Bush strongly criticizes Lott for 'offensive' remarks

President Bush Thursday appeared to be toeing a careful line in his approach to the continuing controversy over remarks last week by incoming Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., leveling strong criticism at Lott today while not calling for his ouster.

"Any suggestion that the segregated past was acceptable or positive is offensive, and it is wrong," Bush said during an appearance in Philadelphia where he discussed his faith-based initiative. "Recent comments by Sen. Lott do not reflect the spirit of our country," Bush continued. "He has apologized, and rightly so."

Asked today if Bush felt "strongly enough that Sen. Lott shouldn't be majority leader," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer responded that Bush "does not think that Trent Lott should resign."

At a recent birthday celebration for retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., Lott said that if Thurmond had been elected president in 1948, the country "wouldn't have had all these problems over the years." Thurmond ran that year as a segregationist on the Dixiecrat Party ticket.

Lott has since called his comments "terrible" and denied that he backs segregationist policies.

The president reportedly spoke today to an audience that included many African Americans, and the response to his comments about Lott was electric. His remarks were part of an address devoted to his faith-based initiative.