Lott feeling backlash over radio salvo on immigration bill

[stephanie]

Lott and Graham has gotta go...I hope people keep in mind everything they have been saying, and vote their ass out...

By JONATHAN WEISMAN and SHAILAGH MURRAY
Washington Post


It was a casual shot across the bow, a comment last week from Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott: Advocates of an immigration overhaul would have to "deal" with talk-radio hosts who he said don't know what is in the legislation but want to kill it nonetheless.

The return fire to that passing comment has been withering, as some of the nation's most prominent conservative talkers turn on a man they once defended adamantly.

Michael Savage, who hosts The Savage Nation, accused Lott of dispatching Nazi storm troopers against his critics. A National Review blogger tagged the senator "Vacant Lott." Conservative talker Hugh Hewitt warned that Lott, R-Miss., would only "further motivate the base because to the reality of a bad bill and past insults is now added a genuine note of dislike" for those conservatives.

"When I hear a United States senator say that what I do for a living is a 'problem' that the government has to 'deal with,' you can interpret it any number of ways," Rush Limbaugh said on the air. "He's either saying, 'Well, we're going to have to come up with our own ways to overcome them' or 'We're going to just have to wipe them out.' "

"When they're with you, it's great," Lott said this week. "When they're not, it's not good."

Democrats have long borne such tongue-whippings. But now conservative Republicans are feeling the lash as well.

"I've had my phones jammed for three weeks. Yesterday I had three people answering them continuously all day," Lott said. "To think that you're going to intimidate a senator or any senator into voting one way or the other by gorging your phones with phone calls — most of whom don't even know where Gulfport, Miss., is — is not an effective tactic. But it's their right to do that."

But to some of the hosts, such as Hewitt, it's not about intimidation. It's about pride. Lott's comments were not just inflammatory, Hewitt said, they were insulting.

To The Washington Post, Lott had said, "I'm sure senators on both sides of the aisle are being pounded by these talk-radio people who don't even know what's in the bill." To the New York Times, he had offered: "Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of the immigration bill's chief architects, suggested on Sunday that opponents of the deal border on being racist.

"We've been down this road before — 'no Catholics,' 'no Jews,' 'Irish need not apply,' " Graham said on ABC's "This Week."

Those quotes suggest that Republicans favorably disposed to the immigration bill are more interested in calling its opponents names than debating the bill's merits, said Hewitt, who declared he has read the entire immigration bill.

"They are not giving sophisticated answers to sophisticated, penetrating criticisms," Hewitt said. "They're attempting to silence the debate."

But the conservative response to Lott may be symptomatic of a broader disenchantment with the Republican Party, said Michael Harrison, editor and publisher of Talkers magazine, which chronicles talk radio.

The immigration debate is a bellwether, he said, but conservative criticism is brewing on issues from education to spending to Iraq. Last week the magazine granted its annual Freedom of Speech Award to Savage for his criticism of President Bush, the first time Harrison can remember honoring a talk show host for speaking out against someone of his own political persuasion.

Republican politicians "assumed they owned conservative talk radio," Harrison said. "But support of conservatives by talk radio was only being borrowed as long as conservatives felt that Republicans served the conservative movement."

Republicans backing the immigration bill were mindful this week of Lott's experience — and contrite. Asked about the radio response, Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., joked, "I ain't saying a thing" before adding: "When we want to be on talk radio, we find a way to get on, because we like their views and we like their audience. So when we don't like their message, we ought to be willing to take the pain."

But to the bill's opponents, it's not about grinning and bearing it, as Martinez is doing. It's about accepting the judgment of the GOP's base.

"Talk radio was sort of the watchdog on this," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. "Who else was watching out? Who else was reading the bill?"

"A decent respect for our constituents means when they have very serious problems with an important piece of legislation, perhaps we should back off," he said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4907252.html

Keep calling, writing, emailing, faxing....Their feeling the heat.....:salute:

[Kathianne]

If the people really 'take a stand' and do not become intimidated, the politicians will fall in line.

[avatar4321]

i heard Lott was going to be on Hannity today. I didnt get a chance to hear that though. Anyone know what happened?

[Gaffer]

Seems like lott and a few others need their wings clipped and to be reminded of WHO they WORK for. He's an uppity son of bitch.

I really would like to see every last one of them swept out of there.

[Pale Rider]

"I've had my phones jammed for three weeks. Yesterday I had three people answering them continuously all day," Lott said. "To think that you're going to intimidate a senator or any senator into voting one way or the other by gorging your phones with phone calls — most of whom don't even know where Gulfport, Miss., is — is not an effective tactic. But it's their right to do that."

