Ramsey On Stanley
Posted on July 26, 2009 at 12:40 amFrom NewsChannel5:
“Should he step down from his Senate seat,” Williams asked.
“You know that’s something we’re going to be debating in the upcoming days,” Ramsey replied.
Stanley, who made a name as a family-values crusader, is married with two children.
While Ramsey can’t force him to resign, he made it clear he’s not happy with him.
“Does he have your full support?” Williams asked him.
“Well, obviously, when you have friends like this in the legislature, you are going to be as supportive as you can as human being, BUT what he did was wrong,” Ramsey said. “What he did was reprehensible. I wouldn’t do something like that. It sheds a bad light on all of us. So, obviously, I’m upset.”
Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, a Blountville auctioneer who is seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination, told reporters Saturday that Stanley had told him several weeks ago that he was separating from his wife, but that he didn’t find out about the allegations until this week.
“It caught me completely off guard,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey said he immediately told Stanley to resign his position as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. He added that he can’t control whether Stanley should resign from the Legislature.
“He’s obviously a friend of mine … but what he did is unconscionable, and he should not have done that,” Ramsey said. “Whether you like it or not, it does reflect on all of us.”
From Andy Sher:
“It’s sufficient (action) right now,” Lt. Gov. Ramsey said of the move. “And I’m not going to say that resignation from the Senate is going to be out of order, let’s put it that way. But you know, I obviously am taking it one step at a time, and I think that’s significant now until Paul kind of gets his life back in order.”
But Lt. Gov. Ramsey said what ultimately happens “is really between him and his constituents more or less. I don’t appoint him as senator. I do appoint him as committee chair. That’s the only thing I have control over so I asked him to step down.”
From Tom Humphrey:
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey said revelations about the sexual relationship “caught me completely off guard,” even though an emotionally upset Stanley had told him privately in early June he and his wife, Kristi Stanley, “were going to be separated.”
“I told him I’d be praying for him,” said Ramsey.
Stanley’s Ex-Wife Claims He Strangled Her And Called Her A Whore
Posted on at 12:34 amFrom My Fox Memphis:
Before his marriage to his current wife, Stanley was married to Judy Martin. Martin applied for a restraining order against Stanley, saying he was “verbally abusive” also physically abusive. She writes in February of 1994 was the “third time he has physically hit me.” The order says he “hit her with a tremendous blow then turned and ran away.”
This order was eventually dismissed, but the couple divorced shortly after. Divorce papers reveal a tumultuous relationship. The ex-wife admits to slapping Stanley after he called her a “whore.” She also claims he strangled her.
Way Past Anger
Posted on July 25, 2009 at 11:35 amGay activist Chris Sanders explains why he hasn’t had much to say about the travails of the “pro-family” Paul Stanley:
You see, we had our fit when the policies that attacked ourselves and those we love were introduced. Anger about policy isn’t a compelling story, though. It takes a 22-year old intern, lurid photographs, and blackmail to generate real (meaning loud but fake) outrage. It’s the kind of outrage that people who used to watch Jerry Springer might enjoy.
So “Should I stay or should I go now?” Stanley asks himself. If he left, I wouldn’t miss him. But another self-righteous busy-body would probably take his place.
Paul Stanley’s Ex-Wife Speaks: Hopes He ‘Gets What He Deserves’
Posted on July 24, 2009 at 7:15 pm
The former Judy Stanley, Sen. Paul Stanley’s first wife who filed a restraining order against him in 1994, tells Memphis TV that she hopes Stanley gets what he deserves after revelations how come out that he cheated on his second wife with an intern.
Stanley said at the time that it was his wife, Judy, not he who was abusive:
Stanley’s ex-wife says a day after filing the restraining order, Stanley came back to their East Memphis house with a sheriff deputy, packed his bags and moved out. Criminal charges were never filed against Stanley. So far, Paul Stanley has not commented on the abuse claims, but in divorce records he turns the tables and says his ex-wife was the abusive one.
The old claims of abuse, comes on the heels Stanley being in the middle of a sex scandal.
All Eyes On Ramsey
Posted on at 3:52 pmPat Nolan will be interested to see what the Lt. Governor has to say about Paul Stanley once he can’t use the excuse that he is out of town anymore:
And what will Lt. Governor Ramsey say? The Speaker took some heat for how he handled another recent scandal involving a Senate aide who sent out a racist e-mail. Now Ramsey is also a full-fledged gubernatorial candidate which raises the stakes on what he says in reaction to this scandal. As this was being written, Ramsey had been out of the state and unavailable for comment. We’ll see what he has to say.
