December 12, 2002

This is in response to

This is in response to a brief conversation Elizabeth and I had about Senator Lott's recent gaffe:

This is what is wrong with the Republican party...or politics in general. You just can't trust what the politicians are saying. They will speak the words that make their audience/constituents feel good and then do whatever it is they or their major monitary contributors want. Kay Bailey Hutchinson says,

...(Lott) was trying to make a 100 year-old-man who was leaving the Senate after nearly 50 years feel good. He went overboard and he knows it.
I actually believe this is probably true. Maybe I'm being naive, but I don't believe that Senator Lott is a racist. Lott was speaking from a political culture that taylors rhetoric to specific, narrow audiences. For example, we have a "compassionate conservative" president who approved of the execution of 185 Texas death row inmates as governor and now wants to go to war with Iraq to divert attention from his administrations failures such as their inability to capture Osama bin Laden, the negative direction the US economy is taking, and gross, willfull, extreme negligence/mismanagement of the environment...

I could say more...probaby should say more....but I've got to get some work done.

Posted by jfer at December 12, 2002 10:06 AM
Comments

I doubt W views his administration's environmental record as negligent - it's exactly where he (or his busines pals) wants it to be.

Posted by: Stepan on December 12, 2002 11:19 AM

Exactly my point! While we all know what bad environment changes he's made to US policies, his website claims The President has unveiled the most aggressive initiative in American history to cut power plant emissions, as well as a bold new strategy for addressing global climate change.He says what environmentalist want to hear yet does whatever is good for his Oil Buddies.

Posted by: Jfer on December 12, 2002 1:05 PM

That sucks! This:

The President has unveiled the most aggressive initiative in American history to cut power plant emissions, as well as a bold new strategy for addressing global climate change.

was suppose to have been set off as a blockquote. :-(

Posted by: Jfer on December 12, 2002 1:06 PM

Given the new items that have been turned up since you wrote this entry about Lott's history of opposition to integration and "racial intermingling"--comments at 1980 rally, amicus curiae brief on behalf of Bob Jones University, leading fight against integration of his fraternity--has your viewpoint altered any from believing that Lott was just saying what he thought a small group wanted to hear?

I thought Kay Bailey Hutchison's comment was probably right on the money . . . until the rest of these items started being reported, and it became clear that this was not a one-off statement.

Posted by: Eliz on December 13, 2002 4:32 PM

From Today's NY Post:

He took the lead in doubling funding for historically black colleges in Mississippi, sponsored the bill to make racially motivated arson a federal crime, broke the filibuster to get the Africa Free Trade bill passed and brokered the deal that led to a vast increase in federal Title I education aid and earmarked it for poor schools.

And he helped get the Congressional Gold Medal voted for Rosa Parks.

Posted by: Patrick on December 16, 2002 2:47 PM

You've been MIA for almost two weeks now, and I miss your blog! Since this is your most recent entry, it's the only place I have to say online to you . . . Merry Christmas!

Posted by: Eliz on December 24, 2002 12:35 PM

damn-it, jenny---get busy and write something here...anything.

Posted by: mom (aka mil,aka Rita) on December 30, 2002 6:28 PM
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