Lott must solely take the blame
Published 12:00 am Monday, December 23, 2002
Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott made a mistake with some recent controversial remarks and did the right thing by resigning from his Senate Republican leadership post.
However, his Sunday remarks that he "fell in a trap" sound more like an excuse to us.
The controversy started when Lott recently attended the 100th
birthday party for Sen. Strom Thurmond. Lott said that Mississippi voters were proud to have voted for Thurmond back in 1948.
Then came the remarks that Lott probably wishes he wouldn't have said.
"And if the rest of he country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years, either."
Those remarks touched off a firestorm of controversy that ultimately led to Lott's resignation. However, Lott said he'll still keep the senate job that voters elected him to.
Lott later said that he shuns any such idea of racism and that his remarks at Thurmond's party were only meant to make the centenarian feel good.
But on Sunday, Lott said that God has now "put this burden on me, I believe he'll show me a way to turn it into a good."
Puh-leaze.
Lott should accept his mistake and move on. Blaming a higher authority or anyone else for his shortcomings aren't going to help him or the Republican party.
Lott made a mistake. His leadership post resignation was the right thing to do.
But each of us are responsible for our own actions.
And our mouths.