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Monday, December 09, 2002
WaPo ran a story on Lott/Thurmond. There's some interesting infor in the Saturday story, most notably:
1) A response from Lott's office that doesn't revise or retract his statements in any way:Lott's office played down the significance of the senator's remarks. Spokesman Ron Bonjean issued a two-sentence statement: "Senator Lott's remarks were intended to pay tribute to a remarkable man who led a remarkable life. To read anything more into these comments is wrong."
2) Apparently, Thurmond has made similarly questionable comments in the past.In 1998 and 1999, Lott was criticized after disclosures that he had been a speaker at meetings of the Council of Conservative Citizens, an organization formed to succeed the segregationist white Citizens' Councils of the 1960s. In a 1992 speech in Greenwood, Miss., Lott told CCC members: "The people in this room stand for the right principles and the right philosophy. Let's take it in the right direction, and our children will be the beneficiaries."
Asked to comment on Lott's remarks at the Thurmond celebration, Gordon Baum, CEO of the Council of Conservative Citizens, said "God bless Trent Lott." Love Trent Lott, indeed. Love the sinner, hate the sin, as they say...but deny this sinner any credibility unless he apologizes.
Steven I. Weiss 8:47:00 AM
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