[nicollo]

OK, here's my first report.

From the Senate Republican Conference Rules

"Revised June 2002"

Rules of the Senate Republican Conference

I. At the beginning of each Congress, or within one week thereafter, a Republican Party Conference shall be held. At that Conference there should be elected the following officers:

* Floor Leader
* Assistant Floor Leader
* Chairman of the Conference
* Vice Chairman of the Conference
* Chairman of the Policy Committee
* Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee

I don't find any amendments to these rules. However, since the Conference elections were held in November, before the end of the previous session and not at the beginning of the new session as per these rules of June, 2002, a change must have been made in November, as Common Tator told us. New rules were probably enacted since the Senate majority went Republican prior to the new Congress (thank you Senator Talent!). I don't see a power play in that. It was an adaption to circumstance. Perhaps the rules weren't changed at all, and an exception was made for this situation. That would probably have to be done by unanimous consent.

In these old rules, I do not find in the rules the requirement for unanimous consent to vote for a new Majority Leader. That doesn't mean it's not there. I'll keep looking.

The November 13 election of Lott was made without objection. I don't see that the White House tried to intervene.

[Utah Girl]

I'll try and find the article later this evening about Trent Lott moving up the elections for Majority Leader. He struck while the iron was hot, and sewed it up early. I called my senators to complain, saying that it wasn't right that the whole new Republican caucus couldn't vote on the leadership, but my pleas fell upon deaf ears. Both Bennett and Hatch felt that Lott was the way to go. Oh, and Lott announced his intentions before the 2002 elections were held. Sorry, I am going by memory here. I'm off to shopping and a concert, I will do a bit of research when I get home later this evening. I won't be so late tonight.