GOP Reassembling Leadership Team

Some good news, some not so good, some neither one or the other:

• Trent Lott elected Senate GOP Whip -- Master tactician of Senate rules and procedures, Trent Lott, is back in the leadership in a key position. Dick Morris had this to say in a column yesterday: "Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss). Lott is a Lyndon Johnson/Richard Russell kind of character who knows how to use the Senate to get things done and enjoys twisting the Democrats into a pretzel." The Senate GOP Leader and the public face of the our side in the Senate will be Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. I never thought much of Lott as the public face of our Senate team. But as the master behind the scenes he has few equals.
• In an apparent bid to placate Hispanics upset over GOP concerns regarding illegal immigration, Senator Mel Martinez will stand for election as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Martinez has advocated immigration reform that includes amnesty (or whatever term you want to use) for those here illegally, so this will not heal the rift in the party on that issue. Also, selecting a politician with a full time job is something that was tried early in the Bush years with the selection of then Governor Gilmore of Virginia who resigned after only a short time in the post. Frankly, Michael Steele would have been a better choice.
• Rudy Giuliani made it official, he's thinking of running for President in 2008. Forming an exploratory committee is the first step. Polls show him as the prime challenger to Senator John McCain.