You dont think Bush could get McConnel, or Frist, Nickles or Santorum for that matter, to agree to give Lott his choice of chairmanship and pork. Get real. All would willingly agree to this to have shot at replacing Lott.
He also can't damage his post-Senate career. Lott's being doing things for Mississippi a lot longer than Bush has been around, and he could make a pretty penny sitting on some Mississippi boards of companies he's helped.
Want to bet. Bush has one of the biggest rolladexes in existence. He is the all time fund raiser. He is enormously popular, especially in places like Mississippi.
Question why would all these Mississippi corporations want to pay him back for what he's done. Most would be more interested in what he could do for them now. If he could no longer bring home the bacon, there is little reason to have him around. Especially if being associated with him is going to cause trouble for them. Ever think of what Milk producers in New England think of Jeffords these days.
Plus he'd be a hero to those in Mississippi who voted for him because he'd have been railroaded out of Washington by a Northeastern establishment that they despise anyway.
Perhaps, but to many he would just be an embarrasment. I think most Missippians want to get past their sordid past and dont want to continue to be associated with Jim Crow and segregation. Besides virtually all of the potential replacement for Lott are Southernors as well.
If Bush's fingerprints are anywhere near shoving Lott out the Leadership, his name could be mud in Mississippi. They've known Trent down there a lot longer than they've known Bush, and Trent's been in their corner.
Look, if Lott did nothing but live off his Senate pension, he'd still do alright.
Lott's got leverage; that's evidenced by the fact that rumors are surfacing about the fallout of forcing him from the Leadership.