The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> GOP TROTTERS br> In what may shape up to be an another embarrassing primary race for the White House and the Republican National Committee, Rep. Ed Bryant , a Republican from Tennessee, again has refused to step aside in the Senate primary race for what will be the open seat currently held by Sen. Fred Thompson , who is retiring. Former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander is senior White House adviser Karl Rove 's horse in this race, and according to several White House sources, has met at least three times with Bryant in the past month to persuade the conservative Republican that he should back out and give Alexander an open field to run on. /p>

"Bryant has stood his ground," says one White House political staffer. "He's listened to Rove, he's been polite, but he wants to make a race of this primary. It's not like the White House has a lot to offer him right now as a consolation prize."

According to an RNC campaign consultant, Rove has told Bryant that the Tennessee seat is critical to Republican plans to take back the Senate, and that President Bush would prefer an experienced statewide candidate such as Alexander over Bryant. "He's told Bryant that there may be another Senate seat open in 2006, that [Sen.] Bill Frist is considering not running and that that could be Bryant's seat," says the RNC source. "But that's asking Bryant to be patient for four more years for something that may never happen."

Frist has never discussed retirement, and he garnered more than 60 percent of the vote in winning re-election in 2000. His seat appears safe for many years to come.

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