ABC News Reporting Lott Says He Has Votes to Remain Leader, Will Not Step Down

ABC NEWS Radio Report ^ | December 17, 2002 | Doug Limerick

[ewing]

No text yet, just a radio report at the end of Rush's show.

Must be worried about the Russert report this morning that he is 'Far' from the 26 votes needed for a Senate Caucus victory.

[Howlin]

I may have to step away from the computer for a bit. I wasn't this mad at Clinton -- EVER.

[Mo1]

When the Rats were calling for Lott's head, they expected the GOP to rally around Lott. When that didn't happen, and they saw signs that Bush was willing to jettison Lott, they changed their tune.

That would be my guess .. this should be interesting to watch .. The Rats stick up for a Republican .. bizarre

[The_Victor]

The rats have Lott by the testicles and they know that when they want a favor they just have to use the racial twist. OUCH </high pitch voice>

[Timesink]

AL 2K4!

[Cyber Liberty]

I'll second that....

[Howlin]

You remembered! He's my man! :-)

[shrinkermd]

Political overkill for a thought crime is not the way to go. All of you who feel morally superior to Sen Lott should ask yourself: Have you ever said something terribly wrong? Have you ever had racist thoughts? Have you ever said anything racist? Oh, by the way how do you define racist? Is it a permanent condition or one dependent on time and circumstances?

Firing Trent Lott will not solve one problem, not garner any more votes from the African-Americans nor make you feel really great about yourself more than a few moments.

[Mo1]

Lanny Davis is now defending Lott!

OMG .. are you serious .. what channel

[Howlin]

They are going to do it again to the NEXT speaker.

The can't do it to somebody who doesn't hand them the GUN, can they?

[Wphile]

Can you believe this is really happening? I still can't. Griminy...just one month ago, I was walking on cloud nine over our victories in the election. Now, I'm pissed and bordering on despondent.

[Timesink]

OHHHH...sheesh....this is unreal, but so transparent.

Yup. If they "win," Lott will quit the Senate, they'll end up 50-50 again, and will once again be blamable for gridlock in the '04 elections. They want to be able to sit back and say "Hey, we have no power whatsoever, it's all THEIR fault!"

Ideological bankruptcy creates strange bedfellows.

[aristeides]

He's on the Hannity show. I'm getting it on WMAL in D.C.

By the way, I was thinking Byrd's position as chairman or ranking member of the Appropriations Committee was at high risk. With this turn of events, I guess he will keep it.

[hchutch]

They made abd guess, and they want to keep him in, because he has been rocked back and will give when Daschle so much as twitches. But if Lott is gone, and someone like Frist (who kicked butt as head of the NRSC in 2002) is in, then they have a problem.

They overcommitted, and now the play's going the other way. They got surprised that the GOP actually had standards of decency, and now, they need to scramble to play serious catch-up.

[Cyber Liberty]

"Firing Trent Lott will not solve one problem, not garner any more votes from the African-Americans nor make you feel really great about yourself more than a few moments."

Wrong, wrong, wrong. And, by the way, wrong. And wrong.

Breathtaking. I have never seen so much wrong in such a short sentence.

[brydic1]

Just called my Republican Senator. His office is receiving numerous calls. They are making a tally. Keep Lott as ML or get rid of him. The calls are not pro-Lott. I asked that the republican caucus meet (this) year and do its work. They should have gotten rid of Lott years ago. It was the East Coast moderate so-called republicans that kept him in office. He was an incompetent years ago, I always shuddered when I heard him speak. Never to know what kind of stupid remark would come out of his mouth.

[dfwgator]

In typical Lott fashion, he let 5 or 6 days go by without apologizing for the well-meaning but insensitive remark.

What Lott should have done is to have a quick press conference and said "I am not a racist, and I will not answer any more questions on what I said, end of story." But the fact that he feels so compelled to explain himself over and over again, suggests to me that indeed maybe deep down he does harbor those racist thoughts. Then again Lott is such a political whore that it is dang near impossible to know what the guy truly believes.

[Howlin]

We have entered an alternate universe.

[Wphile]

On Sean Hannity's radio show. Says he thinks Lott can still redeem himself and keep the SML position.

[smith288]

Political overkill for a thought crime is not the way to go. All of you who feel morally superior to Sen Lott should ask yourself: Have you ever said something terribly wrong? Have you ever had racist thoughts? Have you ever said anything racist? Oh, by the way how do you define racist? Is it a permanent condition or one dependent on time and circumstances?

Firing Trent Lott will not solve one problem, not garner any more votes from the African-Americans nor make you feel really great about yourself more than a few moments.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt before yesterday...then he went and sold us all out. Im more than peeved at Lott. Sin or no sin, I cant accept him as the Republican leader of the Senate