Doing Dunn
Posted on June 26, 2009 at 8:02 am
Yesterday, it was reported that Rep. Bill Dunn of Knoxville when he was the state House Minority Leader in 2006, received $15,000 in political contributions from Bill Haslam and his family. The money was given to a leadership PAC, GET R DUNN, which is now closed.
This little tidbit comes up because Bill Dunn was the lone Republican to vote against a bill in committee during the last day of the legislative session which would have lifted the ban on raising political contributions during session.
This, of course, was a devastating blow to the gubernatorial campaign of Lt. Ron Ramsey who desperately needs to raise funds during session next year to be able to compete with Bill Haslam, whose ability to self-finance is well known and well-established.
So, is this a big deal that Dunn received this money three years ago? Does it mean that Dunn is in the pocket of Haslam, that he was returning a favor for the Haslam family support back then?
I mean that’s the implication here, right? What other reason is there to report such a thing unless one thinks that it is a reasonable conclusion to draw from the facts?
The interesting thing is that another reporter who picked up the story clearly doesn’t think so. Tom Humphrey at the end of his blog post on the story, a blog post that could lead the reader to believe Dunn was in Haslam’s pocket, adds a disclaimer.
“Note: Dunn has had an impeccable reputation for honesty that, so far as an old reporter can recall, has not been subject to challenge,” Humphrey wrote.
A bit of a mixed message there it would seem. After all, the Haslam family is very generous to Republican causes and candidates. Ron Ramsey himself has received money from Haslam. Many many Republicans have.
If I were looking for motive, I wouldn’t be looking at the money per se. I would look at the reason why that Dunn PAC got the money from is now closed. The reason, of course, is that a representative who has been ousted from leadership has little need for a PAC.
Leadership PACs are for raising money for political friends in order to get and keep their votes when you run for leadership. Bill Dunn is no longer in leadership.
Why is that? Well, he was replaced by Jason Mumpower, a protege of Ron Ramsey. Ramsey back when House Republicans were choosing their leadership in 2006 was the Senate Minority Leader and likely had already made his deal with Senator Rosalind Kurita and knew he was on the cusp of being Lt. Governor.
Building a Republican majority in the house to compliment what was to become his Senate Majority was likely very important to Ramsey, still is. Even more important than building a Republican Majority was building a Republican majority which had loyalty to him. A Bill Dunn-led House Republican Caucus would have been an ally for Ron Ramsey. A Jason Mumpower-led Majority was a better one.
Now, like Tom Humphrey says, Bill Dunn has an impeccable reputation for honesty and the like, and would not put petty grievances above his unvarnished and studious investigation of legislation. However, if one were looking for a ulterior motive for Dunn’s vote, a look at that leadership vote back in the day would seem as good as any.
In the end it doesn’t really matter. A Democrat, Rep. Mike Turner, voted for the measure and another Democratic vote, Craig Fitzhugh, changed at the last moment from yes to no. Bill Dunn shouldn’t bear the the brunt of the weight for this vote.
Because in the end, while it may be unfair for legislator to be impeded raising money for the a gubernatorial race while the legislature is session, nobody really cared out this rule until 2010 approached.
The passing of this bill, whenever it happens, if it happens, is going to look bad. Ramsey might be able to raise money but he will be seen as having pushed through a piece of legislation which he personally benefits from.
That and the fact daily stories about this Ramsey donor or that one who had business before the legislature will become a frequent occurrence if this bill passes. The money he can raise may be cancelled out by the heat he gets for changing the law and taking the money.
Ramsey has been put in a tight spot here, that much is true. But Bill Dunn’s vote and whatever the reasoning behind it, is the least of Ron Ramsey’s trouble now.
UPDATE: Rep. Mike Turner in the comments:
“I voted for the bill because it would help level the playing field, which is tilted towards money and wealth. As for my friend Bill Dunn done he is one of the most honest thoughtful people i have ever met, his argument against the bill was solid and reasoned. He pointed out that my reason’s for voting for the bill might be correct but he thought it sent the wrong message and might open the system to abuse, which is also a sound reasoning. How ever he made a better case against the bill than I did for it and even convinced Craig Fitzhugh ( another honest and reasoned person ) to change his vote. However we still have system that favors the wealthy when it comes to fundraising and we will look at this bill again in January, when we will not be up against a deadline ( the ending of the session ) and have more time to look at both the pro’s and con’s of the bill.”
