What a Difference a Day Makes! Lott's
toast. And it looks like Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee is poised
to take his place as Senate Majority Leader. This would mean the
leadership spot goes from a senator who publicly
held that homosexuality is a "problem just like alcohol...or
sex addiction...or kleptomaniacs" to a senator who happily embraces
the Republican Unity Coalition's call for a gay-inclusive party.
Here's an
excerpt from Hastings Wyman's Capital Letters column from last
May about a fete put on by the Republican Unity Coalition,
which calls itself "A gay-straight alliance of Republican leaders,
working to encourage tolerance and to address concerns of gay and
lesbian Americans" :
Among the gay Republicans and their guests snapping up the crab dumplings and caviar toasts were such usual suspects as Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) and District of Columbia City Councilman David Catania (R), as well as one not so usual - Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist (R), who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee. I asked Frist how come a straight Dixie Republican felt comfortable mixing it up with a bunch of avowed homosexuals. After acknowledging with a grin that "Trent Lott (R-Miss.) wouldn't be here," he thought a minute, then said, "Maybe it's my medical background" - Frist is a cardiovascular surgeon - "It's just not an issue with me."
Keep your fingers crossed on this one!
--Stephen H. Miller