Posted on 02/21/2005 11:45:23 AM PST by SmithL
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said today he hasn't ruled out a run for the presidency in 2008 but stressed that he hasn't given the matter much thought.
Frist, who was the keynote speaker at a Leadership Knoxville Alumni Luncheon, said he is concentrating on his role in the Senate and will put off any decisions on future political moves until after he steps down in 2006.
"I'm going to come right back home to Tennessee," the Nashville Republican said.
Frist said he might ponder a presidential bid "if that were an option" after he leaves the Senate but added, "I don't even think about it now."
Frist, a heart surgeon, said he might opt instead to concentrate on missionary work or go back into private practice when he returns home.
"Of course, I might consider public service if I thought I could make a difference," he said.
At the luncheon, Frist took questions from the crowd and voiced his support for tort reform and changing the Social Security system.
Two candidates I can truly support!
Allen used to be a governor. That's why he has appeal even though he's a Solon.
My running for Baseball Commissioner has a better chance than this man's fantasy.
I agree....Frist may be a terrific human being but he comes across as kind of a wuss with little personal charisman..kind of like Lieberman
I think we'll be OK but I'll call Gretchen Wilson and see if she's cool to wait in the wings. Dang I bet she's too young! Ann Coulter, how old is she?
FristLieberman...a great name for a sleeping pill.
Thanks for the support. Do you have a cabinet position or ambassadorship in mind?
We're kind of heavy.
What the heck has Frist done?
Let the Dems savage our President, let the dems act as they are the majority party, let the dems keep judicial nominees
from even getting a vote.
Hey there Mr. Frist, want to get noticed? How about leading the charge to keep f-ing illegals out of our country.
For GODs sake, do something, anything.
Run for president, ha
Hitlery would eat this guy for lunch.
What the heck has Frist done?
Let the Dems savage our President, let the dems act as they are the majority party, let the dems keep judicial nominees
from even getting a vote.
Hey there Mr. Frist, want to get noticed? How about leading the charge to keep f-ing illegals out of our country.
For GODs sake, do something, anything.
Run for president, ha
Hitlery would eat this guy for lunch.
Few of the Freepers want a Senator to to be the nominee, but if Frist can raise the money, he'll quickly become the frontrunner. The last time an "ideologically pure" candidate got the nomination was Reagan in 1980.
Yes, let's see if the backbone transplant took. Next, he needs to work on his personality.
This cat is dreaming if he think he has the SLIGHTEST shot.
Rice/Allen 08.
sounds more like a condition or illness I don't want to have......like "have you been tested for the Frist-Lieberman virus yet".........
Our marketing people will rework those names into Fristex or Liebersol.
Well he should. No Senators, please.
A Senator might be okay as VP - and that would be a good ticket.
I agree that the historical sample is too small, and that the person will largely determine success or failure. However, a Senator does have one disadvantage that Governors do not. Senators tend to have a rather lengthy voting record that can be picked apart or easily taken out of context. It's hard to explain that the reason you voted for this bill or against that one was because of some procedural technicality having nothing to do with the issue at hand. It's easy to find a handful of votes that make you look bad, no matter what your position is. The Governor has no such voting record and can more easily shape his positions without having to worry about how he voted on Bill ABC, 12 years ago.
But he basically bought his Senate seat. He spent something like $97 gazillion dollars of his own money all for a job that pays $154,700 a year. Something stinks with that.
Frist would be wasting his time.
He can hardly run things in the Senate and sure doesn't have a great track record for the Judiciary nominees.
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