MR. LOTT PASSES THE PLATE:

Trent Lott Retreats From Belafonte Awards Dinner (Marc Morano, October 11, 2002, CNSNews.com)

Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) announced Thursday he would not be attending an Oct. 24 award dinner honoring entertainer/activist Harry Belafonte, following the singer's comparison of Secretary of State Colin Powell to a house "slave." [...]

Lott's participation in the Belafonte event drew criticism because of Belafonte's reference to Powell during a Tuesday interview with KFMB San Diego radio host Ted Leitner.

"Colin Powell's committed to come into the house of the master," Belafonte told Leitner. "When Colin Powell dares to suggest something other than what the master wants to hear, he will be turned back out to pasture.

"In the days of slavery, there were those slaves who lived on the plantation and were those slaves that lived in the house. You got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master ... exactly the way the master intended you to serve him," Belafonte added.

Powell called Belafonte's remarks "unfortunate."

"If Harry had wanted to attack my politics, that was fine," Powell reportedly said. "But to use a slave reference ... is unfortunate and is a throwback to another time and another place that I wish Harry had thought twice about using."

Note Mr. Powell's condescending use of "Harry".
Posted by Orrin Judd at October 11, 2002 10:53 AM