seriously NBC, i'd expect more from you. everyone knows what Lott said, and it was deeply offensive, and it wasn't just liberals. in fact, the liberals -- boogeymen like HRC or Ted Kennedy stepped aside as people from all sides of the political spectrum called him on it. in fact, the most effective voices were from those in his own part -- from conservative writers like Sullivan to McCain and even W. the entire basis of Thurmond's platform in 1948 was segregation, and Lott effectively said that we'd all be better off had we elected him. that *is* praise for segregation, not graciousness for an old man. this isn't political correctness, not least is it political correctness in the highly conservative terms you've defined it (and incompletely and conveniently defined it, btw). it was a racist comment, and everyone recognized it as such, and called him out on it, and he did some grovling on BET, which just further exposed Lott for what he is: a modern day Dixiecrat.