Posted on 5/25/2005, 2:59:54 PM by gopwinsin04
'He had the rug pulled out from underneath him by the centrists,' said Manuel Miranda, a former Frist aide who has helped to coordinate opposition to judicial filibusters by Democrats.
Analysts said Frist's standing as Senate leader and his presidential ambitions were damaged by Monday's events. 'I was watching Frist on the Senate floor, and it looked like he had been hit by a train,' said Larry Sabato a University of Virginia professor of government.
'Presidential nominees are people who appear to be leaders. Bill Frist looked utterly powerless.'
Christian conservatives were infuriated by the deal. Gary Bauer, president of the American Values coalition, called it a 'sellout,' and James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, called the deal 'betrayal by a cabal of Republicans.'
Last week, GOP leaders in Iowa sent a letter warning two GOP presidential hopefuls--Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska--that they would risk losing the state's first in the nation presidential caucuses if they didn't support the ban on judicial filibusters.
McCain, who skipped the Iowa caucus in 2000, ignored advise and was a key broker of the deal. Religious conservative groups said McCain's decision effectively ended his chances of running for the presidency as a Republican.
Sabato agreed that McCain could only run as an independent. 'This reminded conservative activists of why they don't like John McCain and why they don't trust him.
There may also be consequences for senators who crafted the deal and are up for re-election in 2006. Conservative groups in Ohio held a conference call Tuesday to discuss the possibility of running primary challengers against Sen. Mike DeWine.
Social conservatives also threatened to refuse donations to the National Senatorial Campaign Committee if any of the money goes to help re-elect DeWine or deal makers Olympia Snowe of Maine or Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
He has taken the philosophy of never take a vote unless you know you're going to win to a ridiculous extreme. Sometimes you take a vote you know you're going to lose in order to smoke your enemies out.
If this is indeed a blow to Frist's presidential ambitions, it's good news for the Republicans, because Frist is an uncharismatic bore who would probably lose to just about any Democrat.
I like Frist and I would vote for him. But he has been known to waffle and to weaken. I would prefer a stronger candidate. That said, I could support him just fine. He's a good man.
"Damaged?" Try "destroyed."
As least we are smoking the RINO's out now...
Bunk.
The seven Rinos should be deprived of all committee appointments and their staffs. They should feel the full weight of the majority leader's wrath.
That is how politics is played. That's how the Democrats play it, and they had no defections.
But Frist can't manage his own party following, he's not tough enough to do what a party leader is supposed to do.
At least it's not "An unnamed government source said" they using as a source;
So when a General orders his men to stay in position and not try to outflank the enemy before he gives the order but an over eager aggresive promotion seeking Lieutenant thinks "I can move up, outflank them, and look like a hero" and gets his men killed; it reflects badly on the GENERAL? I think not. It reflects poorly on the training this Lieutenant received in Officer training. Frist is the General, an over eager group of power seeking publicity hounds circumvented him; it is NOT his problem nor does it reflect badly on him.
Frist's biggest mistake and failure of leadership was in letting this drag on for 5 months. If he'd pushed this issue as the first order of business when the new congress was sworn in in Jan., it's unlikely that McCain would have had time or the wherewithall to put together his cabal of RINOs.
"If this is indeed a blow to Frist's presidential ambitions, it's good news for the Republicans, because Frist is an uncharismatic bore who would probably lose to just about any Democrat."
Ding, Ding, Ding! We have a winner!
That is correct. He should have done it like ripping off a Band Aid.
OUCH! and put some ice on it.
Like Beelzebubba did when he fired all the siting US Attorneys.
Unfortunately, he is too much of a nice guy. He is decent (as politicians go) and I will always like him. But these are critical times and we need some one in the Delay mold. Frits still could fight, but I dont'think he has it in him, sadly.
Bingo! And if he can't manage a couple dozen senators, how will he manage a federal government of millions? The only way he could possibly salvage this would be to jerk the rug out from under that piece of filth, McCain. Rescind every one of his committee appointments and replace him with junior senators. Then appoint him to every do-nothing, know-nothing committee in the senate. Make him SLJO (my fellow vets should know that one!).
I don't think they should ALL be deprived of committe appointments etc. I think we should first go after McCain. If we attack them all then we threaten our own majority on other issues. So we just go after the worst of the worse. Frist has to also think of issues down the road. We still need these guys. We just need to show them the error of their ways.
A fundamental of leadership is accountability. A general IS always responsible for the actions of all of his lieutenants even if they act on their own or disobey his orders. That's not just my opinion that is the military way. When a ship runs aground at night because the of the lowly helmsman error the Captain who was sleeping in his quarters will see his Naval career end. In the case of Frist, if he cannot get 50 senators to follow his lead than he is not really a "Majority Leader" is he?
I think Frist may have erred in timing as much as anything. He gave the rebels time to organize. The issue stood dormant for too long.
Senators CAN'T be elcted President even though their wives assure them that they can. So, we have one loser out of the way for 2008.
Just my 2 cents...!
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