Lott to address blacks on BET....

D

DEF3

Guest
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Fighting to save his job and calm colleagues who fear he has damaged the Republican Party, incoming Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott will address a largely black television audience Monday over remarks he himself called "insensitive."

Lott's efforts at damage control could take on new urgency after the Senate's No. 2 Republican, Don Nickles, R-Oklahoma, called Sunday for a new election for the majority leader post that Lott is set to hold in the new Congress. (Full story)

In his first-ever appearance on Black Entertainment Television, Lott plans to expand upon his explanation for his December 5 remarks that the country would have been "a lot better off" if then-segregationist Strom Thurmond had been elected president in 1948.

The Mississippi Republican also plans to use his appearance on the cable network to outline a series of new initiatives designed to bolster his image as a civil rights supporter, according to Lott spokesman Ron Bonjean.

"Sen. Lott believes this is an effort to open a dialogue on the serious issues of race, diversity and opportunity between Americans," Bonjean said Saturday. "This will be an ongoing effort."

During a news conference Friday in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Lott announced he had accepted a request from Robert Johnson, chief executive officer of BET, to hold a one-hour event to discuss "my hopes and dreams for the people in this state and this country."

Based in Washington, BET has added about 2 million subscriber homes per year since 1984, currently reaching more than 74 million homes, according to the network's Web site.

Despite Lott's efforts to intensify his campaign of forgiveness, at least two Senate Republicans joined a telephone conference call shortly after Lott's press conference Friday and voiced serious concerns about the damage Lott had done to GOP efforts to reach out to black voters, according to congressional sources.

Those lawmakers were Nickles and Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee, the sources said. Both have been mentioned as possible successors to Lott if he steps down.

Lott organized but did not participate in the conference call, his office said.

Meanwhile, some Senate Democrats are considering a move to censure Lott for his remarks, according to Democratic sources. During the GOP conference call, senators said they may respond to such a move by pushing a separate censure resolution against Sen. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia, Republican sources said.

Byrd, who served as Senate majority leader from 1977 to 1980 and again from 1987 to 1988, also has drawn fire for making comments some considered racially insensitive.

Lott will remain in Pascagoula through this weekend and plans to return to Washington on Monday for his BET interview, his spokesman said.
 
BET is a racist network. It promotes the agenda of one race over another. I would think that his appearance on the network should offend some people. After all, fair is fair.
 
Gotta cater to them now, the liberal whackos have got him up against the ropes. Gotta make him dance, after all they are watching out for all the moral injustices in the world.
 
Watching out for? Seems to me like they cause most of them.
 
I'll take that a step further, they are the moral injustices...of this country at least.
 
GOP senators to meet to decide fate of Trent Lott as party leader

By David Espo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
December 16, 2002

WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans will meet early next month to settle the fate of Sen. Trent Lott as party leader in the wake of a racially charged controversy, GOP sources said Monday.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting would be called for Jan. 6, the day before the Senate convenes for a new session under Republican control.

The decision came as White House spokesman Ari Fleischer criticized Lott's comments anew, and a key GOP senator issued a statement that pointedly refrained from saying Lott should remain as leader.

"My Republican colleagues and I are actively engaged in deciding what is in the best interests of the Senate as an institution and the country," said Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee, who chaired the GOP campaign effort over the past two years.

"I am confident a consensus will emerge, but no decisions have been made yet," Frist said, "and I have endorsed no specific proposal at this time."

For his part, Lott spent the day preparing for an appearance on Black Entertainment Television, part of an effort to overcome controversy stemming from racially comments he made at Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party earlier this month.

Lott said Mississippians were proud to have supported Thurmond for president when he ran as a segregationist in 1948. "And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either," he said.

The Mississippi Republican has since apologized repeatedly for his remarks, but the original utterances set off a furor that poses a strong threat to his grip on power.

A few Republicans, including Sen. Don Nickles of Oklahoma, called over the weekend for a meeting of the rank-and-file to consider Lott's fate. Nickles said new elections should be held.

Sentiment for a meeting grew during the day, when Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., issued a statement endorsing the idea.

"It is not fair for us to leave the Sen. Lott's future as Senate majority leader uncertain, nor is it helpful to let the issue go unresolved," Burns said in a statement. "There needs to be some closure very soon,"

At the White House, spokesman Ari Fleischer called Lott's original comments "offensive and repugnant," but later added, "The president does not think he needs to resign."

On Sunday, Nickles became the first GOP senator to call for new leadership elections.

"I am concerned that Trent has been weakened to the point that may jeopardize his ability to enact our agenda and speak to all Americans," said Nickles, who flirted with a challenge to Lott earlier this fall and could run if new elections are held.

"There are several outstanding senators who are more than capable of effective leadership and I hope we have an opportunity to choose," said Nickles.

