The Hiller Instinct: Trent's Troubles

There is a new development today in the trouble facing Senate Leader Trent Lott. "Time" magazine is reporting this afternoon that Lott was involved in an effort to keep African American students from his college fraternity. This comes just after he apologized for making what some have considered to be a racist remark. That incident even had President Bush talking today.

President George W. Bush
"He has apologized and rightly so. Every day our nation was segregated was a day that America was unfaithful to our founding ideals."

With his eyes on a national prize, Senator John Kerry is also weighing in on Trent's troubles. 7's Andy Hiller has the story.

Sen. John Kerry (D) Massachusetts
"I think it's hard to be a leader at the national level of the United States Senate with that kind of a cloud hanging over you."

Sen. Trent Lott (R) Mississippi, Last Week
"And if the rest of the country followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."

Sen. John Kerry
"I like him, I know him. I've dealt with him through the years. But there are a huge number of people who are just bitterly and personally offended by this in a way that I think makes it difficult. I think it's unfortunate and I've said my piece on it."

And, so far, it's a bigger piece than any other democratic senator. Ted Kennedy, for example, calls Lott's comments, "a salute to bigotry and racist" but stops there. Yesterday Kerry said Lott should, "step aside, because there can never be an appearance of racism or bigotry in any high position of leadership."

Andy Hiller
"Is Trent Lott a racist or a bigot?"

Sen. John Kerry
"I think his comments, Andy, are inappropriate and the problem is not that there has just been one instance of it."

Sen. Trent Lott
"I've apologized for the choice of words. Look, you put your foot in your mouth; you get carried away at a ceremony honoring a guy like this, you go too far. Those words were insensitive and I shouldn't have said 'em."

Sen. John Kerry
"Well, I think then they're going to have a continuing problem of perception, Andy, it's their problem of perception. They can't pretend that you, that this doesn't matter to people. I think it does matter to people."