Adultery Everywhere
Posted on at 2:33 pmBut not on Rep. Jim Coley’s doorstep. Coley writes to a West Tennessee blog to complain that one of their writer purposefully implied something:
I am very disaapointed in Austin’s suggestion which obliquely suggesst that I would have an affair. His comment diminishes him, my wife, my family, and me. This is the second time a regretable piece of invective that has appeared about me which is flagarantly untrue. Every time one of these issues has appeared I have sought clarity with you because I know you are a man of faith. It has upset my wife and there is no need for this. Indeed, we are commanded to pray for Paul Stanley and his family which is what I did.
Kindest regards,
Jim
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Representin’
Posted on at 2:21 pmFrom the Tennessee Journal:
Nearly all legislators begin their Tennessee Blue Book entry by specifying religious affiliation, sometimes identifying a particular congregation. Stanley is the only senator in the 2007-08 edition who begins with “Evangelical Christian.” He follows that with his United Methodist Church membership. He has championed conservative Christian causes, including a bill that would have barred unmarried couples from adopting children — an attempt to prevent gay adoptions.
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Too Concerned With His Libido
Posted on at 11:38 amDavid Oatney says Paul Stanley needs to resign — yesterday:
Bill Dunn is known to show up at his office at 6:00am to begin working. Mike Bell has a blue collar work ethic that causes him to show up early and often stay late. It isn’t the least bit unheard of for Stacey Campfield to work deep into the evening and sleep on a small couch in his office. These people know that their primary reason for being in Nashville is to serve their constituents, not to be a good-time Charlie or spice up their sex lives.
If someone is able to come up with enough photographs of you playing Romper Room with your favorite intern that they can then threaten you with blackmail, then you’ve probably spent entirely too much of your time at the Capitol tending to your desires rather than the concerns of the people you represent. Paul Stanley’s libido is obviously of greater concern to him than the public business, so he needs to clear himself from the burdens of public life so that he can engage in the things most important in his universe.
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Thank You, Mister Helper
Posted on at 10:59 amBrent Taylor gets a recommendation from Sen. Paul Stanley to serve on the Republican State Executive Committee — dated one day before all hell broke loose.
Planned Parenthood Official’s Email Makes News
Posted on at 7:32 am(via MyFoxMemphis)
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The Silence Is Deafening
Posted on at 7:31 amJeff Woods on the lack of chatter from legislators about Paul Stanley:
Our lovable legislators have been hiding from reporters lately, hoping not to have to comment on Paul Stanley’s embarrassing travails. After all, people who live in glass houses, etc. The silence of the normally loquacious Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, in particular, is beginning to gain notice as a bit ridiculous.
Watson On Stanley: Lawmakers Should Hold Themselves To Higher Standard
Posted on at 7:21 amStanley’s colleague is not ready to talk resignation however:
Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, said he knows little about Sen. Stanley’s problems other than news accounts and it has “been very disappointing news to hear and certainly I feel for his family having to go through all this. I think it’s a tragic situation.”
Asked whether Sen. Stanley should step down, Sen. Watson said, “I don’t know that that’s something I’m ready to say anything about right now because I don’t know all the details of what transpired. That will be a decision he has to make. … I’m sure he’ll be taking the pulse of his constituents.”
Sen. Watson said while lawmakers in the General Assembly “aren’t any different than people who serve in the private sector or the regular world,” they are “held to a higher standard and should be.”
“It’s unfortunate and disappointing when something like this happens, particularly when it’s a colleague, but the reality is we’re in the public’s eye,” Sen. Watson said. “We’re doing the public’s service, and we’re required to hold ourselves to a higher standard and we should.”
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Stanley Conspiracy Theories Start To Percolate
Posted on at 7:17 amFrom the Democratic Underground:
Do you suppose that the attorney representing Joel Watts will be looking into why Senator Stanley was spending $833.34 from his campaign account to pay for unspecified “COMPUTER WORK” the very same day that Watts was set up by the TBI for arrest (one can buy a new laptop for less than that amount of money)…?
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TPM Nominates Paul Stanley For Worst Person In The World
Posted on July 23, 2009 at 8:27 pmThe national blog thinks Sen. Stanley would be a great candidate for a certain national cable news honor:
Paging Keith Olbermann. You can call off the search…we’ve found your Worst Person in the World for tonight.
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New Rule: Don’t Diddle The Interns
Posted on at 8:23 pmVia WKRN:
An alleged extortion attempt against a state senator prompts talk of a new rule regarding interns on Tennessee’s Capitol Hill.
According to an affidavit filed in April, 27-year-old Joel Watts of Clarksville attempted to extort $10,000 from Republican Senator Paul Stanley, threatening to reveal an affair he had with his former intern, 22-year-old McKensie Morrison, a student at Austin Peay State University.
The senator, who prefers anonymity for now, wants a penalty of censure for lawmakers breaking a proper working relationship with interns.
