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Life After Lott
The Weekly Standard ^ | 12/30/2002, | Fred Barnes

Posted on 12/20/2002 9:34:55 PM PST by Mensch

REPUBLICANS APPROACH 2003 with the embarrassing Trent Lott flap over, the most attractive and genial Republican senator, Bill Frist, installed as the new Senate majority leader, and his tough and shrewd conservative colleague Mitch McConnell as the majority whip. It's Denny Hastert and Tom DeLay all over again, Mr. Outside and Mr. Inside, the good cop and the bad cop.

Meanwhile, Democrats, led by the Clintons and their consigliere, Democratic chairman Terry McAuliffe, enter the New Year issuing absurd and demagogic charges about how Republicans use race to win elections. It's pure race-baiting, crude and untrue. Having lost the November 5 election on the national security issue, Democrats are now playing the race card, but in a way that's likely to hurt only themselves.

Who'd have guessed that Republicans would be up, Democrats down? For two weeks, Republicans had been on the defensive. President Bush was forced to dump his economic team, the GOP lost the Louisiana Senate race plus a Republican House seat, Saddam Hussein was winning the public relations war with Bush by welcoming arms inspectors, and Lott made an extraordinary mistake by going public with a private pleasantry between him and retiring senator Strom Thurmond suggesting nostalgia for segregation. Democrats had a lot to capitalize on. They tried to exploit the Lott case to tar all Republicans as racists. What Lott had said publicly, Sen. Hillary Clinton declared, other Republicans mutter privately. Who was she talking about? Which Republicans? She didn't say.

Republicans may be lucky, for a change. Not only did the Lott affair end well with the senator's decision to step down, but Saddam Hussein played into America's hands by submitting a palpably fraudulent inventory of his weapons to the United Nations. Even Hans Blix, the squishy arms inspector, and the French ambassador to the U.N. turned on Iraq. It set the stage for Secretary of State Colin Powell to denounce the Iraqis for a "material breach" of a U.N. resolution. And it improved the chances the Bush administration will have plenty of allies, including the French, on board when the time comes, probably in February, to drive Saddam out of office and liberate Iraq.

Democrats look desperate and self-destructive. With the retirement of Thurmond and Sen. Jesse Helms, the GOP has very few Dixiecrats left in the party. Yet Democrats would have the nation believe Republicans are racists at heart, only adept at covering it up. In campaigns, they say, Republicans use clever code words and issues, like retaining the Confederate flag, that are proxies for racism. Does anyone believe this about the 2002 Republican Senate candidates, say Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina or Lindsey Graham in South Carolina or Lamar Alexander in Tennessee or John Cornyn in Texas? Not a chance. The charge is both unprovable and implausible.

For two weeks, the Lott controversy looked as if it would bedevil Republicans for months or years. Lott refused to quit and his apologies helped very little. But once it was clear he couldn't last as majority leader, his friends and allies--especially McConnell--quickly nudged him toward quitting. And just when a soft landing from the flap seemed impossible, it happened with the ascension of Frist. He is a great story all by himself, a heart doctor who volunteers his time for surgery in Africa and wrote a book about combating anthrax and other biological weapons. Frist is also popular with the media (at least until he makes a few conservative decisions as majority leader). Republican senators wisely rushed to crown him before Christmas.

Conservatives have reason to worry about Frist's ideological commitment, but not much. True, he's a moderate conservative with a pragmatic streak, just like Bush. And he emphasizes domestic issues such as health care. In fact, he represents the triumph of Bushism: a compassionate conservative in command of the Senate, or, put another way, conservatism with a happy face. Things may not work out perfectly for conservatives in terms of substance, but the emergence of Frist is great PR for Republicans.

Quite suddenly Republicans have an unusually capable leadership team in the Senate. Lott and his whip, Don Nickles, didn't get along and it showed. Frist is likely to work smoothly with McConnell, who graciously endorsed him for leader rather than challenge him in a contest that would have lingered over the holidays. Along with McConnell, the number three and four members in the leadership, Rick Santorum and John Kyl, are among the smartest conservatives in the Senate. So, post-Lott, Republicans are filled with optimism for 2003. Democrats are merely bitter.


