Posted on 12/13/2002 10:07:29 PM PST by ArcLight
The major hurdle facing Trent Lott's struggle to remain Senate majority leader is not the Democratic Party and its liberal allies, but a powerful faction within the conservative wing of the GOP -- an array of columnists, southern newspapers and opinion leaders -- demanding that Lott resign from his leadership position.
Lott's controversial suggestion that the nation would be better off if it had elected segregationist candidate Strom Thurmond to the presidency in 1948 has infuriated many conservative activists, who have been struggling to rid the Republican Party of its image as the party opposed to civil rights and the interests of minorities.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
This unfortunate episode has shown how thin skinned many on the right really are. Weak kneed conservatives and spineless Republicans have chosen to condemn Trent Lott and kowtow to leftwing class warfare and special intetests. They'd rather, turn tail and run from the race baiting and double standards promoted by the in your face, politically correct liberal left. And behind it all, are the black liberal elites, led by their very own hypocritical leadership.
This is off topic, but that's an interesting quote... and one that must warm the cockles of Al Sharpton's heart. Here he is mentioned in the Washington Post as a peer of Jesse Jackson. He has sure come a long way from his Tawana Brawley days.
In fact, if Sharpton could recover from that episode, and still be taken halfway seriously today, there's hope for Trent Lott.
No you bowed down to yet another Borking of a republican leader. "Conservatives" like you are cowards. The new state religion is the God of PC and its worshipers are legion.
Screw the liberal establishment. There are a lot of conservatives who do not want racist jerks in the Republican party.
This creature was seen waddling in its fraternity. It quacked in 1980. It quacked again in 1992. And now it just walked up on stage and went QUACK. Some people are starting to think, "Hey, this thing is a duck."
No "conservatives" are full of terror at the very mention of racism and that is why there will be NO change in how the majority leader interacts with liberals regardless of who replaces Lott. Lott is just the appetizer.
I'm not.
...and that is why there will be NO change in how the majority leader interacts with liberals regardless of who replaces Lott. Lott is just the appetizer.
Then let them eat the candy-*ss...we will find leaders who are not so easily ate.
I don't consider race hustlers conservatives.
Definitely not on planet Earth.
This was all about remarks Lott made at a birthday gathering for a 100 year old senator. Remarks that were taken and twisted out of proportion, first by the liberal establishment and later joined by many conservatives and Republicans. It was a low level event and Lott had no malicious intentions in mind. Lott made no conscious effort to raise the issues of racism and segregationism, so he could be condemned and labeled a bigot by FatTeddyK and run roughshod over by conservative pundits, looking to cover their own butts.
This has nothing to do with conviction either, at least not here on FreeRepublic. Lott is hated by many FReepers and dislike by even more. They still hold Lott directly responsible, for his failure to garner the 51 Senatorial votes required to find Clinton gulity as charged. Some seem to consider that a mortal sin. I think those people need to get over it already.
I'm a staunch conservative and while I don't care to see Lott remain in the leadership position, I definitely don't support or condone the treatment he has received this week by so-called conservatives on this forum. I'm appalled at the lack of defense that conservatives have offered in general for Sen.Lott. Lott may not be a warm and fuzzy individual, but he did nothing seriouly wrong. Lott has even apologized numerous times now for what have been called, 'stupid and insensitive remarks'. But Lott is no racist.
I watched the event when it happened and in my mind Lott did nothing wrong. Many conservatives joined many liberals this week, in blowing this event way out of proportion and unjustly castigating Lott in the process.
Making a stupid or insenstive remark, should not be the basis for forcing someone to resign from their job. Especially not after several public apologies, on top of everything else.
Baloney.
Sorry, in most cases, I know its kowtowing.
This is pretty simple. Many conservative pundits have been loudly condemning Lott because they don't want to be seen as being insensitive to the blight of Black America. Some conservative pundits view this in strict political terms and don't want to damage their standing with the liberal establishment, which, btw, is a majority of white folks. I already explained (RE:#119) the problem that many FReepers have with Sen.Lott.
And I'm extremely disappointed in PresBush. His remarks about Sen. Lott, made him out to be a practicing racist. Bush sounded like a liberal, not a conservative.
But Lott has had many defenders on the right, telling him not to resign. Those included blacks like Niger Innis, JC Watts, Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, Rod Paige, Kevin Martin. Lott has also been defended by staunch conservatives like Rush, Hannity, Fred Barnes, Mark Levin and Ann Coulter.
Like I said, fail to recognize.
They weren't running that year.
Fail to recognize what? That when it comes to race white conservatives are scared to death of dealing with reality and many of the very few black conservatives are just as hyper sensitive to it as Jesse Jackson?
That many conservatives were genuinely outraged by Senator Lott's recent conduct. Your response was denial ("baloney") and yet you accuse others of being afraid of reality. There is no basis, other than your own imaginings, for you to reject the fact that Senator Lott has outraged some conservatives. It would be more plausible to reject the outrage of liberals, who have such clear ulterior motives for feigning outrage.
That when it comes to race white conservatives are scared to death of dealing with reality
By "reality" I can only assume for now that you mean your own perception of it, as unwilling as you are to admit any divergent perceptions.
It's not reacting with terror. Lott was just plain, ordinary, garden variety stupid. He should have known better than to make a quip like this. And let's be clear, it wasn't some sort of great policy speech - it was an off the cuff quip, not intended to illuminate any particular principles whatsoever. That means the Democrats are overreacting to what he said, and Lott was stupid to give them the fresh meat to pounce upon.
