Republican Oklahoma Senator Don Nickles, a fiscal and social conservative, became the first to stab Trent Lott in the back today, going on television to say others could do the job of leading Republicans in the Senate better than Lott because Lott has become too weakened.

What a transparent grab for power. Nickles has made it clear that he wanted Lott's job, even before Lott made his racially insensitive comments.

"Lott, however, maintains wide, but not very deep, support and might benefit from the perception that Nickles is trying to exploit the situation for his own political gain."

"Lott has no plans to step down, an aide said, and believes Nickles is exploiting the controversy for his own political gain. The two men have had frosty relations for years, and Nickles considered running against Lott earlier this year. Nickles didn't have the votes, so he brokered a deal with Lott to chair the Budget Committee in the next Congress."

"Senate Republican Conference Chairman Rick Santorum (Pa.) told NBC's "Meet the Press" Lott should remain party leader, and several other GOP senators are rising to Lott's defense. But the future looks bleak for Lott. Senior White House officials say Bush will not defend Lott from a challenge."

Among the possible replacements: Nickles, Rick Santorum (Pa), Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and incoming Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard G. Lugar (Ind.). And maybe Bill Frist (TN).

"Senator Lott knows that he's weakened," McConnell said on ABC's "This Week." "He knows he made a bad mistake. But he's apologized, as I said, on four different occasions. I think we ought to accept the apology and move on."

Here's more on the ouster issue from an earlier Washington Post article today.