By Carl Weiser
Enquirer Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - None of the Tristate's five Republican senators is pushing for Majority Leader Trent Lott's ouster.

But even if the person leading Senate Republicans changes, the party's direction in Washington probably won't.

"In terms of setting the agenda, I would tend to place a call to (top Bush adviser) Karl Rove's office rather than the majority leader's," said Michael Barone, editor of The Almanac of American Politics. "When a party has the presidency, the face of the party is primarily that of the president."

Among those most mentioned as a potential successor: Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was elected by his colleagues last month to the party's No. 2 leadership spot.

Mr. McConnell was silent Monday, but on Sunday talk shows he declared his support for Mr. Lott, R-Miss., and sidestepped questions about whether he would be willing to take the majority leader's job.

"Look, that's a hypothetical that I don't think we have to answer because I don't think Senator Lott is going to step aside," he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos." I think he's going to continue to lead us, and I think he can be very effective as our leader in the Senate."

Ohio's two Republican senators Monday also reiterated their support for Mr. Lott, saying they didn't think the GOP needs to reconvene for a new round of leadership elections, as some have suggested.

Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio "doesn't think Lott should leave," said his spokesman, Scott Milburn.

Sen. Mike DeWine said he has known Mr. Lott for 20 years and knows he did not mean to imply support for segregation during remarks at a 100th birthday party for retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., on Dec. 5. Mr. Lott said the country would have been better off had it elected Mr. Thurmond president in 1948, when he ran on a pro-segregation ticket.

"I know he is not a racist. He is a good human being," said Mr. DeWine. "We've elected our leader."

Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar told ABC on Sunday that he opposed a new leadership vote. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., wasn't commenting at all Monday, but last week he called Mr. Lott a "good man" and said it was time to get back to business.

If the controversy does not subside, the most likely candidates to replace Mr. Lott include:

Sen. Don Nickles of Oklahoma. The former janitor and small-business owner is not as inclined to deal making as Mr. Lott. Mr. Nickles, a steadfast conservative, has made no secret of his desire to one day be majority leader. On Sunday, he became the first to call for new leadership elections, though he did not announce himself as a candidate.

Sen. McConnell. He is known in Washington mostly for his fight against campaign finance reform and has close ties to the Bush administration; his wife, Elaine Chao, is President Bush's labor secretary. Mr. McConnell was elected whip in November, the post Mr. Lott held before he became leader.

Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. He is now the No. 3 Republican, but he is ambitious and, at age 44, would be a new, younger face for the party. He is one of the Senate's top anti-abortion crusaders. Mr. Santorum was elected to the Senate in the Republican Revolution year of 1994.

Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee. A physician also elected in 1994, Mr. Frist ran the fund-raising committee for Senate Republicans in the 2002 elections - and thus gets much of the credit for their takeover of the Senate.

E-mail cweiser@gns.gannett.com