GOP Senators Deadlocked

Republican U.S. Senators made the odd decision to restore Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott, a fan of Strom Thurmond for president, to their leadership after soon-to-be former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum didn't just get defeated but lost his seat by a humiliating 18 percent margin. Maryland Senate Republicans are exhibiting the same finely honed skills in a different way. The Gazette reports that they cannot even agree on their leadership:

The two senators who want to be minority leader offer colleagues divergent approaches: Minority Whip Andrew P. Harris (R-Dist. 7) of Cockeysville is a strident conservative who will bird-dog the Democratic majority, while Sen. David R. Brinkley (R-Dist. 4) of Frederick is considered a moderate consensus-builder more likely to work with Democrats to pass GOP-backed legislation.

. . .

By the time they gave up Tuesday, senators had cast at least 15 ballots, each resulting in a 7-7 tie. Alexander X. Mooney (R-Dist. 3) of Urbana was vacationing in the U.S. Virgin Islands and voted by proxy.

So will the Republican Senate chooses to work productively with the Democrats or to oppose their every move?