Trent Lott could have finessed Jeffords into not jumping, but he didn't and we all know what resulted. When control of the Senate is at stake, you bend a little to a fellow Republican....for now. It's one of the unspoken reasons why Lott was dumped as Majority Leader.
Too bad Jeffords didn't "bend a little" to his fellow Republicans with control of the Senate at stake. But then, was he ever really a "Republican"?