Lott did not respond to Nickles' comments. Spokesman Ron Bonjean said the Mississippi Republican was preparing for a 30-minute appearance on Black Entertainment Television on Monday night, part of a campaign to save his leadership post. Lott intends to use the time "to discuss the serious issues of diversity, opportunity and race in America," Bonjean said.

The White House steered clear of Nickles' remarks as Bush's advisers said the president would not try to save Lott's job. Fleischer steadfastly declined to be drawn into any discussion of the potential leadership race among Senate Republicans. "The White House isn't commenting on that," he said. But Fleischer condemned in sharpened tones the comments last week that landed Lott in trouble.

White House officials have told Republicans that Bush is willing to accept the consequences if Lott loses the majority leader position, quits the Senate and allows Mississippi's Democratic governor to replace him, GOP officials say.

Bush's political advisers say they were not impressed with Lott's explanations, including a news conference Friday, but they insist they're not getting involved in the Senate's internal debate over Lott's future. Still, Sen. Bill Frist, a potential candidate to replace Lott as majority leader, is a favorite of the White House.

Sens. John Warner of Virginia and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said they supported a hurry-up meeting of the rank and file in view of the controversy swirling around Lott.

Republicans "must either reconfirm their confidence in Senator Trent Lott's leadership or select a new leader," Hagel said. "In the interest of the Republican Party, the president's agenda and the nation this issue must be resolved quickly."

Other Republicans, including Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee, declined to comment on Nickles' suggestion. Several sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Frist raised questions during a conference call late last week about the impact that Lott's comments would have on the party and on President Bush in the 2004 elections. Frist chaired the GOP's senatorial campaign committee the past two years.

Bush criticized Lott's comments last week, and senior political aides have privately expressed concern about the impact of the controversy on the president's efforts to increase support among black voters.

Additionally, Nickles quickly found himself under attack from critics thus far choosing to remain anonymous. Lott's allies circulated material Sunday night designed to show the two men had voted alike on key civil rights issues and that the Oklahoman had long thirsted for the top leadership post.

The material also included a fraternity magazine article from last spring quoting Nickles as speaking favorably about Sen. Strom Thurmond – but about the fact that he had children late in life, not his segregationist past.

"Strom is my idol. He's 99 years old and his kids are younger than mine," Nickles, 54, was quoted as saying.

The comment that ensnared Lott in controversy had to do with the 1948 presidential campaign. Speaking at Thurmond's 100th birthday party earlier this month, Lott said Mississippians were proud to have voted for the one-time segregationist when he sought the White House.

"And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years either," Lott added.

Lott has since apologized several times, most recently on Friday when he strongly denounced racism and segregation.
 
Trent Lott

Gays are like alcoholics, kleptomaniacs

"It is [a sin]....You should try to show them a way to deal with that problem, just like alcohol...or sex addiction...or kleptomaniacs." - Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott, Associated Press, June 15, 1998.
 
DEF3...can you explain why Gore Sr and your other southern Democrats voted against the Civil Rights Act in 64? Do they hate Blacks or something?
 
Originally posted by DEF3
Trent Lott

Gays are like alcoholics, kleptomaniacs

"It is [a sin]....You should try to show them a way to deal with that problem, just like alcohol...or sex addiction...or kleptomaniacs." - Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott, Associated Press, June 15, 1998.
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I happen to agree. I know both sides of the debate, the whole nature/nurture thing. I fall on the nurture side of that fence. Sue me (as I'm sure you would given the chance).

IMO, his biggest sin so far that has come to light is making statements that are not politically correct. OOOOOOOOOO. I'm starting to like this guy more and more as quotes are brought to light.

Why does this trouble you so? Unresolved issues you'd care to discuss? I am an experienced mental health therapist by the way, you can feel free to open up...
 
DEF3, knowing that his father fought hard to keep the '64 Civil Rights Act from passing, Al Gore has stated many times that his father was a great man and a great politician.

I find that extremely racist, as he is supporting an obvious anti-Black politician who used the word "******" many, many times while fighting against the Civil Rights Act.
 
So you blame the sins of the Father on his Son?

Was Al Jr supposed to continue the line of hate?

Al supporting his Father is racest?

Trent Lott spoke his own mind, not his Father's.
 
Lott said that Thurmond was a great man.

Same thing Gore said.

How is it different?
 
Thurmond is not Lott's Father- that's the difference....

I can disown my neighbor, but not my Father- no matter how much of a monster he may be.....
 
Hey DEF3, I'm wondering if you've heard anything new on the lawsuits being brought against Gore by those Black Secret Service agents. You know, the ones whose promotions were halted by Gore to not be his gaurds.
 
Originally posted by DEF3
Thurmon is not Lott's Father- that's the difference....
Click to expand...

That makes no sense whatsoever. He said he was a great man etc...an obvious racist. A rose is a rose.
 
Hey DEF3...did you forget about Gore's vow to "remove all gay sex from Hollywood movies" if he were to have been elected president? What's up with that? Does he hate gays or something?
 