Just WHO in the HELL does this ARROGANT SON OF A BITCH think he is... UN-freaking-believable. He's off his rocker. He's acting like it's COMPLETELY UP TO HIM to run the country AS HE SEES FIT, and FUCK everybody else, ESPECIALLY those STUPID MORONS WHO VOTED FOR HIM...

HOLY SHIT my blood boils when I read SHIT like this.

[Gaffer]

Just WHO in the HELL does this ARROGANT SON OF A BITCH think he is... UN-freaking-believable. He's off his rocker. He's acting like it's COMPLETELY UP TO HIM to run the country AS HE SEES FIT, and FUCK everybody else, ESPECIALLY those STUPID MORONS WHO VOTED FOR HIM...

HOLY SHIT my blood boils when I read SHIT like this.

Yours and mine both. I would love to go nose to nose with that asshole. I am taking note of all these assholes and come election time I will be putting out reminders.

I sure wish there was a way to fire these bastards instaed of waiting for them to finish their terms.

[82Marine89]

"I've had my phones jammed for three weeks. Yesterday I had three people answering them continuously all day," Lott said. "To think that you're going to intimidate a senator or any senator into voting one way or the other by gorging your phones with phone calls — most of whom don't even know where Gulfport, Miss., is — is not an effective tactic. But it's their right to do that."



No asshole. Talk radio is not running America. These hosts are nothing more than a voice that is reflective of "We the people". If we didn't do what we are doing, you would think you have carte blanche to globalize this great Nation. We are going to continue to clog your phonelines, fax machines, and emails until you come to the realization that we pay your salary. You work for us, we do not work for you.

[stephanie]

There's talk around the net...into seeing if Lott can be recalled...

Let's hope so... It would Show his ass... and kick him to the curb..

We're not going to sit back and take this crap...This is why they are going after talk radio, and next will be the Internet..

They don't want people to be able to hear their remarks, or to be able to organize anything against them...

Keep up the good fight....:cheers2::salute:

[82Marine89]

There's talk around the net...into seeing if Lott can be recalled...

Let's hope so... It would Show his ass... and kick him to the curb..

We're not going to sit back and take this crap...This is why they are going after talk radio, and next will be the Internet..

They don't want people to be able to hear their remarks, or to be able to organize anything against them...

Keep up the good fight....:cheers2::salute:


The following are the GOP senators that could either make or break this amnesty…

Alexander, Lamar- (R–TN) 202-224-4944, http://alexander.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Bennett, Robert F.- (R–UT) 202-224-5444, senator@bennett.senate.gov
Cochran, Thad- (R–MS) 202-224-5054, info@cochran.senate.gov
Coleman, Norm- (R–MN) 202-224-5641, opinion@coleman.senate.gov
Collins, Susan M.- (R–ME) 202-224-2523, senator@collins.senate.gov
Cornyn, John- (R–TX) 202-224-2934, senator@cornyn.senate.gov
Craig, Larry E.- (R–ID) 202-224-2752, larry_craig@craig.senate.gov
Domenici, Pete V.- (R–NM) 202-224-6621, senator@domenici.senate.gov
Gregg, Judd- (R–NH) 202-224-3324, mailbox@gregg.senate.gov
Hatch, Orrin G.- (R–UT) 202-224-5251, senator@hatch.senate.gov
Hutchison, Kay Bailey- (R–TX) 202-224-5922, senator@hutchison.senate.gov
Kyl, Jon- (R–AZ) 202-224-4521, info@kyl.senate.gov
Lott, Trent- (R–MS) 202-224-6253, http://lott.senate.gov/public/
McConnell, Mitch- (R–KY) 202-224-2541, senator@mcconnell.senate.gov
Murkowski, Lisa- (R–AK) 202-224-6665, senator@murkowski.senate.gov
Smith, Gordon H.- (R–OR) 202-224-3753, http://gsmith.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Snowe, Olympia J.- (R–ME) 202-224-5344, olympia@snowe.senate.gov
Stevens, Ted- (R–AK) 202-224-3004, http://stevens.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.EmailSenatorStevens
Warner, John- (R – VA) (202) 224-2023, [url]http://www.senate.gov/~warner/contact/contactme.cfm

[nevadamedic]

Lott and Graham has gotta go...I hope people keep in mind everything they have been saying, and vote their ass out...

