Decision ‘08

So It’s McConnell and Lott For The Republican Senate

Trent Lott won by a single vote over Lamar Alexander:

After an intense evening in which both men lobbied colleagues during floor votes, the Republican caucus elected Lott, a one-time whip and majority leader, by secret ballot. Lott will be the GOP’s second-in- command to Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was elected unanimously to be the Senate minority leader in the new Congress.

With the midterm elections finished and Santorum, another candidate for the post, failing to win re-election, Lott cast himself as the more experienced candidate and the better choice for a job.

Alexander, of Tennessee, was not new to the art of counting votes among finicky colleagues, any one of whom can use Senate procedural rules to hold up business or kill legislation. A former Cabinet secretary and governor and now a deputy Republican whip, Alexander cast himself as a morale-booster for a demoralized Republican caucus.

Remaining neutral was McConnell, who was uncontested to be the Republican minority leader. He’ll replace Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who is retiring from the Senate under a self-imposed term limit and is a potential contender for the GOP presidential nomination in two years.

Ehh…I’m pretty unexcited and uninspired. Don’t know if they were good choices, don’t know if they were bad…anybody have any thoughts one way or the other?…

5 Responses to “So It’s McConnell and Lott For The Republican Senate”

1 Dennis Says:
November 15th, 2006 at 11:30 am
Given that Lott has shown himself to be pretty grumpy about people objecting to earmarks and other pork, I’m disappointed, and that’s even before you deal with the bumper-sticker issue of giving the No. 2 job to a guy who was run out of the No. 1 job for racism. (The issue of whether teh accusation was fair or not is neither here nor there; Lott will become a handy cudgel for Democrats regardless.)

Between this, the House GOP possibly spurning a real conservative like Mike Pence, and the House Dems apparently thinking that impeached judges and guys who just barely escaped bribery prosecution shoudl be in charge, it seems like the two parties have established a level of tone deafness that would stun Beethoven.
2 Aaron Says:
November 15th, 2006 at 11:51 am
As much as I would like to have my state’s representation in the GOP leadership continue, Lott is by far the beter choice. He was unjustly booted out of the Majority Leader post — where his performance was superior to that of Bill Frist — and he will make a more effective whip than Alexander could.
3 Evan Says:
November 15th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
Jon Kyl would have been my choice for Minority Leader…
4 fatman Says:
November 15th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
As much as I would like to have my state’s representation in the GOP leadership continue, Lott is by far the beter choice.

Oh, I don’t know about that. It was, after all, Lott who presided over the GOP’s loss of its majority in 2000 and that silly power-sharing agreement with Tom Dachshund - er, Daschle. Then there is, as Dennis points out, Lott’s own love for a non-kosher diet and what I’ve always perceived as the “to get along, go along” attitude typical of a career politician. Sam Rayburn would be proud.
5 Sean P Says:
November 15th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Let’s just say I’m getting pretty damn tired hearing about this Trent Lott person, who has been nothing but trouble for the porkbusters movement.