We can all wish that things are different as they are and that such quips wouldn't be treated like this - but that's hardly realistic. Lott really should have known better. He should have known better during impeachment. Given these examples, he is unfit to remain leader.
Regards, Ivan
Gosh, I didn't think so. The President criticized Sen. Lott's remarks. I didn't hear him make any specific criticisms of the man. He correctly responded to this brouhaha by reaffirming American principles on race and equality. If anything, he chose to highlight the positive--what we stand for--and did not take any shots at Sen. Lott directly. The liberals, I am sure you have noticed, say Lott is unfit for office. I didn't hear the President say that. But I don't disagree at all with his critique of Lott's remarks.
But Lott has had many defenders on the right, telling him not to resign. Those included blacks like Niger Innis, JC Watts, Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, Rod Paige, Kevin Martin. Lott has also been defended by staunch conservatives like Rush, Hannity, Fred Barnes, Mark Levin and Ann Coulter.
Yes, he has loyal party defenders. That's fine. These folks would line up just about anyone who is opposed by Jesse Jackson, et al. That's politics. But Bush is the President. He has a higher duty than mere politics.
No in this case the "reality" that you and many others have reached is rooted not, in what the man said or his 30 year voting record but, on your "connection of dots" that in the Racial playbook has only one picture.....RACISM. When every social program we have today is race oriented then in the minds of those that benefit every question regarding their efficacy can only be construed as RACISM. That is why you could place the most conservative senator in the senate as ML and he would be no different than Lott. You could elect the most conservative president and he/she would act no different than Bush because, as someone said earlier "race to a republican is like holy water to a vampire". There will never be a conservative government until the race issue is behind us and democrats will NEVER allow that to happen. The sad thing is that Blacks, by voting almost exclusively democrat appear to like things just the way they are and it has zip to do with their "fear" of republicans......just the opposite.
1. Is he a neo-confederate?
2. Does he sympathize with the neoconfederate cause?
3. Is the CCC a white supremacist group?
4. What is Sen. Lott's relationship to the CCC?
As you know, there is a lot of talk about these issues lately. Maybe you can educate me.
Your exactly right. Its unfortunate as hell right now, but sometimes life hands you a lemon.
Lott wasn't Borked. The Mississippi redneck did it to himself. He's incompetent, has been incompetent, and continues to set back conservatism with his presence.
If he somehow remains as Leader, how many millions/billions will be extorted from Gov't coffers inorder to rehablitate his carreer?
This promotes conservatism how?
Lott stepping down as ML is a small step in that direction. A "Leader" can not be identified with an immoral history.
Another boldface lie from the Washington Post. It was the GOP who told Nixon to resign, the Democrats defended the rapist Clinton to the bitter end.
Also, the Post's article mentions nothing about why Lott is really unpopular in Conservative ranks, because the Post cannot bring themselves to do it:
Lott allowed Clinton's Senate Impeachment vote to be a "show trial" with no witnesses called
There is nothing unclear about his statement. That's why the media have been quoting him directly, over and over. It's also why his apology falls flat.
I'm *liking* it.
The double standard here is mindbogling. How many times have we heard from the left that it is not up to us to pick their leaders? Many of us wanted Lott to go a long time ago but it is up to the Republican Senate, not the media or Sharpton or Jackson.
They are using this to paint us all as racists, especially those of us who live in the south. We must stop being so sensitive to this charge. Lott said a stupid thing because he does not view things in terms of race like the race baiters of this world do. I'm sure it's been a long time since he even thought of Thurmond's past views. Strom is a long time collegue of Lott's who he agrees with and admires. He was not even thinking of his past positions on race.
I'm sick of the Republicans eating our own!!! The Rats never do!!! I understand that we are better then that and if I thought for a second that Lott was a racist I'd want him out to. If he steps down now it's like giving in to terrorists. They will just demand more and more!!!
So help me understand here. An all black Fraternity is cool, Black Miss America is cool, United Negro College Fund is just spiffy, but if anyone white would ever prefer to affiliate with whites only, then that is the equivalent of a hate crime. I consider myself colorblind in most regards when dealing with people, but the political correctness I see on these boards is incredible.
It would appear there are a lot of conservatives who are running away from being labeled segregationists and racists by the liberal establishment. Those on the left have done a magnificent job in the last week of scaring the hell out of conservatives and Republicans alike.
This unfortunate episode has shown how thin skinned many on the right really are. Weak kneed conservatives and spineless Republicans have chosen to condemn Trent Lott and kowtow to leftwing class warfare and special intetests. They'd rather, turn tail and run from the race baiting and double standards promoted by the in your face, politically correct liberal left. And behind it all, are the black liberal elites, led by their very own hypocritical leadership.
Maybe that's becaue Lott really is a thinly veiled segregationist.
Maybe that's because some of us conservatives don't feel like wasting valuable political and moral capital defending a guy who's spent most of his adult life pining for a return to the worst features of Old Dixie.
Maybe that's because some of us don't feel like wasting political capital defending a logrolling porkmeister who has repeatedly demonstrated his spinelessness in confrontations (if one can call them that) with Senate Democrats.
Maybe that's because some of us remember Trent's Profile in Courage when it came time to give a fair hearing to impeachment charges against x42.
Scaring us wasn't necessary. Lott was hoist by us - and by his own petard.
He's gotta go - and be replaced with a leader with moral fiber and and vertebrate characteristics.
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