Trent Lott defeated Lamar Alexander for the whip position in the Senate. The Republicans in the Senate made a poor decision as they passed over a fairly uncontroversial Senator, whose campaign manager saved Bob Corker's campaign in Tennessee, for a candidate with a troubled past on racial relations and a reputation as one of the biggest pork barrel recipients on Capitol Hill.

If Republicans wanted to resuscitate their reputation as the party of fiscal discipline and opposition to corruption, they have a weird way of showing it. Lott, who is the brother-in-law of famed trial lawyer Dickie Scruggs (and has been accused of helping him in the past) has not been shy about expressing his bitterness about being forced to step down as majority leader.

He has never appeared contrite and seems not to recognize the political damage (as well as the stupidity of his comments) caused by his comments and many bungled apologies . He attacked critics including Bill Frist in his book, Herding Cats: A Life in Politics and continually was known to be a royal pain in the butt to Senator Frist in passing legislation.

This is a step in the wrong direction for Republicans.