Working Mother magazine has named U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole one of the "Best of Congress."

In its annual look at "passionate legislators who champion families," the magazine notes that Dole has 11 working mothers on her staff of 45 and offers good perks.

Employees' hours and work-from-home options are flexible in extenuating circumstances. For example, when one staffer's husband was sick, she was encouraged to use a flexible schedule to balance family and work obligations, and when another employee had a difficult pregnancy confining her to bed rest, her home was set up so she could work remotely.

On policy issues, the magaizne notes that Dole has worked to extend the Family and Medical Leave Act to military families and pushed "a number of antihunger and nutrition initiatives."

Other senators honored included Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, Herb Kohl and Johnny Isakson.  

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr got two veep points and lost one.

First, the North Carolina Republican gave a speech for likely Republican presidential nominee John McCain at the Louisiana state convention.

"John is consistent and John McCain is fair," Burr said. "John McCain is stubborn, John McCain is real. You know just where you stand with him." 

Meantime, the Kansas City Star included him on a list of potential vice presidents, noting he "has some buzz going for him in the party, but is unknown outside."

A similar article in the Washington Post, however, failed to mention Burr. 

It focused instead on Haley Barbour, Charlie Crist, Mike Huckabee, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Condoleezza Rice and Mark Sanford. 

Will U.S. Sen. Richard Burr win his campaign for a leadership post?

A closer look at campaign finance records by the Sunlight Foundation gives reason for skepticism.

The numbers suggest that his competition for the Republican conference chairman, Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Lamar Alexander, have better odds.

Hutchinson has 20 former staffers now working as lobbyists, compared to three for Burr and none for Alexander. Her leadership PAC raised $632,000, compared to $215,000 for Burr's and $15,000 for Alexander's.

"If you're just following the money, you might infer that more people with more at stake on Capitol Hill have a vested interest in Hutchison moving up as opposed to Burr or Alexander," the Foundation notes. 

In addition, Hutchinson got more earmarks in agriculture, defense, energy and water and other bills.

On another front, the group found that Burr's votes most often match Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss and least often match Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

Today's retirement announcement by Republican stalwart Sen. Trent Lott has gotten Sen. Richard Burr to thinking: Should he join the GOP's Senate leadership team?

If the dominoes fall correctly, Burr could get the chance, Barb Barrett reports.

Burr, a freshman senator, will seek the chairmanship of the policy-oriented Republican conference if the job becomes open. It is the No. 3 position in the GOP hierarchy.

The current conference leader, Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, may seek Lott's current position as minority whip.

Lott, of Mississippi, said today he will retire from the Senate by the end of the year—a move that, by inside-the-Beltway standards, shakes things up a bit in the Republican ranks.

More after the jump.

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