As a rule, I don’t see much point in re-litigating Trent Lott’s Strom Thurmond controversy — it was, after all, five years ago — but Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) insists, I’m happy to indulge him.
If you’ve forgotten about the 2002 incident, Lott, who has a history of “racially insensitive” comments, appeared at a party celebrating Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday. Lott, whose comments were broadcast live on C-SPAN, said, “I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years, either.” Of course, Thurmond ran on segregationist platform in 1948. (During the campaign, he said, “All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, our schools, our churches.”)
After the blogs noted the scandalous nature of the remarks, the media caught up, began asking questions, and Lott was forced to apologize. Shortly thereafter, the Bush White House decided to throw Lott under the bus, and Lott was forced to give up his post as Senate Majority Leader.
Today, Gordon Smith, a Republican running for re-election in a frequently “blue” state, offered a passionate defense for Lott’s five-year-old scandal.
“I was half way around the world when an event befell Trent Lott that shook me deeply,” Smith said, referencing Lott’s 2002 remarks…. “I was celebrating my re-election and on vacation. I watched over international news as his words were misconstrued, words which we had heard him utter many times in his big warm-heartedness trying to make one of our colleagues, Strom Thurmond, feel good at 100 years old. We knew what he meant. But the wolfpack of the press circled around him, sensed blood in the water, and the exigencies of politics caused a great injustice…”
Smith’s comments were made in a session noting Lott’s impending retirement from the Senate.
Now, there are a couple of fairly obvious problems here. First, even at the time, Lott called his own words “insensitive,” “repugnant,” and “inexcusable.” Five years later, Gordon Smith thinks those same comments were harmless?
Second, before Smith gets too worked up about “the wolfpack,” he ought to remember that he helped bury Lott at the time.
Greg Sargent dug up Smith’s reaction in 2002.
According an Associated Press article on December 17, 2002, Smith reacted as follows:
“However they were intended, Senator Lott’s words were offensive and I was deeply dismayed to hear of them,” Smith said in a brief statement. “His statement goes against everything I and the people of Oregon believe in. I look forward to working with my Republican colleagues to arrive at a decision that is best for the U.S. Senate and the country.”
Three days later, according to the AP, Smith also said:
“I appreciate that Senator Lott has stepped down, it was a courageous thing for him to do…”Senator Lott’s decision is best for the Senate and best for the country.”
Today, Smith argued that Lott shouldn’t have given up his leadership post at all, and that his comments were merely misconstrued.
It is, as Greg noted, “classic” Gordon Smith: “[He] condemns Lott when the pressure is on, but completely exonerates him when no one’s paying any attention.”
There’s a reason Dems consider Smith’s seat a key pick-up opportunity.