Trent Lott to resign: needs more money

by shamanic Wow, didn't expect this at all: according to numerous news accounts this morning, Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi will resign his seat and leave congress before the end of the year, apparently to avoid running afoul of the new lobbying law that prohibits former members from jumping to the other team for a solid two years. Going back into my personal WayBack machine (the one in my head), I recall that Lott's home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and he was pretty much ready to retire at that point. I believe he ultimately bowed to strongly worded requests from senior GOP forces (even saying "Karl Rove" causes massive disruptions in civil conversation, but that's who I mean) so that the GOP wouldn't have to devote any particular resources to the Mississippi senate race. I think the man's burned out, and apparently one of the least-wealthy members, so off he goes to greener pastures, leaving a multi-year slot for his Republican successor to run on in 2012.