Trent Lott Wins Back Leadership Slot

Posted on November 15, 2006

Sen. Trent Lott, ousted from the Senate’s leadership job four years ago because of remarks considered racially insensitive, won election to the No. 2 post Wednesday.
Lott returned to the center of power by getting the position of vote- counting GOP whip, nosing out Sen. Lamar Alexander. Sen. Rick Santorum told reporters that Lott beat Alexander by a 25-24 vote.

After an intense evening in which both men lobbied colleagues during floor votes, the Republican caucus elected Lott, a one-time whip and majority leader, by secret ballot. Lott will be the GOP’s second-in- command to Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was elected unanimously to be the Senate minority leader in the new Congress.

Freeper reaction is pretty negative for the most part.

Nothing proves we’re changing direction like re-electing our old leadership..

More sarcasm from Allahpundit:

Suspect on racial issues and pork-friendly. Just the right man to help remake the party. Between this and Mel Martinez, we’re really on a roll.

All that’s left is get to Boehner and Blunt back in charge in the House.

I’m sure this will be disappointing to Captain Ed since his opposition comes from Lott’s attitude towards pork, and especially his attitude about the people who oppose pork spending.

Republicans need to show that they have learned a lesson from their midterm drubbing. They lost their majorities because voters perceived that they had lost touch with the electorate on policy as well as attitude. We sent Republicans to clean up Congress, not to clean up for themselves in porkfests that rival anything that came before them. Trent Lott represents the worst of that class, and the mere idea that he remains in consideration for a leadership position after his commentary this year proves that the GOP hasn’t listened hard enough.

Doesn’t look like they learned anything yet. Maybe they need more drubbing.

Iowa Voice: It’s almost like they are daring us to start a third party!
The American Pundit:

Is the GOP leadership confused? Do they know you are supposed to elect good people to major positions? Ya know, people who can actually get us back the Congress in ‘08.

Don Surber:

Republicans picked 2 good men. On Lott, I say: Damned the bad publicity, full speed ahead.

Ace makes a list of why this wasn’t a good pick and concludes that the Republicans have learned nothing.
Jeff Goldstein:

Fantastic!

Now, if somebody will volunteer to dig up Dick Nixon and get him on the ticket for ‘08—maybe with Buchanan as a running mate (if Angnew’s moldering corpse proves too difficult to keep tethered to a chair in one solid piece)—the GOP can officially finish itself off with one last glut of pork, then, by way of massive party coronary, return us all to our republic’s salad days of Carteresque social and foreign policy.

Beth dissents:

I’ll repeat what I said in a comment earlier today. I still think what he said about Strom Thurmond was grossly misinterpreted and the blogosphere was hungry for a scalp. I’m virulently anti-racist, and I think that Lott was unfairly trashed by a lot of people, and that he caved to pressure when he shouldn’t have. Sure, what he said was clumsy, and he should have known the media would call him (as the Republican Majority Leader) a racist for saying anything honoring Thurmond’s very long service on the Hill. (Nevermind the fact that Democrats–Grand Kleagle Byrd, anyone?–always get a pass.) But “clumsy” doesn’t equal “racist.”

She also thinks the reactions over his pork buster stuff is overblown. I don’t think he is the worst person that could have been picked for the job. But I’m one of those more pissed off at the people who decided not to vote or protest vote who gave the power over to the loony liberals. I’m upset with my party too, but not as much as those folks who screwed the rest of us so they could feel like they stood on some principles. Who know? I may look back in 2 years and thank them all, but right now I’m still trying to calm down.

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One Response to “Trent Lott Wins Back Leadership Slot”

E L Frederick on November 15th, 2006 11:32 am

Term Limits For Congress! No more of these duphases being in Congress for 30 years like Kennedy and Kerry.

Two terms and then a ride on the ejector seat.

We need to throw all the bums out! No more professional politician class. They are nothing but thieves and liars anyway.