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

[goldstategop]

The Dems wanted to keep Trent Lott around to run against in 2004. No wonder Pelosi looks depressed.

[chiller]

Blunted their arrow you ask. How?

We command the moral highground. When we see racism,
we remove it, even at great cost.

You Dems, embrace racism...let me count the ways

[Peach]

Please look at Post #240 before you believe mainstream media stories about Frist's supposed pro-choice stance. That just doesn't seem to bear out if you look at the post I've referred you to.

[ken5050]

Where's the pic of Lott's weird hat...Some other GOP senators gave him the Four Feathers..

[Wphile]

Fred Barnes totally refuted clinton's claim about the Georgia and NC elections. The confederate flag wasn't even an issue. Perhaps it was an issue with the voters, but the candidates did not campaign on the issue.

The politics of personal destruction, it never ends. Clinton's legacy...divide, deny and LIE! I hate him with a passion!

[Interesting Times]

While some here are cheering, the real victory is for the successful Dem spin campaign and distraction to the conservative objectives of this administration - they can claim another win.

Not so... once they realized Lott's position was in real jeopardy, Democrats were knocking each other down to get to microphones to say they thought this firestorm had gone far enough. They wanted a Republican Party permanently stained by Lott's mistake, with a cringing, capitulating Senate leader trying endlessly to make amends -- truly the best of both worlds from their perspective.

Instead, we have better leadership (in all cases) and the chance to turn the race worm back on the bad guys. Our position is that discriminating by race is wrong. Doesn't matter which way. That's going to resonate with some folks who used to buy the Republicans-are-racist propaganda they see on ABCNNBCBS.

[nevergiveup]

Finally! Trent "the Boneless Wonder" Lott finally lifted himself up and did the honorable thing. I've waited a long time to thank and praise him for doing the right thing. I am glad today is the day!

For now, lets all celebrate the opportunity to start a new session with the power and the unity.

For all you 1)idealists, 2)all or nothing, 3)100% agreement with me is the minimum I demand, 4)as pure as the wind driven snow, 5)"what about MY issue", and 6)other irrationals types....

Please give it a rest - at least for today.

[goodnesswins]

NAH....we were willing to hand over "LOTT".....he was expendable as ML because we knew we could do better.

[ken5050]

No she isn't....but she IS running on a Title IX platform..

[Charlie OK]

If Lott does step down as ML but stays as Senator, we all should call his office to thank him profusely and tell him he's a true statesman, he'll go down in history as a good man caught in a bad situation, he put love of country before self-interest, blah, blah, blah.

I agree absolutely. Thanks for saying so publicly.

BUMP

[austinite]

Alright. Phase II of this campaign now officially kicks off - and that is to nuke the crap out of the Santimonious Hypocrites of the 'Rat party. First target - the so-called "Soul of the Senate" - Grand Kleagle Sen. Robert Byrd.

Helm - Left full rudder, Gunnery Officer you may fire main battery at will, armour piercing, fire for effect!

[Redleg Duke]

At least the RATS are so predictable. They issue talking points and then they all echo them.

In my opinion, the Democrat Party lacks gravitas!

[copycat]

You'll also find that rightwing2's "comments" are eight years old and stem from his first campaign, when he was a rookie. The comments are highly suspect, while the voting record is fact.

[Servant of the Nine]

Ah, but now the dimms can smell our fear. If we're willing to hand over the Majority Leader, why not a mere judicial nominee?

After all, we don't want to offend anyone, now do we?

We didn't push Lott out to please the Dems. We pushed him out because he was a fool and a weasel who should never have been in the leadership to begin with. This was just an oportunity to gain leverage on him.

So9

[WHBates]

That's the latest lie the Dems are putting out and the media is repeating. The truth is just the other way around.

[ThinkingMan]

Post 240 is good data to refute it. People are obviously looking at the "hit-piece" article that came out today about his stock holdings in a private hospital. Once again we are reminded:

NEVER TRUST THE PRESS!!!!!

[Darlin']

Wow. Thanks for the ping.

[Peach]

I really hate the media.

You and me both. They are enemy #1 in my book.

[1Old Pro]

Everyone: Don't let the hysterical Dems bother you. Frist will do fine, remember, it's BUSH's agenda and he just needs leaders who will work for his agenda.

If Rove wanted Frist it means that Frist will work very well for Bush.

Lott's resignation will put this to bed, sheeple have short memories and something will come along to distract the media like, say a war with IRAQ.

THE GREAT NEWS: We have the majority for at least 2 years and the Republicans will do good things, among those things are appointing alot of conservative judges and hopefully a couple of justices of the SCOTUS..

[ken5050]

Or big hair.....that's why Trent had to go..