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Just think what you're gonna be missing, you won't have Trent Lott to kick around anymore...
Against the Grain on the CBS News Website ^
| Dec. 20, 2002
| Dick Meyer
Posted on 12/20/2002 3:23:19 PM PST by Doctor Raoul
Be Careful What You Wish For
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2002
Bill Frist is the Republicans new darling. In his latest Against the Grain commentary, CBSNews.com's Dick Meyer says thats the downside of Trent Lotts fall, for Democrats.
Only that star-crossed band of bumblers commonly known as the Democratic Party could emerge from an apparent fiasco in their enemys ranks the Trent Lott affair weakened.
But that is precisely what could happen if Tennessee Senator Bill Frist takes over as Senate Majority Leader.
Bill Frist, as far as the Democrats are concerned, is twice the player Trent Lott is. Bloodied or not, theyd rather have Lott to kick around.
The White House, reportedly, agrees. Big time. As chairman of Republican Senate Campaign Committee, Dr. Frist worked closely with Karl Rove and George W. Bush on the political surgery that recaptured the Senate for the party.
Within hours of Frist letting it be known that he would be willing to take Lotts job, the Mississippi Republican was officially toast. Lotts fall was inevitable. But the way Frist capped him off gives evidence of his new potency. He scared off Don Nickles, who was supposed to be Lotts biggest threat, without firing a shot. Other endorsements of Frist came steadily both before and after Lott actually resigned.
Bill Frist is a GOP star. He was on Bushs 2000 vice president list and hell be back on the list in 2004 if Cheney isnt on the ticket. "Frist in 2008" chatter has been heard around Washington for a long time.
Frist is someone congressional Republicans have been eager to give the ball to and these are people who don't like to share.
When anthrax-mail hit the Capitol last year, Frist was the point man, even for Democrats. "His voice carries by far the strongest weight in the Senate on any medically related matter," Democratic Senator Mark Dayton said at the time.
When Republicans needed to get the Senate back after Jim Jeffords defected, they turned to Frist. When the party couldn't find it's way through the stem cell research issue, Frist was their point man.
Frist was planning on taking the GOP lead on high-profile heath care issues this year, while keeping an eye out for 2008.
The bottom line is Frist is a rising star. Hes handsome, well spoken, smart, telegenic and has a friendly, moderate image. And he has a great resume.
He went to Princeton as an undergraduate and Harvard for medical school. He founded Vanderbilt Universitys organ transplant center and was a successful, innovative heart and lung transplant surgeon. (OK, so he's not a brain surgeon.) He published a book on bioterrorism earlier this year.
And get this he makes an annual medical mission to Africa and works there as doctor, not a pol.
Not that his reputation as a politician isn't plenty shiny. Not only does he get a good deal of credit for the partys success in November, he is also famous for his wily defeat in incumbent Senator Jim Sasser in 1994.
As for opposition research, there is the odd fact that Frist never voted until he was 36 years old.
And his father founded the company HCA, the huge for-profit hospital company that merged with other companies and this week agreed to settle fraud allegations with a payment of $631 million.
Democrats are, of course, checking out Frist's record on race. With minutes of Lotts resignation, a Democratic operative was e-mailing around a statement Frist is supposed to have made in his 1994 campaign. The quote originally appeared on the liberal writer Joshua Micah Marshal's Web site, "[Jim Sasser is] sending Tennessee money to Washington, to Marion Barry ... While I've been transplanting lungs and hearts to heal Tennesseans, Jim Sasser has been transplanting Tennesseans' wallets to Washington, home of Marion Barry."
Trent Lott's fall accidentally but usefully focused attention on the Republican Party and race. It looks like the party will now turn to its newest "go to" guy to find a cure for that condition.
Dick Meyer, a veteran political and investigative producer for CBS News, is Editorial Director of CBSNews.com based in Washington.
E-mail questions, comments, complaints and ideas to
Against the Grain
TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
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To: Doctor Raoul
Democrats are, of course, checking out Frist's record on race. And if they don't find something, they make it up.
With minutes of Lotts resignation, a Democratic operative was e-mailing around a statement Frist is supposed to have made in his 1994 campaign.
Hi Sid. When you're done paying off Drudge and can afford it, let's do lunch.
To: Doctor Raoul; Miss Marple; Wait4Truth; Mo1; Howlin; hchutch
Good read...
