# Senator Trent Lott announces retirement **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 26, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845 "2007-11-26T22:41:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/1 "2007-11-26T22:41:59Z")
Story [here.](http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ip0yR9falRuMtWqKbUuM9LenO4FwD8T5JTQ00) Wikipedia article on Lott [here.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Lott) Finally! How many old-school-Southern [Senator Beauregard Claghorn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senator_Claghorn) Congresscritters does that leave standing upright, now? Zell Miller’s gone already . . . ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/2 "2007-11-26T22:44:16Z")
It’s refreshing to see a conservative Republican figure step down _before_ getting caught soliciting sex from anonymous men. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/3 "2007-11-26T22:58:40Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] It’s refreshing to see a conservative Republican figure step down _before_ getting caught soliciting sex from anonymous men. [/QUOTE] He’s stepping down now to best capitalize on a potential career in lobbying. I see no particular reason to celebrate this event. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/4 "2007-11-26T23:21:42Z")
What’s with the “Southern” shit? Jimmy Carter was a Southerner. So was LBJ. Plus, Clinton got a blow job. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/5 "2007-11-26T23:32:14Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] What’s with the “Southern” shit? Jimmy Carter was a Southerner. So was LBJ. Plus, Clinton got a blow job. [/QUOTE] I meant those Southern pols of a type capable of admiring Strom Thurmond for all the wrong reasons (and there ain’t no right ones). ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/6 "2007-11-26T23:36:23Z")
Sooooo he’s stepping down a year into a six year term? That would piss me off if I had donated money to his campaign fund. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/7 "2007-11-26T23:53:22Z")
[QUOTE=askeptic] Sooooo he’s stepping down a year into a six year term? That would piss me off if I had donated money to his campaign fund. [/QUOTE] Maybe he’d offer you “store credit” in his lobbying venture. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/8 "2007-11-27T00:01:41Z")
Anyone know if he’s yet rebuilt the house of his that was damaged during Hurricane Katrina? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/9 "2007-11-27T00:03:25Z")
Well, he’s a bit late to cash in as a Republican lobbyist. The K street project depended on the Republicans keeping control of congress for the forseeable future. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/10 "2007-11-27T00:07:51Z")
I can only imagine somebody has some really serious shit on a file on him they’re threatening to release. Sex with a page – slaves locked in the basement – something like that. Or something more mundane – like getting caught on tape accepting a bribe and making a deal to step down to avoid prosecution. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/11 "2007-11-27T00:09:34Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] What’s with the “Southern” shit? Jimmy Carter was a Southerner. So was LBJ. Plus, Clinton got a blow job. [/QUOTE] Johnson was a Texan; that’s not really “The South”, it’s something entirely different and vastly more reprehensible. Carter was a stand up fellow, though, and if not a remarkable executive (though the troubles he faced would have been difficult for any President) he’ll doubtless be remembered for his remarkable talent of honestly, particularly given the Administrations that bracketed his. Clinton was a rock star in disguise as a politician. If he’d just put some shades on and do a duet with Bono, nobody would have thought a thing about his receiving oral sex from a groupie. Instead he had to get all lawyer-y. Yeah, Bill was a rock star; a lot of charisma but not too bright. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/12 "2007-11-27T00:10:59Z")
This makes, what-- 20? 30? Republican senators, congresspersons and cabinet members “spending more time with their families” before their terms are up? Somebody smarter and with much stronger Google-fu than I should look it up. Dems too. And then-- since this hypothetical person is so smart, has The Fu up the wazoo AND has oodles of time to waste humoring me-- they should compare these numbers with other administrations’ numbers. Or, I can ask this in GQ. There would have to be a big sign on the thread like the ones at polling places: NO POLITICKING BEYOND THIS POINT. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/13 "2007-11-27T00:25:41Z")
Well, it’s a funny thing. When your party loses majority status, it’s not as much fun being a congresscritter anymore. Lots of Democrats retired back when Newt took over the House, and now that they’re no longer calling the shots various Republicans are figuring out that being on the back bench sucks, and if they can’t run the place they’re not gonna play anymore. Although it’s particularly poor form to resign in mid-term. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/14 "2007-11-27T00:32:14Z")
Didn’t Lott already leave once? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/15 "2007-11-27T00:35:11Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Didn’t Lott already leave once? [/QUOTE] You’re thinking of when he resigned as Senate Republican Leader, due to the aforementioned Strom Thurmond controversy. At least I think that’s what you’re thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/16 "2007-11-27T00:38:32Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Didn’t Lott already leave once? [/QUOTE] There was talk he might be forced to leave after he praised Strom Thurmond’s pro-segregation presidential bid, but he managed to keep his seat and only loose his position as majority leader. > [@Lemur866](#): > > Although it’s particularly poor form to resign in mid-term. The rumor is that he’s bailing now before the new reform measure take effect which would force him to wait two years before he could accept a lobbying job. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/17 "2007-11-27T00:39:04Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] Although it’s particularly poor form to resign in mid-term. [/QUOTE] Ain’t nothin wrong with cutting and running, If you’re a Republican! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/18 "2007-11-27T00:53:38Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Didn’t Lott already leave once? [/QUOTE] Maybe you’re thinking of Tom Delay, who quit so late last year the GOP couldn’t get another name on the ballot? ---
**Author:** ![Cherrie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e495f1/32.png) [@Cherrie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherrie)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/19 "2007-11-27T00:58:59Z")
According to a few gossip sites he is stepping down because he was caught with a gay male prostitute. A very high-end it would seem. http://bigheaddc.com/2007/11/26/trent-lott-fallout-the-gay-escort-who-knew-too-much/ I am not saying I believe it as of yet, but it’s relevant to the conversation, so there it is. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845/20 "2007-11-27T00:59:17Z")
Lott. Delay. McGreevey. Rostenkowski. Republicrats. Demublicans. I can’t keep them straight. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senator-trent-lott-announces-retirement/427845.md?page=2)