Lott apologizes for 'racist' remarks

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2002

Senator Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), the new majority leader, issued a statement on Monday apologizing for what were characterized by others as racist remarks.

Lott made a speech at the 100th birthday party of retired Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) that implied he supported racial segregation. He said he does not support segregation and that his comments were "a poor choice of words."

Lott's remarks were caught on a live television broadcast. On December 5, he said: "I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."

Thurmond was running as a "Dixiecrat" and his platform included segregation.

Get the Story:
'Poor Choice of Words,' Lott Says (The Washington Post 12/10)
Under Fire, Lott Calls His Comments on Thurmond 'Lighthearted' (The New York Times 12/10)
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Relevant Links:
Sen. Trent Lott - http://lott.senate.gov