Drudge is trying his damnedest today to get a Lott-size stink brewing around Robert Byrd for his Confederate cameo in Gods and Generals. As I mentioned a few months ago, I do think this is a bit strange, but hardly in the league of Lott openly advocating segregation in his capacity as majority leader.
Tag: Congress
The Doctor is In.
With a little push out the door from George Allen, Lott goes down, to be replaced by Bill Frist of Tennessee. Smart move by the GOP, even if their Contract on America is temporarily hampered…Frist is a much more congenial and Daschle-esque character than Lott, and it’ll be harder for the Dems to paint him as a right-wing ideologue. (Fortunately, there’s always Tom DeLay.)
Mississippi Burning.
On the other side of the aisle, the GOP starts thinking harder about dumping their own embarrassing baggage, despite Trent Lott’s BET plea. If only Lott had taken a page from his idol and merely pretended to be remorseful from the get-go. Update: With Dubya on the sidelines, pundits are putting it in the fridge: Lott will be removed from the Senate leadership. Who will replace him is still up in the air.
A Lott of Trouble.
With some lexis-nexis searches establishing a dubious pattern in Trent Lott’s rhetoric, even Dubya’s piling on now. For his part, Lott’s decided to try the contrition route to see if he can save his seniority. I’d say at this point it’s probably better for the Dems to have him around, just as an ever-present reminder of exactly who the GOP likes to cater to.
The Good Old Days.
After a flurry of Internet criticism, GOP Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott is forced to apologize for his paean to segregation at Strom Thurmond’s birthday party, a paean which echoed his prior support for such racialist organizations as the Council of Conservative Citizens. So, were Lott’s remarks really a “poor choice of words” or a brief glimpse of something more sinister in the Majority Leader’s character? You be the judge.
Buh-bye…
and good riddance. There are other virtues in this world besides longevity, and these three spent most if not all their careers fighting them. At least in this corner, they will not be missed.
Fresh faces.
Despite a last minute op-ed gambit by Harold Ford (I thought he was making an interesting case until he conflated national security with the Iraq vote), Nancy Pelosi wins the Democratic leadership handily. Hopefully, she’ll make the most of it. On the GOP side, Tom DeLay moved up the ranks to take Dick Armey’s spot. I’d say a higher national profile for the Exterminator is a good thing. The more people get a sense of how creepy DeLay is, the more palatable the Dems will seem in contrast.
Lame Ducks and Loose Cannons.
The lame duck Congress meets in Washington to pass Dubya’s homeland security act. But will Trent Lott and the freak-show Right tie Dubya down to a host of anti-abortion bills first? That’s just the type of contentious and constrictive legislation that’ll end GOP domination of DC in 2004.
Payback’s a B****.
Basking in their return to power, the GOP contemplates what evil things to do to James Jeffords of Vermont, instrument of their fall from grace eighteen months ago.
Another Contender.
Harold Ford, Jr. joins the race to succeed Gephardt in the House. I dunno…I know Ford (House/Campaign/Funding) is considered a rising star in the party, but at 32 he seems a bit young and inexperienced to take on the mantle of leadership. I’d still pick Pelosi over Ford, and both over Frost, given the latter’s left-baiting yesterday. (“I think that her politics are to the left…”) Update: Frost is out, meaning barring a major upset Nancy Pelosi is the new House leader.