Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) temporarily filled the vacancy left in the Senate by the retirement of Trent Lott (R-MS) with a member of the state’s House delegation, Roger Wicker (R-MS). The appointment will be effective until an election can be held to fill the seat for the duration of Lott’s term — it will be up for a full-term vote in 2012. Wicker has already been given Lott’s seat on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, although it will not be nearly as close to Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-AK) as long-time senator Lott was entitled to sit.
RBR/TVBR observation: And Wicker is far less likely to sign on to the anti-broadcast consolidation measures put forth on a regular basis from across the committee’s aisle by Byron Dorgan (D-ND). Lott was perhaps the most conservative ally of Dorgan’s, in part, he has said, because of a part time radio gig Lott enjoyed holding during his high school years.
