Frist opposes up-or-down vote. On lynching.

The GOP is always there to provide us with irony, but it's typically of the most unpleasant sort. Mr. "Up-or-Down Vote" himself, Senator Bill Frist, acted to block an open vote on the resolution apologizing for the Senate's historical failure to act against lynching. Because, you know, that would have meant that Republicans were on the record voting against it. And that would be bad.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) refused repeated requests for a roll call vote that would have put senators on the record on a resolution apologizing for past failures to pass anti-lynching laws, officials involved in the negotiations said Tuesday.

And there was disagreement Tuesday over whether Saxby Chambliss, one of Georgia's two Republican senators, had supported the measure when it was approved Monday night.