Do you advocate showing sex to children?

If not, does that mean you hate children?

Lott called gays sick, Gore said let's not show them in movies to children as role models....
 
Todays politics truely is sad just about every election all you can do is vote for the lesser evil. Thats all I have to say about this anymore.
 
Originally posted by DEF3
Do you advocate showing sex to children?
Click to expand...

Why is it his job to parent the children of America? Isn't it your choice what your child sees?

What do you want? A bigger government? Controlling what's in the movies and music?

Or are you able to choose for yourself? Apparently not.
 
Oh, and I bet you a donut that the $4 million raised at his Hollywood fundraiser had a lot to do with his quick change of heart about attacking the movies.

Yeah, really standing up for the children of America! Sounds like he talks to whomever has the money to line his pockets with.

There goes your theory about protecting kids.
 
I still want to know why Gore dropped out of the Presidential race....somebody must have something on him for him just to drop out like he did....

And Lott didn't do a blasted thing wrong. Even if he did mean it the way it came out, he spoke his mind. Not a crime, a right guaranteed by the Constitution.

At least for now................
 
That's the same fundraiser where he told the Hollywood producers he was only going to "pretend to nudge" them publically.

Why would you let him lie to you like that?
 
Originally posted by fergy1370
a right guaranteed by the Constitution.

At least for now................
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Not if the liberal commies are elected to office. They'll be damned sure you don't see anything they deem offensive, or hear anything they deem offensive.

Or, at least they'll lie to you about it to your face...then get money from the people they threaten and forget all about them.

The great moral gaurdians that they are.
 
Then should we show children having sex?

Does that mean we hate children if we object?

Do you really think any parent can be with their child 24/7?

So if the child fails due to our society's failures, then we should simply blame the parents?
 
Originally posted by DEF3
Then should we show children having sex?

Does that mean we hate children if we object?

Do you really think any parent can be with their child 24/7?

So if the child fails due to our society's failures, then we should simply blame the parents?
Click to expand...

Do you seriously not see the flaws in your arguments?

How is letting government control what we see and hear going to do anything about our society's flaws?

Of course we blame the parents! They are society! We are society, not the government! We should be accepting responsibilty for our own actions, not toss it off to the government to decide what's right and wrong for us!

Are you one of the people that is suing McDonalds over being fat? Afraid to accept the consequences of your own actions?
 
So we should allow anything in movies and arrest the parents if the child sees and acts on them?

What's the flaw in that argument?

The Government controls movie content- parents are helpless in the matter except for electing our Govenment officials to take care of these maters for them.

This is reality, not flawed logic.....
 
:blink:

Where did I say anything about arresting people?!

The government does not control what's in movies, though if it were up to you I suppose it would.
 
1. Government doesn't need to police what we watch. If my son watches a porno young, I'll kick his a_s myself. I'm his father. Then again no Republican would probably bring abortion into this mix either.

2. Lott deserves heat. Speak your mind, fine. But be ready for the consequences. Otherwise don't open your hole.

3. I can't believe the republican blinders people wear on this site. Republicans can do no wrong in any arguement.

4. Southern Democrats, Southern Republicans? Are they one in the same? They all seem racist to me. If I'm going to have people governing me, I'd like a few who are mature enough to see past alittle pigment in their skin. Do these people even get an education?
 
LOL everyone is argueing over democrats and republicans which is worse, which is better. All of them have done some bad things and will continue to, oh well lets just vote for the lesser evil and let things continue the way they are.
 
"The government does not control what's in movies, though if it were up to you I suppose it would."

They already control what's in movies, try buying some child porno movies and see what happens.....
 
Uhh...if the government controlled what's in the movies why would the movies be made in the first place?

You've lost this one DEF3. You're making no sense.

But you're forgetting (or ignoring) the fact that the guy your defending turned around and told the movie producers that he was only going to "pretend to nudge" the filmmakers...then received $4 million from them in return for his backing off.

Great morals huh? Great that he's out there pointing out all the injustices huh?
 
I'm not defending anyone, just stating my opinions....

Al Gore defending his Father as a person is not the same as Trent Lott advocating segregation at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party....

And yes, child pornography is illegal in moves as per Government controls....

So what am I saying that doesn't make sense to you???
 
Originally posted by mngopherguy

4. Southern Democrats, Southern Republicans? Are they one in the same? They all seem racist to me.  If I'm going to have people governing me, I'd like a few who are mature enough to see past alittle pigment in their skin.  Do these people even get an education?
Click to expand...

Careful now. You're about to wake up the beast.

Yes, we are educated. Yes, we are integrated. Far more than what I've seen in Minnesoooooooooooooooooota too.

Or are your ravings yet another example of the "If it is not like me it is wrong" movement that is ruining this country of late? I guarantee you my college grades will match up to yours any day you wanna lay transcripts side by side.

Generalize elsewhere. The toes you're trying to step on here kick back.
 
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