Lott has taken responsibility for his ill advised statements. He has done the right thing by stepping down. What you portray would definitely happen if he remained in his post. The republicans, for their part, had little choice. They have essentially made the play that will get this controversy behind them to a great extent.
Lott will remain in the Senate, but not in a leadership role. Republican sources said it appeared that Lott, a senator since 1989, had waited too long to end the controversy and lost any leverage he might have had to cut a deal to become a committee chairman.
"There is no apparent position of influence to which we can elect him," McConnell said. "He will, in my view, have enormous influence as someone who knows a lot about how the Senate works."
The Lott controversy may have a direct influence on the president's judicial picks, Hagel suggested.
One test could come soon: Bush's possible renomination of U.S. District Judge Charles Pickering for a federal appeals court seat.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=512&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20021223/ap_on_go_co/senate_leader