Have you heard? Trent Lott may not run in '06 and

the Democrat, Mike Moore, is expected to win the Mississippi seat! :bounce: That means we get the Senate back. Here's Novak's article about it. I heard this on C-SPAN'S Washington Journal this morning. I wonder if this is "in part" payback by Lott to the repukes for kicking him out of his ML spot? :7 Good news for us, whatever his reason for leaving is. :)

Robert Novak: Whither Lott?

Monday, December 26, 2005; Posted: 2:37 p.m. EST (19:37 GMT)


Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott may leave public live next year, worrying many Republicans.

WASHINGTON -- Trent Lott within the next week plans to decide between seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate from Mississippi or retiring from public life. That could determine whether Republicans keep control of the Senate in next year's elections. For the longer range, Lott's retirement and replacement could signal that Southern political realignment has peaked and now is receding.

Mississippi, one of the reddest of the red Republican states, has not even been on the game board of the Washington analysis forecasting the 2006 Senate outcome. But in Mississippi, prominent Republicans are worried sick. They believe Lott will probably retire. If so, they expect the new senator will be a Democrat, former State Attorney General Mike Moore. Republican politicians in Mississippi believe Rep. Chip Pickering, the likely Republican nominee if Lott does not run, cannot defeat Moore.

Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman pleaded with Lott last week to run again. The senator was as blunt with this emissary from President Bush as he was with me. "Where is our vision and our agenda?" he asked. The malaise afflicting the Bush administration not only threatens a Senate seat in Mississippi but impacts Lott's decision whether to retire.

A Bush entreaty now to Lott is ironic. Lott was driven out of the Senate majority leader's chair after the 2002 elections when the president refused to defend him from calumnies that a harmless jocular remark on the late Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday was racist in nature. Lott's recently published memoir ("Herding Cats") reveals he was deeply hurt by Bush's non-support.<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/26/novak.lott/

even harder for a leadership change. The whole incident had Gingrich-DeLay overtones.

Lott should announce soon whether he will seek reelection. Family members are pressuring him both ways. Since he lost his home during the hurricane some want him to retire and come home for good. I am a Mississippi resident and hope he chooses to retire but novak's column gives me pause. Are the conservative scum giving lott reason to seek reelection by broadcasting Moore's credentials? Lott is 64 years old, kicked in the balls by bush and really should have no desire to stay. And what better way for lott to get back at bush and his crew then to hand his senate seat to a democrat. But never misunderestimate the hate machine operated by the republican party. If Moore does run he will be savaged. The state Dem party is fairly well organized. Mississippi might be the center of attention next year. Imagine a senate without lott, santorum, frist and a house without delay and hyde. Is it Christmas time or what??

The sun will come out, tomorrow! Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun!

I sent a few bucks to the Casey campaign figuring I'd be wasting my money on a democratic candidate in Mississippi. Maybe not!! However, I think it much more important that Pennsylvania get rid of its mistake. At least lott is an irritant to the white house.

Ford - while becoming DLC-lite (and, by that, I mean he's becoming more of a Democrat. LOL) - shows exceptional promise in beating any of the Republicans the fundies can foist on us. ;)

When I heard this this morning I had to go search for the article to make sure I was hearing it right....had to read it for myself. Mississippians must be pissed as hell at the repuke party, eh? Backlash for the non-response for Katrina? For Santorum, last I heard he was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay behind in the PA. polls. :bounce: If only we can take the House back too! I will have hope for my country again.

and please consider the source of the story. It is certainly within the realm of possibility though. Lott just has to step to the mike and say he's staying home and spend a year getting his ass kissed. If I were 64 years old the last thing I'd do is seek reelection to the U. S. Senate. It should be an exciting year.

keep hoping. ;)

He may be holding out to challenge Haley Barbour for the Governor's mansion in '07. If Lott retires and Moore doesn't run, Gene Taylor can make it a tossup against Chip Pickering if he wants to give it a go. But Mike Moore will trounce any Republican in that senate race and we may very well have a Democratic senator from Mississippi in January of '07.

the House? Someone who can WIN, I HOPE? We REALLY need to take back the House and can Taylor beat Pickering for the Senate seat? Could Mike Moore beat Haley Barbour for the Governorship?

