by Dean Hartwell
Just weeks ago, the Bush Administration said its party had triumphed in an “historic” election. In that election, the Republicans had gained House and Senate seats with an incumbent President, a rarity in United States electoral history.
Now, with the disgraced Trent Lott out as the party’s leader in the Senate, neither President Bush nor other Republicans have called for him to leave the Senate altogether. Why not?
The reason likely has to do with mathematics.
With Lott staying, the number of Republicans in
the Senate holds at 51, just enough for a majority.
If Lott left, the Democratic governor of
Mississippi would likely appoint a Democrat to replace
him. Republicans would then have the same
number as the Democrats (including one independent).
But that wouldn’t be the end of it.
There are some Republicans who frequently vote against the wishes of President Bush. A few of them are: John McCain of Arizona, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Olympia Snowe of Maine. McCain and Chafee spoke out against Lott after he made statements perceived by many as pro-segregationist in early December. One of them may, under these circumstances, leave the Republican Party.
If that takes place, the Democratic Party would regain control of the United States Senate and would be poised to vote against some of Bush’s appointments for court positions, his policy agenda, etc. In short, Bush would find himself and his party in the same position they were in before their “historical” election.
In order to keep what they gained in the election, the Republicans have decided to put up with a racist in their midst. The right thing for them to do is to tell Lott that he does not represent their views and to ask for him to leave. With little or no support from his colleagues, he would not get anything done in the Senate, anyway.
Sometimes principles come with a price. That’s why they are worth keeping.