As usual the Republicans quietly fed the lions -- while keeping both hands firmly clamped over their asses -- hoping they will be eaten last.
Republicans are the most gutless group of humans ever to occupy the Congress of these United States. Lott, following the CYA tactic of all Republicans who came before him bought into the Democrat's vilification of him; and he immediately started defending himself by attempting to prove a negative. He allowed the debate to be led by his detractors and immediately started apologizing for whatever it was they imagined he said.
In fact, if Thurmond had been elected, he may have appointed the USSC judges who may have been the deciding vote on several cases which have plagued this nation "for all these years".
We might still have prayer in the schools, ala the "found" unabgiguous wall of separation by an activist court, instead of kids slaughtering their classmates.
We might not have legalized abortion, ala the "found" right to "privacy" by an activist court.
We might not have had the failed experiment of the "Great Society" which squandered five trillion dollars of American productivity; and has been cited in study after study as the primary factor in the destruction of the Black family in America.
Lott stated none of this. He thereby, defending against the negative, gave credibility to his detractors that what they were saying he meant was what he actually meant.
Lott is a great example of the lack of political knowhow that pervades the Republican party. Instead of refusing to apologize for what he didn't say, he should have been insisting on what he did say. He instead took the low road, carefully following the signs posted by his detractors, and that road led him to today's decision.
Don't get me wrong. I have no love lost for Lott as I feel he is a compromiser who led himself to the crossroads of his own demise. What he gleaned from all of his compromising and "bipartisanship" -- a word that makes me want to vomit every time I hear it -- was the animus, vilification, vitriol, and disrespect of those he compromised with.
Will the Republicans learn anything from this? Not a whit, I have to presume.
This example of the Lott mess is likely the most convincing argument for term limits there is. We have these aging professional politicians who are from a different era where the times dictated the thinking; and they are being besmirched and vilified by the past. If Thurmond had been termed out long ago, Lott would never have been able to say the things that got him in trouble. In fact, Lott would have been termed out long ago as well. Unfortunately, term limits will never become a reality as the quest, for power trumps it soundly.
My message to all Republicans is simply this -- YOU'RE NEXT.