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November
13, 2002 8:30 a.m. |
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ome Republicans
are disappointed that nobody has challenged Trent Lott for the Senate
majority leadership. It's a little odd that anyone would imagine a coup
was in the offing. If Lott was going to be dethroned, it would have happened
after the disastrous elections of 2000 rather than the triumphant ones
of 2002.
Anyway, says one high-ranking conservative Senate aide, there's no need to worry: "We've got Trent surrounded."
Majority whip in the new Senate will be Kentucky's Mitch McConnell. Larry Craig of Idaho thought about running against McConnell, but then thought better of it — which was a wise choice for Craig, since he would have lost. (We will all be deprived the opportunity to see John McCain forced to choose between the two of them.)
Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania will continue to be the conference chairman. Jon Kyl of Arizona will run the Republican Policy Committee (taking over from Craig). The Republican Steering Committee will be run by Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Watch for him to bring it back to its conservative-activist roots, from which it has strayed as liberal Republicans have joined it. George Allen will run the Republicans' 2004 Senate campaign.
What happens to Don Nickles, who's being term-limited out of the whip's job? He likely becomes chairman of the Budget Committee — a clear improvement over Pete Domenici, the last Republican budget chairman. (Domenici would be chairman of the energy and natural resources committee in this scenario.)
Before conservatives get too elated, however, they should remember that they were excited about Lott's becoming majority leader in 1996. It took less than a year for disillusionment to set in.
They should also remember that Ted Stevens will again be chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
. . . AND IMPROVING IT
It's not too early for conservatives to start compiling to-do lists for
the 2004 election.
In Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter is up for reelection. Economic and social conservatives both have reasons to seek better representation: Specter voted to shrink Bush's tax cuts last year, and after vowing to oppose embryo cloning for research purposes in 2001 he's become a major proponent of it this year. Pat Toomey, a conservative who is entering his last term in the House (he promised to serve no more than three), should consider running against Specter. Even if Toomey didn't win, the prospect of a primary challenge will keep Specter from making much mischief at the Judiciary Committee. A winning challenge would keep Specter from being the committee chairman in 2005.
In California, Republicans are hoping that Arnold Schwarzenegger will revive their party by running for governor in 2006. But there's no reason to wait that long. Barbara Boxer is up for reelection in 2004, and she is a rare unifying force in the state's fractious GOP: Moderates and conservatives alike loathe her. Congressmen Doug Ose, Mary Bono, Darrell Issa, and George Radanovich have all been discussed as possible challengers (in that order of seriousness). In both her Senate elections, Boxer benefited from a Democratic blowout at the top of the ticket. Bill Clinton ran well ahead of her in 1992, as did Gray Davis in 1998. If President Bush is at all competitive in the state in 2004 — which is, to be sure, a big if — she'll have to win the race herself.
Finally, John McCain is up for reelection in '04. His intentions for that year are not known, but conservatives are seeking to have Rep. Jeff Flake — like Toomey, another Club for Growth favorite and a self-term-limiter — run against him.