Meet Bill Frist - heir to Lott throne

WASHINGTON – Everyone knows Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is the upper house's only physician. But who is this man who appears likely to become the next Senate majority leader?

Opponents of abortion on demand are likely to be deeply disappointed. While Trent Lott, R-Miss., had promised to bring to the floor for a quick, early vote a bill restricting partial-birth abortion, Frist championed the nomination by President Clinton of former Surgeon General David Satcher, a fervent supporter of unrestricted abortion and someone who actually performed abortions.

While Satcher's nomination was widely presumed to have originated with Vice President Al Gore, like Satcher, a Tennessean, his confirmation was actually championed by Frist.

Frist once told National Public Radio that there are no absolute right, absolute wrong answers in medicine. During last year's stem-cell debate, Frist proposed using leftover embryos from in vitro fertilization clinics for scientific research. The Weekly Standard also noted that Frist believes there is a moral imperative to use one unsalvageable life to save another.

Frist's other pet causes while serving in the Senate have been fighting AIDS in Africa and fighting obesity among Americans. He believes the federal government needs to increase funding of physical education programs in school. He thinks spending $125 million on a Centers for Disease Control program encouraging children to engage in athletics is another top priority.

He sponsored a bill earlier this year that would have authorized a nationwide ad campaign to promote better nutrition and exercise and would have authorized money for bicycle paths, parks and recreation centers.

According to sources close to the White House, Frist has been favored by Bush political adviser Karl Rove to take the helm of the Senate Republicans ever since Lott got himself embroiled in controversy with his remarks at Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party.

Now, Frist reportedly is the front-runner in the bid to succeed Lott, who announced his resignation today.

According to the Associated Press, GOP aides say Frist, now in his second term, is gauging support from his colleagues, having spent time sounding them out by telephone.

One aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Frist would consider running for the job if colleagues asked him to do so "for the sake of the Senate as an institution or the long-term agenda of the Republican Party.''

In a sign that Frist might be building momentum, a Republican aide close to No. 2 Senate Republican Don Nickles of Oklahoma said Nickles would likely support a race by Frist.

Nickles, a longtime rival of Lott, believes he would have less support from colleagues than Frist for majority leader, the aide said.

First winning entry to the Senate in 1994, Frist was re-elected in 2000 by the largest margin ever received by a candidate for statewide election in Tennessee history. He's the first practicing physician elected to the chamber since 1928.

A native of Nashville, Frist founded and subsequently directed the Vanderbilt Transplant Center, which became an internationally renowned center of multi-organ transplantation. He's performed some 200 heart and lung transplants and has written more than 100 articles, chapters and abstracts on medical research, as well as three books.

Bill Clinton would've put SOMEONE up for Surgeon General who WOULD HAVE been pro-abortion NO MATTER WHAT. I think it very wise that Frist championed a Tenneseean. We have no idea what kind of access that gave Frist....especially since Frist's voice in Tennessee's Columbia/HCA is such a loud voice. Satcher would have known that after Clinton's years in office were over, he would still have Bill Frist around to deal with.

Frist's positions and votes are public. He is pro-life with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. That is the same position as was held by Ronald Reagan.

Any honest conservative will demonize Reagan on this if he ventures into demonizing Frist.

Also, does everyone know that at the latter part of his surgical career before politics that Frist was the one who delved into the difficult surgical field of the hearts of tiny babies....so that these little ones would stay alive.

I'm disgusted with some of the hit pieces that have been written on Frist by our own people...by conservatives. Why not just hand the agenda to the democrats? Give the guy a chance to get on board!

Senator Frist was extremely well-respected as a man of honor and intregrity - until he chose to run for ML in this difficult time. Now, the RATS are claiming this man they just recently lauded stole the 2002 election by suppressing black voting. To conservatives he is now no better than bill clinton. I find this disgusting. Bill Frist is the man that saved Strom Thurmand's life last year when he collapsed. He is the man that steadied the nation during the anthrax attack. He is the man that goes to Africa every year and does heart-lung surgeries for free.

The RATS and the media have already begun their quest to destroy Bill Frist. We don't need people here doing that. The lies being told on FR the last day or two about Bill Frist have been nauseating.

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