Supporters of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist privately admit that he again demonstrated his lack of political finesse last Monday when he showed his back to reporters seeking to question him about his heavy sale of stock in HCA Inc., the hospital company founded by his family.
Frist called a press conference to read a brief statement asserting that he "had no information about HCA or its performance that was not publicly available." He then walked briskly out of the room with his back to the camera.
The practical choices facing Frist were either to issue his statement without a press conference or to submit to questions. Instead, the televised image of him appearing to flee questioning could have increased suspicions that he had something to hide.
HAWAIIAN NO'S
President Bush's Supreme Court strategists hoped as late as Wednesday night that 81-year-old Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, one of the last senators undecided about Judge John G. Roberts Jr. as chief justice, would vote "yes" Thursday to put a clear majority of Senate Democrats in favor of confirmation.
However, Akaka joined his senior colleague from Hawaii, 81-year-old Sen. Daniel Inouye, in opposing Roberts. That meant the 44 Democrats split evenly, 22 to 22, on Roberts. Akaka did not address the Senate to explain his vote.
A footnote: The only senators from the same state belonging to the same party and splitting their votes were Michigan's two Democrats. Sen. Carl Levin voted for Roberts. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, up for re-election to a second term next year, opposed him.