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Stanley’s First Wife Swore Out A Restraining Order In 1994
Posted on at 3:28 pm
While Sen. Paul Stanley tries desperately to hang on to his current marriage amid reports of a TBI confirmed admission of an extramarital affair with an intern and subsequent blackmailing by her boyfriend, allow Post Politics to take you on a trip down memory lane.
You see, while Paul Stanley is currently a husband to his wife Kristi and father to his two young children, he hasn’t always been married — not to Kristi anyway.
Before Stanley’s political career got going as a Senior Field Representative for Senator Bill First in 1995, he was married to another woman, his first wife, Judy Martin.
The couple resided together for only one year. But it seems it was a tumultuous one. According to documents obtained by Post Politics, in 1994, Judy Martin swore out a restraining order against her husband, Paul R. Stanley. From the order:
“Paul has verbally abused me as well as my children using very vulgar language. Also, this incident that occurred Feb 6th, 1994 is the third he has physically hit me.
After verbal abuse and physically hitting me — pushing — removing his glasses ready for a confrontation.
He was going out the door to leave our house and he hit me with a tremendous blow and then he proceeded to turn and run away from me outside the garage to the street.”
Shortly after the incident described above transpired the couple divorced. Stanley shortly thereafter met his current wife while working for Bill Frist’s U.S. Senate office in Memphis.
Kristi Stanley also worked in Frist’s Memphis office — as an intern.
Zach Wamp Is Just Like A Bunch Of People Many Of Whom Will Be Behind His Opponents
Posted on May 5, 2009 at 9:46 pmSo proclaims his press release:
“Zach combines the clear vision and laser-like focus of a Lamar Alexander, the energy and drive of a Bob Corker, the command of complex issues like a Bill Frist or a Bill Brock, the common sense and straight talk of a Fred Thompson, and the ability to relate to and communicate with folks from all walks of life like a Winfield Dunn or a Howard Baker. That makes Zach a uniquely talented candidate and a major political force, and I believe his momentum will simply be unstoppable as voters in Middle and West Tennessee get to know him as well as folks already do in East Tennessee.”
Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Gave Extensively To Republicans
Posted on February 23, 2009 at 8:09 am
It would appear that the Tennessee Democratic Party’s new treasurer is not the only Democrat of note with a history of contributing money to both Democratic and Republican causes.
Post Politics has learned that Ward Cammack, one of two Democrats actively campaigning to succeed Governor Phil Bredesen in 2010, has given to a myriad of Tennessee Republican candidates starting in 1979 with a donation to Senator Howard Baker’s 1980 Presidential run.
While Cammack has supported Congressman Jim Cooper with financial donations steadily throughout his career, a large majority of his donations have gone to Tennessee Republican candidates for federal office. In 1994, the year of the Republican Revolution, Cammack gave extensively to both Bill Frist and Fred Thompson who were victorious in grabbing both of Tennessee’s U.S. Senate seats that year.
Cammack also gave heavily to Lamar Alexander contributing to both his Presidential run in 1996 as well as his initial 2002 Senate run. In 2008, Cammack gave heavily to Alexander’s opponent Bob Tuke.
Cammack’s most recent Republican donation was in late 2005 when he contributed $500 to Bob Corker’s 2006 Senate primary campaign though Cammack tells Post Politics he ultimately voted for Corker’s opponent Harold Ford, Jr.
In discussing his party shift, Cammack cannot point to any “Road to Damacus” moment but admits that he is “clearly a convert” to the Democratic cause and credits the Bush years for his shift in worldview.
“Everything has changed. A lot of things people thought they had to protect, be it money or a set of so-called moral beliefs, have proved illusory,” Cammack explains. “All we really have is each other.”
Cammack, whose first Democratic vote for President was cast last fall for Barack Obama, said it was the exclusionary tactics of the GOP which led him to begin to question the staunch Republicanism he had learned as a child.
“Eventually you just have to ask: What is this all about? Why are we marginalizing people like this?” Cammack explains.
When asked whether he could pinpoint whether it was Republican policies on social issues, economic issues or foreign policy that ultimate let to his conversion, Cammack was unequivocal.
“All of the above,” replied Cammack.
Cammack does expect that some may be skeptical of his political past but insists that the Democratic Party is a “very comfortable skin for him.”
“Yes, I have given [money] to Republicans in the past and I have voted for Republicans in the past. I have never tried to hide that,” Cammack says. “But if you ask me if I believe in the Democratic Party, the answer is yes. Yes, I do.”
SEE ALSO: The Rotunda asks: “[I]s there a prominent Democrat expanding the tent of the party to reach the affluent white guys like Ward Cammack and Bill Freeman?”
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