Dr. Frist And Mr. Hyde: The Transformation Of A Senate Leader
Dr. Frist And Mr. Hyde: The Transformation Of A Senate Leader
It’s been a long, winding, morally manipulative journey these past few years for Senate leader Bill Frist (R-TN). Originally hailed as a moderate and conciliatory antidote to former leader Trent Lott (R-MS), Frist has morphed steadily into a divisive presidential hopeful bent on securing support from the GOP’s radical right-wing base. The transformation has not escaped the notice of Frist’s colleagues, some of whom wonder aloud whether Frist’s “presidential aspirations are getting in the way of his Senate leadership position.” Below, a trip down memory lane…
Part 1: The “conciliatory” Doctor Frist
12/16/02: Frist first mentioned as candidate to be Lott’s replacement, seen as “moderate voice”: “Sen. Bill Frist (Tenn.), who helped engineer the Republican takeover of the Senate in the November elections and enjoys close relations with the White House, has some strong backers among Republicans who want a fresh face and moderate voice in the job to help the party recover from damage flowing out of racially charged remarks by Lott 11 days ago.” [WP]
12/21/02: Frist becomes frontrunner, praised as “compassionate” party savior: “Frist fits neatly into the melodramatic script of Trent Lott’s fall from power, cast as the new majority leader called on to rescue the party in a moment of peril. ‘He really shows the true compassionate conservatism,’ says Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX).” [WP]
12/24/02: Frist inducted as House leader, dedicates self to “healing wounds”: “In his acceptance speech yesterday, Mr. Frist told his GOP colleagues, ‘We must dedicate ourselves to healing those wounds of division that have been reopened so prominently in the past few weeks.’…In contrast [to Trent Lott], Bill Frist comes to the leadership with a reputation as one who knows how to bring people together. It is a skill sorely needed in both the Republican caucus and the Senate as a whole.” [WP]
3/13/03: Frist lauded as “inclusive” leader, “deferential” to peers: “Many Republican senators spoke approvingly of what they described as a more inclusive leadership style than they had seen from a Republican leader. Even as the leader steers the Senate’s agenda rightward, moderate Republican senators say he meets far more often with them, soliciting their views and making them feel valued, than did Mr. Lott… Other senators say he is unusually deferential to colleagues, frequently insisting that they take the microphone at news conferences.” [NYT]
Part 2: The combustible Mr. Hyde
3/19/04: Frist crafts party platform pandering to social conservatives: “Republicans approved a platform yesterday that puts the party firmly on the record against legalized abortion, gay marriage and other forms of legal recognition for same-sex couples, reflecting the political clout of social conservatives … Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader and chairman of the Republican platform committee, hailed the platform, titled, ‘A Safer World, A More Hopeful America,’ as a tribute to Mr. Bush when he presented it to the convention yesterday.” [NYT]
3/19/04: “Doctor” Frist diagnosis Terri Schiavo from House floor, argues for divisive Senate interference: “Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), a renowned heart surgeon before becoming Senate majority leader, went to the floor late Thursday night for the second time in 12 hours to argue that Florida doctors had erred in saying Terri Schiavo is in a ‘persistent vegetative state.’
“His comments raised eyebrows in medical and political circles alike. It is not every day that a high-profile physician relies on family videotapes to challenge the diagnosis of doctors who examined a severely brain-damaged patient in person.” [WP]
4/15/05: Frist says he’ll push for “nuclear option”: “Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is all but certain to press for a rule change that would ban filibusters of judicial nominations in the next few weeks, despite misgivings by some of his fellow Republicans and a possible Democratic backlash that could paralyze the chamber, close associates said yesterday.” [WP]
4/15/05: Frist joins religious right telecast questioning faith of Democrats who oppose Bush judicial nominees: “As the Senate heads toward a showdown over the rules governing judicial confirmations, Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, has agreed to join a handful of prominent Christian conservatives in a telecast portraying Democrats as ‘against people of faith’ for blocking President Bush’s nominees.” [NYT]
4/27/05: Frist rejects compromise on judicial nominees: “[Frist] rejected a Democratic offer to resolve an impasse over judicial nominees yesterday, as members of both parties said they are under strong pressure from interest groups to hold their ground…Frist told reporters, ‘Are we going to shift from that principle? The answer to that is no.’” [WP]
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Hey, the guys running for president in 08; he needs those CCRR votes if he wants to use the same voting machinery corruption that Bush used in 04. There is no other like-configured constituency at this time so he has to go with them.
