Crib Sheet: Trent Lott Rises Again

Some quick facts on the Senator now that he’s back in the leadership.

By Christy Harvey

At first, it didn’t look like a big news day: The Senate GOP tapped Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to be the new Senate Minority Leader (a position previously held by Bill Frist.) Yawn. But then…

• In a total 25-24 squeaker vote, Sen. Trent Lott squeezed by Sen. Lamar Alexander to become the new Senate Minority whip. Now that’s what we call news. [MSNBC]


• Sen. Lott was forced to step down as Senate leader four years ago after getting a little too in touch with his inner racist at a tribute dinner for Strom Thurmond. [CNN]


• At the Thurmond dinner, Lott said the U.S. could have avoided “all these problems” if Strom Thurmond had won his quest for the presidency back in 1948. You know, when he ran on the pro-segregation ticket. [Audio, :10]


• People were not amused. Some said it was a slip of the tongue: more pointed to the remarks in the context of his past actions. [Time Magazine]
  • 1979: Supports constitutional amendment to ban school busing (it failed).
  • 1981: Files a brief with the Supreme Court supporting religious Bob Jones University, charging “racial discrimination does not always violate public policy.”
  • 1982: Votes against Voting Rights Act (it passed).
  • 1983: Votes against making MLK Day a national holiday. (It passed.)
  • 1992: Addresses the white-supremacy group the Council of Conservative Citizens, saying, “The people in this room stand for the right principles and right philosophy. Let’s take it in the right direction and our children will be the beneficiaries.”
  • 1998: “Sometimes I feel closer to Jefferson Davis [leader of the Confederacy] than any other man in America.”

Audio:

McConnell: It is my great pleasure to present to you our newly elected assistant majority leader, Trent Lott.

Lott: Thank you leader, congratulations to you, I know you’re going to make an outstanding Republican leader for us all and I’m honored to be a part of this leadership team to support Mitch McConnell and all my colleagues to do a job I’ve always really loved the most, count the votes. [Audio, :27]

 
Christy Harvey is the Editor of Mic Check.

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