Is it Over for Ted Cruz After Praising Jesse Helms?

I'm sorry, but with that full-body frown, he just looks constipated.
Image from Huffington Post.

When Trent Lott helped the extremely elderly Strom Thurmond celebrate a birthday by butt-kissing him, it effectively ended Lott's career. You just can't get that cozy with a public person that well known as a rabid racist. Oddly though, ol' Strom had been a bit rehabilitated by then, and was even known to have a (surprise!) black daughter! Oh, my. But it was still curtains for Lott.

Whither Ted Cruz? The freshman Senator from Texas, a tea party darling, has cozied up to the memory of Senator Jesse Helms. Now Helms was never rehabilitated in any sense. He was an unapologetic segregationist. He was a nasty homophobe. He tried to block Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday. He did have a lot of arch-conservative bona fides, but they were all presented in a vicious, combative, pinched, unpleasant, confrontational way. And Cruz is apparently a fan of Helms' methods.

But what about Helms' beliefs? Is Ted on board with all of that crap? I assume there is a portion of the tea baggin' base that would have voted for Helms in a heartbeat. But can the GOP actually let Cruz ride on that kind of reputation? Can they take the id of the tea party, and fly that philosophy front-and-center?

Full disclosure: I loathed Jesse Helms with every fiber of my being, while he was in office. And I wasn't even attuned to politics much at the time. Also, since the first time I saw Ted Cruz, I thought he looked like a sanctimonious ass, and I didn't even know his name or party yet. My first impression was pretty well on the money though. And I still can't believe he's younger than me.

[Excerpt]
Ted Cruz: 'We Need 100 More Like Jesse Helms' In The Senate

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Wednesday that the country would be better off if the Senate was full of people like Jesse Helms, the late senator who was ardently opposed to all kinds of civil rights measures and even tried to block the Senate from approving a federal holiday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

And if you're wanting a rightward view of this little happening, how about a little Jennifer Rubin, who doesn't have much nice to say about Cruz either.

Harry Reid Steps in It; Steele Overplays It

Image from source, Chicago Tribune

For the second time in the past two weeks the antiquated term "negro" has been in the news. Last time, it was the use of the word in the census. This week, it has been revealed in a tabloidy political book that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) used the word in relation to then Senator Barack Obama. Now, to be fair, Reid was not using the word in a pejorative way.

His statement--saying essentially that in America today, a fairer skinned black person with an educated, middle-American speaking style would do better running for President than would a darker skinned person with a more colloquial speaking style--is true. It may be uncomfortable, and it for sure was inartfully articulated, but it is true. Predictably, conservatives are making hay with it. But true to form, they're taking it way around the bend. Having Michael Steele, lord god king foot-in-his-mouth--with his own racially insensitive statement last week--be their point man is just bizarre. Comparing Reid to former Leader Trent Lott, who said that a segregationist would have solved all of our problems as President in the forties is even weirder. And demanding that Reid step down as speaker is just stupid.

As a Nevadan, I have my gripes with Reid. But we also have Senator Ensign, so come on now, which has had a worse offense?

[Excerpt]

Sen. Harry Reid and the 'double standard'

GOP Chairman Michael Steele and other Republicans on Sunday accused Democrats of a double standard, saying they accepted Sen. Harry Reid’s apology for racial comments about President Obama, but they also should have demanded that the Nevada Senator step down. . .

Read more at: Chicago Tribune

Meet Trent Lott: Lobbyist (Surprise!)

Photo from source, TPM Muckraker

When Trent Lott resigned from the Senate in the fall, there was much speculation about why he picked that particular time to quit. Most prominent was the new law that puts a moratorium on members of Congress becoming lobbyists for two years. Bingo! That was the reason.

[Excerpt]

Lott Opens New Lobbying Shop

Putting weeks of speculation to rest, former Sens. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and John Breaux (D-La.) confirmed Friday they plan to file paperwork next week to form a powerful lobbying partnership called The Breaux Lott Leadership Group....

Read more at TPM Muckraker, via Roll Call

Lott's Brother-In-Law, Nephew, Indicted for Bribery

Photo from source, Huffington Post

Prior to Senator Trent Lott's resignation announcement last week, I don't believe I'd ever typed his name. Suddenly there are stories aplenty on Lott (and humorously Lott's Wife, or rather her brother). Most are speculation on why he resigned so suddenly after just getting re-elected.

