The News is saying that Williams approached the Dems about electing him and not vice versa. Do you know if this is true? It sucks either way, but I am curious.
My heart goes out to all the republicans at the capitol. It is hard to lose. But, it is bitter to lose when you are betrayed. Mumpower, Casada and even McDaniels looked like someone had just sucker-punched them. It was very sad.
There is little doubt that even the democrats have lost all respect for this 2 term republican who betrayed his own party in order to be a puppet. Democrats looked for the weakest link and found it in an aging, weak minded, foolish man who was easily manipulated and will be scorned and mistrusted by the lobbyist, republicans and even the democrats. It is truly sad.
If an election were held today, Kent Williams would probably lose his district. But, don't assume that he will lose in 2010. Between now and then he will be able to do a lot for his district. He won his last election in a landslide. I wouldn't be suprised if we were to see the Kent Williams Civic Auditorium placed in Gov. Bredesen's budget for William's district. Williams will pass all sorts of meaningless but conservative sounding legislation. He may just get re-elected in 2010. Don't presume he wont.
I know Carter County has had a recall election in the past. Some Carter Countians are discussing this. Is it an option since he is not a local official, but a state official? His entire district is in Carter County.
I may be missing some kind of inside joke but don't you spell it Jason not Jayson Maybe I'm just slow.
Stripping and whipping Williams would be too good for what he has done. If he had thought any thing of his family why would he choose to go down in Tennessee history as one of the most underhanded, self centered acts of thuggery in the history of the state legislature?
It says it all when the coward chose to hide behind state troopers.
I'm going to send the new speaker a congratulatory gift. A box of condoms to remind him of how he screwed us. Plus a jar of Vaseline he'll need for Jimbo's late night visits in the Speaker's chambers.
Makes me want to vomit.
Yeah, it's scary. A 2-year-old in charge.
Ha! Ha!
Campfield, get your nose out of Mumpower's hind quarters. We Republicans need to get over it and devote our efforts towards fixing what is wrong with Tennessee. We all know that the leadership of the Republican Party haven't thrown any support the new Speaker's way, so what did you expect? The only people who have treated Mr. Williams with a modicum of respect have incredibly enough been the Democrats. Just because he isn't a rank and file member of the party and has some different opinions, the TNGOP has ostracized him and has even made efforts against him. He along with all of the other members were forced to sign that stupid and immature document saying that everyone was going to vote Republican. I will wager that pushed him even further towards today's end.
Instead of looking at the Legislature as Democrats and Republicans, maybe you should all think of yourselves as REPRESENTATIVES and nothing more. Do what is in the best interest of your constituents and not what's in the best interest of the party. Do not forget that you were elected by the voters, not the TNGOP. Like it or not, Mumpower as Speaker was a pretty scary proposition and to elect him to the position just because he is the leader of the House Republicans is not motivated by the best interests of the great state of Tennessee. I'm not necessarily saying Mr. Williams is in those best interests, but he believes that the voters elected both Republican AND Democrat Representatives to the House not JUST Republicans. Mumpower would have given no voice to the Democrat Representatives whereas Williams, without a doubt, wants the government to be represented by both groups working together. The maneuver he effected today demonstrates that he has no confidence in Mumpower to be an effective leader of the Body. In my humble opinion, a man who will not listen to both sides is not a leader but a tyrant. Regardless of what has happened up until now, it is time for both sides to put this behind them and live with it. We as the TNGOP belittle ourselves by throwing a temper tantrum by trying to remove Mr. Williams from the party and are playing right into the hands of the Democrats. I really hope you can see the light. The people want effective leadership, not partisan leadership. The first person to stand up and give the people what they want is going to lead the way. Today that person was Mr. Williams.
In the election of 1824 Andrew Jackson lost after winning the popular vote of the people. This happened because Henry Clay gave his votes to Adams in return for an appointment to Secretary of State. Jackson referred to this as the "corrupt bargain." Jackson called Clay "the Judas of the West," and added that "his end will be the same."
Kent betrayed the party today, but his actions will hang him politically in the future.
Keep your head up, hopefully this is a wake up call to the party to start to purge these types of people.
As much as I dislike Monday morning armchair quarter-backing and post mortems the failure to bail-out Rosalind Kurita set the stage for this disaster.
I believe the best thing to do is suck it up and move forward agressively on policy issues so there will be no eqivocation on who to elect in the future.
And that, Rep., is what you do best.
"Republicans need to get over it and devote our efforts towards fixing what is wrong with Tennessee."
What is wrong with Tenn is 18 years of debauchery like this from Jimbo Naifeh.
The only reason Naifeh's manboy Williams gets respect from the Dems is to control him like they did yesterday. Other than that they would spit on him as they walked by him on the street.
So Robert when did Jimbo think of the House as "REPRESENTATIVES"? Oh must have been during one of the committee meetings when Jimbo assumed control and denied the Repubilican members any voice so he could personally kill a vote. Or must have been the time he gazed across the floor of the House asking if there were any objections then slammed the gavel as he lied saying no while looking straight at objecting Republican reps. Yeah that's in the best interest. We sure need more like that!
"demonstrates that he has no confidence in Mumpower to be an effective leader of the Body"
Yeah I saw that lack confidence as Williams handed the gavel and control over to his bed buddy Jimbo. He doesn't even have confidence in himself.
"In my humble opinion, a man who will not listen to both sides is not a leader but a tyrant."
So you agree that Jimmy Naifeh is a tyrant? Well then now that that's settled what do you call the puppet of a tyrant? Jeff Dunham couldn't have done a better job with is hand up Williams' back yesterday.
