Powell Adds Voice to Chorus Rebuking Lott

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, the Bush administration’s highest-ranking black official, on Wednesday joined those criticizing Trent Lott for comments seen as racially divisive, another blow to the Senate Republican leader’s fight to save his job.

In his first public comments on Lott’s recent praise of Strom Thurmond’s long-ago presidential candidacy, Powell told reporters: “There was nothing about the 1948 election or the Dixiecrat agenda that should have been acceptable in any way, to any American, at that time or any American now.”

Also Wednesday, Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) called for the GOP caucus to pick a new majority leader when Congress convenes in January. Chafee is not among the party’s more powerful members. Still, his comments were more bad news for Lott.

Powell said he “deplored the sentiments” behind Lott’s comment on Dec. 5 that the nation would have been better if Thurmond, now a Republican senator from South Carolina, had been elected president.

Asked whether he accepted Lott’s repeated apologies in recent days, Powell said: “I’ve listened carefully to the statements he has made. I think he is speaking with sincerity. And we’ll just have to see how this plays out.”

Powell’s rebuke echoed the public scolding President Bush gave Lott a week ago and underscored the White House’s anger with the Mississippi senator.

Although the White House continues to say publicly that Lott need not resign, the distance the administration has kept from him -- and its drumbeat of harsh remarks -- is hampering Lott’s bid to retain his leadership post.

Several prominent GOP senators continue to support Lott publicly. But the large groundswell of backing Lott has been pushing for has not materialized.

Chafee made his comments on a home-state radio station. “It’s time for a change,” he said. “I think the biggest problem has been that [Lott’s] apologies haven’t connected.”

Asked whether he would like to see Lott leave the position, Chafee said, “Yes, I would.”

At the suggestion of Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) -- a potential candidate for majority leader -- Senate Republicans have scheduled a meeting Jan. 6 to reconsider Lott’s selection for the post.

Lott has vowed to fight to hold onto the post and on Wednesday he told reporters in Biloxi, Miss., that he continues to call colleagues.

“I’ve been talking to them, answering their questions, asking their advice,” he said. “I believe I have their support.”

Lott also said he had no plans to resign the seat he has held for 14 years. His current term ends in January 2007.

The furor enveloping Lott continued to absorb the attention of Capitol Hill, the White House and the legions of lobbyists who shuttle between them.

One Republican lobbyist, who requested anonymity, said Lott and his allies are leaning on GOP officials to begin saying positive things about a man who has led the party in the Senate for more than six years.

“The message from [Lott’s] staff is ‘We are dug in; we are hardball; we are going to fight. No one is going to run us out of town,’ ” the lobbyist said.

Bush, when asked about Lott during a brief appearance before cameras with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar at the White House, declined for a second straight day to respond.

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said Bush will not intervene in a leadership fight.

“If there is a leadership race, the White House plays no role and will play no role and offers no thoughts and opinions and proffers no advice about this matter,” Fleischer said. “It is a congressional matter if it gets to that point.”

But another Bush -- the president’s brother, Jeb, governor of Florida -- did inject himself into the controversy.

The Miami Herald on Wednesday quoted him as saying that the Lott furor was hurting the party and that “something’s going to have to change.” The governor added: “This can’t be the topic of conversation over the next week.”

Fleischer said he did not know if the Bush brothers had talked to each other about the matter.

Relations between President Bush and Lott have shown signs of strain even before the current controversy developed.

Last month, for instance, Lott expressed doubt that any major legislation -- such as creation of a new Department of Homeland Security -- should be tackled during the brief post-election congressional session.

Bush, though, stressed that he expected action and the bill was approved. In another discouraging development for Lott, the lone black Republican in Congress, Rep. J.C. Watts Jr. of Oklahoma, hinted Wednesday that the leader should consider stepping aside. Watts, who did not seek reelection, had previously said Lott’s apologies should be accepted.

Watts noted, however, that Lott now faces a “poisoned” political arena. “I hope that Sen. Lott will weigh that,” he said. “And I can tell you that if it was me, I would not put my family nor my grandchildren nor my party through that.”

But plenty of people on Capitol Hill are highly loyal to Lott, who has done many favors for lawmakers in a 30-year congressional career that has included stints as House whip, Senate whip and Senate leader.

Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), who served with Lott in the House, said Wednesday he still supports him and believes he will keep his job. “We know Trent Lott,” DeWine told CNN. “We know he is not a racist.”

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), in an interview with CNN Tuesday night, said Lott was being treated unfairly. “It’s time to call for fairness, forgiveness, and let’s go from there,” Hatch said.

Former President Clinton also weighed in on the controversy. He told CNN that he believed Republican criticism of Lott was “pretty hypocritical.”

He said many GOP candidates in the South have used the Confederate flag as a political symbol. “That’s the Republican policy,” Clinton said. “How do they think they got a majority in the South, anyway?”

The Republican National Committee rejected the charge, saying Clinton “should check his facts.”

*

Times staff writers Ronald Brownstein, James Gerstenzang and Janet Hook contributed to this report.