April 20, 2005

We Asked For It

When Sen. Trent Lott made his stupid Strom Thurmond remarks that cost him his leadership post I heard nothing about how the lack of experience in his replacement, Sen. Bill Frist, would affect the GOP. I admit I thought it was good for Lott to move aside. However, I wouldn't have backed Frist knowing then how ineffective the Tennessee Senator would be. Frist demonstrates his lack of political savy with his inability to get President Bush's judicial nominations passed and John Bolton through the Foreign Relations Committee. Even more surprising is that the bogged down judicial nominations cost Tom Daschle his Senate seat, and a Republican stopped the Bolton nomination. I'll state it bluntly: the GOP made a mistake in elevating Frist to majority leader. He doesn't have the hardball political skills needed to beat the Democrats. Frist's ineptitude has pushed some to withhold their political contributions to GOP Senators. In order to salvage anything of his legislative agenda the President needs to tell Frist he had his chance. Replacing management is what Bush did when he was running the Texas Rangers, and items like Social Security reform and conservative judicial nominations are way more important.

UPDATE: In the words of one Beltway Buzz reader: "What impotence."