Williams has put the Republican leadership up against a rock. They really can't throw him out of the party because that's what Jimbo wants and the Republicans would lose the "majority" if that's what you want to call it. So they are going to have to deal with this pile of bull crap for 2 more years and the stink that comes with it.
The proof will be in the committee selections. There's where you will see where Williams loyalty really lies. If he appoints a Dem chairman to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee then it's over because they will control the purse strings. Of all the committees that is the most important one in getting contol over the wreckless Dummicrat spending and disregard for the Copeland Cap that has put the state $1 bn in the hole.
When Williams said he didn't want to see legislative staff lose their jobs that brings up the question of what does one of those staff members have on good ol' Kent?
Mr. Good, or is it Kent Williams I'm addressing ? Boss Hogg Naifeh Meatpuppets like Kent Williams are incapable of leading, only following orders from Democrats. Just "bidness as usual" from the West Tennessee Democrat Mafia.
There's a word for what I'm feeling ...
Schadenfreude!
Keep it up I'm loving it.
Curious that the media and Democrats demand bipartisianship when Republicans won the House. Where has the bepartisianship been under Naifeh?
We don't need a RINO like Williams.
Mr. Forman,
May I remind you that the Republican Party has done nothing more than spit on Mr. Williams during his time in the House. They supported another candidate for his re-election for crying out loud not to mention made a childish effort to "keep him in line." That in itself is a disgrace to our party.
Don't think for one moment that if Mumpower was elected Speaker, it would have been anything different than more of the same just from a different party. Mumpower would have trampled the Democrats purely out of spite for the treatment we have gotten for so many years. Both sides continue to forget that the majority of voters vote for a candidate for his ideals NOT just his party affiliation. When an electied official joins the Legislative body, his or her ideals are often cast aside by petty partisanism and grade school style bickering. Now is the time for something different. Mr. Williams may not be the most qualified, but I know for a fact that he is going to let a whole hell of a lot more voices be heard than just his party or his buddies.
You argue that Mr. Williams is Naifeh's puppet, and I could not disagree more. Mr. Williams is NO ONE's puppet. Right or wrong, Naifeh and Odom saw an opportunity to put someone up there who would give them an equal voice rather than no voice at all. We would have done the same thing.
Mr Good: You seem to be missing the point that Williams made promises to many individuals regarding his upcoming vote. He lied. He is untrustworthy and has no integrity, two necessary characteristics for leadership. The Dems just traded weasel #1 for weasel #2, who is beholden to weasel number one.
Well David, I would rather have Kent Williams (who is beholden to no one)than weasel #3 (Mumpower).
Mr. Williams has no reason to be trustworthy to those who have tried so hard to work against him. I can forgive him for his lies. Why can't you? Aren't we supposed to be Christians?
Mr. Good, you can forgive a traitor's lies since to you Democrats, lying isn't a sin... unless you're lying to other Democrats.
Robert: So we are only bound to be trustworthy to those who are "with us", and guiltless with any others? Seriously? You accept a "leader" who selectively speaks truthfully? Not me. I can forgive him for his lies and deceit, however, I could never trust him again, and therefore, could not follow him. Sorry.
As to Mumpower, do you have some evidence that he has been lying in this or some other matter?
So where were all the appalled Republicans when DEMOCRAT Rosalind Kurita voted for Ron Ramsey. If I am seeing things correctly, GOP votes GOP and Dems vote Dems. Yes, Its a hard battle to lose, but its time to serve the people of Tennessee and not the GOP or the TNDP. If Mumpower had reached over a little harder for Democratic Power sharing (Which is common for many state legislatures with such a slim majority for one party) maybe he would be speaker. Anything that happens in this world is ordered by GOD, and He knew this was going to happen. If anyone is still upset pray to God and ask for understanding and a forgiving heart.
hj, Kent DID NOT approach the Dems, they came to Carter County and approached him.
Shane, there was no "outrage", because #1, Rosalind Kurita wasn't voting for HERSELF for Senate Speaker, #2, She was reaffirming that the Senate was a MAJORITY GOP body, #3, that she believed it was dangerous and reckless to allow John Wilder, a man who was too old and incompetent to continue serving as the second-most important office in the state of Tennessee. Another traitor named Mike Williams, a RINO, like Kent, was prepared to vote for the senile, incompetent Senate Speaker in exchange for maintaining his own position as Speaker Pro Tempore despite the fact he had absolutely no support in his own party. In other words, he was looking out for himself and not what was best for Tennessee.
Had the Democrats been wise enough to have chosen Jim Kyle, the Democrat Leader, as their nominee for Senate Speaker in 2007, Kurita (and quite probably Mike Williams) would've voted for him on the floor and he would've been elected despite their being in the minority. That was their loss. Kurita had to endure neverending attacks from her party colleagues for doing the right thing for Tennessee when they themselves failed to do so. As the final parting shot for doing what they failed to do, they stole her renomination that she rightfully won.
If you can't see the difference between these two situations, then you're a hopeless case.
It is shocking the level of contempt Democrats have for the state of Tennessee that in a 2-year period they would entrust a feeble incompetent with Lieutenant Governor and follow it up by installing a mentally unsound, paranoid, pathological liar and fraud as Speaker just to "get even" with the Republicans. I hope over the coming two years the people of Tennessee are educated on these activities and realize which party truly has the state's best interests in mind in moving forward with the people's agenda. 140 years of chicanery by the Democrats is quite long enough.
Commenting by HaloScan
