The hours since President Bush's speech, addressing Lott's first step to disqualification, have allowed a more clear understanding of Bush's intent to be formed. No, Bush didn't take too kindly to the near-demolition of his sincere outreach and no, he will not engage in the dethroning that, while absolutely critical to Republican operation over the next two years, is simply not his task. He's made an interesting distinction between executive and legislative; all Republicans, and yet independently responsible for their course. As much as the nation might be encouraged by the sight of a president reaching down and rattling the teeth of an embarrassing, incapable lieutenant, the president simply doesn't have the time to waste - especially when the removal of the Majority Leader is quickly solidifying as a no-brainer. The president has spoken, and the Republicans should listen.
One further interesting development is, as I stated on Vodkapundit, the first appreciable rift between young and old conservatives. Andrew Sullivan has been leading his daily entries with a day-to-day account of the dichotomy. This is my observation, since modified:
Many older conservatives, having lived through times where many a conversation might include the phrase "why don't they stay where they ought to?," still view bigotry as a disappointing, albeit acceptable reality of public life. They hedge and equivocate; this is where we find otherwise respectable, lucid thinkers like Brit Hume, Rush Limbaugh and Peggy Noonan trapped behind a wall of hesitation - a hesitation to challenge sedentary ground rules and, ultimately, disqualify several public figures precisely for their inability to socially evolve.
Those of us who grew up as close friends to kids with ethnic origins far different than our own (almost unthinkable forty years ago) are outraged - and, adamant that responsible citizens must take no part in racial prejudice, we will have none of it.
I simply cannot see Lott remaining in Senate power for long. Nor can I imagine the leniency once reserved for "old school" politicians to continue, especially as elder statesmen and voters are replaced by youth. We should expect an environment far less forgiving of slurs and sheer endorsements of oppression. This isn't about political correctness: it's about human dignity.