Senate Republicans worry McConnell-Lott friction may allow Reid to "run roughshod" over GOP

[DeepModem Mom]

WP, Paul Kane: Lott and McConnell: United They Stand?


Can the two Senate GOP leaders let bygones be bygones? Above Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, right, gestures during a Jan. 9 news conference. Republican whip Trent Lott looks on at left. (AP Photo)

It was a double-date rife with political and legislative implications for the 110th Congress. The Senate's top Republicans, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Minority Whip Trent Lott (Miss.), went to dinner with their wives early this month at a posh downtown D.C. restaurant.

Ostensibly just some old-fashioned bonding, the dinner is described in some congressional quarters as an attempt to repair a damaged relationship. After Lott lost the Senate majority leader's job in 2002, McConnell quickly fell in line as the loyal whip to Lott's replacement, now-retired Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.)....

***

Senate Republicans and their top aides are anxiously watching the McConnell-Lott relationship for signs of friction, with some concerned that a fractured leadership team could allow Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the new majority leader, to run rough-shod over Republicans. In a new world order that has Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) bulldozing her agenda through the House, the Senate and its parliamentary dilatory tactics have become the last line of Republican defense -- other than the veto pen that President Bush has so far been reticent to use.

For now, Lott has publicly stated his fealty to McConnell, saying he will stick strictly to the Whip's role of being top vote counter in the chamber....

But hard feelings may linger. Lott, who lost the leadership job in late 2002 after making racially insensitive remarks at a tribute for Sen. Strom Thurmond, was openly critical of his successor's handling of the job. While Lott's criticisms were often viewed as payback for Frist's perceived treachery, they were just as easily interpreted by McConnell as sharp jabs at his own leadership role, given that McConnell and Frist worked hand in hand on every major issue that came up in Frist's four-year reign....

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/01/lott_and_mcconnell_united_they.html#more

[wisteria]

1. Good. lol!! Continue arguing guys! n/t

[blm]

2. Lott is a Republican jerk. McConnell is a devious jerk to the nth power.

McConnell is pure BFEE, and helped lead actions in the senate to thwart IranContra and BCCI investigations by creating obstacles and publicly mocking and demeaning the key Dems involved in the work.

Dems should do what they can to get McConnell comproised in some way - for this country's sake, Lott would be the better minority leader. Plus, he hates the Bushies, too.

[gratuitous]

3. Waitasecond . . .

Republicans divided? GOP leaders not getting along? That's not supposed to be the narrative. Get with the program, Washington Post! You're supposed to report on John Edwards selling his house, not on minutiae like, I dunno, who was at Dick Cheney's little energy task force meetings.

[Parche]

4. itch mcconnell

Mcconnell needs to be lifted in the air by his nuteshlack

[tularetom]

5. Ya know Lott is a repub I don't dislike

Not a supporter by a long shot but I have been impressed with his efforts on behalf of his gulf coast constituents. He seems like more of a real guy, an actual human being in spite of his bad toupee and being a cheerleader and all. People like frist and especially McConnell appear plastic and prissy.

[beachmom]

6. Well, we can hope, but we shouldn't count on it.

McConnell (with I'm sure Lott's help) pulled several maneuvers this week that nearly killed the ethics bill, and caused Reid to have to do some compromising. I hope they can start infighting soon, so that Reid can recover.

[July]

7. How amusing.

While they all walked in lockstep, they enjoyed claiming that the healthy debate that Democrats engaged in were a sign that "the Democrats are in disarray!"

I say we point out how mixed up and at odds the poor dears are, and we do it often.

[MasonJar]

8. I cannot speak to Lott, but being a Kentuckian, I can say with great

authority and aplomb that Mitch McConnell is a political hack.

[stevedeshazer]

9. Awwww...doesn't it just break your heart?

Mitch McConnell is the biggest asshole on Earth right now.

And I support him wholeheartedly. I hope he keeps it up.

<whoa, unfortunate metaphor>

Anyway, I want him to go away...permanently.

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

10. Oh Snap!

While Trent Lott may be an outed lunatic racist, he's a charming outed lunatic racist.

Mitch McConnell is just a meanspirited creature, like something from the Lord Of the Rings.