Next Step: Mandatory Twitter Accounts
Posted on April 2, 2009 at 11:53 amVia the AP:
The House has unanimously passed a measure to allow members of local governments to communicate in online chat rooms without violating Tennessee’s open meetings laws.
Republican Rep. Bill Dunn, the bill’s main sponsor, says the proposal would be modeled on a pilot program in effect in his hometown of Knoxville.
SEE ALSO: Sledge
permalink | Comment on this post
More On The RINO Hunt: Steve Gill Explains The Embryonic Group
Posted on December 10, 2008 at 10:01 pmRep. Bill Dunn and Rep. Brian Kelsey have already denied involvement in a group described in a Metropulse article as a confederation of conservative Republicans committed to ideological purity in the state legislature.
Via email, radio talker Steve Gill (also mentioned in the article) describes the as-yet unnamed, unannounced group:
There is a group that is in the formative and discussion stages. Dunn, Kelsey and other legislators are in the category of legislators that we have talked about as the kind of legislators we would want to have involved. I have not talked to either of them at this point. I don’t know if they have had any other contact from those who are involved in the development of the group.
The same is true of some of the other names mentioned. Some have weighed in, others have not been contacted yet. There are others not listed who have expressed interest as well. We are seeking input and developing a more concrete plan with some of the key individuals involved and then hope to be able to take that basic plan to a wider audience to seek additional input and involvement. There is a draft working paper that has some prospects listed that is apparently the basis of the Metropulse article.
It is not a PAC that will be targeted at any particular legislator, including Steve McDaniel. The idea is to support conservative house and senate candidates in both primary and general election campaigns. The Left has poured millions into state races, including into Colorado for example, and there is no counterbalance in Tennessee at this point.
Here is a link that gives some insight into how the extremist Left is turning its attention to state races, including plans to insure that they are in position to put their “allies” into positions that decide those races.
The principles that are included in the draft working paper are intended to provide a discussion point for clarifying the type of conservative issues that have broad support among Tennessee voters. Most, if not all of those issues, poll well over 50-60% among Tennessee voters so they are clearly not “wedge” issues. They are mainstream issues to Tennessee voters.
I would expect that by mid-January we should be in position to make a formal announcement of the intents and purposes of the group.
Be Wery, Wery Qwiet, They’re Hunting WRINOs
Posted on at 6:13 pmUPDATE: Rep. Bill Dunn states in the comments that he is not a member of any group of the type described below and Rep. Brian Kelsey has posted on the original article the following:
This is Rep. Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown). The statement that I am a member of any so-called “RINO Hunters” group is 100% false. Please remove my name from this posting immediately. I don’t have anything to do with this group (if it even exists) and haven’t been contacted even once by anybody who does.
A group of Tennessee conservatives are reportedly getting together to pool their money in the pursuit of taking down a few moderates:
The group is attempting to find 15 founding donors good for $20,000 each for each election cycle ($10,000 annual) and other donors to achieve a $375,000 annual budget. The acting chair of the group is Steve Gill, a Nashville radio talk show host. The group also includes major Republican Party donors like Lee Beaman, A.J. McCall, Jimmy Wallace, and James Peach. Legislative members include Republican state Reps. Bill Dunn, Frank Niceley, Brian Kelsey, Donna Rowland, Glen Casada, and Bill Ketron, among others.
The group has a list of 18 conservative positions having to do with opposition to a state income tax, Second Amendment protections, pro-life, traditional marriage, pro-business, repeal of the Hall Income Tax, strict border enforcement, and pro-drilling for energy independence.
One Man, Many Votes
Posted on December 2, 2008 at 9:25 amDavid Oatney says the powers of the Speaker Pro Tempore in our state House of Representatives are more extensive than many may believe:
For while the Speaker Pro Tem does not often preside over the House in Tennessee, he or she does have the ability to walk into any committee of the House and vote a bill up or down, just as the Speaker does. Bill Dunn, who is not a man out to seek any leadership position for the sake of his own advancement, once told me that from a personal perspective-if he were only considering himself-he would like being Speaker Pro Tempore for that very reason.
When Should Legislative Leaders Be Dunn?
