From Rep. Bennie Thompson's web site (boldface mine):

"Trent Lott’s words have been received as very insulting and hateful by African-Americans and others who have stood up for equal opportunity and fought to bring an end to the plague of segregation and discrimination that continues to stifle our Nation. Even though his apology came five days late, he can show to those of us who were offended by his lack of sensitivity a potential to rehabilitate by supporting legislation aimed at improving the plight of people who felt the brunt of policies and practices advanced by the Dixiecrats.



"Sen. Lott can help to reverse the effects of his harsh and hateful language by pushing to raise the minimum wage, increase the stock of affordable housing, providing a prescription drug benefit to seniors and securing healthcare for the 44 million Americans who don’t have it.

"I join the NAACP, the CBC and other groups in their condemnation of the Senator’s statement. Many of us were forced to attend segregated public schools, live in segregated communities and work second-class jobs. In the years since the rise of these break-away Democrats, such practices have been found to be both unconstitutional and illegal.

"Compounding the timing of the senator's statements is the reality that they come in the midst of rumors that he is asking the White House to renominate his old friend, Charles Pickering, whose judicial nomination was defeated by the Senate earlier this year largely because of his hostility to civil rights. That Pickering's chief Senate sponsor is now praising the "Dixiecrat" (segregationist) platform places the Pickering nomination in an even dimmer light. We certainly hope that, in view of Senator Lott's unfortunate remarks, President Bush would refrain from renominating Charles Pickering."



Notice also the nice cheap shot linking Pickering--who has no real racist baggage whatsoever--to this mess. This is beautiful.

I don't expect most of these efforts to be this blatant, but it's typical. Kiss the ass of the Democrats and all will be well. Of course, like I said, it never works.