The Hotline: Lott elected Minority Whip by vote of 25-24

[Mr. Morden]

"Ex-Maj. Leader Trent Lott has won the Senate minority whip election, two GOP sources tell the Hotline."

"According to sources, the vote to elect Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) minority whip was 25 to 24."

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/

Though the Hotline doesn't mention it, Lott was running against Lamar Alexander.

[Adlai Stevenson]

Surprise!  I wonder why Alexander lost? 

[Joe Republic]

I'd like to see the breakdown for the 25-24 vote.  Is that information public?

[Rococo4]

No it is secret ballot.

After seeing Reid constantly outmanuever Frist, I am glad we have Lott back on the leadership team.

[Sam Spade]

No it is secret ballot.

After seeing Reid constantly outmanuever Frist, I am glad we have Lott back on the leadership team.

I don't think Lott is any better at maneuvering than Frist, though I think he's slightly better at behind-the-scene work (which is what a whip does) and my gut tells me, better than Lamar Alexander would have been. 

Of course, McConnell is not a public figure, so that means Lott will probably be front and center again in the media (for better or worse, can't tell right now).  Ironically, the one thing my Al-like grandfather and me agreed on was that Lott really got a raw deal on the whole Strom Thurmond incident.  I suspect many here will not agree.

Having McConnell rather than Frist at minority leader is where the difference will be found.  Frist didn't know jack about Senate rules, whereas McConnell is a master of them.  That's where the difference.

[Conan]

No it is secret ballot.

After seeing Reid constantly outmanuever Frist, I am glad we have Lott back on the leadership team.

I don't think Lott is any better at maneuvering than Frist, though I think he's slightly better at behind-the-scene work (which is what a whip does) and my gut tells me, better than Lamar Alexander would have been. 

Of course, McConnell is not a public figure, so that means Lott will probably be front and center again in the media (for better or worse, can't tell right now).  Ironically, the one thing my Al-like grandfather and me agreed on was that Lott really got a raw deal on the whole Strom Thurmond incident.  I suspect many here will not agree.

Having McConnell rather than Frist at minority leader is where the difference will be found.  Frist didn't know jack about Senate rules, whereas McConnell is a master of them.  That's where the difference.

I dont think what he said was racist. But I do wonder what he thought would be better had Thurmond been president.

[Conan]

Lott was a fantastic choice to be Republican Whip?

Why?

1) He has long tenure in the Senate, he knows the rules.
2) He has served in the minority, and majority.
3) He is a nice person, unlike a lot of staunch Conservatives.
4) He is able to work across the asile despite his views. Some conservatives, like Saxby Chambliss, hate democrats and think all democrats go to hell.

I have always liked Trent Lott for those reasons. I have said so previously on this forum.

[AuH2O]

He's one of those people that just loves being in the Senate. I don't think he even cares that much between the majority and minority.

[Rococo4]

He's one of those people that just loves being in the Senate. I don't think he even cares that much between the majority and minority.

I totally agree.......being Whip to him is like being President.  Thats why I think it is a good move.

[Adlai Stevenson]

Well it sounds like I'm jumping on the bandwagon but I don't think Lott's remarks about Thurmond were particularly outrageous.  But echoing other comments made, I wonder what he thought would have been better had Strom Thurmond been President?  What he said was really oblique, it was something like 'I just want to say one thing.  When Strom Thurmond ran for President we voted for him and if the rest of the country had followed our example, we wouldn't have had all these problems with race over the years." Strange. 

[RBH]

Is there really a dimes worth of difference between Lamar Alexander and Trent Lott?

Trent, congrats on your third stint as a whip, you had the job in the House, in the Senate in the 90s, and now in the 2000s.

[nclib]

Is there really a dimes worth of difference between Lamar Alexander and Trent Lott?

Alexander comes across as more moderate than Lott. I think Alexander opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment.

[7,052,770]

1) He has long tenure in the Senate, he knows the rules.

ok, that's true

You must be logged in to read this quote.

ok, good

You must be logged in to read this quote.

no, actually he's a racist jackass

You must be logged in to read this quote.

He's pretty much just like Saxby Chambliss, except pretends to be nice ocassionally.



If the Republicans had any honor, they'd boot him out of the party along with Chambliss and Inhofe and put someone like Olympia Snowe as whip.

[Keystone Phil]

If the Republicans had any honor, they'd boot him out of the party along with Chambliss and Inhofe and put someone like Olympia Snowe as whip.

Actually, I think we prefer keeping the Whip within our own party.

[bullmoose88]

If the Republicans had any honor, they'd boot him out of the party along with Chambliss and Inhofe and put someone like Olympia Snowe as whip.

