Hrmm- it appears someone doesn’t like the lobbying reforms:
NBC News has learned that Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., the minority whip is in the midst of informing close allies that he plans to resign his senate seat before the end of the year. It’s possible a formal announcement of his plans could take place as early as today.
Lott’s office initially denied that he he would step down, but subsequent requests for information about his plans went unanswered.
While the exactly reason Lott is stepping down before he finishes his term is unknown, the general speculation is that a quick departure immunizes Lott against tougher restrictions in a new lobbying law that takes effect at the end of the year. That law would require Senators to wait two-years before entering the lucrative world of lobbying Congress.
Was this the lobbying reform passed by this Congress that Republicans derided as toothless?
The Other Steve
Well… the insurance companies refused to pay out for his house.
So he needs some money.
jenniebee
Of course, if Strom Thurmond was President, Lott wouldn’t have had all those problems.
Zifnab
If nothing else proves that the new batch of campaign finance laws have made progress, this does.
Dennis - SGMM
What’s the point of being a selfless public servant if you can’t make big bank in the sequel? Senator Lott will doubtless be able to do much more for his corporate sponsors as a lobbyist than he could as a mere elected official.
It’s government of the corporations, by the corporations and for the corporations people.
Ellison, Ellensburg, Ellers, and Lambchop
One down, 99 to go.
Punchy
What the fuck is a Republican Lobbyist expect to do for a Senate that will be strongly Dem, a House that will be ridiculously Dem, and led most likely by a Dem president?
Do they pay him to shout and bitch, or to get shit passed? Cuz if it’s only the latter….well….good luck with that.
Zifnab
EEEL does realize that when one Senator retires, another is elected or appointed to fill his space, right?
scarshapedstar
Aaaaaand the 3-point alley-oop, via Atrios.
Alan
The sad thing about this, Lott doesn’t represent everything that’s wrong with the GOP.
jenniebee
Zif, you crack me up.
ET
Anyone know when he was going up for re-election if he had stayed? I am sure any Republican would have no problem getting elected this is Mississippi after all, but an incumbent (even an appointed one) would have a nice edge.
dAVE
There are 5 years left in his term and there is a viable Dem candidate. The special election will be a race.
magisterludi
Lott’s term would have been up in 2012. He was re-elected in 2006 with 64% of the vote.
Whatever the reason for his sudden departure, he really put the screws to the GOP. Money’s tight these days for special election campaigns.
KCinDC
That means we have two Senate races in Mississippi next year, just like in Wyoming.
KCinDC
I think that brings it to 35 Senate seats up for grabs next year, with still only 12 being currently held by Democrats. Republican resources will be spread thin.
jcricket
There was an article in the NY Times (terrorist loving dead-tree liberal toilet paper MSM) about how Republicans, being massively outraised by Democrats (!) are turning to wealthy candidates who can bankroll their own races.
Crazy. But goes to show Howard Dean’s right on target with running a Democrat in every race we can find. Force the Republicans to spread their money around and Dems can pick up a lot of seats.
Basically the opposite of what Rove hoped and Brooks theorized is coming true. Gerrymandering + increased exurban/suburban voters = Lots of new swing districts (not lots of permanent Republican areas). And swing districts are increasingly trending Democratic, at least right now.
I’m not willing to predict any permanent Democratic majority, but I do think 2008 will be a repeat of 2006 unless Republicans do basically a 180 from how they’re running right now.
Jake
Did you catch the Washington Post article on the GOP’s solution to a lack of funds? Get rich people to run so they can pay for their own campaigns. Can’t you just see the ads: “I’m Holdforth Winterpayne-Smith, III and I approve and paid for this message.”
It will be a complete departure from the GOP SOP of getting rich people to run for office and asking other people to foot the bill. Could fiscal responsibility be far behind?
JasonC
anyone who actually believes lott is leaving because of some dumb lobbying rules he would probably piss all over anyways ain’t payin attention.
Zifnab
Deliciously ironic.
