How many times during the midterm campaign did Democrats say that a vote for Republicans was a vote to abolish Social Security, ban abortion, gut environmental laws, and put right’ wing extremists on the bench? The people voted. Let the fun begin!
Conservatives may have mixed feelings about Trent Lott’s tenure as leader of the Senate’s Republicans, but he will now have a capable team of lieutenants to reinforce his better instincts. The majority whip (number two in the line-up) will be Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is smart and relentless. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania has the third-ranking slot of conference chairman, and Jon KyI of Arizona will run the Republican Policy Committee. If this crew threatens to succumb to any uncharacteristic accommodationist impulses, Jeff Sessions of Alabama will be keeping an eye on them from his perch at the Steering Committee. Meanwhile, the Republicans who will be chairing regular Senate committees are an improvement on their Democratic predecessors and, in some cases, on their Republican predecessors as well. Don Nickles of Oklahoma has been term-limited out as majority whip, but will now become chairman of the Budget Committee—replacing Pete Domenici, whose reputation as a “budget hawk” owes more to his historical caution about tax cuts than to any disinclination to spend taxpayer dollars. Senate liberals don’t know what’s about to hit them.
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