April 27th, 2005 at 3:16 pmsounds like the Devil had a tough sell with old Fristy – but he’s a tenacious sumbitch.
April 27th, 2005 at 3:33 pmSounds like the evolution of a christian taliban dictator to me.
April 27th, 2005 at 3:37 pmGo get’em Bill! The President nominates the people he likes, not nominees to appease the party that has lost ground the past three elections, and then the Senate votes. If the dems want to fight by obstructing the system, don’t let their hot wind and cries fool you, the American people can see through their transparent objections, use the majority to “right the process.”
April 27th, 2005 at 4:01 pmThe Republican right has it all wrong! A Christrian does not act as they act. A Christian is charitable to others, tries to see both sides of an issue, and is kind to those who disagree with their point of view.
The Republican right calls anyone who disagerees with them unchristian and unamerican. They sound more like the radical Muslam. Maybe they should worship Alla. Alla probably does not want them!
April 27th, 2005 at 4:23 pmIf the dems want to fight by obstructing the system, —–now there’s a brilliant comment. The repubs just change the rules to save their fanatical christian members from getting what they deserve, ie., Tom Delay’s ethics rule changes. Then they attempt to destroy the rules of checks and balances that uphold our democracy because only about 7 out of 200 of their wingnut extremest judges don’t get an auto-confirmation. Repubs don’t bother with mere obstruction, they just drastically change the rules to their extremest whims, replacing our beloved democracy with a strange and extremest theocracy in the process.
Ever notice how repubs have that moronic sports mentality as in “yeah! Go get um! We’re duh best!”
April 27th, 2005 at 4:24 pmTo David!
President Bush has had 204 of 214 nominees approved. That’s over a 95% approval rating.
Who else but ideological zealots continues to push for 100%? This is a democracy — checks and balances are there to prevent 100% takeover.
Try this: Take 100 of your best, like-minded friends and vote on any complex topic. I doubt you’ll get 100% agreement on anything.
This is a case of the Republicans using these 10 nominees as a religious litmus test (as they did with gay rights). They’ve painted anyone who disagrees with them as somehow “less Christian” and are using these 10 people to drive the false argument home.
The republicans are in danger of appearing monolithic and lacking in any independent thought or action.
Funny — the people professing the most faith are the ones acting least like their professed savior.
April 27th, 2005 at 4:27 pmyou left out the part where last year the good doctor went along with, and supported lifting the ban on assalt weapons on our nations streets, and in our nations neighborhoods.
April 27th, 2005 at 4:35 pmWhat would anyone expect from a depraved cat killer?
April 27th, 2005 at 4:51 pmThe “Christian” right as typified by the good doctor have to be the biggest group of non-Christians I’ve ever seen. The republican pandering to the “religous”, they are really not religious – only self-righteous, right is only a little less disgusting than the absolute cowardice shown by our pseudo-leaders who are running the democratic party into the ground. The only power the religious right has is what we give to them, which currently is a power far greater than their small numbers justify, but the democratic leadership are so fearful of being called anti-Christian that they are impotent, moral cowards. Both sides disgust me, the repubs for pandering and the democats for cowardice. Is there a leader anywhere in the United States because there certainly aren’t any in Congress nor in the White House?
