Frist angers conservatives by distancing from DeLay

Conservatives yesterday expressed anger at Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist for what they described as his swipe at House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Mr. DeLay, Texas Republican, said last month that judges who denied appeals by Terri Schiavo’s relatives who were trying to keep the brain-damaged Florida woman alive must “answer for their behavior.”

Mr. Frist, Tennessee Republican, did not mention Mr. DeLay by name in a taped address to a Sunday rally of Christian conservatives, but disavowed “retaliation” against federal judges.

“When we think judicial decisions are outside mainstream American values, we will say so,” Mr. Frist said. “But we must also be clear that the balance of power among all three branches requires respect — not retaliation. I won’t go along with that.”

Press accounts described Mr. Frist’s remarks as a reference to Mr. DeLay, an interpretation the Senate leader’s spokeswoman did not deny yesterday.

House Republicans reacted angrily.

“I hope [Mr. Frist’s] address was written by an intern, but I fear that it was written by his legal staff,” said Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican.

“What Bill Frist said shows where his heart really is — he is not a part of our conservative movement,” Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican, said in reaction to Mr. Frist’s speech.

“Frist would like to have the loyalty Tom DeLay has from the conservative movement, including Christian conservatives, but he can’t get it because Tom DeLay is a true conservative who came out of the movement to lead the House,” Mr. McHenry said.

Sunday’s rally, organized by the Washington-based Family Research Council, was part of an effort to build support among Christian conservatives for President Bush’s judicial appointees who are blocked by Senate Democrats. Speakers at the rally called on Republicans to change Senate rules to limit the use of the filibuster to block judicial appointments.

Mr. Frist, considered a likely contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, told those attending the “Justice Sunday” event that it is not “radical” to ask that the Senate give judicial appointees an up-or-down vote.

Activists say Mrs. Schiavo’s case highlights the judiciary’s role in right-to-life issues. When the woman died of starvation March 31, Mr. DeLay blamed “an arrogant, out-of-control, unaccountable judiciary.” Four days later, Mr. Frist said: “I believe we have a fair and independent judiciary today. I respect that.”

Conservatives said Mr. Frist was courting the evangelical Christian vote while distancing himself from Mr. DeLay.

“We won’t continue to build this conservative movement if we have one leader attacking another leader,” said Free Congress Foundation President Paul M. Weyrich. “I really would like to know Senator Frist’s version of a fair and independent judiciary.”