"Frist Targets Cantwell"--Bring It on Bill!

Hotline:

The first state Sen. Maj. Leader Bill Frist plans to visit in August: Washington, where Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) faces a well-financed, dynamic challenger in Mike McGavick.

Cantwell refused Frist's entreaties and enticements to vote for cloture on the Trifecta bill. Frist offered to further fix the tip adjustment matrix that poisoned the minimum wage increase for many Democrats, but Cantwell sent word that she was not open to changing her mind.

So now, per a senior Republican aide: "We won the last 2 elections and beat Tom Daschle by campaigning against Democrat obstructionism. This could be the gift we were looking for."

Cantwell has a small but solid lead in the most recent public opinion polls and in private surveys conducted for both campaigns.

Meanwhile, another senior Republican aide notes that because Sen. Frist changed his vote at the last minute to keep his options open, he may yet try to bring the Trifecta back to life. Still, the Senate has only 14 full working days when they return after the August recess.

Postman fills in some local details:

And Frist will be here soon to deliver it in person. He is holding two fundraisers in the state for Mike McGavick on the 14th. Hotline says Washington is the first stop on Frist's August recess travels.

UPDATE: It doesn't sound like Frist offered a very good deal. Cantwell aide Michael Meehan said that Cantwell talked to Frist by telephone Wednesday night. Cantwell said she had a problem with the minimum wage proposal and Frist said "Well, maybe we can work on a fix."

Cantwell wanted to know what that fix would be, and the only thing she got as a follow up was a copy of the U.S. Department of Labor letter to Frist that said the tip provision was open to interpretation and that the department would work with Congress to clarify it.

"It was clearly not a fix," Meehan said. And that's why Cantwell turned it down and voted against the measure.

UPDATE: Frist's press secretary, Carolyn Weyforth, says by e-mail that Frist was willing to do whatever it took to satisfy Cantwell's concerns:

Sen. Frist told Sen. Cantwell that he would work with her on this issue and to fix the tip credit in anyway that she wanted, clearly she did not take the Senator up on this offer because she voted against the bill.