Reason Magazine

Site Search

Meet the New Massa, Same as the Old Massa

According to the Hotline, this man is your new Senate Minority Whip.

A few lessons:
- Strom Thurmond's ghost gets what it wants.
- Lott defeated Lamar Alexander for the job. Previously, Alexander was defeated by Nick Gillespie. The lesson - don't tangle with Nick Gillespie.
- The GOP really, really needed to elect Michael Steele.
Help Reason celebrate its next 40 years. Donate Now!
Send this article to:

« Ancient Flood Myths Confirmed?; Eggheads… | Main | Tobacco Tar »

Comments to "Meet the New Massa, Same as the Old Massa":

Captain Holly | November 15, 2006, 11:07am | #

Republicans once again pull Defeat out of the jaws of Victory.

With the Democrats installing John "Earmark" Murtha as Majority Leader despite Pelosi's promises to "clean house", the Republicans had a golden opportunity to show Americans that they got the message last week and distinguish themselves from the Democrats. They failed.

They're not called the "Stupid Party" for nothing.

John | November 15, 2006, 11:12am | #

The one upside of loosing the Senate was that the Republicans ridded themselves of Lincoln Chafee and Conrad Burns, probably next to Robert KKK Byrd, the worst Senators in America. Why the hell could they not gotten rid of Lot while they were at it? What a piece of shit.

BTW Abramhof is apparently singing like a bird about 6 or 8 Demoratic Senators. I guess it is too much to ask that there might be a certain Republican from Mississippi in there to.

Mr. Nice Guy | November 15, 2006, 11:17am | #

So Trent is back from the dead, hunh? The Republican necromancers should resurrect his buddy Strom Thurman, too. I happen to think an all-zombie Congress would be good for America.

"E pluribus RAAAAARRRRRRR"

creech | November 15, 2006, 11:34am | #

Has anyone compared the recent list of "20 most corrupt Congressmen" to see how they fared in the election? I know Murtha was on the list and easily won re-election, while
Weldon was creamed.

joe | November 15, 2006, 11:50am | #

You'd think somebody with Lott's baggage would want to avoid the connotation of the title "Whip."

J sub D | November 15, 2006, 11:55am | #

The people of Mississippi we re-elect Trent Lott till he dies (maybe even after). He's a corrupt Bozo but he's their corrupt Bozo. See Ted (chauffeur) Kennedy and the voters of Massachusetts. They both have lots of seniority and can bring home the bacon. If congress is serious about reform, the seniority issue has to be addressed.

panurge | November 15, 2006, 12:11pm | #

Interesting to note that this was a secret ballot vote, like most congressional leadership decisions. Makes me tremble at the thought of tomorrow's Dem leadership vote.

bb | November 15, 2006, 12:23pm | #

Good one, Joe!

Captain Holly | November 15, 2006, 12:55pm | #

And as an example of how golden the opportunity the Republicans squandered here was, the Democrats just made Bobby Byrd the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In keeping the Reason's pork/porn metaphors, that's roughly equivalent to making John Holmes the live-in chaperone of the women's dorms at a Catholic university.

Johncjackson | November 15, 2006, 1:57pm | #

Byrd's endowment is larger than Holmes

ed | November 15, 2006, 2:24pm | #

I'd vote for Lott just for the hair.
You gotta admit: that's some impressive hair.

P Brooks | November 15, 2006, 2:33pm | #

I knew the election would get this country moving in the right direction. Things are getting better already. Much, much better.

joe | November 15, 2006, 3:25pm | #

Not just "whip."

Minority Whip.

I suspect Trent Lott will bring a great deal of enthusiasm to that position.

And I don't even have to go back 65 years to make that point.

joe | November 15, 2006, 8:24pm | #

I wonder if Michael Steele would have joined with the majority of his party in voting for this man.

Kodos | November 16, 2006, 6:47pm | #

"E pluribus RAAAAARRRRRRR"

Shouldn't it be:

"E pluribus BRAIIINS!"