The Singing Senators Take Another Hit

Being in the quartet business myself, I'm familiar with The Singing Senators, a group of four GOP U.S. Senators who formed a quartet of their own and sang gospel and patriotic music every now and then (the Wikipedia entry says "barbershop" quartet, but that's not the kind of music they were singing). They even appeared on the Today Show, sang with the Oak Ridge Boys in Branson, MO, and appeared one year at the National Quartet Convention, the biggest gospel music gathering in the country. Who were these Senators?

Jim Jeffords (R-VT) - tenor
Larry Craig (R-ID) - lead
John Ashcroft (R-MO) - baritone
Trent Lott (R-MS)- bass

This is one tough luck quartet. What has happened to these guys since the quartet formed in the 90's?

• Jim Jeffords abandoned the Republican party in 2001 and handed control of the Senate over to Tom Daschle and the Democrats. He also lost his spot in the quartet.
• John Ashcroft lost his bid for reelection in 2000...to a dead guy, was appointed Attorney General by President Bush, and became the whipping boy for the lefties during the early years of the Bush Administration.
• Trent Lott made an unfortunately remark at a dinner honoring Strom Thurmond and was forced to resign his majority leader post following a lengthy and highly unsuccessful apology tour. He remained in the Senate and has since eased his way back into a leadership position, though has lost favor with many conservatives because of his arrogant approach to the recent failed immigration bill.
• Larry Craig is now starring in "Brokeback Bathroom" with the news that he was caught in a sex sting in a Minneapolis airport restroom. Both his singing and senatorial days will soon be over.

Hey guys, I don't try to be a U.S. Senator. You shouldn't try to be a quartet singer.