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

[Tree of Liberty]

According to Vote-smart.org, he voted "YES" on the PBA ban. Also, I think it was either him or Santorum that gave his floor speech on it when the child started crying out from the balcony.

[Stefan Stackhouse]

Pelosi up right now on Fox...

Always a good opportunity to take a break and relieve myself . . . (in the bathroom, that is, not on the TV)

[Let's Roll]

Rats! I had Monday, the 23rd, in the pool.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Careful what you break off there.

[CA Conservative]

Don't like his reported ties to an abortion-providing institution, and don't like that he helped David Satcher get Surgeon General.

Well, his "ties to an abortion-providing institution" are that his brother and father started a medical corporation that now owns hospitals all across the country. Bill Frist has never worked for HCA, and has never been on the board of HCA. Instead, he started his own transplant clinic at Vanderbilt University. He did inherit some HCA stock from his father.

Now, does HCA perform abortions? I don't know, but abortions performed at hospitals are usually because the life of the mother is at risk. Elective abortions are almost never performed in a hospital, just because of the cost. Another question would be, does the hospital at Vanderbilt University perform abortions? If it does, does that mean Frist is tainted because his transplant clinic is associated with the college? This kind of guilt by association can get pretty ridiculous.

[BlessedBeGod]

Thank you for that info!

[GraniteStateConservative]

Are the voices in your head screaming at you again?

: )

[copycat]

People are obviously looking at the "hit-piece" article that came out today about his stock holdings in a private hospital.

Terry Jeffrey's title in that article was misleading. He said Frist owned stock in a for-profit abortion center. Actually, he owns stock in a hospital sttarted by members of his own family.

That they perform abortions is incidental.

[Poohbah]

, when the other side is going to overreach, you just sit back on defense and slam `em hard.

Or sometimes, you just step aside and let 'em charge off the cliff, then shout "Happy landings!" after them :o)

[NY Catholic]

When I see post that insults people often you name is attached. Does it make you feel good to be meanspirited?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Why all the talk? Because RightWing2 is an idiot, who can't read facts... can't write them, either, apparently...

Take everything he says witha grain of salt - it'll make you rlife a lot easier if you do ;0)

[SupplySider]

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

Never trust a man whose hair dosen't move.

[Wait4Truth]

McConnell just endorsed Frist. Frist will be ML. Good!

[A2J]

finally! stick a fork in him - he's done.

Yeah, along with the knives that his fellow Republicans have placed there.

How GOP of you!

[Peach]

Thanks for the link - I've saved it to my favorites.

[MEGoody]

"We didn't push Lott out to please the Dems."

Doesn't matter. They'll think we did, and they'll use that to whatever advantage they can - including judicial nominees.

[NY Catholic]

Thanks very much.

[ken5050]

I think the best way the GOP could act to show they've but this behind them, and to call out the Dems on the race baiting, would be to send Judge Pickering's nomination up first, and stick it in the Dems eye.....

[Tree of Liberty]

The talk is that he and his father are majority investors in some hospitals that commit infanticide.

[Nita Nuprez]

Politics are better described as a marathon instead of as a sprint.

Worth repeating. And Lott won't quit the Senate or switch. He realizes this also or he never would have stepped aside in the first place.