You Gotta Admit, This Is Kind Of Awesome
Posted on February 16, 2009 at 10:08 amFollowing his dismissal from the Republican Party by Robin Smith, Kent Williams has declared his new party affiliation officially on the state’s website — and it ain’t independent and it ain’t Democrat. As he stated, in his retort to the chairwoman, he is a Carter County Republican.
RELATED: Rep. Stacey Campfield on trademark infringement.
Right And Left Agree On Williams Ouster
Posted on February 10, 2009 at 7:33 amTom Humphrey notes that two legislators who fought against each other in hard scrabble race for GOP House Caucus Chair late last year both agree that Robin Smith could have handled “the Williams situation” differently:
Others expressing misgivings about Smith’s action included Rep. Steve McDaniel of Parker’s Crossroads, who was appointed to the post of deputy speaker by Williams and who is generally regarded as a moderate, and Rep. Frank Niceley of Strawberry Plains, a staunch conservative.
“We’re elected as a legislative body. We don’t need another body second-guessing how we vote,” said Niceley.
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Carter County Republicans Unite
Posted on at 7:25 amSpeaker Kent Williams’ hometown paper rebukes TNGOP chair Robin Smith for kicking the Carter Countian out of the GOP:
[W]e do not think that Republicans in Memphis and Chattanooga, where Ms. Smith is from, should be meddling in Carter County politics. We may live in the mountains, but we aren’t ignorant. We are learned enough in politics to vote. We don’t need the bright out-spoken lawyer from Memphis nor the “blonde” saleswoman from Chattanooga to tell us how to vote, nor do we need them to select our candidates. My gosh, our ancestors were the first to settle in Tennessee. They formed the first independent government west of the Alleghenies. Long before there was a Tennessee or a Chattanooga or a Memphis, our folks were living here in the Watauga Settlement. They were busy building a community and forming a government. I don’t know if they were Republicans or Democrats, but it really doesn’t matter. They were daring, brave and they sure didn’t let the British tell them what to do.
Perhaps, Ms. Smith should know that when she kicks our representative out of the Republican Party, she has dealt a blow to every Williams voter in Carter County.
UPDATE: The editorial has been removed from the website of the Star but Joe Powell has salvaged the text for posterity.
(TJF: Ken Whitehouse)
Please, He’s Just A Minion
Posted on February 9, 2009 at 2:09 pmRobin Smith denies she called Speaker Kent Williams the devil:
“Her exact words were, ‘Congratulations speaker. It’s hard to kill the devil but in two years, you’re a dead man.’
“That’s a pretty harsh statement,” Williams told reporters after Smith expelled him from the party this morning. He said it made him “feel cheated” of his big moment in the sun.
To the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Smith denies she called Williams the devil. She says she was talking to Jimmy Naifeh at the time. “That is an absolute lie,” she says of Williams’ account of what happened. She didn’t approach the podium at all, she says, but looked Naifeh “straight in the eye” from the House floor. “I just mouthed the words, ‘It’s hard to kill the devil.’”
Tom Humphrey has more on the dispute from Jimmy Naifeh:
Naifeh, meanwhile, says he had never met Smith and didn’t recognize her, but recalls “some woman yelling at Kent Williams” that “We’re coming after you.”
“Kent said ‘Come on,’ or something like that,” said Naifeh.
But Naifeh said he doesn’t recall the word “devil” being used.
“If she said that, I didn’t hear it,” he said.
SEE ALSO: TNGOP Chief of Staff Mark Winslow:
This is just more victimization from Williams. I was standing with [Robin Smith] on the floor when she addressed [Williams]. She did not “approach” the podium as he has said. We were standing at Mumpower’s desk. Her specific comment was “Good luck, you’ll need it. You are a man without a party.” Then she looked at Nafieh and said “They say it’s tough to kill the devil, but we’ll get there.”
I think you heard today, Robin’s determination that this not get personal. Clearly from his release and now this silliness, Williams intends to keep trying to make it personal. He needs to follow his own advice when he said she has made her decision and so be it. It’s sad to see someone who portrays himself as a leader of this state acting in such a childish fashion.
SEE ALSO: Tiny Cat Pants
Oh, No You Didn’t
Posted on at 1:03 pmMicahel Silence exemplifies the attitude of the East Tennessee Republican in reacting to the TNGOP’s ousting of Speaker Kent Williams:
The people of Carter County ought to vote to oust the GOP from the county. After all, it seems to me that if the state GOP is going to nullify their votes, then the people of Carter County can nollify the party. Residents voted for Williams as a Republican. The party says no you didn’t. Again, that seems a wee bit arrogant. In the meantime, the state party has removed Williams as the villain and made him the victim. Add to that latter list the voters of Carter County.
The Democratic Caucus Reacts To The Ousting Of The Speaker
Posted on at 12:27 pmRep. Mike Turner with the statement:
“While it would be inappropriate to comment on the inner workings of the opposition party, I will say it is disappointing that the Republican Party appears to have put partisan politics ahead of governing. Speaker Williams has already shown himself to be a fair and balanced speaker, and one who will give every Democrat, Republican or Independent a chance to be heard.
