Lott waxed nostalgic about what might have been if Thurmond, a Dixiecrat, had won the 1948 presidential election.
Lott later apologized:
A poor choice of words conveyed to some the impression that I embraced the discarded policies of the past. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I apologize to anyone who was offended by my statement.
Like then-Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama, I was offended and thought the “Republican Party itself has to drive out Trent Lott.”
During my appearance on ABC’s “Nightline,” I cheered Lott’s resignation:
And what this Lott mess has done has widened that gap into a chasm of suspicion, that how can a party that would sanction a Trent Lott, that would sanction a Strom Thurmond, that built its base on race baiting, appealing to racial animosities, how can we trust them on an issue, like school choice, for one?
Fast forward seven years, a Democratic senate majority leader is apologizing for his “poor choice of words.” Obama and the Democratic establishment are standing by Sen. Harry Reid -- at least for now.
I think Georgetown Prof. Michael Eric Dyson’s observation that Democrats “look like hypocrites” is spot on.
Meanwhile, Reid says he deserves a pass because throughout his political career he has “worked hard to advance issues important to the African-American community.” And he’s through apologizing:
I’m not going to dwell on this anymore. It’s in the book. I’ve made all the statements I’m going to make.It ain’t over.