3
posted on
12/20/2002 3:28:05 PM PST
by
Dog
To: Dog
To: Dog
To: Doctor Raoul
Jim Sasser has been transplanting Tennesseans' wallets to Washington, home of Marion Barry." That's the most 'racist' thing they can come up with?
To: 11th Earl of Mar
Jim Sasser has been transplanting Tennesseans' wallets to Washington, home of Marion Barry." That's the most 'racist' thing they can come up with?
If it is, the dems are in serious trouble--gotta love it!
7
posted on
12/20/2002 5:53:48 PM PST
by
gop_gene
To: america-rules
WOW!
That's quite a collection.
To: Doctor Raoul
As for opposition research, there is the odd fact that Frist never voted until he was 36 years old.ROTFLMCO, the poor guy was probably just getting done with his residency.....you know.....working 48 hours straight with no sleep then sleeping 8 hours and working 48 hours straight again. He probably didn't even know it was November let alone who was running.
To: Dog
Thanks for the ping! It IS a good read. Bill Frist is a good man and the RATS know it. In 2001 he was one of the RATS' favorites...now he is dirt. They are so immoral. I have a feeling that this is going to turn out to be a plus for our side when all is said and done.
To: McGavin999
the problem is you never stood up to the smears from the left and now it will get worst! I see Lott is good enough to keep in the Senate for 6 years. LOL
11
posted on
12/20/2002 6:09:16 PM PST
by
TLBSHOW
To: Doctor Raoul; Endeavor; BigWaveBetty; lodwick
Thanks, Doc, for posting this. Interesting read.
To: america-rules; All
"Bill Frist is not pro-life," said Judie Brown, president and co-founder of American Life League, whose members believe in the sanctity of "innocent human life from fertilization to natural death; without compromise, without exception, without apology."
"He's made all kinds of strange statements," Brown said of Frist, "and is a shareholder in a huge for-profit hospital company that does abortions."
She is referring to Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). The senator's late father, Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr., and brother, Dr. Thomas Frist, Jr., founded HCA in 1968. The company merged with Columbia Hospital Corporation in 1994 to become Columbia/HCA.
Stephen Ally of the Timothy Plan, a pro-life, pro-family, biblically based mutual fund group, confirmed to CNSNews.com that the plan does not invest in Columbia/HCA stock, primarily because of the hospital chain's policy allowing abortions to be performed at its facilities.
Columbia/HCA representatives have not responded to multiple press inquiries about the company's abortion policy.
Conservatives Question Possible Double Standard
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1177567.html
13
posted on
12/20/2002 6:15:50 PM PST
by
TLBSHOW
To: america-rules
14
posted on
12/20/2002 6:23:22 PM PST
by
deport
To: TLBSHOW
Uh, if Bill Frist ever does something as dumb as what Lott did, he should resign. That was so damn stupid. If Lott didn't understand what would happen if he said something like what he said, he was unfit to lead.
How could he NOT know that race is the Dumbocrats main issue...
15
posted on
12/20/2002 6:26:02 PM PST
by
Benrand
To: deport
Frist profits from abortion. I don't particularly approve of that.
16
posted on
12/20/2002 6:26:19 PM PST
by
jwalsh07
To: Iowa Granny
Thanks for the ping, IG. I was hoping Frist would get the nod.
17
posted on
12/20/2002 6:28:42 PM PST
by
Endeavor
To: jwalsh07
Frist profits from abortion. I don't particularly approve of that. I'm willing to cut Frist some slack.
The thing is, is he gonna get pasted if things don't move through the Senate quite as smoothly as the "canonized conservatives" want?
This is the most selfish GD place I've ever seen.
18
posted on
12/20/2002 6:31:00 PM PST
by
sinkspur
To: Wait4Truth
Yes, that is probably all very true, but one thing i don't hear being addressed is can he actually ...lead? None of us have any evidence so far that he is a leader, or is capable of being one.being telegenic and personable and consservative is terrific, yet can he get votes and push legislation through and does he know the rules well enough to run the Senate?
These are big, unanswered questions about Bill Frist.There is lots of hope,but hope is no substitute for experience.
To: habs4ever
It won't take long to find out how good he is at cutting deals, greasing the skids, playing the nuances of the rules, back slapping, etc. He'll be tested very quickly on some little mundane something just to see how he reacts, imo. But then if nothing gets done that's not all that bad either as it keeps the legislative crap from getting and higher/deeper.
20
posted on
12/20/2002 6:40:47 PM PST
by
deport
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