Trent Lott, Minority Leader

THE Democrats were stonewalling. It was the evening of May 16, and Senate majority leader Trent Lott was trying to reach an agreement with them on the president’s education bill. The bill had started out center-left and moved leftward, but the Democrats were holding out for more. Lott gave up for the day, letting the Democrats attend a big fundraiser.

A week later, Democrats had a chance to return the favor. The Republicans had their own fundraising dinner scheduled. The Democrats forced them to stay until 10 P.M. voting on amendments to the tax bill—amendments that had no chance of passing but advanced Democratic arguments.

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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THE Democrats were stonewalling. It was the evening of May 16, and Senate majority leader Trent Lott was trying to reach an agreement with them on the president’s education bill. The bill had started out center-left and moved leftward, but the Democrats were holding out for more. Lott gave up for the day, letting the Democrats attend a big fundraiser.

A week later, Democrats had a chance to return the favor. The Republicans had their own fundraising dinner scheduled. The Democrats forced them to stay until 10 P.M. voting on amendments to the tax bill—amendments that had no chance of passing but advanced Democratic arguments.