Trent Lott's capitulation, stepping down as Senate majority leader when the ruckus over his remarks at Strom Thurmond's 100th-birthday party simply wouldn't go away, ended a very rough patch for the Republicans. And Tennessee Senator Bill Frist spared the party another potential battle when he quickly locked up the votes to replace Lott. But it may take longer to heal relations between Senate Republicans and the White House, whose heavy hand in the affair has both Lott supporters and opponents on Capitol Hill grumbling.
After harshly rebuking Lott on Dec. 12 for his praise of Thurmond's segregationist presidential bid in 1948,...
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