Lott apoligizes for racist comments

According to CNN, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott apologized for his comments at Senator Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party.

Lott's comment, "I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either," was considered racist by some Democrats, such as Jesse Jackson and Al Gore. Strom Thurmond ran for President in 1948 as a dixiecrat whose platform was "We stand for the segregation of the races and the racial integrity of each race." Thurmond was also quoted as saying "All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, our schools, our churches."

Some Republicans and some Democrats have defended Lott's comments including Senate minority leader Tom Daschle. "There are a lot of times when he and I go to the mike and would like to say things we meant to say differently, and I'm sure this is one of those cases for him as well," Daschle said.

For more information go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42859-2002Dec11.html. To learn more about Dixiecrats and Strom Thuromond go to http://templeofdemocracy.com/Dixiecrats.htm.