All this "Frist is pro-abortion" revisionist stuff is being delibrately put out by Lott supporters as a last ditch effort to save their guy. Frist's record speaks for itself.
100% rating from National Right to Life, which places him a lot higher on their list than other conservative icons like Fred Thompson and Sam Brownback. Zell Miller, incidentally, is 100% pro-abortion, but that doesn't stop a ton of freepers from fawning over that guy's "leadership" and talking about how he's such a "conservative" Democrat.
If Frist is leader, he's push hard to begin restricting abortion, starting with partial-birth; and for solidly pro-life judges to get on the courts (this is more than I can say for other "pro-life" Republicans like the Sununu's) Lott is in such a weakened position that it'd be almost impossible for a solidly pro-life judge to win with his support, such as Judge Pickering.
Anyone who belives Frist is pro-abortion must be delusional. I'll be more than happy to oppose a pro-abortion Republican for the Leadership, but it doesn't look like Olympia Snowe will throw her hat into the ring anytime soon.
I don't think anybody's argueing that he's pro-abortion; I think they're argueing that he at least *seems* to be something of a hypocrite.
There's strategic reasons to think over his nomination on this issue. Like it or not, the Republican party benefits greatly from the "single issue" anti-abortion voters. I know people who would probably vote for Democrats were it not for the abortion issue. The GOP needs to seriously consider whether or not they want to alienate that base.