Just listened to Lott being interviewed by Sean Hannity . Several times, he managed to work the phrase “a mistake of the head, not of the heart” into the conversation. Toward the end, it became clear why:

“Quite often we do become too exuberant in our endorsements of people that perhaps we work with or are retiring or having birthdays, in this case, so I don’t want to, uh, others clearly have made that sort of mistake. This quote I talked about , it was a mistake of the head, not of the heart, was actually a quote as I understand it, from Jesse Jackson, in 1984. It’s a very thoughtful statement, you know, I don’t even remember what the occasion was, but he basically said it was an error of word, temprament, tone, caused discomfort and he asked forgiveness.”

I don’t remember that specific phrase, but Lott is obviously referring to Jackson’s ill-considered “Hymietown” remarks. And if you believe for one moment that Trent Lott just happened to come across this quote, but gosh darn it, can’t quite remember the context in which is was originally proferred, well, send me an email, because there’s a large and relatively well-known bridge not far from my home here in Brooklyn that I would like to sell you at a very reasonable price.

There’s a new Star Trek movie opening this weekend. What can I say? I try to keep it to a minimum around here, but I am, in fact, a lifelong geek.

But I’m sorry to read that my online pal Wil Wheaton, who played young Wesley Crusher for four or five seasons on Star Trek: the Next Generation, got dissed by his former employers once again. Not only was his cameo cut from the movie, but — adding insult to injury — he found out at the last minute that the “premiere” to which he had been invited was not actually the real premiere at all, but rather the b-list, no-stars, no-klieg-lights premiere.

Our sympathies go out. That’s gotta hurt.

(And while we’re on the geek train: anybody know if the Sci Fi channel is ever going to show the last few episodes of the late, lamented Farscape?)

Update: I am informed by several readers that the answer to the above question is “Yes, Tom, in January.” And that there’s more information available at www.savefarscape.com. Oh, and reader John Paul Davis has solved the MT archive mystery. I think I’m going to start posting random obscure questions, just to see if there’s anything that can stump you kids.

…besides both being bipedal carbon-based life forms, that is — we both own one of these:

It’s the John Ashcroft snow globe, created by artists Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese. I have one because they sent me a note awhile back and I met with them and traded art for art. As for Ashcroft, well, the story is here.

More information on Ligorano and Reese and their work (which is available for sale in limited editions, and frankly I can’t think of a lovelier gift this holiday season than a John Ashcroft snowglobe which plays “White Christmas,” unless it’s maybe a signed Tom Tomorrow print) can be found at their website.

From the Washington Times:

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott has inadvertently provided ammunition to those who would perpetuate the blood libel against conservatism in general and the Republican Party’s Southern-based expansion in particular — that it is tainted by bigotry. The conservative movement has spent more than a half-century driving out even the hint of racial or religious bigotry…

So you see, the crazy notion that there’s any sort of linkage whatsoever between conservatism — particularly Trent Lott’s style of good old boy Southern conservatism — and racism is equivalent to the ancient anti-Semitic “blood libel.” And Trent has “inadvertently” helped perpetuate this baseless accusation. And we denounce this, oh yes we do, but only insofar as it provides our enemies with ammunition, because certainly Trent didn’t really mean what it sounded like he meant.

But they’ve got it partially right here. There has been a concerted effort among the more moderate-libertarian wings of the Republican party to exorcise the old ghosts of segregation and states rights (though I think the Washington Times overstates the time frame by maybe three or four decades). They’re smart enough to realize that that particular dog’s hunting seasons are long behind them. Which is exactly why some of the loudest voices howling on this one have been conservative. They’re trying to convince you to move into their lovely planned community, and as they take you around in a little electric golf cart and point out all the convenient amenities, the last thing they want you to see is the unpleasant muck which occasionally bubbles up to the surface, because then you might start wondering if the muck has really been eradicated, as the brochure promised, or just covered up with an attractive lawn which, though meticulously-tended, may not survive much longer than the time it takes for you to close on your new condo.

It also plays hell with that whole “conservatism is cool” meme.

As Tapped notes:

In a way, this all makes Tapped feel bad for younger conservatives, especially the cosmopolitan-intellectual types who talk a good game about the virtues of Red America but live in places like Washington, New York and Cape Cod. Guys like (Washington Times columnist Robert Stacy McCain) and Lott are throwbacks, a dying breed, and clearly it legitimately pains the younger guys that they have to play on the same team as these jackasses. It’s tough being the Blue-state intellectual arm of an Old South-led political movement.

(Follow that link, by the way, for more info on this McCain fellow — not to be confused with Senator John McCain, of course. Interesting stuff.)

But you know, our conservative friends who are shocked, shocked by Trent Lott’s comments have, well, maybe not been paying such close attention to the esteemed Senator’s history. As Atrios (who I’m finding increasingly invaluable) writes:

Lean Left notes that Trent Lott has written 14 columns, from 1992-1998, for Citizen Informer, the newsletter of the Council of Conservative Citizens. Hey, where all you righty bloggers been on this issue?

The socialists were on this.

Gays and lesbians were on this.

FAIR was on this.

Those leftists at Democracy Now! were on this.

To his credit, Stanley Crouch was on this. Twice.

Afrocentric News was on this.

Molly Ivins was on this.

Shall I go on?