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Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: longnshort who wrote (25796)	2/6/2008 12:45:10 PM
From: Mr. Palau	Respond to of 71588

Wanted to make sure you did a shout of thanks to old Trent before the day is out I know I am thankful he has been part of the GOP Senate crew "Well-deserved honor for Lott Wednesday, February 06, 2008 Jackson County turns out today to honor favorite son Sen. Trent Lott. Lott, who resigned in December, honored his hometown with a distinguished 35-year career at the highest levels of the nation's government. He served as Republican Whip in the House and Senate. He served as Senate Majority Leader from 1996 to 2002. He was Senate Republican Whip in 2007 when he resigned. Lott was first elected to the House in 1972. He had served as Rep. William Colmer's administrative assistant from 1968 to 1972. Colmer, a Democrat from Moss Point, backed Lott in his first bid for election to the House. From 1981 to 1986 Lott served as House Republican Whip. He began his Senate career in 1989. Lott is known for his loyalty to the Republican Party and Mississippi. But, he was also a lawmaker that others, Democrats and Republicans, relied on to cut through the partisan divide and make government work. In his book, "Herding Cats," Lott points to his upbringing in Pascagoula as shaping his success. "There weren't a lot of rich people in Pascagoula, but there wasn't much poverty either. What impressed me as a youngster was the almost classless society I encountered when I enrolled in Pascagoula Junior High School as a seventh-grader," Lott wrote. As to his reputation as a deal-maker, "I had a hunger to get things done and an early can-do way to get them done -- whether it was organizing the senior prom or guiding the Drama Club," Lott wrote. An indication of his future bipartisanship: "... I believe that my campaigns succeeded because I enthusiastically and sincerely developed friendships throughout the student body," Lott wrote about his leadership role in school here. The honors begin at noon at a meeting of all Jackson County Rotary clubs. At 3 p.m., a private party will be held hosted by the Republican Women of Jackson County. At 6 p.m. the Jackson County and Ocean Springs chambers of commerce hold the Trent Lott Appreciation Day at the B.E. "Mac" McGinty Civic Center. About 1,500 tickets at $10 each were sold for the civic center event. Today's honors may not be as fancy as receptions held in Washington, D.C., but it is very likely Lott is among more friends here.

To: longnshort who wrote (25796)	2/6/2008 12:56:09 PM
From: Peter Dierks	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71588

They might need to GerryMander you into an all Republican district.

To: longnshort who wrote (25796)	2/6/2008 1:49:10 PM
From: Geoff Altman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71588

Except for a few onclaves Ca. is the same way. They tried to fix the gerrymandering a few years back but I'm not sure what happened to the effort.....

To: longnshort who wrote (25796)	3/10/2009 9:05:31 AM
From: Peter Dierks	2 Recommendations Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 71588

Voting Rights Progress Didn't the election of President Obama shatter the premise of racial gerrymandering? MARCH 10, 2009 The Supreme Court will soon hear arguments in a case that will test the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires all or part of 16 states to get Justice Department permission before changing their voting practices. Yesterday's decision in Bartlett v. Strickland, another election-related case, is less consequential but could be a window into the Court's thinking on race and the ballot. The 5-4 ruling, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, struck down a North Carolina redistricting plan aimed at preserving minority voting power in a state legislative district in which voting-age blacks were only 39% of the population. Racial gerrymandering to create so-called majority-minority districts is permitted under the law but not in districts that are less than half minority, said the Court. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito signed on to the majority opinion, with Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia signing a concurrence. Thus did five Justices vote to limit the reach of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which was written at the end of the Jim Crow era, and show some skepticism toward racial apportionment in general. It's about time. Racial gerrymandering has been justified by proponents on the premise that whites vote in lockstep against black candidates. But if the election of President Obama didn't shatter that premise, nothing will. Among white voters, Mr. Obama outperformed both Al Gore and John Kerry in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Texas. Even in Deep South states where Mr. Obama won fewer white votes than Messrs. Gore and Kerry, such as Alabama and Mississippi, black politicians from overwhelmingly white districts have won office. Racially polarized voting habits are clearly waning, and making certain seats "safe" for certain races only delays the day that it vanishes. online.wsj.com