And if he stays on, there is a real possibility that senators like Chaffee, Snowe, Collins, and maybe even McCain, will use Trent's presence as Senate Majority Leader as an excuse to leave the Republican party. I think this is a much surer path to being the minority party once again.
I have absolutely no idea why anyone would stand by this guy, particularly conservatives. He has publicly proven himself to be an idiot, not a sin necessarily, but not a quality that you want in a leader. His utter cluelessness is an embarassment to himself, as well as to the rest of the Republican party, and his spineless "leadership" over the past few years makes one wonder what anyone saw in Trent's abilities.
I think Lott can be retained with promises of copious pork for MS, so he'll at least look good to his constituency. Keeping him in the leadership position seems like a sure-fire way to lose the President's hard-earned victories in this past election, however.