Trent Lott sent a small ripple through Washington yesterday by announcing that he will resign by the end of this year. Lott's resignation ends his 35-year career in the Senate, and comes a full five years before the end of his six-year term.
In a prepared statement, Lott explained that he decided to resign because:
". . . we went to First Baptist Jackson, and . . . Stan Buckley, just happened to preach on Ecclesiastes 3:1: 'There's a time for everything and everything -- a special time for everything under heaven': I believe that's the paraphrase, but he just seemed to be speaking to me."
Hello?
The actual quote is: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." But hey, close enough, right? When a preacher utters a line that convinces you to end a 35-year career in public service, you can't expect to remember his exact words.
So here's a question: If you planned to tell the world that a Bible verse had persuaded you to end your 35-year Senate career, wouldn't you, in your press conference, BOTHER TO LEARN THE BIBLE VERSE?
So you could, you know, QUOTE IT CORRECTLY?
Trent Lott: "It was something about there being a time for things? A special time? Under heaven or something? Whatever. I heard that and thought, 'I'm gone.'"
The Ecclesiastes verse, by the way, is also a lyric in the Byrds' hit, "Turn, Turn, Turn." So, the fact that Lott couldn't remember it means that, apparently, he's never heard music before.
It's shocking that all it took to end Trent Lott's political career was to have someone read Ecclesiastes to him. Where was Preacher Buckley five years ago, when Lott refused to step down after making racist remarks at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party? Would it have been too much for Mr. Buckley to go over to Lott's Senate office back then and recite a little Ecclesiastes, for the good of the country?
Turning to broader questions, does every Republican have this weakness? What a discovery. Never mind the debates, the television advertisements, the endorsements. Turns out that to make a powerful Republican give up politics you only need to read the right Bible verse.
It's just like the scene in Dracula, where they discover that vampires can be killed by a clove of garlic and a stake through the heart.
Perhaps we should begin a campaign to read the Bible to every Republican Congressperson and every member of the Administration. We could gather them all in an auditorium, and someone from the National Cathedral could come over, and start with Genesis, Chapter One, and work through to the end, until something in the Bible had convinced every Republican to resign.
Dick Cheney would hear, "But Lot's wife behind looked back, and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis, 19:26) and he would say, "That's it for me. I'm done."
Condoleezza Rice would hear, "And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider's name was Death," (Revelations, 6:7) and she would say, "I just realized I belong in the private sector."
Alas, it won't happen. The press is already reporting that Lott is really resigning to avoid a two-year ban on lobbying by former senators, due to take effect at the end of the year.
In other words, the public already believes Lott really resigned to avoid limits on his future income as an expensive Capitol Hill lobbyist.
Yeah, right.
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on LOBBYIST LOOT [bribes] from corporations.
That's called real statesmanshit.
Other than that, he could have served out his term, with four years under a DEM White House, or chosen to resign sometime in 2008.
Plain and simple.
"Statutory and rule changes increase to two years the post-employment cooling-off period for very senior executive branch personnel and Senators. "
http://www.metrocorpcounsel.com/current.php?artType=view&EntryNo=7513
Wassup Mr. Senator, you didn't want to spend two years with the family?
"Get while the gettin's good", and cash in your chips while you can still enjoy them.
In my entire life, I've never seen our government in such a disgraceful state.
If some small-time crook like Allen can buy off powerful members of our Congress, think about how many members are paid every time we buy a gallon of gas, in order for us to get to work.
No wonder the smell from DC is so bad.
Here's a link to the PBS "Now" story that appeared LAST WEEKEND:
"Oil, Politics, and Bribes"
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/347/index.html
(from the story's page on the "Now" website)
"NOW shines a bright light on the scandalous connection between VECO Corporation—an Alaska-based oil services company—and Alaska's old-boy Republican network. Two state legislators have been convicted in Federal court for accepting bribes from VECO. The FBI has video and audio evidence that reveal VECO executives shockingly handing out cash to those legislators in exchange for promises to roll back a tax on the oil industry. But that may only be the tip of the oily iceberg. NOW's Maria Hinojosa learns that several more lawmakers are being eyed in the growing scandal, including one of the country's most powerful politicians, Alaska U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.
'NOW investigates the bribes, the connections to Big Oil and the payoffs to obtain friendly tax policies."
(the video has a group shot of the indighted posing with Lott, Hasstert, and Larry Craig, among other Republican faves)
If any of these SOBs actually BELIEVED in the bible they wouldn't have gotten into politics at all.
Frankly, I think the best thing for our country would be to empty both the Senate and the Congress and start all over again. Oh yeah, and the Supremes too!
Maybe...just MAYBE...we could do better this time.
Ms Hutchison.
Glory Hallelujah
A LOT.
LITERALLY.
(walk 2 blocks in from that Mississippi beachfront property and just SEE that "I feel yer pain" in action.....)
What frauds they are.
Spin Song:"Turn, Turn, Turn..."
Truth Song:"Money makes the world go around."
Spin Verse: Ecclesiastes 3:1
Truth Verse:1st Timothy:"For the love of money is the root of all evil."
Sing this lyric from "My Fair Lady", Trent:"Get me to K-Street on time." Or read this verse from the Bible regarding you and your fascist party:"Jesus wept."
Good Bye Trent, we hardly knew ye.