Extra Bonus Reason Why Lott Should Go: Lincoln Chafee wasn't just talking because he likes the sound of his own voice. (Though that may be true as well.) This is the Rhode Island quasi-Republican's biggie hint with a side of fries that he has the GOP boxed in on this one: If Lott leaves the Senate in a huff, a Chafee party flip gives the Senate to the Dems (assuming Mississippi Democratic Governor Ronnie Musgrove appoints a Democrat to replace Lott). But, if Lott keeps the Majority Leader post, Chafee's got a great excuse to flip anyway, deadlocking the Senate. (Technically, Cheney becomes the tiebreaking vote in such a case, but look at what happened the last time the Senate was 50-50: Lott (ahem) let the GOP get rolled by Tom Daschle on a power sharing arrangement that made sure, for example, that nobody to the right of Pat Leahy got to sit on a federal bench.) Not convinced? Look at it this way: When was the last time you heard Chafee quoted in AP copy?