Posted on 03/29/2006 3:04:28 PM PST by SmithL
WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says his high-profile job is a "terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible" post for seeking the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.
Making it clear that a White House bid is all but certain, Frist said in an interview with The Associated Press that remaining in the Senate would make a presidential run impossible. Frist plans to step down when his second term ends this year.
"I know the perch not to even consider," he said. "That would be, for me, the United States Senate or being majority leader." Asked if trying to run a campaign from such a position would be difficult, he replied: "Terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible."
One of possibly a dozen Republicans interested in the GOP nomination, Frist said in the interview late Tuesday that once out of the Senate, "you'll see, as you do now, the real Bill Frist but unencumbered by having responsibilities of leading this body, which results in negotiated positions."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
He's right that it's a lousy spot from which to run for president. But Republican voters are also right to judge him partly, I would say mainly, by his Senate performance. And they will, and he'll get nowhere.
And even worse for a feller who ain't cut from presidential timber.
No senators for president, period. Either party.
Who wrote that? "Frist take woman by hair and eat dinosaur by mouth." eesh.
Okay Repubs... question: Who is going to take Frist's place in the Senate? (if the senate stays Repub controlled).
Sounds like Frist is already making excuses in case he has a bad showing in the 08 primaries.
lol
Mitch McConnell
Good answer. You may be right.
I will agree with him that his current post is a big impediment to a run for the Oval Office. As far as I'm concerned, he could start his rehabilitation as a viable Presidential candidate by standing firm on immigration reform. If he makes even a partial political recovery in the last few months of his Senate position, he may set himself up to gain more ground while out of office in 2007-8.
Allen's my guy for now, but there's a long, long way to go, and it's wide open.
i can't imagine a more boring candidate. what a wet rag. and also, all his pontificating on the senate floor over terri schiavo will really come back to haunt him. whatever your particular feeling about that issue, it was unseemly to most americans.
Frist makes me long for the "tax collector for the welfare state." At least in Dole's day it seemed that the Republican agenda prevailed, even though they were in the minority most of the time. Dr. Frist sickens me. The only cure would be for him to resign long before his term is over. The country would be ill-served with Frist in the White House.
I assume you're talking about Frist. If so, I agree.
While I sympathized with Congress's position in the Schiavo case, there was no reason to go on and on about it.
What if neither party nominates a governor?
No mayor or congressman is going to win (except maybe on TV).
If its 2 senators, that'll be interesting.
McConnel is the heir apparent, and Kyl and Lott will run against him for the leadership spot.
If Sanctorum survives his election, he will definatly make a run for the leadership post, which he has had eyes on since entering the senate.
Santorum would be the Whip if he wins. He already holds the #3 position as Conference Chair.
So the only question is will he or McCain be the lowest polling candidate in the GOP primary.
I suspect some other clown will poll even lower than Frist,
but basically yes, I agree he's a nonstarter.
MeCain is unlikely to win the nomination, but he may do better in the primaries than he deserves to.
Its probable, but he would be a really poor whip.
Either way, he is definatly going to run if he gets the chance for majority leader, he has had his eyes on that job since he joined the senate.
I don't think he would win, and I do think he would get the whip job (as bad as he would be at that job) but thats the most probably scenario.
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