The Republicans have given themselves three weeks, until January 6, to figure out whether having a leader who laments the passing of segregation is a liability for them. What, you expected them to be able to make up their minds about something so complicated right away?
Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that “[s]ome Republicans working on Lott’s behalf … are circulating records showing that Nickles’s voting record on civil rights isn’t much different from Lott’s.” What is Lott saying here, “Why select someone as bad as I am?”
Perhaps this was the first salvo from the New Lott, who revealed in his BET interview that he is now an advocate for affirmative action. “Why,” his smear campaign against Nickles could be asking, “select someone as bad I used to be when you could keep someone as good as I am now?”
The problem with this view is that Lott’s interview revealed that he has no idea whatsoever what affirmative action is, making the contours of the New Lott somewhat vague. (See Armed Liberal‘s comments on this as well.)
GORDON: What about affirmative action?
LOTT: I’m for that. I think you should reach out to people…
GORDON: Across the board?
LOTT: Absolutely, across the board. That’s why I’m so proud of my own alma mater now, University of Mississippi, that obviously had a difficult time in the 60s and 70s, now led by an outstanding chancellor, Robert Khayat, that has gotten rid of the Confederate flag, that has now has an institute of reconciliation, that has a leadership…
GORDON: Yet your votes in the past have not suggested that you are for affirmative action.
LOTT: I am for affirmative action. And I practice it. I have had African-Americans on my staff, and other minorities, but particularly African-Americans, since the mid-1970s.
I have had a particular program…
GORDON: But to have one on one’s staff–you understand the difference, though, to have a black on your staff and to push legislation that would help African-Americans, minorities across the board, are completely different.
LOTT: You know, again, you can get into arguments about timetables and quotas.
Here’s what I think, though. I think you’ve got to have an aggressive effort in America to make everybody have a chance.
So, to Lott affirmative action is … getting rid of the Confederate flag, having a nice chancellor at your university, hiring a few blacks, promoting equal opportunity…. Well, I’m glad he cleared that up.
What a mess.