Posted on October 14, 2008 at 6:35 amRep. Bill Dunn gets into a term limits discussion during a debate with his opponent in his battle for reelection:
Nicodemus said she had heard that Dunn at one time had favored term limits and that she believes in them.
“I’m not looking for a career of 20 years,” she said.
Dunn, who has been in the Legislature since 1994, quoted U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. of Knoxville as saying it’s a question that’s “best for the people to decide.”
However, he does favor limits on the speakers of the House and Senate in Nashville. “You would see a change in how government is run,” he said.
permalink | Comment on this post
Capital Hill Chaos: Speaker Jimmy Naifeh Overruled [VIDEO]
Posted on May 2, 2008 at 6:27 pmPosted above, for your perusal and enjoyment and that of posterity, is a video of the recent unpleasantness that took place on the floor of the General Assembly yesterday.
It is still lengthy but, in light of the considerable confusion over the controversey, I thought it best to leave as much of the events intact as possible.
PREVIOUSLY:
Naifeh Overruled
Capitol Hill Chaos
Wanted: Dead Or Alive
Slow Train Coming
Slow Train Coming
Posted on at 9:04 amAndy Sher gets the money quote from House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh after his decision that Rep. Bill Dunn was out of order was overruled by a vote of the full General Assembly.
“If we can’t stick together on that (a subsequent procedural vote), we may just as well let Mumpower start presiding,” the powerful speaker told fellow Democrats at a hastily convened party caucus meeting, referring to Minority Leader Jason Mumpower, R-Bristol.
Adding insult to injury, of course, was the later admission by Dunn that he was, in fact, out of order. Five Democrats voted with Dunn and the Republicans resulting in the historic overrule.
Jimmy Naifeh Gets Overruled: The Video
Posted on May 1, 2008 at 2:22 pmRead the play by play and the definitive account at NashvillePost.com. (video courtesy of Ben Cunningham)
Naifeh Overruled
Posted on at 10:48 amBig news on SJR 127 today in the legislature. Rep. Gary Odom made a motion to suspend the rules to vote on a resolution regarding the House schedule, an issue unrelated to SJR 127.
Rep. Bill Dunn then made a motion to amend that motion to suspend so that SJR 127 could be brought up for its first of three readings.
Dunn was then ruled out of order by House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh.
The House Republicans then objected to that ruling. A vote was called to overrule. House Republicans won that vote by 1. A recess was then called for.
The House is now back in session and Dunn has renewed his motion.
UPDATE: Representative Dunn’s motion prevailed 51-43. Odom then withdrew his original motion. Objections were made. A motion was made to adjourn the session and recess until Tuesday. It failed. Session continues…
UPDATE II: Quarreling over the rules has lead to a microphones off discussion between Naifeh, Odom and Republican leaders.
UPDATE III: Odom’s motion to withdraw was voted down 45-51. Dunn’s amendment was thus adopted. The House then voted on whether to suspend the rules in order to bring SJR 127 to the floor. Bringing the resolution to the floor bypassing the committee process requires a two-thirds majority. The vote failed, and SJR 127 was not brought to the floor for a vote.
The two-thirds majority required to bring the resolution to the floor bypassing the committee process was not reached. SJR 127 was not brought to the floor for a vote.
Rep. Moore then called for a moment of prayer and silence for “what just went on here today.” Republican Glen Casada praised the motion and the events of the day as a true expression of representative democracy.
NashvillePost.com political reporter Ken Whitehouse was in the chamber for the events and has a full and complete blow by blow and explanation of what happened right here.
SEE ALSO:
VIDEO: Ben Cunningham
Stacey Campfield (II)
Cara Kumari blog
Crone Speaks
Michael Silence
WSMV Report
Sean Braisted
Nathan Moore
R. Neal
Rob Huddleston
Life News
David Oatney
WPLN
Knox Trivia
Tom Humphrey
Recent Comments
a medal is well deserved …
A medal is not net neccessary, mega kudos will do
This is proof that there is occasionally a glimmer of hope in the Republicans.
I knew Cooper was too smart and compassionate to vote No on...
9, Begin. Please. I am more than happy to be educated on how...
Isn’t this a little late?
I predicted Cooper would jump in Nancy’s lap and do as she bid....
The...
Mikey, Do you get the reference? Goldni, The last accusations...
Oh, and apparently, the 218th vote was Bill Owens of NY-23....