Ordinarily, president pro-tem is nothing but a ceremonial role in the Senate with no real power. Lott has been humbled and demoted by his own party in recognition of racial equality. It's time for the dems to walk the walk, ie. walk the plank, the very same one they set up for Lott to walk. There is no way they can win a contest like this. Republicans have nothing to lose, but the dems have a great deal to lose. They will choose to stand down rather than slug it out with us.
The U.S. Constitution provides for a President Pro Tempore to preside over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore is also the third person in line of succession for the Presidency, following the Vice President and the Speaker of the House.
In addition, the President Pro Tempore serves as a member of his party's leadership team.
If the 'Let's Roll' plane had not been the scene of the first counter-attack for 911, and if Cheney and Bush had gone up with the White House, and if Hastert had been over at the White House... The Blacks would have a KKK leader as their president. And the Dems did nothing but run racist dragging ads, with the daughter of the victim as a tag line...
Here was the order and now Stevens replaces Bryd in Jan. Don't put it past the Dems to ask Bryd to stand down for the next few weeks.
The Vice President Richard Cheney
Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
President pro tempore of the Senate1 Robert Byrd
Secretary of State Colin Powell
Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
Attorney General John Ashcroft
Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton; Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman; Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans; Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao; Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Melquiades Rafael Martinez; Secretary of Transportation Norman Yoshiro Mineta; Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham; Secretary of Education Roderick Paige; Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi;