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.
Speaking at a
news conference Tuesday morning, members of the Congressional Black Caucus
promised to take far-reaching action over the Lott matter. "The fact
is that this is a man who is four heartbeats from the presidency, and we
cannot have in 2002 those kinds of views being expressed by someone who...is
setting policy," said Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, the incoming
chairman of the CBC. (Cummings was wrong on one point: Lott is not in the
line of presidental succession.)
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."
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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.
