Frist Watch
The Los Angeles Times' Ron Brownstein avoids the tired sniping at Sen. Bill Frist over sharp pencils, country club memberships and family wealth and instead writes an intelligent profile of Frist with an eye on the future and Frist's impact on healthcare policy.

For Democrats, Frist presents a challenge much like House Speaker Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), the mild-mannered insider who succeeded former speaker Newt Gingrich, and Bush himself: All present largely conservative policies in a moderate tone much more acceptable to swing voters than the harder-edged voices who dominated the GOP in the immediate aftermath of their 1994 congressional takeover.

In contrast to Lott, Frist embodies a newer generation of Southern Republican politicians who attract white voters with conservative positions on taxes, social issues and national security and generally believe that any association with racial intolerance could alienate moderate swing voters.

Mark it down: The Lott Debacle will turn out to be a big win for the Republican Party.