Washington, DC — When Charlie Cook talks, people listen. Cook — the Robert Parker of political and campaign analysts — said on Hardball tonite that Frist "made a lot of mistakes" in his dealings with Harry Reid on the filibuster showdown, and said the net result has been that "respect has gone down enormously" for Frist among his GOP Senate colleagues.
The Bolton fiasco today has put Frist behind the 2008 eight ball today, but leave it to Pat Buchanan to tell it like it is. After bashing Frist yesterday for filibuster fumbling, Buchanan observed tonite, correctly, that Reid and the Democrats "over-reached" on the Bolton gambit and have set themselves up for a big Frist comeback. Pat’s right. Frist will — he must, now — come back with the nuclear option and just push the button. Unless he does, he can kiss 2008 goodbye, and it’s now a virtual certainty Frist will go to the mattresses.
Frist was on the mat enduring severe pain from a Reid half-Nelson, and Frist will turn it
around next week after Memorial Day weekend. Charlie Cook is right, though. Frist is on shaky ground with the presidential nominating wing of the GOP, and if he can’t produce now, he’s toast. The next several weeks represent the biggest political challenge of Frist’s relatively short career. Betting this evening is on Frist to reload this weekend and kick some Harry Reid ass next week. It’s time, and he has the power and opening to do so.
Reid, who recently called George W. Bush "a loser," will soon be wearing that hat himself.