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...Republicans close to Bush said White House officials fear that the prolonged attention to Lott's racially divisive comments at a recent birthday party could have a devastating effect on party efforts to reach out to minority voters and may make it harder for Bush to win the trust of moderate Democrats for key votes on his agenda.
Another Republican said Lott "has become a walking pinata for Democrats" who would undermine "all the work the president has done to try to eliminate this perception of the party." A third Republican source said White House officials had concluded that Lott's survival was "outside the realm of possibility right now."
"He was not what a forward-looking GOP wanted even before this, but his weight has become insupportable," the source said.
White House press secretary Ari Fleischer did not directly spurn Lott yesterday. But asked several times to repeat an endorsement of Lott as majority leader, Fleischer noted that Bush made clear last week "that he found the remarks to be offensive and repugnant."
"Yes or no -- can you say whether the president wants Senator Lott to remain as majority leader?" a reporter asked.
"I go right back to everything that I said last week about the topic and the president's focus on improving race relations throughout America," Fleischer said.
Fleischer said he had not changed his position. "The president does not think he needs to resign," he said at his televised briefing. "I repeat what I said last week, what I've said every day."
By reviving unwanted characterizations of the Republican Party as hostile to civil rights, the Lott controversy threatens a variety of items on Bush's agenda. One possible casualty is Bush's desire to replace race-based affirmative action programs with race-neutral selection processes. Opponents of Bush's "faith-based" plan to boost religious charities have already renewed complaints that Bush would weaken civil rights measures preventing hiring discrimination.
Republican sources said Bush also may feel more pressure to support tax cuts favoring lower-income Americans. And a number of Bush's judicial nominees have mixed records on civil rights that Democrats will seek anew to exploit.
Democrats point out that Charles W. Pickering, whose appellate court nomination was rejected by Senate Democrats in September, helped a cross-burning defendant and was hostile to civil rights claims. Democrats also point to an article Pickering wrote as a law student suggesting ways to strengthen Mississippi's law forbidding interracial dating...
So if Trent Lott stays in office, Bush might not be able to push Trent Lott's agenda through congress without the country realizing what he's doing and questioning his compassionate leadership style.
Ironic, that, in the Alanis Morrisette sense.
Another Republican said Lott "has become a walking pinata for Democrats" who would undermine "all the work the president has done to try to eliminate this perception of the party." A third Republican source said White House officials had concluded that Lott's survival was "outside the realm of possibility right now."
"He was not what a forward-looking GOP wanted even before this, but his weight has become insupportable," the source said.
White House press secretary Ari Fleischer did not directly spurn Lott yesterday. But asked several times to repeat an endorsement of Lott as majority leader, Fleischer noted that Bush made clear last week "that he found the remarks to be offensive and repugnant."
"Yes or no -- can you say whether the president wants Senator Lott to remain as majority leader?" a reporter asked.
"I go right back to everything that I said last week about the topic and the president's focus on improving race relations throughout America," Fleischer said.
Fleischer said he had not changed his position. "The president does not think he needs to resign," he said at his televised briefing. "I repeat what I said last week, what I've said every day."
By reviving unwanted characterizations of the Republican Party as hostile to civil rights, the Lott controversy threatens a variety of items on Bush's agenda. One possible casualty is Bush's desire to replace race-based affirmative action programs with race-neutral selection processes. Opponents of Bush's "faith-based" plan to boost religious charities have already renewed complaints that Bush would weaken civil rights measures preventing hiring discrimination.
Republican sources said Bush also may feel more pressure to support tax cuts favoring lower-income Americans. And a number of Bush's judicial nominees have mixed records on civil rights that Democrats will seek anew to exploit.
Democrats point out that Charles W. Pickering, whose appellate court nomination was rejected by Senate Democrats in September, helped a cross-burning defendant and was hostile to civil rights claims. Democrats also point to an article Pickering wrote as a law student suggesting ways to strengthen Mississippi's law forbidding interracial dating...
So if Trent Lott stays in office, Bush might not be able to push Trent Lott's agenda through congress without the country realizing what he's doing and questioning his compassionate leadership style.
Ironic, that, in the Alanis Morrisette sense.
