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A Whole Lott of Bad Judgment
By Doug Patton
December 16, 2002

"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems for all these years, either."
- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss.

This statement, uttered just over a week ago, has since been reprinted and analyzed on talk shows, news broadcasts and in newspaper editorials. Initially, it appeared that opinions were divided along partisan lines, with Democrats expressing disgust and Republicans, unfortunately, circling the wagons.

Columnists like Charles Krauthammer and Cal Thomas were the first conservatives to call for Lott's ouster from the GOP leadership. By the weekend, Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., had bravely stepped forward to call for a new Senate leadership election, saying that Lott's comments had created an atmosphere that would hurt efforts to move forward with the Republican agenda in the Senate.

These are positive developments, because it has also become clear that the Democrat strategy has changed from one of outrage to one of uniformly sad resignation. Almost as though they were speaking from talking points sent out by the Democratic National Committee, one partisan liberal after another paraded across the Sunday talk show circuit, shaking their heads, clucking their tongues and saying "this is for the Republicans to decide." And indeed, it is. In fact, the heart and soul of the Republican Party is on the line on this one.

There are myriad reasons to replace Trent Lott as the Senate Majority Leader, but the most compelling was his refusal four years ago to hold a real impeachment. This is well documented in David Schipper's book, "Sellout." Rep. Henry Hyde and the other House Managers put their political futures on the line to prosecute the president in a trial before the full Senate. Their thanks was a betrayal by Trent Lott, who refused to allow them to present evidence that would have proven Clinton's guilt to the public beyond a doubt.

For me, Lott's latest gaffe is simply the last straw. Whether he ever truly harbored segregationist views is no longer the issue. The incredibly poor judgment demonstrated by his remarks makes him unsuitable for leadership in the U.S. Senate. What was he thinking? How could he have thought that such comments were acceptable? And why would he utter them, given the fact that Strom Thurmond himself long ago repudiated the segregationist views that formed the centerpiece of his 1948 campaign for president?

It is no coincidence that Democrats are suddenly, with one voice, saying, "This is an issue for the Republicans to decide." By doing so, they are putting the onus for Lott and his unacceptable remarks on the entire GOP, and if he is not removed from the leadership, it will stick like glue. Whenever Lott stands up to speak on behalf of the president's agenda in the Senate, liberals will point a finger at him and say, "There he is, that racist Trent Lott, leader of the Senate Republicans." The media will give them a voice, and good, decent people across the political spectrum will begin to listen to them.

Finally, it is important to note that when Newt Gingrich was faced with a similar crisis of leadership, he did the honorable thing and resigned from his position as Speaker of the House. I am not suggesting that Lott resign his seat in the Senate, as Gingrich did from the House. If the people of Mississippi want Trent Lott to continue serving as their U.S. Senator, then he should stay in the body. But there are too many important issues - especially judicial nominations - that will soon come before those 100 men and women, and I don't want Trent Lott as the leader of the majority party - my party - in the upper house of the Congress.