Lott to Step Aside! CBS Radio Reporting it will happen later today....

[BUSHdude2000]

Just heard that CBS News Radio is about to announce this...

Admin Moderator added update:

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Lott Will Step Down
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2002


Sen. Trent Lott plans to resign as the Republican Senate leader, CBS News has learned.

CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer reports that Lott is now calling colleagues to tell them he intends to step down. Lott plans to have some kind of statement later today and will remain in the Senate.

Two weeks after lamenting that segregationist Strom Thurmond had lost his 1948 presidential bid, Lott faced mounting opposition to his remaining in the post he has held for six year.

Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee won public endorsements from four GOP colleagues in his emerging bid to supplant Lott. He is now poised to be the next leader.

Frist, a staunch ally of President Bush and the man who headed the GOP's successful effort to snatch control of the Senate in last month's elections, said Thursday he would "likely step forward" and challenge Lott. Virginia GOP Sens. John Warner and George Allen had said Frist was definitely a candidate.

In addition, candidacies were considered possible by Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky or Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. Both men have been among Lott's staunchest supporters.

Warner, a 24-year Senate veteran and the incoming Armed Services Committee chairman, said, "This is bigger than friendship."

"This is ? a country at war, this is a president who is making very difficult decisions each day and he needs the support of his Republican colleagues united and led by strong leaders in both houses," Warner said.

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., incoming Environment and Public Works Committee chairman, was also supporting Frist, said Inhofe spokesman Gary Hoitsma. And a Republican aide close to No. 2 Senate Republican Don Nickles of Oklahoma said Nickles, a longtime Lott rival, would probably support a race by Frist.

Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., on Friday said he had called Lott a day earlier and "asked him to make way for a new Senate Republican leader who is able to speak with a strong voice to Americans of all races." Bond then endorsed Frist.

Allen, who will head the Republican Senate campaign effort for 2004, said he believed Frist already had the support of about 10 GOP senators, including James Talent of Missouri and Mike Enzi of Wyoming. Enzi's spokesman said he would make no comment.

Signs of trouble for Lott have multiplied over the week. First, liberal Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chaffee became the first Republican to explicitly call for Lott's ouster.

Then, a CBS News/New York Times poll of members of the Republican National Committee ? the party's ruling body ? released Thursday found 45 percent of them thought Lott should go, while just 20 percent thought he should stay on as Senate leader.

The 51 GOP senators in the Congress convening Jan. 7 plan were to meet the previous day to decide who will lead them.

Many Republicans privately expected Lott to step down before that meeting.

Following Mr. Bush's criticism last week of Lott's Dec. 5 remarks, administration officials have sought to distance themselves from the leadership struggle.

Until now, Republican lawmakers, aides and lobbyists had said Frist was reluctant to seek the job. Besides being a political lightning rod for attacks by Democrats, the post would be extremely time-consuming, taking away from his pursuit of health issues and, perhaps, preparations for a White House run in 2008.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/12/10/politics/main532405.shtml

[Poohbah]

Very depressing news for conservatives since pro-choice Bill Frist appears to be his likely successor.

Frist is pro-choice? I keep hearing this one slung around, and I never seem to get specific data to support it.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I'm convinced that Bush deliberately planted the "Dubya's a dummy" stories on the press as a deliberate strategery of subliminable disinformation so as to cause his opponents to misunderestimate him.

I think you may be misoverestimating on that one.

[VRWC_minion]

"To all those who offered me their friendship, support and prayers, I will be eternally grateful. And to the rest of you drop dead.

Even this speech would have been picked apart as being a sign he hadn't given up his racist ways. We are really dodging a huge bullet here folks.

[copycat]

I had no idea this guy is Pro-Choice. If true this a debacle.

Don't believe eveything you read at FR.

[chiller]

I think we just blunted their biggest and only arrow.

[Cold Heat]

Well, I hope Y'all enjoy Frist! Cuz if Ya did not like Lott...........You will really pull out what is left of your hair with Frist!

As to Lott, I wish him well and pray that this has not hurt him as bad as it seems to have. His service has been great for his state. he really brought home the bacon for Mississippi.

[guitfiddlist]

Pelosi up right now on Fox...

[PBRSTREETGANG]

As long as Lott steps down and remains in the Senate, this is fantastic news in my book.

[wayoverontheright]

Re his need for our support -- you're right. Now that he is being noble, instead of sacrificing the party and, by extension, the country, to save his own hide, it's easy to feel bad for him. Now we can get back to recognizing how unfair the whole imbroglio was, and hating the race pimping democrats that started it, instead of hating Lott.

Absolutely. I threw him overboard only when he went on BET and renounced his opposition to affirmative action. It's amazing that we will now have to lobby him to recover his sanity on that issue.

As to your comment about how unfair the attack was, I feel there can possibly be an even greater negative effect on the attackers themselves. The whole thing was so desperate on the part of the dems, I think when everything sinks in it will be perceived by a majority that this was a lot more about power than any harm his comments may have created for blacks.

[hchutch]

Either of them beats being influenced by Frank Jack Fletcher. :)

[AppyPappy]

Blunted? How? They just knocked off the Majority Leader.

[austinite]

Man, did this thread grew at warp speed or what!

In the old days, i.e. 1998 it would have taken hours to grow a thread this large.

Makes one go Hmmm, (in a good way).

[No Truce With Kings]

"But we just gave the Democrats a very big arrow to put in their quiver. "

If they use it, they will discover it taking a circular course right back to them. Kinda like a defective torpedo. Their people are a lot dirtier.

Over the long run a party rarely suffers for doing the right thing. We have two years until the next election. That is the long run.

Why did the Republicans suffer during the Clinton Impeachment? Because they did not do the right thing. They blocked a fair trial, and let Clinton off the hook. (Who was responsible for that? Wonder a Lott about that question.)

[Right_in_Virginia]

"Bush strategery wins again..."

Oh, palease.... *Sigh*

[Right_in_Virginia]

"Bush strategery wins again..."

Oh, palease.... *Sigh*

[governsleastgovernsbest]

See the ratings I posted at 240. By his recent voting record, Frist would appear to be pro-life.

[Poohbah]

I win the pool....I win the pool.....I win the pool....I win the pool.....

Are you buying the first round of libations? :o)

[mhking]

Pelosi up right now on Fox...

That's Nancy "Sleestak" Pelosi to you...

[VRWC_minion]

How did Frist vote on PBA ?

[Peach]

See post #240 - doesn't sound pro-choice to me.