April 27th, 2005 at 4:53 pmWhy is this happening? Why is America crazy for W, when W and the Elephants are doing everything BUT looking out for the American people. The “If your not with us, you’re un-american” crusade is filtering into all aspects of governement (and life). The shine they have managed to put on the terd is, in a word, admirable, but not too surprising considering that the dems can’t seem to get their act together. However, I can smell the stink and hope it is only a matter of time before the “majority” does too! Is this still a post-9/11 haze???
April 27th, 2005 at 4:58 pmWhat’s interesting to me, and says alot about the Republican Party and leadership, is that now that they have the majority in the Senate, they are trying to change the 200 year old rules of the Senate to advance their agenda (not just on the filibuster, but also on ethics). In the many years of the Democrats being in power in the Senate, they never tried to do this. The Republicans used the filibuster to block about 10% of President Clinton’s nominations.
April 27th, 2005 at 5:03 pmI don’t know if history is on anybody’s side. Politics has always been a dirty business. Here, I think that is part of the problem.
April 27th, 2005 at 5:11 pmAlso missing is the fact that Dr. Frist, who likes to remind people that he’s the “Senate’s only physician,” put profits over patients when he opposed a “patient’s bill of rights” bill that would have levied demands on insurance companies and HMO’s, including the nation’s largest for-profit hospital, which the Frist family founded.
On the other hand, the physician-senator supported a measure (mysteriously slipped into the Homeland Security bill) that was intended to limit the liability of vaccine makers in the face of growing concerns that additives in certain vaccines have caused autism and other neurological disorders in children.
Seems like the “Senate’s only physician” took a hyopcritic oath instead of Hippocratic Oath.
April 27th, 2005 at 5:24 pmExcellent post. Thanks, Jon!
April 27th, 2005 at 5:52 pmThe democrat trend of personally going after Republican leaders continues. Democrats, unable to win at the ballot box go instead for the chopping lott. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Sen. Packwood, Sen. Trent Lott, Tom Delay and now Dr Frits, a former doctor w/o borders is being demonized for simply trying to restore the constitutionally way judges are appointed and confirm. The democrat power grab is unconstitutional. Judges don’t need a super majority to be confirmed as the democrats would have us believe. If Dr. Frits goes ahead with the constitutional option he will go along to restoring the balance of power so masterfully designed in the constitution by our republic’s founding fathers.
April 28th, 2005 at 1:27 pmWell, we know for sure that Lern drank the cool-aid. Hey Lern, the talking heads at FauxNews can regurgitate GOP talking points almost as good as you!
April 28th, 2005 at 4:28 pm#16 If “Dr. Frits” goes ahead with the nuclear option, we will be one step closer to the Theocracy which you obviously desire. Tom Delay is a taliban christian hypocrite who simply changes the rules of our nation when they don’t suit him. Frist, in his desire for a christian taliban regeme, would also change the rules, removing checks and balances that assure a democracy. Whenever extreme right fanatical republicans perceive that they do not have 100% control of every aspect of our democracy, they throw emotional televised fits to their nazi-like christian followers and are sure of complete compliance from them. That is the same compliance that they wish to receive from all Amer-cuns. Moreover, didn’t you notice that only about 7 extremest judges have not been approved while about 200 have been? Do you also desire 100% compliance? Sieg Hiel.
It seems also that you neglect to mention the Republicans’ personal attack on Bill Clinton. At least his lies didn’t involve a war that has resulted in upward of 100,000 deaths unlike our present fearless leader. Yet Republicans attacked Clinton for an in comparison to lying about WMD, a very minor offense. And you implied that Republicans didn’t personally go after anyone…
Republicans are pulling the trick of screaming that there is a war on their faith when there is in fact only their war on the rights of moderate Americans. Now they scream that Democrats are having a power grab when the Repubs move to control every aspect of our dwindling democracy. Such hypocracy to achieve total control and cram their extremest religion down the throats of us all. They pretend to be victims when they are the perpetrators of wrong doing,
April 28th, 2005 at 5:30 pmLern, at least the Republicans didn’t personally go after Clinton. Oh wait, bad example. I meant to say Valerie Plame. Oh, crap – I mean every American who thinks differently. Just go back to the Rush Limbaugh site.
