[News-releases] NOW President Says Potential Lott Replacement No Improvement

NOW Press Office
202-628-8669 Rebecca Farmer, x 116
202-785-8576 (fax) 

NOW President Says Potential Lott Replacement No Improvement

December 20, 2002

"Trent Lott made the right decision to step down as Senate Majority
Leader," said National Organization for Women (NOW) President Kim
Gandy. "But if he thinks that stepping down will save his party more
embarrassment, he couldn't be more wrong?especially if his successor is
Bill Frist." Sen. Frist (R-Tenn.) is currently the front-runner to
replace Lott and has garnered widespread support from conservatives who
have always considered Lott too moderate.

"Few senators have a worse voting record on civil rights than Trent
Lott?but Bill Frist is one of them," Gandy noted. "Frist has
voted against sex education, international family planning, emergency
contraception (the morning-after pill), affirmative action, hate crimes
legislation and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. This is the man
who is supposed to save face for the GOP in the Senate? Think
again."

"The Republican Party is making a huge mistake if they are assuming
that reluctant apologies and a different face will camouflage their
record of undermining civil rights," Gandy said.

"Karl Rove, credited by insiders with engineering the exchange of
Lott for Frist, will be the de facto Senate leader?and the idea of the
U.S. Senate being run from the White House ought to give every Senator
pause," Gandy said.

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