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Senate GOP elects FristPromises to turn Lott controversy into 'catalyst for unity'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Newly elected Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist promised to turn the controversy over comments by Sen. Trent Lott into "a catalyst for unity and a catalyst for positive change." Sen. Frist, R-Tennessee, was unanimously chosen to replace Lott on Monday in a vote of acclamation by Republicans in the incoming Senate, participants said. Forty-two of the 51 Senate Republicans in the upcoming 108th Congress took part in the conference call, said Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania. It was the first time a Senate majority leader was elected over the telephone. The move was aimed at curbing the damage from the racially charged events that led to Lott's having to relinquish the position. Lott, of Mississippi, took part in the call, Santorum said. Frist, a 50 year-old surgeon, compared his new duties to a task he has faced before: performing a heart transplant. "My colleagues gave me a responsibility equal to that and in some ways, many would say, even a heavier responsibility," he said after the vote. "I accepted that responsibility with a profound sense of humility." Frist read from a statement but did not take questions. Pledging to work for "all Americans" -- putting special emphasis on the word "all" -- Frist said: "I honestly believe this will transform what has occurred in the last few weeks ... into a catalyst for unity and a catalyst for positive change." It was on December 5 that Lott made a comment in support of Strom Thurmond's 1948 presidential bid, which was on a segregationist platform. The comment triggered an avalanche that eventually buried his opportunity to remain Senate Republican leader. Despite Lott's repeated public apologies and claims that he supports civil rights and equality, public attention was drawn to his record of voting against policies espoused by civil rights leaders and to previous comments supporting Thurmond. Lott gave up his post as Senate Republican leader Friday. A group of about two dozen African-American activists protested outside his home Saturday, calling on Lott to resign from the Senate altogether. But Lott vowed to maintain his seat. 'Doing what was called for'Given the events that led to it, the conference call Monday "was a solemn one," Santorum said. "This was not obviously a joyous celebration for Sen. Frist or anybody, but it was one of doing what was called for." "We must dedicate ourselves to healing those wounds of division that have been reopened so prominently during the past few weeks, " Frist said in his statement. Frist, who has served in the Senate since 1994, is a relative newcomer compared to some of the senators he'll represent as majority leader. He told CNN Sunday that the position of majority leader was "something I didn't go out there and seek." However, Frist announced he would "likely" seek the post before Lott officially gave it up, and after Lott's announcement he quickly contacted fellow Republican senators seeking their support. Frist has close ties to the Bush White House. He is outgoing chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee that helped orchestrate November's midterm elections, which were a tremendous success for the GOP. Sources told CNN the Bush administration preferred him as majority leader in the wake of the controversy over Lott. Publicly, however, President Bush said through aides that he did not see a reason for Lott to resign, and officials said the White House played no active role in Lott's decision. In a statement Monday, Bush said: "I congratulate Senator Bill Frist on his election to Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. "Senator Frist has earned the trust and respect of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I look forward to working with him and all members of the Senate and House to advance our agenda for a safer, stronger, and better America." Still, Frist's relationship with the White House could limit his influence with colleagues, who are wary of a leader trying to push the president's agenda. "I think there's no question that he has, I would say, support from the White House," Republican consultant Cliff May told CNN Monday. But he insisted Frist was not "handpicked" by the president. Democratic consultant Victor Kamber countered that Frist will "take his marching orders from the White House." Frist's voting record is similar to Lott's. But Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, told CNN that Frist will be a different kind of leader. "He is very adept at outreach," she said. "He is going to bring people in. He's going to be kind of a manager, that is his style. He's going to include everyone." Hutchinson also said Frist's expertise on medical issues will help him prove to be a strong leader in dealing with health care issues. While many Republicans have publicly praised Frist, some Democrats have said the entry of a new leader will not fix what they call fundamental problems in the GOP. "If anyone thinks that one person stepping down from a leadership position cleanses the Republican Party of their constant exploitation of race, then I think you're naive," Sen. HIllary Rodham Clinton of New York said over the weekend. But Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Connecticut, said Monday that the election of Frist as leader could be a positive move for the Senate. Calling Frist "a wonderful person" and "a man of faith," Lieberman told CNN: "I hope that he'll be a bridge builder and not a partisan divider." But, Lieberman added, "Unfortunately, these leadership jobs sometimes turn people more partisan than they need to be."
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