Scenario 1 - your scenario - Lott Resigns, Chafee switches, Dems control - DEMS WIN
Scenario 2 - Lott stays - Dems hammer Republican Racist theme ad nauseum - DEMS WIN
Scenario 3 - Lotts steps down or is removed, Stays in Senate, Don Nickles or Bill Frist becomes Majority Leader - Dems now have "Right-Wing Extremist in the mold of Newt Gingrich" to hammer and howl and scream at and about for 2 years - DEMS WIN.
At least that is WHAT THEY THINK - Now Reality steps in
Scenario 1 - Lott Leaves, in 90 Days Miss has Election and brings in a REAL Conservative Senator -- Doesn't really matter what Chafee does - if 50/50 there will be no sharing and Cheney will have the deciding vote - Conservative judges get confirmed, Bush agenda gets pushed forward, America prospers and the Dems are seen as the Race-baiting chest thumpers they are
Scenario 2 - Lott stays, Conservative judges get confirmed, Bush agenda gets pushed forward, America prospers and the Dems are seen as the Race-baiting chest thumpers they are
Scenario 3 - Frist or Nickles leads the Senate even more to the Conservative side and the Difference between Dems and Reps becomes even more apparent - and Conservative judges get confirmed, Bush agenda gets pushed forward, America prospers and the Dems are seen as the Race-baiting chest thumpers they are
This whole charade is a Demoncrap ploy to do nothing more than keep the Blacks on the Plantation, because the only chance they have in 2004 is to get a Huge Black turnout -- It does not matter whether Lott stays or goes, who controls the Senate etc etc -- Look for the Racial Drums to beat louder and louder over the next 2 years Culminating in a series of 1960's style Race riots in Late Summer 2004, with the biggy being a huge Race riot in Harlem (if the Reps pick NY) or in whatever city they do pick on the EVE of the Republican Convention. You heard it here first
In all of your scenarios, you fail to point out it takes 60 votes to stop a filibuster. The Dems can stop judicial nominees forever, especially any from the South just by playing the race card!
You can forget Judge Pickering being re-nominated now. Thanks Lott, you moron!