Frist done for?

[Moooooo]

I know a lot of us Democrats were dreaming of a Frist/Anbody ticket, but I think those dreams have offically come to an end.

First he fails the Christian right.  Now this.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are looking into Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's sale of stock in HCA Inc. at a time when insiders at the hospital operating company were also selling off shares.

HCA, based in Nashville and founded by the Frist family, said Friday that it had received a subpoena from prosecutors for the Southern District of New York, asking for documents the company believes are related to Frist's stock sale.

Frist, a Tennessee Republican, has been considered a potential presidential candidate in 2008. Aides say he sold his stock to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.

Frist's office confirmed the SEC was looking into the sale.

....

HCA, the nation's largest for-profit hospital company, was founded by Frist's father. His brother was formerly its CEO and chairman and remains on the board of directors.

Frist asked a trustee to sell all his HCA stock in June, near a 52-week price peak of $58.40 a share. Reports to the SEC showed HCA insiders sold about 2.3 million shares, worth about $112 million, from January through June, said Mark LoPresti of Thomson Financial.

Frist's sale came about two weeks before the company issued a disappointing earnings forecast that drove its stock price down almost 16 percent by mid-July. They still have not recovered, closing Thursday at $45.90.

Shares of HCA were up in Friday afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The value of Frist's stock at the time of the sale was not disclosed. Earlier this year, he reported blind trusts with all holdings valued at $7 million to $35 million.

The sale of stock was first reported Monday by Congressional Quarterly. On Tuesday, The Associated Press reported that the stock was sold at or near its peak between June 13, when Frist asked that the shares to be sold, and July 1, when he was told the sale was complete. On July 8, Frist was informed that his wife and children's shares had also been sold per his request, spokeswoman Call said.

For years, Frist was criticized for holding HCA stock while directing legislation on Medicare reform and patient issues. He and his office have consistently deflected criticism by noting that his assets were in a blind trust and not under his active control.

[TheresNoMoney]

I would say he's pretty much officially done.

There was sufficient dirt before this, anway. HCA was convicted of the largest Medicare fraud in American history back in the 90's. Also, the hospitals owned by HCA regularly perform abortions, another fact that would've been brought up in the Republican primary.

I wonder if he'll even bother running anymore.

[Keystone Phil]

Whatever establishment support he would have had is going to disappear soon. He still might run but won't go far. In terms of GOP primary 2008, this is good news for Allen.

[© tweed]

Whatever establishment support he would have had is going to disappear soon. He still might run but won't go far. In terms of GOP primary 2008, this is good news for Allen.

Don't rule out Jeb.  I know he says he isn't running, but don't count on it, especially if this is the end of Frist.  He'd have a very good shot at the establishment's backing.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

He doesn't seem to have any more scandals than DeLay or Bush.

[Lincoln Republican]

Frist should cut his losses and if he was considering running, he should definitely change his mind, and decide against it.

Perception is a very powerful force in politics, and whether he has done anything wrong or not, people will in large part believe he has done something wrong.

Any presidential ambitions he may have had have been dealt a critical blow, from which he will not recover.

[riceowl]

He doesn't seem to have any more scandals than DeLay.

Last I checked, Delay wasn't running for president.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Frist will be the next comeback kid!

[J. J.]

1.  Frist was a weak choice for the nominee; at best he was a default candidate.

2.  It's really going to depend on what the investigation finds.  It might be nothing.

[TheresNoMoney]

They need to get Elliot Spitzer on this case!

[AuH2O]

I'm long gone but I'll let you through,

You may decide... that it's not good

I'm long gone but I'll let you leave,

You may decide... on stopping me

I'm long gone but I'll let you lose,

You may decide... it's something new

[George W. Hobbes]

Yep, and I'm not all that upset about it.  McCain 2008!

[WalterMitty]

bill frist is a joke.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

bill frist is a joke.

So says the guy with Pat Leahy in his signature.

[Moooooo]

So says the guy with Pat Leahy in his signature.

Leahy is a freedom fighter, DON. 

[WalterMitty]

So says the guy with Pat Leahy in his signature.

Leahy is a freedom fighter, DON. 

exactly.

[MODU]

I don't think this would sink Frist, but it would give talking heads something to yammer about if he did try to run for President, and knowing some of the voters out there, they would believe everything said.  Personally, Frist has never "moved" me one way or another, and I feel that is probably true for many independents. 

[TomC]

Frist is finished. This undoubtedly helps McCain, seen as the "cleanest" of the Republicans. Maybe it helps Allen assuming he ever gets into double digits in the polls.

[The Duke]

I was under the impression that Frist was finished long before this.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Frist has long been a bad joke.  He has all the excitement, guts and brains of a mashed potato sandwich.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The question is whether Frist got stabbed in the back by Bush. Sure he's corrupt, but the SEC didn't investigate Dubya's inside trading when his daddy was President.

[J. J.]

The question is whether Frist got stabbed in the back by Bush. Sure he's corrupt, but the SEC didn't investigate Dubya's inside trading when his daddy was President.

That's because "Dubya" wasn't involved in trading.  Neil, however, was nailed in the S and L scandals.

As previously noted, Roger Clinton was pardoned.