HOWARD KURTZ’S “MEDIA NOTES” COLUMN today has nothing about Trent Lott, though it does have a reference to the “gaffe-prone O’Neill.” Um, O’Neill’s main problem was that he told the truth when it was inconvenient. Lott’s remarks seem worse to me. But what do I know?

Not much, apparently.

UPDATE: Justin Katz links to the C-SPAN stream of the event (Lott starts at 32:01) and suggests that maybe we’re being too hard on Lott, but then adds:

However, even giving him the benefit of the doubt — that he had in mind something other than civil rights, like federalism, or was merely being hyperbolic for the birthday boy — that a politician wouldn’t know the obvious implications that some would draw from such a statement suggests that he isn’t the best person to be the pointman of the party outside of the Presidency. Additionally, if the benefit of the doubt is merited, then Lott should strongly declare how he has been misinterpreted. Hopes to let such things fade do not speak well of leadership qualities.

No, they don’t.