TOPICS: Editorial; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 12/20/2002 9:34:55 PM PST by Mensch
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To: Mensch
I wish I was a cartoonist. I can envision a cartoon where President Bush is sitting at the table with a sly grin on his face and we can clearly see that he is holding a royal flush. A donkey, sweating profusely, sits on the other side of the table and he is holding only one card and its says "race".
2 posted on 12/20/2002 9:45:04 PM PST by Texas Eagle
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To: Mensch
So, post-Lott, Republicans are filled with optimism for 2003. Democrats are merely bitter.

I love a story with a happy ending.

3 posted on 12/20/2002 9:56:03 PM PST by The Great Satan
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To: Mensch
This is a fine piece by Fred Barnes. The RATS will be very sorry they pounced on this. The GOP leadership is much stronger today. The Party let Americans know it will not accommodate even the hint of racism. The RATS will continue to play the race card. However, the average voter understands it's just nonsense.

This situation has been a very difficult one. However, these guys have handled it. The Conservative Movement is stronger now than it was with Lott heading the Senate. The other side is in disarray. It's made lemonade out of lemons. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

4 posted on 12/20/2002 10:01:08 PM PST by davidtalker
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To: The Great Satan
Yup, the mo' crats overplayed their hand on this one.
5 posted on 12/20/2002 10:25:44 PM PST by Mensch
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To: The Great Satan
Me too!
6 posted on 12/20/2002 10:26:45 PM PST by Mensch
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To: davidtalker
I agree, this is one tar baby we managed to shed rather nicely. I think the karmic backlash has nailed the mo'crats squarely between their shifty eyes.
7 posted on 12/20/2002 10:35:04 PM PST by Mensch
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To: The Great Satan
Sniff. Yup, it brings a lump to the throat, and a lump of coal to the Dem Xmas.
8 posted on 12/20/2002 10:49:48 PM PST by gcruse
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To: davidtalker
. It's made lemonade out of lemons. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Do you really think that the GOP has gained traction in the political arena? Not being confrontational... I hope you are correct!

Cheers and Merry Christmas to you!

9 posted on 12/20/2002 10:55:34 PM PST by Cobra64
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To: Cobra64
Don't you know that somewhere tonight Senator Gramm is smoking a cigar, drinking some scotch, and kicking himself for not hanging in for one more term? I know he was nervous about Wendy and Enron, but even a lackluster candidate like Cornyn SMOKED Kirk. Gramm would have run virtually unopposed.

I'm sure Frist will do fine. But what about having someone that is PRINCIPLED vs. expedient sitting in that chair?

Gramm is too valuable to sit on the sidelines. He needs to be a part of this administration!

Sound the drums. Let's find him a job! Soon
10 posted on 12/21/2002 12:17:46 AM PST by j.frank.dobie
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To: davidtalker
Biggest favor they could have given us. Trent never worked well with the White House or the party. He seemed more concerned with getting along than with getting things done.

I will never forgive him and Hatch for botching the impechment by having no trial at all and not even allowing the public to know about the rape allegations.
11 posted on 12/21/2002 12:34:13 AM PST by ImphClinton
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To: Mensch
All in all a good week for America. RATS take the bait and the good guys win. I'll take it and wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas!
12 posted on 12/21/2002 1:18:10 AM PST by ApesForEvolution
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To: Sabertooth
over here...
13 posted on 12/21/2002 1:54:57 AM PST by glock rocks
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To: Mensch
With Frist term limiting himself, that paves the way for Nickles, McConnell, or Santorum to step in in 4 years. Lott put the backs up of the moderates and RINOS like Chaffee. While Frist will appeal to them. He will use his bedside manor on them to win them over.
14 posted on 12/21/2002 5:43:30 AM PST by GailA
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