'Redemption' for the Pariah From Pascagoula

[bigtree]

By Dana Milbank
Thursday, November 16, 2006; Page A02

{clips}

For the first time in recorded history, Sen. Trent Lott stared at a bank of cameras yesterday and had nothing to say.

The Mississippi Republican had just completed a political comeback worthy of Richard Nixon in '68 or Bill Clinton after Gennifer Flowers. Four years after forcing Lott to resign as majority leader because of his infelicitous plug for Strom Thurmond's segregationist campaign, Senate Republicans lifted him from disgrace and voted him in as their No. 2 leader -- and the garrulous and grateful Lott was determined to demonstrate that he could control his mouth.

In truth, Lott's satisfied smile said all that was necessary. Moments earlier, he had broken down in tears as he thanked his colleagues for welcoming him back from the wilderness -- and senators emerging from the vote sounded as if they had just left a religious revival.

It was almost exactly four years earlier that Lott stopped by a 100th-birthday party for Thurmond and observed that "we wouldn't have had all these problems" if the Dixiecrat's segregationist campaign had succeeded in 1948, when Thurmond vowed that "all the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, our schools, our churches." Lott went through a frantic two weeks of apologies capped by an appearance on BET.

In his acceptance speech yesterday, the teary-eyed Lott told his colleagues that he was 'humbled' . . .

more . . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/15/AR2006111501371_pf.html



http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree

[TheMadMonk]

1. He should be in tears. He's got US to contend with now. N/t

[NOLADEM]

2. An artist should draw a cartoon of him looking maniacally at the helm of a sinking ship

My skills would not do it justice.

[Xipe Totec]

3. There can be no redemption

without compunction, contrition, confession, restoration, and penitence.

He's faking it.

[Ignacio Upton]

4. I'm can't wait to sit on his rebuilt porch!

n/t.