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December 10, 2002 1:40 p.m. The Growing Fire Around Trent Lott His latest apology does little to stop a spreading controversy.

here are new indications on Capitol Hill that the controversy over Sen. Trent Lott's remarks at the birthday ceremony for Sen. Strom Thurmond might soon swell into a major issue touching leading politicians of both parties.

While most of those who spoke at the news conference directed their fire at Lott, Rep. Maxine Waters expanded the issue beyond Lott's words to the reaction of Sen. Tom Daschle and other Democratic leaders. On Monday, Daschle seemed to give Lott a measure of absolution when he told reporters that, "Senator Lott, in my conversation with him this morning, explained that that wasn't how he meant them to be interpreted. I accept that. There are a lot of times when he and I go to the microphone, would like to say things we meant to say differently, and I'm sure this is one of those cases for him, as well."

"I think that Mr. Daschle moved too quickly to explain Mr. Lott," Waters said today. "I consider that this is a Democratic party issue, and to the degree that the Democratic party understands that it must relate to the concerns of African Americans, they will pause and take into consideration what message this and other kinds of statements like this are sending into the African American community. It is not enough to simply defend or to explain these kinds of statements and then at election time talk about why black Americans should turn out in large numbers. So we've got some work to do."

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat of Texas, expanded the list of those affected by the controversy even further. "Those who don't look like me should be raising their voices," she said. "We want our fellow colleagues, and as well leaders from around the nation, including my good friend President Bush, including the leaders of the religious community and others, to address the questions of marginalizing a very sizable population in this nation. This sends us into a very wrong direction as we begin the 108th Congress."

Finally, Democratic Rep. Diane Watson said of Lott, "I think he needs to step down, and I'm going to do all I can to see that that occurs." Cummings would not say whether the entire caucus will follow that course, but said members will be meet again to consider what actions to take.

The flap began last Thursday, at Thurmond's 100th birthday party. Addressing a group of senators, staffers, and well-wishers, Lott said, "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." Lott was referring to Thurmond's presidential run in 1948, as the candidate of the segregationist Dixiecrat party.

Lott later attempted to clarify his remarks before yesterday issuing a statement that said, "A poor choice of words conveyed to some the impression that I embraced the discarded policies of the past. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I apologize to anyone who was offended by my statement."

On Monday, Lott spoke to Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, the outgoing chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Asked today whether Lott's apology was sufficient, she answered simply, "We're not finished as a caucus."