April 28th, 2005 at 5:35 pmWhat makes me doubt evolution and support the teaching of creationism in schools is that it isn’t possible that millions of years could only get us as far along as Lem.
April 28th, 2005 at 5:36 pmGene pool could use a little chlorine.
April 28th, 2005 at 5:37 pmHow many want to bet that Lem won’t spend any time to contemplate anything that we have written, and will just respond with some typical Repub. knee jerking?
April 28th, 2005 at 5:52 pmAlso on “Frits”… he’s the “good” doctor who inferred (in going along with our government’s new AIDS education) that HIV can be transmitted by sweat or tears. He begrudingly had to admit it was rather impossible in a Stephanopoulos interview. That’s all a part of the religious wrong’s attempt to pin the disease solely on homosexuals again (has it been 20 years already?) to ramp up the anti-gay fervor.
Oh yeah… and about that 95% confirmation rate for Bush’s judges. Let us not forget that ALL of the ones already confirmed are professed pro-lifers. Yet that’s still not enough for these power mongers.
If these lawmakers (and their blind followers) hate America so much as to want to drastically alter it… couldn’t they have just moved out and bought a place in the Caymans with their money?
Why do Repugnicans hate the troops? Why do they reject bills that propose pay raises for soldiers that serve in our two war zones? Why do they cut benefits for vets? Why do they cut healthcare for vets? Perhaps they’re just cogs in the machine to people that marched them off to war. Support the troops by supporting Bush? Yeah right. When’s HE going to pitch in?
When a person doesn’t let Rush the druggie or O’Reilly the perv or FauxNews dictate their capacity of knowledge, they can see the reprehensible things that these corporate facists do.
I sure hope the blind followers can someday gain sight. I won’t hold my breath for that though. The rest of us need to continue to fight the good fight. Before our so-called “leaders” lead us into the next Crusade.
April 29th, 2005 at 4:45 amPersonally Lem, I’d prefer our Founding Fathers to return and clean House(& Senate & White House). I think that would go farther in restoring the ‘balance of power’.
May 3rd, 2005 at 12:44 amAn agreement has been reached. The efforts of both parties were warranted in preserving the status quo of options available to the minority. Thank God the party currently wielding a mojority in the Senate, House, and occupying the Whitehouse is comprised of reasonable men and women. The agreement may not last long, with the likes of Kennedy, Kerry, Schumer and those of that ilk capable of declaring extreme circumstances at any turn. For the moment though, one party appears to have revealed their generous nature. There are incorrect statements made on this site that Republican law makers have fillibustered dem nominees. This happened in the very distant past. Not one in the Clinton era (scum). And, not a single Federal Appeals Court Judge has ever been filibustered. The party using the fillibuster currently, and agreeing to desist, has broken from ALL tradition and because they have been steam-rolled at the ballot box since 2000, began imploring this tactic against all common sense to prohibit qualified Appeals Court nominees from receiving an up or down vote. Discuss the issues in public, if there is a valid concern it will be revealed in the light of day and public support will rule the day. dems had no argument, just an ideological hang-up. That is breaking from tradition, an egregious misuse of protocol. The dem party has one thing going for them, they know how to whine, twist, lie and manipulate better than any other out-of-the-mainstream group of frauds that the general public usually discounts for what they are. I predict the dems will blow this agreement quickly, at that point, the party will suffer massive losses in 06.
May 24th, 2005 at 7:54 pm[...] Of Jon’s recent efforts, perhaps my two personal favorites are Dr. Frist And Mr. Hyde and Santorum Swings Both Ways. [...]
July 8th, 2005 at 12:46 pm