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Republicans on Capitol Hill and conservatives in Washington and around the country are discussing how best to call for Trent Lott's stepping aside as Senate Majority Leader. According to a knowledgeable Senate source, GOP members of both houses are extremely concerned that Lott's comments have so derailed the momentum gained from the 2002 elections that it would be impossible come January to make numerous confirmations for the executive branch, begin planning a legislative agenda that includes accelerating the Bush tax cuts and pushing through a prescription drug plan for seniors. Even more upsetting to Republicans is that realization that Lott's comments may make it virtually impossible to bring a number of potentially controversial judicial nominations to the Senate floor successfully.

I love it! Lott has apparently transformed himself into the next Gingrich for the RATS to mobilize against. Lott's betrayals of conservatives are finally beginning to catch up with him. The pressure is finally building for Lott to go. We cannot allow our critical momentum gained by our victory in the proceeding election to be lost. Lott simply has to go. He is a historical anomoly. He should have been forced out of the GOP Senate leadership in disgrace by the crushing five seat Senate loss in 2000 combined with his rigging of the Clinton impeachment trial in the Senate in Slick's favor. Instead, we let him long enough to sabotage the slender GOP Senate majority in early 2001.

Now the most important thing in the Lott succession is how to ensure that he doesn't get replaced with someone less conservative like incoming Senate Assistant Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and instead gets replaced with someone more conservative like departing Senate Assistant Republican Leader Don Nickles or incoming Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman John Kyl.