Taylor represents a district that is hugely red in presidential elections. I'm not sure who would run for his seat on either side, but unless there is a very popular dem in that district, it starts off leaning Republican.

Mike Moore could easily defeat the unpopular Haley Barbour for the Governor's mansion. Taylor could beat Pickering for the Senate but it would be very difficult, Moore would have an easier time.

Here's my ideal scenario:

Lott retires and Moore runs for US Senate

Taylor stays in his house seat

Current AG (can't remember his name) runs against Barbour in 2007.

I like your scenario.:) If Gene Taylor can get the insurance companies to cover their policy holders for the hurrucane damage, one would think the people would rather trust a Democrat than a Republican to take his seat, no? Haley Barbour is unpopular? Why? Because of Katrina? Or was he unpopular before the hurricane? And if he was unpopular before Katrina, why would ANYONE in Mississippi vote for a repuke? I don't get it. ;(

He cut health insurance from senior citizens to balance the budget and that came back to bite him in the ass very quickly.

As to your question as to why anyone in Mississippi would vote for a repuke, remember the three G's. Guns, God, and Gays, and also in the case of Missippi: Blacks. Republicans have a huge advantage in the south because old racists are still pissed off about civil rights. Also, the population will vote on social issues over economic issues.

Social issues are the reason that a Democrat will have an uphill battle in any race in Mississippi, with the exception of Mike Moore who is so popular in the state that he can easily overcome whatever the Republicans throw at him. However, right now Bush and the GOP are so unpopular, especially after Katrina, that we can level the playing field on social issues and make these races close.

Whether Mike Moore runs or not will probably depend on his future ambitions. I'm not sure of his age but I think that he is a young enough guy that he might possibly be looking to run for President in a decade or so. In that case, he would probably seek the Governor's mansion in '07. If he is not interested in running for president or not sure, then he probably will run for US Senate because that will allow him to instantly become a national force and also not have to deal with becoming Governor of a state with so many problems like Mississippi.

...a lucid answer:

"As to your question as to why anyone in Mississippi would vote for a repuke, remember the three G's. Guns, God, and Gays, and also in the case of Missippi(sic): Blacks. Republicans have a huge advantage in the south because old racists are still pissed off about civil rights. Also, the population will vote on social issues over economic issues.

Social issues are the reason that a Democrat will have an uphill battle in any race in Mississippi..."

And it ain't just "old racists" that fall for the "race-bait-and-switch." There's plenty of "heritage types" born well after MLK was shot to make a difference.

And I dread to think who my rep might be if he chose to run for Senate. Best case scenario for this Mississipian, Taylor keeps house seat, lott retires, Moore is elected to the Senate. We'll deal with the statehouse when the time comes.

I think he's starting to realize that he's been screwed by the Bush Cabal. Look at it from his POV: he says something nice about Thurmond and he's out as Senate Majority Leader. Meanwhile, DeLay is under several indictments, Frist is having run-ins with the SEC and the cabal seems to stand behind them. And now it looks like he may never see that new front porch he was promised :-)

All things considered, I'd like to see the Dems take back the Senate and the House next year. If Lott does decide to stay in, I can see him getting more vocal against the administration. But then my record on political forecasts is pretty bad.

book. They were just looking for an excuse to dump him and get a yes man in there and Strom gave them the excuse they needed. If Lott REALLY wants to "get even", he'll retire. Let us hope he has a VINDICTIVE nature. :7

And take that Hollywood hair with you! Federal Flood insurance don't cover teardrop damage Trent. How Trent Lott wanted to sit on his front porch with dumbya and toast old friends into their golden years, but it don't look like it's in the cards. The porch is wiped out and Lot's insurance was no better than that of the poorest man in the state. Lott is Hott, because Bush isn't helping the people on the Gulf Coast, as advertised. Lott wouldn't be hot, if the storm hadn't wiped out his home too, but the homelessness is now something he can relate to. Trent Lott knows now that, Bush really only loved him for his Julep.

They could have done some great cheerleading together, but it wasn't to be...