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American Morning

Senator Trent Lott Adjusts to New Role As Minority Leader

Aired June 06, 2001 - 10:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The changing of the guard in the Senate is ushered in with both speculation and with symbolism. Yesterday, outgoing Majority Leader Trent Lott shook hands with his successor, Tom Daschle. For Daschle, the title carries both power and prestige, but what does the new role of minority leader mean to Trent Lott?

Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley takes a closer look at that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a town where power is the coin of the realm, Trent Lott's net worth is dropping.

SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), REPUBLICAN LEADER: I am -- like President Reagan would do, I am looking for the silver lining in this opportunity.

CROWLEY: But it's hard to ignore the cloud. After five years as majority leader, Lott's power both shrinks and changes as he becomes minority leader. It is a difficult professional and personal transition.

LOTT: Certainly I was disappointed, and that does hurt. But in politics you, like in life, you go back to the old adage, this too, shall pass.

CROWLEY: Friends say the minority role runs against the grain of Lott's personality. It's not that he's a control freak -- not exactly, but he is a neatnik of body and mind.

SEN. JOHN BREAUX (D), LOUISIANA: He's a person who liked order. He liked predictability. I think he liked to be in control of the process. Of course, when you become minority leader, to a large extent, you lose all those traits; at least the ability to determine when things are brought up, if they're brought up, and how long you're going to spend on them on the floor. And so, I think it's going to be a big change.

CROWLEY: Still, Lott wrapped up his tenure in the majority leadership post with a smile on his face and a plan in his head.

LOTT: My plan is to make sure that we reach out and we do work with the Democrats where we can, that we make sure that every senator and every Republican within the Congress is communicated with, has input as to what our agenda will be.

CROWLEY: That's Trent Lott, pragmatist, the one that wants to make sure that things works that things get done and bills get passed. The other Trent Lott, the fiercely partisan one, wrote a weekend memo to the Republicans calling for a war to reclaim the Senate in 2002.

LOTT: That was a message to lot of people around the country that were saying, oh, my goodness, we are lost and my message was, no. We're going to stand up and offer amendments and offer alternatives; we will, in spite of who is in control of the Senate.

CROWLEY: As he moves into his new post, the question for Trent Lott is will you be the fierce partisan with the open-throttle ambition, focused on next year's election, or will you be the pragmatist with the southern charm, trying to get the bills passed. His answer, he says, is yes.

LOTT: I am what the times require. Sometime one approach is the way that you have to go. At other times, different circumstances, different numbers, different issues, you use a different approach.

CROWLEY: The minority leader is ready to roll.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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