GOP leadership change is opportunity

In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. -- Proverbs 16:9

On the day of his election as the Senate's new majority leader, this was the Bible verse that Sen. Bill Frist's mind kept returning to. Even though the Republican from Tennessee had saved lives as a heart surgeon, Frist soon realized that his life's most profound professional responsibility lay before him.

It's good to see the humble approach of the new leader of the U.S. Senate. If there ever was a time for humility, it's now.

In an unprecedented situation, Frist is replacing Trent Lott, who resigned as Senate majority leader after igniting a needless political firestorm following remarks that some classified as racially charged.

Regardless of which political way you lean, it's good for everyone that this flap was handled expeditiously and without a political struggle for power. It very well could have gone the other way.

The fact of the matter is that the whole Lott issue was overblown and politicized out of focus.

It no longer is about right or wrong, or what Lott meant when he said what he said regarding his Senate colleague, 100-year-old Strom Thurmond. It's now about the future, or should be -- a future that is as uncertain and rife with potential problems as the United States has faced in quite some time. These are truly trying times for America.

What America needs now is leadership. That's why the emergence of Frist as majority leader may be a blessing in disguise. Frist is a modern-day leader who will make it difficult for Democrats to continue to portray Republicans as racially insensitive. Frist has been called a New South Republican who doesn't carry any of Lott's baggage. As even one Democrat leader put it, Frist "defuses the negatives."

Good. We don't need negative, partisan infighting right now. There is too much at stake. Frist put it best himself. We need to stand united and speak as one team. Efforts instead need to be focused on the real issues: the ever-expanding war on terrorism, the slumping economy, Medicare and health-care disparities. Certainly there are other critical issues that will demand able leadership.

Frist, 50, is considered to be a close ally of President Bush and his top advisors. The senator has spoken eloquently on public-health issues and -- unlike his predecessor -- has the wide support of the party, including Missouri's new senator, Jim Talent, and senior senator Kit Bond. Frist has also shown he knows how to lead, heading the Senate GOP's campaign effort that culminated in their capture of Senate control.

The change of power has offered a chance for renewal. We need to take it. Let's all hope and pray Majority Leader Frist is just the man for the job. America has much serious business before it.