According to the Washington Post, Senator Trent Lott (R. Miss) has decided not to run for majority leader of the Senate after the perceived racist comments that he made at Strom Thurmond’s birthday party and the controversy that has surrounded him since then.

Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn) is expected to run for majority leader and many Senators has pledged their support to him. Lott will remain in the Senate to finish out his term to keep the Senate at a Republican majority. Since December 5, when Lott had made some comments in support of Thurmond’s pro-segregation campaign, President Bush and many Republicans have spoken out against him. "Recent comments by Senator Lott do not reflect the spirit of our country," Bush said.

Democrats have also been lashing out against Lott and Republicans in general for their racist past and what some claim as their present. According to CNN, former President Bill Clinton called the Republicans hypocritical. "How do they think they got a majority in the South anyway?" said Clinton. "I think what they are really upset about is that he made public their strategy."

To find out more information about this story go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17080-2002Dec20.html