McConnell wins minority leader job

Sen. Mitch McConnell of neighboring Kentucky just won an election by fellow GOP senators this morning to be their minority leader next year. That's the No. 1 GOP leadership position in the Senate. He was unopposed for the job.

You can read The Enquirer's early version of the story HERE.

But the real story is Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., who who won a surprising victory over Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., to be the new GOP Senate whip in today's elections.

Lott is a former Senate majority leader who was ousted after he made racially insensitive comments at former Sen. Strom Thurmond's birthday party. When Lott sought a comeback to GOP leadership, some openly wondered what would happen with two quarterbacks on the same football field.

So it isn't any wonder that the soft spoken McConnell was easily upstaged by Lott during a brief media availability at the U.S. Capitol today.

Speaking first, McConnell said: "We will be a robust minority, a vigorous minority, and, hopefully, a minority that is only in that condition for a couple of years."

Then he introduced Lott, who said: "I'm honored to be a part of this leadership team, to support Mitch McConnell and all of my colleagues and to do a job that I've really loved the most: count the votes. I'll do my very best in that effort."

Then McConnell was asked about the GOP agenda and he said he wasn't ready to discuss it yet.

Then the elephant in the room: What about Lott's comeback?!?!

In a show of unity, however, Lott deferred to his new leader on the question, saying he wanted to start off on the right foot.

"The spotlight belongs on him," Lott said of McConnell.

After another question about Lott's comeback made it clear that all the media wanted to discuss was Lott, McConnell quickly ended the press conference and walked from the room, trailed by the other newly elected leaders and just a couple of reporters.

Meanwhile, a mass of remaining reporters surrounded Lott as if he were a movie star, shouting questions and moving as a large swarm with him to the exit.

The other senators elected to leadership positions: Sens. John Kyl of Arizona, GOP Conference Chairman; Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, policy committee chairman; John Cornyn of Texas, GOP conference vice chairman and; John Ensign of Nevada, head of the Senate GOP's campaign fundraising committee.

And now, the reaction from our other area senators:

Sen. George Voinovich, a Cleveland Republican: “I believe we've put together a solid, experienced team that will offer a new perspective. I have a great deal of confidence in Sen. McConnell's leadership, his ability to negotiate and his ability to listen. He's already shown a great deal of interest in my opinion and the opinions of my colleagues. The ability to listen is a vitally important quality for a leader.”

Sen. Jim Bunning, a Southgate Republican: “I am proud to have my friend and fellow Kentuckian Mitch McConnell as our Republican Leader here in the Senate. Mitch has worked tirelessly throughout his career to grow the Republican Party here in Washington and back home in Kentucky. Mitch is the right man for the job and I look forward to working closely with him and all the members of our new leadership team in the 110th Congress.”