Trent Lott: “It is important. We have this board in place. It is bipartisan, and I am glad we have gotten it cleared.”

You've got to do that every now and then. Even though you might get your little flak from some of the people within your conference. It's called leadership.

I was always a conservative Republican and I had very strong beliefs about certain things we should or should not do. But also thought that I was sent to Washington by the people of my state not to make a statement but to make a difference…

My recommendation to the Congress and to the president would be, quit campaigning, quit having press conferences. Sit down at a round table and negotiate a deal.

I was accused of being a compromiser or a deal-maker. I didn't know those were dirty words.