“No, guys, it’s brilliant. We take solid red districts and chop them up into all the reliably blue districts. So long as 51% of the population in any given area continues to vote Republican like an animotronic toy, we’ll always win! And why have we ever given any of the loyal 51% to not vote for us?”
I saw this coming back in ’02, and it confused the hell out of me when they were doing it back then. I just assumed that the Republican Party was collectively smarter than I was. My mistake.
Punchy
Ah, yes. Where teh kidz go knocked-up and unedumucated, the Klan thrives, and casino profits basically keep the state afloat. I ask again….can’t we just trade this waste-of-space to China in place of some lead-free Elmos and a truckload of pirated DVDs?
demimondian
Hey, E3L! Good to see you!
Now, about those Google queries about the conditions of Bilal Bussein’s capture. Where, exactly, are they? I’m waiting, you know.
Crust
Any way for Congress to pass something to make the new restrictions take effect earlier? It would be great to make Lott’s resignation pointless. I imagine there might be bipartisan support for stiffing Lott.
numbskull
Several sites are suggesting that Larry Flynt has something to do with this…
jcricket
Yep
If true, it would be awesome. Particularly because the “Peak Schadenfreude” theory would be proved false once again. Stupid liberals with their fear-mongering about no more schadenfreude-fatigue.
jcricket
Yeah, there you go again. I think a lot of Dems were just really taken off guard. The truth is Republicans success was largely predicated on the act of belief – that they could literally “make history” and “do no wrong”… Remember that infamous quote about the reality-based community?
Dems all bought the line that Brooks and others were peddling – namely that Republicans were tapping into this deep groundswell of growing support for Republican policies. When it truth it was a giant ponzi scheme, that’s finally coming crashing down around them.
It will be amazing to see how fast it falls. The only thing that can stop it is, of course, a return to old-style Republican politics (let’s call that a “return to the center”). But the crazies have taken over and show no signs of letting go, so we’ll see how much further to the right they run after they lose again in 2008. My prediction? Tancredo/Norris 2012.
Bombadil
Trent Lott in a sex scandal?
Ew.
Jake
Amended for maximum nast.
douglasfactors
I hope the sex scandal is about different Republican Senator.
Two is more than one.
Bubblegum Tate
So, how many wingnut sites are dusting off the old “Trent Lott was slandered by Democrats for saying nice things about an old man!” gem in looking back over Lott’s career?
The Other Steve
Forgive lambchop. Now that everybody is aware that his beloved Republicans are fucktards, he wants to blame the entire Congress.
It’s what the right does whenever they screw up.
Chris Johnson
Ewe?
It would have to be something like that to even pretend to top the two wetsuits etc. These guys have to REALLY PUSH THE ENVELOPE to shock anybody anymore… well, me at least. If he’s playing with little kids and the Republicans sheltered it, I’d be shocked, even now- I don’t think that sort of evilness gets boring. But consenting-adult stuff of whatever twitchiness? I frankly don’t care.
Konrad
quid pro quo
time for him to get some quo since he already did the quid…
ThymeZone
Oh, deer me.
jcricket
Yes, they are indeed fucktards. Let’s also not forget that the the triumphant permanent-majority history-makers have become self-parodying douchenozzles in around 4 years.
Bubblegum Tate
Oof. Let’s just buck this pun trend right now.
gypsy howell
I hear he’s been riverdancing on Larry Craig’s dick.
KCinDC
Fixed. You made it sound like they had been corrupted by power, when they were corrupt going in.
bago
It’s time for a point… twelve point of order.
Jake
Are you telling us to clam up?
ThymeZone
Well, you and those of your elk.
Jake
Ah, the dogged pursuit of punning.
Dam good fun.
Bruce in Norte California
Deer Jake and ThymeZone,
I think ewe all have taken this animule fetish to doggone far. Owl not read anything you yak about again.
jake
This guy’s goood.
I’ll stop monkeying around since he’s being so catty. I’m feeling thoroughly cowed by his bullish behavior.