Greens protest Sen. Lott speech

MARK ROGERS
DM Staff Writer

An enthusiastic crowd and a silent protest were on hand to greet Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott during his visit to Oxford Friday.

Although the majority of the crowd were clearly Lott supporters, about 12 Green Party activists were on hand to express their displeasure with Lott's tenure as senator, holding up a bright green flier with highlights of Lott's record whenever one of the speakers said something with which they disagreed.

The evening began with an introduction by Oxford Mayor Pat Lamar, who praised Lott for a wealth of appropriations which Oxford and the Ole Miss campus have received during his past six years as majority leader. Citing an exhaustive list of projects totaling over $50 million in all, Lamar asked the crowd, "Are we better off than we were six years ago?"

The response was a loud cheer from the audience and a flash of green fliers, enumerating a number of projects with which the Greens strongly disagreed.

Next, ASB President Nic Lott was called on to introduce the senator. After praising Sen. Lott's hard work as majority leader, he related to the crowd an ongoing joke about his unsuccessful bid for ASB President during his time as an Ole Miss student, and held up a photograph of the senator's then campaign manager, Allen Pepper, proudly displaying a copy of The DM article announcing Nic Lott's win last year with the banner headline, "Lott wins ASB President."

"It took a long time, but we finally won," Pepper said.

After thanking Nic Lott, Lamar, and his wife Tricia, the senator acknowledged the squad of cheerleaders who were on hand to give their rendition of "Hotty Toddy," highlighting his own experience as cheerleader during his Ole Miss days.

"I'm still a cheerleader for Oxford and Ole Miss, and I don't apologize for it," he said to the crowd.

The senator thanked the crowd for their support during his career, saying that he had lived the American dream as a shipyard worker's son who rose to political prominence. Emphasizing the three "key areas" of education, transportation and jobs, he vowed to continue to pursue appropriations for educational and research funds, noting the "multiplier effect" they often have on local economies. Lott said that he was glad to have helped balance the federal budget, and promised to keep working on rebuilding the military and providing for veterans.

To the Green Party activists who periodically held up their green fliers in protest, Lott said "I like green," he said. "Free speech. .. [is] what America is all about."

After his brief address, Lott stayed for about an hour to speak with members of the audience.

The group of protesters seemed satisfied with the impact that they had on Lott's speech. Green Party member Vanessa Bliss cited the media attention as a benefit for their protest, and said that while they were not expecting to change Lott's mind on the issues, they definitely put him on alert.

"I think it [the protest] tripped him up," Bliss said.

Citing the Center for Responsible Government's Web site, she claimed that with the large discrepancy between campaign funds for Lott and his Democratic opponent, it was clear that the Democratic Party was running a token opposition to a candidate they viewed as unlikely to unseat.

Bliss said that her group wants to end the "culture of no protest" in our society, and tried to point out discrepancies between Lott's speech and his record, claiming that he had challenged the Clean Air and Water Act, and that a group of veterans were planning a protest march.

Keith Wright, of the Green Party, who will be debating the issues of the fall campaign Tuesday at noon in the Grove, agreed that the protest had gone very well.

"We want to speak truth to power," Wright said, adding that the protesters wanted an informed electorate and were trying to focus on the facts pertinent to the campaign.

"I thought his 'three keys' were a hoot and a half," Wright said.

He went on to argue that Lott's speeches in Mississippi were very different than those in Washington.

"He can shout 'Hotty Toddy' until Nov. 7," Wright said.