Trent Lott
Trent Lott is the junior Senator from Mississippi.
Legislative Career
After graduating from the University of Mississippi at Oxford, Trent Lott was the staffer for Rules Committee chairman William Colmer, a conservative Democrat. When Colmer retired in 1972, Lott ran as a Republican for the House and received Colmer's endorsement.[1]. In the House, Lott defended President Richard M. Nixon in Watergate and achieved prominence as Minority Whip from 1981-1989. In 1988 he was elected to the United States Senate to succeed John Stennis. In the Senate, he has served as Majority Leader and Minority Leader, and is currently the Minority Whip.
Long attacked by the liberal media, they forced Lott to resign his position as Majority Leader after he praised Strom Thurmond at his 100th birthday party in connection with his presidential bid in 1948. Media reports implied that it was racist for Lott to praise Thurmond in such a manner, as Thurmond had run on a pro-segregation and states' rights platform. Lott was then replaced as Majority Leader by the Bush-selected Senator Bill Frist, who was inexperienced and less effective in running the U.S. Senate.
In 2007, Lott has come under increasing fire from many conservatives for his support of amnesty for illegal immigrants. His seat is set to come up for election in 2012, but he announced in November 2007 that he would step down from Senate by the end of the year.[2]
References
- ↑ Lott: Tripped up by history, Dan Goodgame and Karen Tumulty, CNN.com, December 16, 2002
- ↑ Sen. Trent Lott to Resign by End of Year Fox News, November 26, 2007
