A lot of Washington politicians view the Pentagon budget as one gigantic slab of pork just waiting to be sliced for maximum political benefit, but most of them are discreet about it. Not so Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., the Senate majority leader, who isn't shy about using defense appropriations to reward himself and his friends -- and to threaten his enemies.

Lott showed up in Georgia the other day to lend his dubious help to Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mack Mattingly. Speaking near the huge Marietta, Ga., Lockheed plant that builds C-130J military-transport planes, Lott warned that he would punish Georgians if they failed to elect Mattingly.

"You don't want all those C130s built in Meridian, Miss.," Lott told the crowd. "But if Mack is not up there (in Washington), I will do all I can to move the whole operation to Mississippi."

If Lott stays in power long enough, the entire state of Mississippi might sink into the Gulf of Mexico under the weight of all the military hardware the majority leader has brought home. Last year, for example, he brought the state a $375-million contract to build a helicopter carrier the Pentagon didn't want. And Mississippians who can't swim will be alarmed to learn that Lott's threats haven't done much good for Mattingly, who is likely to lose in November to popular former Georgia Gov. Zell Miller. A few thousand tons of C-130s can't be far behind.

At this rate, submerged Mississippians might need Lott to bring home some submarine contracts by next year.

© Copyright 2000 St. Petersburg Times

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