By JONATHAN WEISMAN and SHAILAGH MURRAY
Washington Post


It was a casual shot across the bow, a comment last week from Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott: Advocates of an immigration overhaul would have to "deal" with talk-radio hosts who he said don't know what is in the legislation but want to kill it nonetheless.

The return fire to that passing comment has been withering, as some of the nation's most prominent conservative talkers turn on a man they once defended adamantly.

Michael Savage, who hosts The Savage Nation, accused Lott of dispatching Nazi storm troopers against his critics. A National Review blogger tagged the senator "Vacant Lott." Conservative talker Hugh Hewitt warned that Lott, R-Miss., would only "further motivate the base because to the reality of a bad bill and past insults is now added a genuine note of dislike" for those conservatives.

"When I hear a United States senator say that what I do for a living is a 'problem' that the government has to 'deal with,' you can interpret it any number of ways," Rush Limbaugh said on the air. "He's either saying, 'Well, we're going to have to come up with our own ways to overcome them' or 'We're going to just have to wipe them out.' "

"When they're with you, it's great," Lott said this week. "When they're not, it's not good."

Democrats have long borne such tongue-whippings. But now conservative Republicans are feeling the lash as well.

"I've had my phones jammed for three weeks. Yesterday I had three people answering them continuously all day," Lott said. "To think that you're going to intimidate a senator or any senator into voting one way or the other by gorging your phones with phone calls — most of whom don't even know where Gulfport, Miss., is — is not an effective tactic. But it's their right to do that."

But to some of the hosts, such as Hewitt, it's not about intimidation. It's about pride. Lott's comments were not just inflammatory, Hewitt said, they were insulting.

To The Washington Post, Lott had said, "I'm sure senators on both sides of the aisle are being pounded by these talk-radio people who don't even know what's in the bill." To the New York Times, he had offered: "Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of the immigration bill's chief architects, suggested on Sunday that opponents of the deal border on being racist.

"We've been down this road before — 'no Catholics,' 'no Jews,' 'Irish need not apply,' " Graham said on ABC's "This Week."

Those quotes suggest that Republicans favorably disposed to the immigration bill are more interested in calling its opponents names than debating the bill's merits, said Hewitt, who declared he has read the entire immigration bill.

"They are not giving sophisticated answers to sophisticated, penetrating criticisms," Hewitt said. "They're attempting to silence the debate."

But the conservative response to Lott may be symptomatic of a broader disenchantment with the Republican Party, said Michael Harrison, editor and publisher of Talkers magazine, which chronicles talk radio.

The immigration debate is a bellwether, he said, but conservative criticism is brewing on issues from education to spending to Iraq. Last week the magazine granted its annual Freedom of Speech Award to Savage for his criticism of President Bush, the first time Harrison can remember honoring a talk show host for speaking out against someone of his own political persuasion.

Republican politicians "assumed they owned conservative talk radio," Harrison said. "But support of conservatives by talk radio was only being borrowed as long as conservatives felt that Republicans served the conservative movement."

Republicans backing the immigration bill were mindful this week of Lott's experience — and contrite. Asked about the radio response, Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., joked, "I ain't saying a thing" before adding: "When we want to be on talk radio, we find a way to get on, because we like their views and we like their audience. So when we don't like their message, we ought to be willing to take the pain."

But to the bill's opponents, it's not about grinning and bearing it, as Martinez is doing. It's about accepting the judgment of the GOP's base.

"Talk radio was sort of the watchdog on this," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. "Who else was watching out? Who else was reading the bill?"

"A decent respect for our constituents means when they have very serious problems with an important piece of legislation, perhaps we should back off," he said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4907252.html

Keep calling, writing, emailing, faxing....Their feeling the heat.....:salute:

Lott should change his title from Senate Minority Whip to Senate Minority Wimp. Oh yea and Senator Sessions is the shit!

[nevadamedic]

Just WHO in the HELL does this ARROGANT SON OF A BITCH think he is... UN-freaking-believable. He's off his rocker. He's acting like it's COMPLETELY UP TO HIM to run the country AS HE SEES FIT, and FUCK everybody else, ESPECIALLY those STUPID MORONS WHO VOTED FOR HIM...

HOLY SHIT my blood boils when I read SHIT like this.

Look at Graham, whe he said wasn't any better.

[nevadamedic]

Also everyone should write a letter to Senator Reid since he is the Majority leader telling his that we are insulted by Senator Graham calling us racist. An elected official can disagree with the people but not insult or degrade them and we should demand an apology. ive written one and its in my mail box with a stamp on it ready to go.