Actually, I think we prefer keeping the Whip within our own party.

You mean within your ideology.

[RBH]

3) He is a nice person, unlike a lot of staunch Conservatives.

no, actually he's a racist jackass

How about "He's a nice person, for being a racist jackass"?

You must be logged in to read this quote.

He's pretty much just like Saxby Chambliss, except pretends to be nice ocassionally.

I'm not sure who switched first. Trent was a Democrat until 1972. Saxby went to UGA in the 60s.

Granted, i'm suspecting that Lott voted against his party's Senatorial nominee in 1972, picking Eastland instead.

[HardRCafé]

Some conservatives, like Saxby Chambliss, hate democrats and think all democrats go to hell.

Oh, come on.

[7,052,770]

3) He is a nice person, unlike a lot of staunch Conservatives.

no, actually he's a racist jackass

How about "He's a nice person, for being a racist jackass"?

I dunno, if I lived in another state I may like him OK.  But I really loathe the guy.



Kinda like I endorsed Snowe for senate in Maine this year, but if I lived in Maine and was exposed to Snowe a lot, I'm sure I would hate her and been a hardcore Bright supporter.

[memphis]

This was a really bad move politically. The only thing most voters know about Trent Lott, fair or not, is that he is from Mississippi and he made comments supporting Strom Thurmond. Granted, most people don't have a clue what whip is and probably don't care. Still, this is not going to play well outside of the South. The way they're headed, the Republicans are going to end up like the Dems in the 1920s with a strong Southern base and not much more.

[HardRCafé]

What exactly do you think voters outside the South think of Senate Pro Tem Bob Byrd?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

If the Republicans had any honor, they'd boot him out of the party along with Chambliss and Inhofe and put someone like Olympia Snowe as whip.

Actually, I think we prefer keeping the Whip within our own party.

You mean within your ideology.

No he means in his party. The Republican party is the party of Iraq, Schiavo, and Rhea county, TN.

[bullmoose88]

If the Republicans had any honor, they'd boot him out of the party along with Chambliss and Inhofe and put someone like Olympia Snowe as whip.

Actually, I think we prefer keeping the Whip within our own party.

You mean within your ideology.

No he means in his party. The Republican party is the party of Iraq, Schiavo, and Rhea county, TN.

Are you a priest of the democratic party? looking to convert the masses?

:-p

[Sam Spade]

Uh, I'm really kinda confused how people are making this the landmark decision that will change the course of the Republican party in the future based on some event five years ago.

How many people in the US know who the Minority Whip in the Senate is?(or Majority Whip, for that matter)  I mean, unless Lott says something really dumb in public again, who is going to care?  I suspect if he's smart, he stays in the background for the most part, because that's the job of Whips, to whip their party members into submission (for all you weirdos out there) and not to be public figures.  After all, it's not like Dick Durbin's statement that America was running gulags in Iraq really had any effect on public opinion whatsoever.

The election for House minority leader and Senate minority leader (much, much more than the House) are more important than this election, even though no one will know who they are either.  The general point is that Republicans don't have to make themselves into public figures to represent Republicans right now, because they've got Bush to cover that angle for them.  For the Democrats, the creation of public figures to represent "Democrats" is of much greater importance.

With John Kerry leaving to the sidelines (hopefully for good), the face of the Democratic party will be undergoing transition.  Normally, until we have the 2008 Presidential nominee, this spot will be up for grabs for about the next year or so.  The most likely candidates to take this position are the new leaders in the Senate and the House, since they will be in opposition to the Republican leader, Bush. 

Harry Reid is not well-suited for this position, IMO, and he will probably correctly pass.  I suspect Nancy Pelosi doesn't want to be in this position.  So, it will probably come down to House Majority leader.  Steny Hoyer is not that great of a public face, so if he wins, Nancy will probably be front-and-center, which is probably not too bad of a thing, since I think she's probably smart enough to force the issue in ways that will benefit her. 

Murtha, on the other hand, loves the public spotlight and seems to be eager to assume this role.  The problem is that, quite frankly, he isn't smart enough for it and can be outmaneuvered fairly easily.  Which is precisely the reason why, if the Dems are smart, they don't let him anywhere near the spot.

[AuH2O]

Lott isn't only a nice guy, but he's also much less elitist and aloof than most Senators. He doesn't treat people badly just because he's a big shot and they are a lowly staffer or just a random visitor. Alexander on the other hand is apparently a jackass, which probably is why he counted on the votes of Senators who were more than happy to vote against him.

[HardRCafé]

Not to mention, Lott's state loves him immensely.  Alexander's state, not so much.