Every so often I consider taking the leap and start voting Republican, but inevitably some completely idiotic turn by the GOP leaves me on the sidelines again.
For example, it is simply inconceivable to me that Trent Lott could have said of Strom Thurmond,
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 over all these years, either.
Thurmond, of course, ran for president in 1948 as the candidate of the Segregationist Party which was committed to the segregation and “racial integrity” of whites and blacks. The Washington Post has a quote from Thurmond announcing his candidacy by saying, “All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, our schools, our churches.”
And Lott thinks “we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years” if Thurmond had been elected? Leave it to the Republicans to have their incoming Senate Majority Leader endorse segregation as what this country needed all these years.
Lott should resign, period. Not just as Majority Leader, but from the Senate as well. If Canadian and German officials can be shamed into resigning for calling George W. Bush stupid, surely Lott should be able to see the wisdom in stepping aside for his racist comment.
I doubt Lott will resign, but if Republicans allow him to retain his Majority Leader position, they will be morally bankrupt.
And Lott’s spokesperson Ron Bonjean just compounds Lott’s problems by dismissing criticism of the remark by saying,
Senator Lott’s remarks were intended to pay tribute to a remarkable man who led a remarkable life. To read anything more into these comments is wrong.
Translation: Lott didn’t really mean what he said. I guess it depends on the meaning of “proud”, eh, Senator Lott?
Source:
Lott Decried For Part Of Salute to Thurmond. Thomas B. Edsall, Washington Post, December 7, 2002.