[nevadamedic]

The following are the GOP senators that could either make or break this amnesty…

Alexander, Lamar- (R–TN) 202-224-4944, http://alexander.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Bennett, Robert F.- (R–UT) 202-224-5444, senator@bennett.senate.gov
Cochran, Thad- (R–MS) 202-224-5054, info@cochran.senate.gov
Coleman, Norm- (R–MN) 202-224-5641, opinion@coleman.senate.gov
Collins, Susan M.- (R–ME) 202-224-2523, senator@collins.senate.gov
Cornyn, John- (R–TX) 202-224-2934, senator@cornyn.senate.gov
Craig, Larry E.- (R–ID) 202-224-2752, larry_craig@craig.senate.gov
Domenici, Pete V.- (R–NM) 202-224-6621, senator@domenici.senate.gov
Gregg, Judd- (R–NH) 202-224-3324, mailbox@gregg.senate.gov
Hatch, Orrin G.- (R–UT) 202-224-5251, senator@hatch.senate.gov
Hutchison, Kay Bailey- (R–TX) 202-224-5922, senator@hutchison.senate.gov
Kyl, Jon- (R–AZ) 202-224-4521, info@kyl.senate.gov
Lott, Trent- (R–MS) 202-224-6253, http://lott.senate.gov/public/
McConnell, Mitch- (R–KY) 202-224-2541, senator@mcconnell.senate.gov
Murkowski, Lisa- (R–AK) 202-224-6665, senator@murkowski.senate.gov
Smith, Gordon H.- (R–OR) 202-224-3753, http://gsmith.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
Snowe, Olympia J.- (R–ME) 202-224-5344, olympia@snowe.senate.gov
Stevens, Ted- (R–AK) 202-224-3004, http://stevens.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.EmailSenatorStevens
Warner, John- (R – VA) (202) 224-2023, [url]http://www.senate.gov/~warner/contact/contactme.cfm

You keep forgetting Senator Ensign, John (R-NV) http://ensign.senate.gov/ This man has fought against this bill, but he is also close with President Bush and could flip really quickly. I urge everyone to write him as well urging him not to change his stance.

[Pale Rider]

There's talk around the net...into seeing if Lott can be recalled...

Let's hope so... It would Show his ass... and kick him to the curb..
He ought to be... he honestly ought to be. The republican party needs a big kick in the ass wake up call. I guess the last mid term beating in the elections didn't teach them anything.


We're not going to sit back and take this crap...This is why they are going after talk radio, and next will be the Internet..

They don't want people to be able to hear their remarks, or to be able to organize anything against them...

Keep up the good fight....:cheers2::salute:
The day they make talk radio illegal, will be the day I will actively call for a civil war. I will do everything in my power to organize it, and lead it. What the hell do these arrogant sons a bitches think this is? Venezuela? Do they think they're Hugo Chavez? Do they think they're DICTATORS? It seems every month brings a new low for our government and it's actions. I getting real sick and tired of it.

[nevadamedic]

He ought to be... he honestly ought to be. The republican party needs a big kick in the ass wake up call. I guess the last mid term beating in the elections didn't teach them anything.


The day they make talk radio illegal, will be the day I will actively call for a civil war. I will do everything in my power to organize it, and lead it. What the hell do these arrogant sons a bitches think this is? Venezuela? Do they think they're Hugo Chavez? Do they think they're DICTATORS? It seems every month brings a new low for our government and it's actions. I getting real sick and tired of it.

In all fairness there are some Republicans who are fighting for us like Senator Sessions and Trancredo.

[Pale Rider]

In all fairness there are some Republicans who are fighting for us like Senator Sessions and Trancredo.

Thank God we have some good ones left.

[Gaffer]

He ought to be... he honestly ought to be. The republican party needs a big kick in the ass wake up call. I guess the last mid term beating in the elections didn't teach them anything.


The day they make talk radio illegal, will be the day I will actively call for a civil war. I will do everything in my power to organize it, and lead it. What the hell do these arrogant sons a bitches think this is? Venezuela? Do they think they're Hugo Chavez? Do they think they're DICTATORS? It seems every month brings a new low for our government and it's actions. I getting real sick and tired of it.

Well if it comes to that Pale I'm with you on it.

[Pale Rider]

Well if it comes to that Pale I'm with you on it.

Don't worry... we WON'T be alone.