麻豆传媒

Lott and Daschle Share Political Views 鈥楢cross the Aisle鈥�

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Posted on October 27, 2023

Thomas Becnel

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Former Senate Majority Leaders Trent Lott and Tom Daschle spent Thursday afternoon agreeing, agreeably, in a 麻豆传媒 lecture about bygone days of congressional bipartisanship and a contemporary age of political dysfunction.

鈥淵ou know, Republicans and Democrats used to talk,鈥� Lott told students at a pre-lecture luncheon. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the secrets to getting things done.鈥�

Lott, a Republican from Mississippi, and Daschle, a Democrat from South Dakota, offered an 鈥淎cross the Aisle鈥� program as their Irving Silver and Frances Grodsky Silver Endowed Presidential Lecture in the MacQueen Alumni Center. Dr. Jo茅l Billingsley, vice president for diversity and community engagement, moderated their discussion for several hundred students, faculty and staff.

Both former senators blamed social media and cable TV networks for promoting more extreme opinions in American politics. Both blamed gerrymandering for encouraging more extreme candidates. Neither offered easy solutions.

鈥淔rankly, I think we鈥檝e got a lot of work to do,鈥� Daschle said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e just been three weeks without a Speaker of the House of Representatives, and I worry how this next election鈥檚 going to play out on the presidential level. I think democracy鈥檚 a lot more fragile than we realize.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever been more concerned about our country. I wish I didn鈥檛 have to acknowledge that today. I鈥檓 embarrassed, I鈥檓 troubled, and I鈥檓 deeply concerned about the ramifications of all this.鈥�

Lott also criticized Republican infighting in the House. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from office in an unprecedented vote by members of his own party. After weeks of bickering and votes on several would-be successors, Republicans finally settled on Rep. Mike Johnson of Shreveport, Louisiana.

鈥淚鈥檓 hopeful for the new Speaker,鈥� Lott said. 鈥淚鈥檓 meeting with him next week. He鈥檚 a conservative, but with a moderate disposition.鈥�

Lott and Daschle shared an easy rapport on Thursday at South. Both served more than 30 years in Congress. They clearly like each other. 

When the two of them were seated on stage, Lott said, 鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e ever been to Tom鈥檚 left.鈥� The audience laughed. Daschle replied, 鈥淚 could say the same to you from your right.鈥�

In 2016, the former senators wrote a book together called 鈥淐risis Point: Why We Must 鈥� and How We Can 鈥� Overcome Our Broken Politics in Washington and Across America.鈥�

鈥淲e should be thinking about writing a sequel,鈥� Daschle said. 鈥淭here are crises now that we didn鈥檛 even think about.鈥�

At an afternoon luncheon with students in the John Counts Room at the Mitchell Center, Daschle and Lott discussed lost days of bipartisanship in Congress.

Most of the questions and most of their answers were about leadership across the aisle. In a time of often bitter politics, Lott and Daschle represented a different era. Students noticed the change in tone.

鈥淚t鈥檚 refreshing to see people who are so hopeful about bipartisanship,鈥� said Abbe Wentland, a senior studying political science at South. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how it鈥檒l play out in real life, but it鈥檚 nice to hear.鈥�

Red Telephones for Lott and Daschle

Lott told students that when he and Daschle led their respective parties in the Senate, each one of them had a red telephone on the desk in his office. Those phones connected only to each other. That way they could speak at any time without any arrangements or in-betweens.

Daschle said he misses those days.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been said that 鈥楥ompromise is the oxygen of democracy,鈥欌�� Daschle said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 so fundamentally true, but compromise today is viewed as capitulation.鈥�

The former senators still talk and tease each other.

During a question-and-answer session in the MacQueen Alumni Center, a young audience member asked the senators what they thought about federal knowledge and disclosure of UAPs 鈥� Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. There was a pause before Lott drew a laugh from the audience by sidestepping the question.

鈥淵ou know, Tom was in the Air Force,鈥� he joked, 鈥渟o a question like that, I leave to him.鈥�

Daschle smiled and said that he believes in transparency and the government disclosing whatever information it has.

Lott also joked about sharing favorite sayings with Daschle and then quoting him without attribution. It鈥檚 part of their Republican-Democrat routine. They respect each other and work together.

鈥淲e鈥檝e both got a phrase that we like about the best way to persuade people is with your ears,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where good leadership starts. You have to listen to people.鈥�

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