Lott successor Wicker has big britches to fill

Politico, 1/22/8

Roger Wicker, the nation’s newest senator, bears little resemblance to his predecessor, recently departed Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott.

Lott’s political dexterity and verbal flourish made him an outsized figure during his 25 years in Congress.
By contrast, the understated Wicker is almost bland.

Lott may have given Wicker his first job on Capitol Hill — in 1980, as an aide on the House Rules Committee — but the new senator is more in the mold of his senior colleague, Republican Thad Cochran, an understated force who wields quiet clout as the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee.