Click “more” for an article from The Hill about our own Senator Lamar Alexander running for Majority Whip

These leadership races are uniquely the result of internal considerations that often turn on personal and political considerations that those of us on the outside can never really understand. But whether the Republicans win or lose their Senate majority this fall, one has to believe they’re ready for the tough, focused leadership they are likely to get from McConnell, who knows how the place works and has actually read the Constitution as well as the Senate rules.

When Lott was leader, he had an informal deputy in the person of the late Sen. Paul Coverdell (R) of Georgia. Paul was a gentleman, completely trustworthy and with no agenda other than his loyalty to his party and Lott. When he died, everyone who knew Coverdell was devastated, and without him Lott lost some of the focus that characterized his early performance as leader.

Maybe McConnell is going to need a Coverdell to turn the Senate into a functioning legislative body. If he does, Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander (R) might be better suited for the job. There was a time when he, like everyone else in politics, seemed to see every job as a steppingstone to another, but he got that out of his system after demonstrating some years ago that as a presidential candidate he was a pretty good piano player.

Since his election to the Senate, Alexander seems to have found his niche and has developed into a serious and effective conservative legislator who focuses not on headlines but results. He’s thoughtful and well-liked and might be just the sort of fellow someone like McConnell could rely on.

As for Trent, the Senate needs a conscience; someone of who has the background, courage and willingness to hold his colleagues’ feet to the fire and who remembers what brought him here in the first place. It’s a job for which Trent Lott has spent a lifetime preparing.

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