The American Spectator

Reader Mail

COUNSELING TRENT
Re: The Washington Prowler's Lott in Deepest Doo-Doo:

How many of the liberal media, the Democrats and the Black Caucus called for the resignation of Byrd after he used the n-word on national television, not once but twice? I think Lott is not up to the job of Majority Leader, but the hypocritical statements and race rage of the left is ridiculous.
-- D. Schwartz
San Diego, CA

I don't know if Trent Lott is a racist or not. I don't care that he has one of the worst hair pieces on Capitol Hill. (I used to think it favored a carpet sample until I saw something remarkably like it tumping over garbage cans in the alley behind my house one night last week.) And I tolerate the ambiguity occasioned by the fact that he was a cheerleader in college (yes, a cheerleader -- I'm not making this up). But I swear, sometimes I don't think the man has enough intelligence to pour piss out of a boot with instructions on the heel.

Now is a great time for Senate Republicans to throw him overboard and blame it on lefty whiners. But as Republicans almost never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity, it probably won't happen. Too bad.
-- Larry Thornberry
Tampa, FL

Lott needs to be "sent for" and "invited" to leave the GOP altogether, regardless of short-term consequences. After years of Republicans trying to reassure Blacks it's safe to vote for us, that we're not going to try to bring back segregation or some such horrible thing, Lott goes and says what he said. Staggering. If he doesn't get the boot, Republicans owe a collective apology to Jesse Jackson.
-- Ted Angell

I think it is terrible how the Democrats are using a harmless compliment to a 100-year-old colleague on his birthday, to try to destroy a man's career. The compliment did not contain anything racist in nature at all. In other words, a person should not say they respect another person unless they are prepared to say that they respect every single thing that person did his or her entire life? I'm sure Strom Thurmond did many things that Trent Lott found respectable and for it to be construed that he was referring to a stand he took on segregation in the 40s is ludicrous. And why will those same people not answer why Clinton was able to get away with saying how much he respected a known segregationist? No, of course not, because he is a Democrat, so that is excused. This is so unfair, the man has apologized for his comments, and yet the Democrats will not give up until this fine man has resigned. That's a shame.
-- Sharon Gonterman

Sometimes the locals want red meat, but Lott offered them a burning cross instead. For a party which is trying to open its arms to African American community, this thoughtless performance makes many of us in the party wonder if Lott understands anything except Senate rules and procedures. Lott will become the poster child for every liberal firebreather and further drive a wedge with independent voters who think the Democrats will spend them into poverty but cringe at the lacquer tongued waggings of a Mississippi politician.
-- Chris Healy
Hartford, CT

In today's piece on Senator Lott, we read that "Lott's people are stealing themselves" for his departure as Majority Leader. Take another look at what you're saying, please.
-- Walter Bishop

HOWLER AT THE MOON
Re: Wlady Pleszczynski's The Conason Prize:

With all due respect, you know better than what your article claims. Twist and turn as you like, try to pull out the rapidly becoming old news Clinton administration for as long as you can, both Gore and Marshall have a point about the media. I highly doubt you haven't read the far more substantive and well researched "Daily Howler" (but just in case, www.dailyhowler.com), where Robert Somersby has carefully established the "right wing agitprop" quite well, in real time, over the past three years. If you're too lazy (one of Somersby's contentions about the major media...it's far more nuanced than right wing/left wing), I'm sure an e-mail request would be responded to.

It's quite amusing how all of you, both conservative and liberal pretend that the media still is worth garbage. The public Borking of Gore last election, through the RNC blast fax, to Rush, Drudge, the Washington Times, and onward has been well documented by Somersby. He can even identify which pundits retyped the blast faxes first.

So please, spare us. This bloviating may play in Peoria, but those of us with bandwidth and some research time already know what's really true in this matter.
-- John Nowicki

NEUTRAL GEAR
Re: Reader Mail's UnSUV at Any Speed:

I think the relevant question is not "What would Jesus drive?" but whether he would offer moral condemnation toward those who chose to drive something else.

I rather think he wouldn't. What that says about those among us today who do, I'll leave for them to figure out.
-- Kevin McGehee
Coweta County, GA

topics:
Television, NATO, Africa