Will We Get Rid of Lott?

Wasn't the original remark Lott made this time just about wishing Thurmond became president back in 1948? Now segregation may have been implied, but he didn't actually say it. Democrats are just whining right now because they are in the biggest fix right now regarding their position in the senate. They want to take anybody down any way possible, even if it comes down to trying to grill somebody over a few words that didn't amount to anything.

Lott probably is a segregationist, or at least like-minded. Big deal. My state's senator is a "former" KKK member, Robert Byrd of WV. Byrd has been in office for as long as I can remember, and nobody complains at him. And also, he's a democrat. Notice nobody whining about him.

Lott isn't going anywhere over these words. If he resigns, he's a big retard.

If he resigns it'll be because of the bad press. Anybody see the spoof on SNL last week? Yeah, that's pretty hard to live down. But, I've seen lesser men do it, so...

I think he should step down as majority leader, but should retain his seat. His comment was obviously completely out of place and as a republican he should think about the effect his staying as majority leader would have. Clearly though, thinking for the party would also mean that he should stay and support them with his seat. As for the moral implications of his statement, I don't know if he really has supported segregation all these years, his comments are no worse than I have heard from Democrats (I won't even begin to comment on "black racism"..). He has made an attempt to apologize and state the views that he is against segregation so I really don't see this as a big moral issue. I am quite disappointed with his comments on his newfound support for affirmative action, I am disappointed but not suprised, this is the same man who betrayed his principles during the Clinton Impeachment (Read Sellout by David Schippers). Affirmative action is of course completely wrong as a principle, success should be based solely on merit, not government intervention for any reason, reverse discrimination especially. It does sound like most of the party is putting their support behind the movement for him to step down, clearly this is the best for the party and if he has any sense of dignity and honor he would do it so as not to hurt the issues that the republicans support. Why is it that I get the feeling that he will continue to fight the move for him to step down until it becomes even more of a painful issue?...

As for the comment about republicans being the party of lincoln, that really isn't something that should be promoted. The popular idea is that Lincoln's sole intent was to liberate the slaves and destroy slavery as an institution and that it was the sole motivating cause of the civil war, this simply isn't true. Lincoln himself was a racist as can be seen from *many* of his speeches as well as his actions (he was a lifelong advocate of colonization, that is colonization of black people into any other country other than the US). Lincoln also destroyed our concept of government as it was originally envisioned by our founding fathers and was responsible more than any other person for bringing about the birth of the Leviathan state. I prefer to take an objective look at the facts rather than hold up some glorified view of a man simply because everyone else does the same. It is time that the republican party chooses to support either the ideals of Lincoln, or the ideals of Jefferson. I cannot be both ways... (If these points are going to become a major issue of debate we can always start a new thread).

As for states rights, it is not inherently a racist platform or ideal. It just had a small, strong vocal section that advocated segregation. And as can be clearly seen in Thomas Jeffersons own statements, the statements of many other founding fathers and the notes taken from the first Federal Convention, individual states had the right to secede until the civil war.

Apparently all the major news stations are reporting that Lott is going to resign as Senate GOP leader.

Let us hope that this helps change things within the GOP.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by burgundy
I have to agree with Mr. Carter. I personally think that too much is being made of the comments (isn't that always what happens?) but politically I can see them as being very damaging to the Party in 2004. The Bush administration did the right thing by rebuking Lott, but the party should really remove him from his post.

I don't see why Lott should resign his seat, but it wouldn't cripple the GOP if he did. He's from Mississippi, right? Which party controls Jackson?

---

What Burg said - I think he said stupid things, not that he's a card-carrying Klan member. To save party face and to make sure the whole doesn't lose integrity (preceived or otherwise), he needs to go.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by ginaman
Wasn't the original remark Lott made this time just about wishing Thurmond became president back in 1948? Now segregation may have been implied, but he didn't actually say it. Democrats are just whining right now because they are in the biggest fix right now regarding their position in the senate. They want to take anybody down any way possible, even if it comes down to trying to grill somebody over a few words that didn't amount to anything.

Lott probably is a segregationist, or at least like-minded. Big deal. My state's senator is a "former" KKK member, Robert Byrd of WV. Byrd has been in office for as long as I can remember, and nobody complains at him. And also, he's a democrat. Notice nobody whining about him.

Lott isn't going anywhere over these words. If he resigns, he's a big retard.

---

This is why I tend to say the media will overlook transgretions on the left... ^^U

Wait...so when did he say this remark, exactly?

And what was the remark?

It was on Strom Thurmond's birthday. I don't know the exact words, but he was trying to flatter the guy by saying we'd be better off in this world if won the Presidential election he had run for back in the day. Problem is, Strom ran on the Dixicrat ticket, a third party that was all for nationwide segregation and their party literature was pretty lame and racist. So...Lott compliments Strom, people construe it as Lott's hidden racist agenda finally showing, and they call for his resignation.

Hmm...well, if recent, while no crime, perception becomes reality, and he should go.

Personal responsability, it's the failing of this country, and I'd actually give him a begruding respect if he accepted it as such and then stood down. Of course, that's the political 3rd rail, but such is life.

BTW, what what was Thurmond, like 80 back then when he ran? He's more of a corpse than Yamauchi, and that takes some doing.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Briscobold
Anybody hear about Clinton's opinions on all this? From the blurb I saw on CNN today, he was saying that 'this is the type of stuff the Republicans say behind closed doors.'

Believable?

---

Right. The guy who used to hang out on 125th St. in Harlem in the late 60's because he was so comfortable being there and it felt like home.:rolleyes: Our 'first African American president.'

Lott was stupid for saying what he said, but I think this has been way overplayed by the Democrats because they basically have nothing right now to stand on. It's always easiest to villianize your foe when you can't seem to make any headway otherwise.

Lott needs to step down from Majority Leader. But he'd be a baby to resign entirely if he has to step down.

--Scourge .

Woohoo - he stepped down, but he's not resigning. I'm pretty happy about this, overall - and the great thing is, he stepped down because of pressure from Republicans, not Democrats.