Oh, the good news for liberals just keeps on coming.Sen. Trent Lott, ousted from the top Senate Republican leadership job four years ago because of remarks considered racially insensitive, won election to the No. 2 post Wednesday for the minority GOP in the next Congress.This is great on so many levels. Obviously, McConnell and Lott are a terrific combination to have leading the Senate Republicans, since they combine a particular brand of right-wing Southern insanity that the voters are clearly clamoring for. They're going to make Harry Reid look incredibly rational and moderate in the next two years and should do a wonderful job of helping tee us up for what should be a Democratic landslide in the 2008 Senate elections.
Lott returned to the center of power by getting the position of vote-counting GOP whip, nosing out Sen. Lamar Alexander. Sen. Rick Santorum told reporters that Lott beat Alexander by a 25-24 vote.
After an intense evening in which both men lobbied colleagues during floor votes, the Republican caucus elected Lott, a one-time whip and majority leader, by secret ballot. Lott will be the GOP's second-in-command to Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was elected unanimously to be the Senate minority leader in the new Congress.
Alexander is also a Southerner, and even though he comes from a state sandwiched between Lott and McConnell's, he's fairly sane. By Republican standards. He would've injected a level of reason and civility into the GOP leadership, which would've been disastrous for us.
So thanks, Republicans!
4 comments:
As many wags have said, it's entirely possible Sen. Lott read "Minority Whip" as "Whips Minorities."
WF
Of the two, McConnell is the more interesting. The Kentucky senator comes across as a professor from a medium size land-grant university or maybe a small town chamber of commerce president.
In reality, he's a better-dressed version of Joe Isuzu. I doubt McConnell makes it to breakfast before telling a couple of warm-up lies. He has a disgusting ability to unload whoppers with a glib smile.
For awhile, McConnell seemed to be in some kind of Senate GOP sweepstakes with Don Nichols involving spontaneous expressions of dismissive sarcasm toward minority Democrats.
Altogether, it's almost enough to make me hope Lott finds a way to sideswipe Lott and have the last laugh.
That's outstanding, Wes. I don't care about the wags, I'm crediting that one to you.
Good point, SWA. Lott isn't done yet, and McConnell is going to wake up with a knife in his back one morning. Pass the popcorn.
Yes, O.M., and of course I should've typed, ". . . hope Lott finds a way to sideswipe McConnell."
No butter on mine, thanks.
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