matter to Lott is if Bush now issues some kind of statement encouraging him to stay in the Senate.

[brbethke]

Yeah, I think Lott would do exactly that. Not that I blame him; if he steps down as Majority Leader the Dems will smell blood and really pile on, while the rest of the Pubbies will scramble to put even more distance between themselves and the designated target. If Lott is deserted by his party (as seems to be happening), then yes, I think he's fully capable of saying "F.U." and quitting the Senate completely.

Then Musgrave appoints a Dem to fill his seat, we're back to a 50-50 Senate, "power sharing," "co-chairs," "bi-partisanship" and all those other lies, and the hunt for another Jeffords really intensifies.

[thinktwice]

Ask someone who grew up during Jim Crow how funny it was.

I saw Jim Crow in action, and it wasn't pretty.

The visibility given Lott's gaffe -- as opposed to Byrd's Clan membership -- can tell us a lot about why blacks hesitate to vote for Republicans.

Clarence Thomas helps Republicans; Lott doesn't.

[cksharks]

I know Lott and he is not as vindictive as I am. If they hold a confidence vote on me I would put there ass in the minority by resigning from the senate. Then I would hold a news conference to let the world know that I resigned because these same arrogant pricks said nothing about mr kkk comments on Fox and are good friends with a murderer. Then I would politely tell them to go well you get the Idea.

[xzins]

It must be clear that the GOP win of 2002 is not over UNLESS Lott resigns from the Senate. That would be tragic.

It would be a hard thing for anyone's ego to both step down and remain in a lesser job, but it would be the right thing for the nation at this point.

I would far rather have Lott in control and have the Senate in Republican hands than have Lott resign the Senate just so someone else can be MajLdr. That would make it 50/50 again and would throw the Senate to the Vice President and probably to another Jeffords-type jump by some opportunist.

Lott in charge is better than democrats in charge.

[ssantomaur]

Lott has been a terrrible Majority Leader with he weak spine. It would be better for the conservative cause if steped down as majority leader, but remained in the Senate. He made an off hand remark to pay a compliment to a retiring collegue that was blown out of proportion. He should stick it to the Dems on the way out by proposing a change to Senate Rules that no Klansman or Former Klansman (aka Robert Byrd) can Serve as a Committee Chair or Ranking Member. Let's see how the Hypocrite Rats try to weasel out of that vote to punish one of their racist collegues.

[dirtboy]

There is no consistant standard of behavior

Just like there was no controlling legal authority?

and this is wrong.

It is wrong and bone-headed for a leader in the GOP to be so stupid as to give the Dems a hammer, no, a SLEDGEHAMMER, with which to bash on the 2002 gains. Whether Lott is a bigot or not is now secondary to the stunning lack of judgement he displayed with this statement - and lack of judgement is one of the worst problems for a leader to have.

[dirtboy]

This whole sorry mess is a political hit job, pure and simple, and the fingerprints of Terry McAuliffe, James Carville, and Hillary Clinton are all over this one.

Yeah, Carville must have hypnotized Lott so he would make such an incredibly stupid comment. You sound like Hillary, blaming Bill's problems on the vast right-wing conspiracy. Lott said this on his own free will, and he needs to take responsibility for his incredible lack of judgement and let someone else be Majority Leader, and whether or not the Dems are baying for blood is immaterial - the GOP needs to do this on its own accord. This isn't the first time he's rammed his foot into his mouth on this topic, and the fact that he is unwilling to watch his trap is another indication that he is NOT suitable for any kind of leadership position. As another poster said on this thread, he'll do fine as a back-bencher.

[dirtboy]

However, after all the effort put in to regain control the senate, Bush and others are willing to shoot one of their own wounded comrades.

Say WHAT? The only shot fired here was the round Lott placed squarely into his own foot.

[cynicom]

Ahh..So you shoot the wounded also, not a team player, sorry to hear that.

[cloud8]

...why can Senator Kennedy kill his girlfriend and noone questions his fitness to serve in the Senate while Senator Lott makes an innapropriate comment at a birthday party, ...and yet he is expected to resign.

There is a double standard. Democrats are held to a different degree of accountability than Republicans, period. Maybe that's because the dems' constituencies don't give a hoot how honorable their representatives are, as long as they get their share of the pie.

As for Massachusetts' unconvicted felon...Teddy actually was removed as Majority Whip (cit. below). Is Lott's mouth the modern equivalent of Chappaquiddick? Yeah, if your mouth is Republican...sorry, double standard.

From Encarta: "In 1969 his colleagues elected him Senate majority whip, and he was widely regarded as a Democratic front-runner for the U.S. presidency. On July 18, 1969, however, Kennedy drove his car off a narrow bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, and his only passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, was drowned. The event, in which he was found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident, seemed to quash his presidential hopes. Despite his reelection to the Senate the following year, he lost his bid for reelection as majority whip."