ar be it from Bill Frist, the new Senate majority leader hailed for his physician's touch, to pronounce any of President Bush's legislative proposals dead on arrival. But in announcing his own agenda last week and showing more enthusiasm for AIDS assistance for Africa than for Mr. Bush's tax-cut proposals, the senator presented an early signal that at least some of the White House program will have trouble winning over enough members of the paper-thin G.O.P. majority.

At the same time, there was little in the leader's new agenda to suggest that he would show greater independence from the White House than his predecessor, Trent Lott. Apart from boosting the AIDS program, the agenda reflects much of his party's narrow ideology, including a proposed ban on the procedure that opponents call "partial birth abortion." Dr. Frist pronounced this as "outside the practice of medicine today." In fact, late-term abortion is a relatively rare necessity upheld as constitutional by the current Supreme Court.

The leader's big test in the health care field may be Medicare reform and the election promises coming due to provide federal aid to the elderly for their rising drug bills. The reported White House goal is to force seniors from traditional Medicare into private health plans as the price of drug assistance. This has already been denounced as a "botched" and unpopular initiative by such leading Republicans as Senator Charles Grassley. Dr. Frist would do his friend the President a favor by attempting a more moderate approach.

Similarly, Dr. Frist's goal of a reliable domestic energy supply will be a critical test of any inclination or talent he might have for leading by moderation. Will he stress fuel conservation, or the President's radical preference for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

The majority leader's focus on the challenge of biological terror is timely. But a critical question is whether adequate funding will be available or whether state and local governments will again be short-changed in carrying out anti-terror mandates.

In polishing his image as leader-physician, Dr. Frist will have to face questions about some of his ties to the health care industry, which contributed generously to his election campaigns. His s father and brother helped found a hospital company that ultimately became the nation's largest, HCA Inc. The company has paid more than $1.7 billion in civil and criminal penalties in a long running investigation of Medicare fraud and other allegations of cheating the taxpayers.

All indications are that Dr. Frist had no role in the managment of HCA, and his supporters point to some independent votes on health care issues. But the HCA connection — it helped produce a a fortune estimated at $20 million — is unlikely to ease Dr. Frist's difficulties in trying to be the Senate's convincing master of the Medicare issue.

Dr. Frist, a dedicated pro bono healer in his trips abroad, styles himself as a classic citizen legislator. He also says he is serving his final Senate term. Such independence is the best possible prescription he could write for himself for a job he never expected to have. It will be tested when he is forced to confront the House of Representatives, which seems intent on being a rubber stamp for some of the most controversial parts of the President's agenda.