Not healthy for anyone to hang around in office as long as Thurmond did (shades of J Edgar Hoover who headed the FBI for about 50 years). I'd have thought the USA would have tackled this, as it did with presidents.

But didn't Thurmond move off his segragationalist line some time after his disgraceful opposition to LBJ's reforms? If so, I'm willing to give him some credit for that. The real worry - and Bill D put his finger on it - is those who continue to revere the Thurmond of the 40s, 50s and 60s. Not least Trent Lott. What kind of people vote a guy like that into high office?