Influential GOP'ers Within White House Urge Bush to Work Behind the Scenes for Lott Resignation

CBS News Exclusive ^ | Decemer 13, 2002 | Bob Schieffer

[ewing]

Sources have exclusively told CBS News Chief Washington Correspondant Bob Schieffer that influential Republicans-some of them inside the Bush White House-are now urging the President to work behind the scenes to get Trent Lott to step down as Majority Leader of the United States Senate.

However some Republicans have risen to Lott's defense.

Senator Arlen Specter , (R-PA) said Lott's comments should be accepted as an 'inadverdent slip and his apolgy should end the discussion.'

'I know Trent Lott very well from working with him in the Senate for the past 14 years and can vouch for the fact that he is no supporter of Strom Thurmonds 1948 Presidential platform,' Spector said.

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When Arloon is his only defender, you know Lott is in trouble..

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Sounds like Rove has been freeping!

[BuddhaBoy]

Lott ruined Bush's agenda for the first two years, and forgot that Bush is running things, until Bush slapped him back to work in the Lame Duck session.

He probably already gave Lott the shove, and they are waiting for the slow news period.

[goldstategop]

Yup. Arlen Specter is a RINO. That's part of Trent Lott's plight - no conservative has spoken up in his defense and President Bush just repudiated him. Its time for Lott to go.

[goldstategop]

Agreed. When its out of the headlines, Lott will be good as gone.

[The Obstinate Insomniac]

I like the idea of the Senate voting him out as leader instead of letting him resign.

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Maybe Arloon can invoke Scottish Law to save him!

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I think the vote has already been taken..

[Common Tator]

When Arloon is his only defender, you know Lott is in trouble..

They hope to bring it up to the point that Lott resigns from the Senate. It is really hard to take this much abuse. Since Bush jumped on him, he will almost certainly have to resign before the first of the year. I give him a week or two at most.

If he resigns his senate seat then the Democratic Governor of Mississipi will appoint a Democrat to replace Lott. That makes teh senate a tie just like two years ago

That leaves Chaffee and Snowe as the objects of the biggest bidding war you have ever seen. I think Daschle will be high bidder. In any event kiss the Bush agenda bye bye. ArLoon just does not want to go back to being in the Senate minority.

But that is where he is likely going.

You are going to love the look on Jeffords face as he sits down as chairman of his Senate committee next year.

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I have heard preditions of 4-5 PM EST tomorrow for a possible resignation (unconfirmed)

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But Haley Barbour will win the Mississippi Governors Chair in 2003.

If Lott is going to drop out of the Senate, he will wait until then..

[BuddhaBoy]

My prediction stands at Sunday. The Sunday shows are taped on Saturday.

[swheats]

You mean CBS got this before Fox News. Seems we're slipping. The vast right wing has given up already. Trial balloon or a leaker is in series trouble.

[bigaln2]

From John Fund's Political Diary:

Amid the firestorm over his remarks embracing Strom Thurmond's 1948 segregationist presidential campaign, Trent Lott may not consider himself lucky. But he is. Back in October, he abruptly advanced the date of Republican leadership elections by several weeks in a bid to squelch competition for his job. The vote re-electing Mr. Lott was held only two weeks after the November elections. Smart move.

Leadership elections are held by secret ballot, so the safe money says if those elections were held today, the man from Mississippi might well lose if he were up against a credible opponent, such as Mitch McConnell of Kentucky or Bill Frist of Tennessee.

[goldstategop]

If he resigns as Senate Majority Leader it will be yesterday's news. I'd hate to have to see him quit the Senate but if he does I wouldn't be surprised. A Democrat can be no worse for Missisippi than he has been. So we lose our majority again? Like that's news.

[The Obstinate Insomniac]

I thought the official vote occurs at the start of a new session of congress.

[bigaln2]

I think that's only for Speaker of the House.

[ewing]

Friday afternoon is good enough to avoid the Newsweekly covers, might as well get it over with..

[Maynerd]

Not gonna happen that way. Bush et al will pressure Lott to be a team player. He can have a choice committee chairmanship and continue doing what he does best - feeding the porcine pipeline to MS.

[ewing]

Nope, Lott had the election 2 weeks ago.