Lott Breaks Deadlock Between Frist, Reid

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The dealmaking instinct can be hard to shake when one has been Senate majority leader and might again seek that post. Exhibit A: Former Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., who broke a two-week deadlock between his successor, Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., over the ratio of Republican and Democratic negotiators on a bill to secure the future benefits of millions with defined benefit pension plans.

Frist said the split should be 7-5; Reid insisted on 8-6. The debate devolved Friday into bickering over other issues.
Frustrated, Lott could not contain his inner majority leader. "We're at loggerheads here. Shouldn't be," he said on the Senate floor. "I have a novel idea: Go up to 9-7 or go down to 6-4." "I'll take it," Reid declared. "Nine-to-seven and you've got a deal."

But Lott no longer has the power to make such deals. He was forced to quit the majority leader's post in 2002 after making racially tinged remarks at a 100th birthday party for one-time segregationist Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. In a subsequent book, Lott made clear that he considered Frist one of the "main manipulators" of the events that led to his loss of power. The men have since talked and been able to work together, Lott has said. But that didn't stop the man from Mississippi from taking a not-subtle swipe at Frist and the Democrats for being unable to strike a deal.

"I've never seen this happen before. Never. Not one time when I was majority leader did the minority leader and I not come to an agreement on a number to go to conference," Lott remarked Friday. "I never remember this happening," Reid concurred. Lott then noted that Reid's style of issuing ultimatums was less helpful than former Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota. He then paid Frist some deference. "I want to be helpful. I realize it's presumptuous of me to talk about this," Lott said. But it worked. Within an hour, Frist announced that the conference committee would be composed of nine Republicans and seven Democrats.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060304/ap_on_go_co/pensions_lott_2