# Trent Lott starts with the threats now-- nice **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 17, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-starts-with-the-threats-now-nice/143323 "2002-12-17T13:52:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-starts-with-the-threats-now-nice/143323/81 "2002-12-19T14:55:15Z")
Making friends with the GOP, Round 2: Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) yesterday lashed out at the White House for undermining his campaign to remain Senate Republican leader, as pressure mounted on him to step down. . . . Lott’s friends say he is upset at the White House not only for refusing to support him as leader, but also for what they regard as behind-the-scenes efforts to push him out. Lott, on several occasions in the past two years, has risen to President Bush’s defense, most recently in the debate over authorizing the use of force to depose Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer yesterday denied that Bush or his aides are trying to undermine Lott’s bid to remain leader. But numerous White House officials and top presidential advisers have told The Washington Post in recent days that the Mississippian has become a hindrance to the Republican Party’s goals, and should be replaced. If Lott survives, Bush might have a harder time moving his agenda through the Senate, Republicans say, because Lott is unlikely to forget the president’s sharp rebuke on Dec. 12 and the White House’s subsequent signals of its displeasure. While the president himself remained silent on the issue for yet another day, his brother and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell spoke out. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) told reporters that the Lott controversy is “damaging the party,” especially its efforts to reach out to minorities. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9276-2002Dec18.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9276-2002Dec18.html) Powell, Jeb Bush slam Lott Rhode Island’s Chafee first Republican senator to call for resignation > **[Powell, Jeb Bush slam Lott / Rhode Island's Chafee first Republican senator...](https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Powell-Jeb-Bush-slam-Lott-Rhode-Island-s-2710292.php)** > > Secretary of State Colin Powell and Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, two prominent Republicans... ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-starts-with-the-threats-now-nice/143323/82 "2002-12-19T14:57:04Z")
Sorry, I almost forgot. We also had, for that year, a research fellow, and shared an IT/network guy with another office. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-starts-with-the-threats-now-nice/143323/83 "2002-12-19T16:40:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Captain Amazing \* > \*\*Well, the congressman I interned for had 3 interns, 4 research assistants (one of whom doubled as his receptionist), a press secretary, a chief of staff, and a scheduler, in his DC office. I’m not sure what he had in his local office. \*\* Well, assuming that by Congressman you are referring to a Representative, it will again depend on the size of the constituency and position of authority. But the average is something around a scheduler, an administrative assitant, an IT person, two or three legislative assistants (one of whom doubles as the DC office boss called the legislative director), one or two legislative fellows (glorified interns) and three or four interns all in the DC office. The home office will usually feature another scheduler, another administrative assistant, a district office chief (the equivalent of the legislative director), 4 or 5 caseworkers, and 3 or 4 interns. Floating between the two offices are the chief of staff and the press secretary. So on final count we have an average of 12-13 permanent staff members, a couple of fellows and 6 to 10 interns for both offices combined. And again, all are overworked and underpaid. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-starts-with-the-threats-now-nice/143323/84 "2002-12-19T16:43:52Z")
Oops, I didn’t mean to quote **Captain Amazing** there. I meant to quote the same post from **Sam Stone** as he did. Crap. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-starts-with-the-threats-now-nice/143323.md?page=4)