Crisis Tales: Five Rules for Coping with Crises in Business, Politics, and Life by Lanny J. Davis

Author:Lanny J. Davis
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Threshold Editions
Published: 2013-03-04T14:00:00+00:00

“SHOULD I TAKE THE CALL”

So that was the context the day I heard from my friend, former representative Jack Kemp.

Then Kemp told me the reason Senator Lott wanted to call me.

“It’s about a call he just got from Reverend Jesse Jackson—who has asked him to call him back. I told him you were a good friend of Reverend Jackson, and Senator Lott wants to know whether he should call the reverend back.”

“Well, of course he should,” I responded. “Why wouldn’t he?”

Jack took a moment to respond.

“He is concerned that Reverend Jackson might be tempted to use his taking the call politically—to make it public and embarrass him,” he said. “He knows he’s probably too far gone for his majority leader position to be saved—but he just doesn’t want any more pain or humiliation for himself and his family.”

I said I would be happy to advise Senator Lott that Reverend Jackson would never do such a thing—and I would guarantee that.

I had known Reverend Jackson since the 1960s and had met him shortly after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. He was by Reverend King’s side when the assassin’s bullet struck him and I knew him as an inspiring religious and political leader and eloquent spokesman for the civil rights movement.

I also knew him to be a highly empathetic and spiritual person who was at his best when counseling a person in trouble, regardless of party or political philosophy. I knew that he would never attempt to exploit another person’s personal pain and anguish.

An hour or so later, the phone rang.

“Hello, Lanny, this is Trent. Trent Lott. I appreciate your taking my call. Jack told me it was okay to call you to ask your advice.”

“Of course, Senator. I’ve heard a little about the issue you are concerned about.”

“I want to do right here,” Senator Lott said. “I know I’ve made a mistake and offended my friends in the black community and many others, and my toast was a terrible mistake. I didn’t mean it in my heart, but few people believe that now.”

He continued: “This isn’t about politics—this is about repairing who I am and what I am. I don’t know if I will have the votes to continue to be majority leader but I am guessing I won’t.”

He mentioned that Reverend Jackson had called him and wondered why, and whether he should return the call.

“I know it’s probably too late for me to save my position as majority leader. But my question is: Will Reverend Jackson try to hurt me even further if I return his call?”

I was impressed, even amazed, that I didn’t hear more bitterness and self-pity from Senator Lott. After all, while he had made a mistake in his toast, and perhaps it reflected long-ingested insensitivities from being raised in segregated southern Mississippi, he could have been angry at the Bush White House and his fellow Republican senators for throwing him over the side so quickly and putting up Tennessee Republican senator Bill Frist as his replacement.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.