At the tail-end of an article about how Mel Martinez will be taking over as RNC chair (or at least, RNC half-chair) comes this mention of the junior senator from Mississippi:

Also on Monday, a spokeswoman for Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, the former Senate Republican leader, announced that he would seek to rejoin the leadership ranks this week after leaving the top job four years ago in an uproar over a racially charged comment.

Mr. Lott will oppose Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee for the No. 2 slot of whip in an election on Wednesday. Mr. Lott had been quietly testing his support. Should Mr. Lott win, it would be a remarkable comeback for the conservative legislative tactician. He was forced out in late 2002 after joking at the 100th birthday party for Senator Strom Thurmond that the nation would have been better off had Mr. Thurmond won the presidency in 1948, when he ran on a segregationist ticket. The remark drew strong criticism as being racially insensitive.

First Newt, now Trent Lott? What's with all the relegitimization, Republicans? (Note: Kos likes the idea.)