Gingrich Ally Elected to No. 2 Post in Senate

Conservative Republicans increased their influence over Congress on Friday as a strong ally of expected House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) narrowly defeated his less ideologically driven rival in a race for the Senate’s No. 2 leadership spot.

Republicans chose Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott over Wyoming Sen. Alan K. Simpson as majority whip. Simpson, who represented a more pragmatic wing of the party, was the choice of incoming Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) for the post.

The selection signals trouble for Dole, who is considering a 1996 bid for the White House. Lott is an ally of Gingrich and of Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, who is considering a run for the presidency.

With both parties meeting behind closed doors to choose their Senate leaders for the new Congress, the Democrats selected Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota over Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut to be minority leader. The 24-23 vote was viewed as yet another indication of the intraparty turmoil that has afflicted the Democrats since their overwhelming defeat at the polls Nov. 8.

With many Democrats blaming their party’s identification with President Clinton for the GOP’s gains, Daschle wasted no time in stressing his independence from the Administration, pledging that under his leadership the Democratic minority in the Senate “will not be viewed as an extension” of the White House.

On the Republican side, senators affirmed unanimously that Dole will be the majority leader. He ran unopposed and won by acclamation.

Lott’s selection, on a 27-26 vote, “definitely represents a move to the right in the party,” said Sen. James M. Jeffords of Vermont, a Simpson supporter and moderate Republican.

Although Simpson is nearly as conservative politically as Lott, the lanky senator from Wyoming was considered to be a loyal lieutenant “to whom Bob Dole could have entrusted the Senate in his absence if he decides to make a run for the presidency,” another GOP senator said.

“The problem with Trent,” the senator added, “is that Dole just won’t be able to trust him to mind the candy store in his absence.”

Simpson noted the predicament that Lott’s election would pose for Dole when he told a Capitol Hill newspaper earlier this week that Dole was comfortable with him because he knew he would “not have to look over his shoulder” if he left the Senate to campaign for any length of time.

Lott’s candidacy was heavily backed by Gramm, and Lott appeared to draw strong support from the GOP’s 11 freshman senators, many of whom came from the House, where they were allied with the Gingrich wing of the party.

Lott, who is just starting his second term in the Senate, graduated to the upper chamber from the House, where he served as GOP whip and was schooled in the same highly combative and partisan style of political trench warfare as Gingrich. “They’re soul mates, not only in ideology, but in temperament and style,” said a senior GOP Senate staff member. “Newt’s got another friend in a high place in the Senate now and Bob Dole’s got trouble.”

Speaking privately, some Dole allies said they feared that--with Lott in the whip’s post and other conservatives controlling nearly all of the remaining GOP leadership slots--the new majority leader is in danger of being isolated. They pointed to Rep. Robert H. Michel of Illinois, the retiring House GOP leader, who was surrounded and hemmed in by Gingrich and other conservatives in the House in the Congress that just adjourned.

Other moderate Republicans expressed concern that the pressures arising from such a conservative siege could push Dole further to the right, raising the level of partisanship in the next Congress and making it more difficult for GOP centrists who still hope to forge bipartisan coalitions with Democrats on some issues.

Although the Republicans will control 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats next year, they will still need at least seven opposition votes to pass legislation that Democrats might choose to filibuster.

The moderates--as well as some of the GOP’s Senate deficit hawks--also clearly are uncomfortable with much of Gingrich’s “contract with America,” the House Republicans’ conservative agenda. These Senate Republicans have repeatedly served notice that they do not intend to rubber-stamp its mix of tax cuts, defense spending increases and social program cutbacks.

“There are 20 or so of us in the middle of the political spectrum that you don’t want to alienate,” warned Jeffords.

Other senators, noting that the vote for the No. 2 post almost evenly split Republicans, said that they think these fears are overblown. “The vote was so close that I don’t see how you can draw any conclusions from it,” said Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.).

“A vote that close can’t signal a shift” in any direction, added Sen. Arlen Spector (R-Pa.).

But some analysts said that it still underscores the difficulty Dole will face as he tries to mold the longtime minority party into a governing majority in the Senate.

“On the other side of the aisle, the divisions are between the Democrats on (Capitol) Hill and the White House,” said a senior aide to a moderate GOP senator. “Our divisions are among ourselves.”

Moving quickly to bridge those GOP divisions, Lott pledged after his victory that he would work loyally and diligently for Dole.

“The job is assistant to the Republican” leader, Lott said. “I want to ride shotgun for the leader. I want to help him. I want to protect him. I want to do his bidding.”

Daschle, over whom Democrats were divided because of concerns that he is too inexperienced and amiable to lead the opposition to Dole, likewise sought to assure his divided party that its fears are unjustified.

He pledged to offer “constructive alternatives, not gridlock,” but added that he would not hesitate to “offer vigorous opposition” when Democrats cannot agree with the Republicans.

“We will fight against proposals that are mean-spirited and extreme,” the soft-spoken, 46-year-old Daschle said.

With the Senate races over, only House Republicans have yet to round out their leadership slate. Their leadership elections will take place next week.

In related action that follows staff cuts announced in the House, GOP senators approved a plan Friday to trim Senate committee staffs by about 15%. While the cuts announced in the House are deeper, the senators said that they also plan to cut the size of the leadership offices by a similar amount.

Times staff writer Melissa Healy contributed to this story.

Scorecard on New Leadership

The new members of the House and Senate are selecting their leaders, who will be responsible for seeing their party’s legislation through Congress. A look at the field:

Next Step: House Republicans will pick their leaders Monday and Tuesday. Senate leaders were chosen Friday. House Democrats made their picks Wednesday.

Senate GOP:

Majority Leader: Bob Dole. Ran uncontested

House GOP:

Speaker: Newt Gingrich. Running uncontested

Majority Leader: Dick Armey. Uncontested

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Whip’s Role: Minority and majority leaders shepherd their party’s legislation through Congress. Whips keep track of how many votes an issue may get and help rally support.

Senate GOP:

Majority Whip: Trent Lott and Alan Simpson

In a Senate stunner, Lott defeated Simpson. Lott is aligned with Newt Gingrich, which boosts the House Speaker’s clout in the Senate.

House GOP:

Majority Whip: Robert S. Walker, Bill McCollum and Tom DeLay

Three-way race for No. 3 post is expected to be fairly close, though DeLay claims to have it sewn up.

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Senate Democrats:

Minority Leader: Tom Daschle and Christopher Dodd.

Democrats chose Daschle, opting for a more amiable lawmaker over the feisty Dodd.

Minority Whip: Wendell H. Ford. Unopposed

House Democrats:

Minority Leader: Richard A. Gephardt

Minority Whip: David E. Bonior

Democrats reelected Gephardt and Bonior as their leaders after rejecting bids to move the party to the right.