It's almost amazing that he go re-elected so many times...

Sen. Trent Lott has finally got a taste of what the average folk do in DC. After spending 35 years in Washington, DC, he finally got around to taking a ride on the Metro:

"I took the Metro for the first time," Lott told the Sleuth Thursday afternoon in the makeup room of MSNBC, where he and his new lobbying partner, former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), were fixin (as Lott says) to do a TV segment.

"He's been standing in front of his house waiting for his car and driver," laughed Breaux from the makeup chair, adding with a tinge of a low-country twang, "He's learning how to hail a cab." (Read: HAY-ul a cab.)

I am struggling over whether to fault him too much on this or not. Having lived in DC, I have to say that if I were given a free car and driver to cart me around the city, I wouldn't have rode Metro that much either. But I think that is the key. I wouldn't have ridden it that much, but I think in 32 years*, I probably would have found the time to ride it at least once. And, even if I didn't, I would have had the good sense not to tell anyone (especially a reporter!!!) that I hadn't ever ridden it.

I don't think the problem here is that Lott didn't take advantage of the Metro, but rather that he has such a political tin ear about the whole thing.

*Sen. Lott has been in DC for 35 years, but the Metro has only been around for 32.