Here is yet another possible reason.

[Excerpt]

Trent Lott's Brother-In-Law, Nephew, Indicted On Federal Bribery Charges

Prominent Mississippi trial attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, the brother-in-law of outgoing GOP Sen. Trent Lott, was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on charges that he and four other men tried to bribe a Mississippi state court judge. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

More on Trent Lott's Resignation

Photo from CNN

Trent Lott's resignation from the Senate has prompted a flurry of speculation on exactly why now? There's even been the specter of a sex scandal (one I'm not completely convinced is 100% illegitamate, but I digress). Now, even Right-wing World has some ideas. Thanks again to the Monkey for the link. Read on. . .

[Excerpt]

Right-Wing Magazine: Veco Oil Scandal Contributed To Lott’s Resignation

Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) refuses to say why he is retiring from Congress. Many in the media have reported that Lott likely wants to enter the lucrative world of K Street before “tougher restrictions in a new lobbying law” take effect.

But the right-wing American Spectator magazine speculates that brewing corruption scandals may have contributed to Lott’s decision . . .

Read the rest at: Think Progress

Shameless Gossip Update: Lott NOT Hot to Trot!

Photo from source, Huffington Post

Heh, heh. . . Just a quick update to the previous Shameless Gossip post.

[Excerpt]

Escort Throws Cold Water On Lott Rumor

"There's nothing to be said, as Lott and I have no connection whatsoever," Nicholas wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. "How these 'quotes' have been fabricated are beyond me. The Senator is someone I have had no personal dealings with, ever."

Read more at: Huffington Post

Shameless Gossip: Trent Lott GOP Sex Scandal?

Shameless Gossip is a Greenlee Gazette feature that departs from the usual straight-ahead news and commentary. Stories under this banner should be read with a great deal of skepticism. But you never know, they could turn out to be true. . .

Some bloggers (John Aravosis of AmericaBlog in particular) are reluctant to post this item, and that is why I've elected to put it under the banner of "Shameless Gossip," my take it for what it's worth area. That said, on with the gossip!

Photo from source within a source, TowleRoad

[Excerpt]

Whole Lott of Trouble?

Is gay hustler Benjamin Nicholas the real reason Senator Trent Lott has suddenly announced his resignation? We all know that Lott's "buddy" Strom Thurmond was the segregationist with a black daughter, so it certainly wouldn't be hard to believe that this anti-gay leader is a Mississippi sissy when no one's looking (he has the official creepy closet-case haircut, after all). And this certainly fits in nicely with what Larry Flynt promised us in October. . .

Read a little more (and follow the links) at: Kenneth In The (212)

UPDATE: And this from LarryFlynt.com. . .

"HUSTLER RESPONDS: HUSTLER Magazine has received numerous inquiries regarding the involvement of Larry Flynt and HUSTLER in the resignation of Trent Lott. Senator Lott has been the target of an ongoing HUSTLER investigation for some time now, due to confidential information that we have received. "

Trent Lott to Retire from Senate; Become Lobbyist?

Photo from source, CNN

All of the old guard seems to be cashing in their chips. Whether by election or retirement, the big bogey-men (at least to the left) Republicans seem to keep vanishing. Just a few years ago, there was Bill Frist, George Allen, Rick Santorum, Denny Hastert, Tom DeLay, and of course Trent Lott. He of the fabled porch that Bush would reconvene on after the Gulf Coast cleanup, post-Katrina.

Lott apparently couldn't wait to get out, even though he was just re-elected last year. There's some sort of Congress-to-lobbyist law going into effect next year, and if Lott stayed in much longer, he'd have to wait two years to rake in some cash.

[Excerpt]

Pro-Business Republican Lott To Retire From US Senate

Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott's decision to retire from the U.S. Senate by year's end shocked Washington Monday, catching lawmakers and lobbyists alike off guard.

The departure of the pro-business, conservative Republican, who as minority whip was the No. 2 GOP senator, also sent the clearest signal yet that Republicans could be in serious trouble in the 2008 election. . .

Read more at: CNN.com