Trent Lott: “I tread out of these waters somewhat hesitantly because in the past I have gotten involved in similar situations. I know…”

“I tread out of these waters somewhat hesitantly because in the past I have gotten involved in similar situations. I know the Majority Leader will be here shortly to respond to some of the things that have been said today. But because of some of the things I have experienced, I would like to remind my colleagues that Senator Dorgan is right: the Majority Leader is the leader. The Majority Leader, working with the Minority Leader, has a tough job. He has to juggle a lot of balls. The idea that there is something unusual about considering two or three or four issues intermittently, that that is something new, is ridiculous. We have had double tracking, triple tracking. I learned it from my Democrat predecessors when they were Majority Leaders. To intersperse with a legislative bill executive calendar nominations is done every day, every week. There is nothing new or unusual about that. Until you have walked in the Leader's shoes, I urge you to be careful about trying to second-guess him in trying to juggle these different balls. It is a tough job. We should be voting on judges. We should be confirming judges. I really don't appreciate the criticism that I think is being indirectly cast at the Leader.”