While Speaker Williams has made it clear that he will always be a Republican and hold to his Republican ideology, the House Democratic Caucus will continue to extend a hand of bipartisan cooperation to the new speaker and offer whatever assistance we can to help him succeed during the 106th General Assembly.”
Speaker Williams Lunches Post-Boot At Tazza With Speaker Emeritus
Posted on at 12:08 pmA Post Politics informant reports spotting Speaker Kent Williams walking into downtown Italian eatery, Tazza, with Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh and two unidentified gentlemen.
The informant could not determine if the foursome were part of a larger party…
A Back And Forth With The TNGOP Chair On Kent Williams
Posted on at 11:40 amQ: What does it do to the former Republican majority?
Smith: To think that we had a majority with Kent Williams is really intellectually dishonest. I will say for the record, the activity that you’ve just witnesses is not based solely on the actual vote on Jan. 13th. Mr. Williams has had 28 days to show how he was going to lead as a Republican majority leader. What he has instead demonstrated is the fact that he’s not going to be a Republican majority leader. He’s going to allow, as the Tennessean and your article yesterday said Theo, that Jimmy Naifeh is going to be a very strong powerful individual behind Mr. Kent Williams.
Theo Emery: My article didn’t say that.
The Robin Smith Statement On Kent Williams
Posted on at 11:16 amAs Chairman I am reminded daily, that the principles of the Republican Party must stand on the foundation of integrity, honesty and good character.
The last few weeks have provided us the opportunity to view the nature and character of an individual. This man chose himself to be the highest ranking official in the Tennessee House. We are of course speaking of Kent Williams.
Within our party we have had a frank conversation over the last 28 days deliberating how to view the actions of Rep. Kent Williams.
The single goal of this committee since I was elected to serve as Chairman in August of 2007 has been to gain the majority in the Tennessee General Assembly. All of our efforts, all staffing, all recruitment, all activities were done with this goal in mind.
All members of the Tennessee State Committee, all members of the Republican Legislative leadership, all members of the legislative body and all supporters have believed this was the only reasonable goal.
We were working to Take the Hill.
On November 4, the Tennessee Republican Party in partnership with the Republican Caucuses elected 14 new Republican members to achieve of a Republican Majority in both legislative chambers for the first time in recent history.
Immediately following these victories, our Caucus Leadership and Bylaws Subcommittee had several conversations and meetings. We all wanted to confirm the provisions that have existed in the TRP Bylaws that address the support for the Republican Caucus nominees for Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore.
These discussions and meetings were very clear in purpose and occurred with an uncontested outcome: The Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee and the Republican Caucus were unified in having the nominees for these two leadership positions be fully supported and elected.
The provisions in the governing documents of our Party were to be used in this process to encourage this agreed outcome.
Read the rest.
SEE ALSO:
The Full TNGOP Resolution against Williams
A Timeline
Kent Williams Reacts To TNGOP Booting
Posted on at 10:59 amSpeaker Kent Williams has just released this well-crafted response to the TNGOP’s stripping him of his Republican bonafides:
Robin Smith has determined that I am not a Robin Smith Republican—that is a Republican in her mold.
I have hoped for some time that my party would work to build a bigger tent, a more inclusive tent. My hopes may have been in vain. The tent Robin Smith wants is a small tent. A narrow-minded tent. A tent with no room for alternative ideas.
No matter what type tent she wants for the State Republican Party it is clearly not the tent of the Carter County Republican Party. I remain a Carter County Republican with the same principles that brought me to the General Assembly in the 2006 elections.
I own a small business and as reported in the Tennessean on this past Sunday I have a 100% voting record with the National Federation of Independent Businesses. I am a supporter of Second Amendment Rights to bear arms. I am a supporter of SJR 127, the anti-abortion constitutional amendment. I do not want Government involved in all aspects of our citizens’ lives.
I believe all members of the General Assembly should be treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve. I believe all legislation should receive a fair hearing. I believe we have a lot of capable and smart people in the House from both parties. In this time of crisis we need to utilize all of this talent and harness everyone who has the desire and ability to be a leader.
Apparently, these are not the traits of a Robin Smith Republican. She has made her decision. So be it.
Now let us move past this distraction and get to the real work at hand. This is a challenging time in our history. The people of Tennessee expect and deserve our very best as we move forward to address the major challenges before us.
Balancing the budget while still funding those items that are essential to keeping our state progressing will be a difficult task, but it is one that the General Assembly is up to if we join hands and work toward the common goal of what is best for the people of our state. We have a lot of work to do. We have to put our distractions behind us, join hands and work together.
Let’s move forward.
Together.
Wow. The TNGOP has put Kent Williams right where he wants to be as he looks to maintain his House seat in 2010.
This statement is not just a defense of his action and his leadership but an indictment of the TNGOP party structure. Yes, Robin Smith and Bill Hobbs may have presided over the taking of the state house but they still have their detractors. Their Republicanism is a new Tennessee Republicanism, an ideological Republicanism.
It is an old style movement conservatism that owes more to Newt Gingrich and Pat Robertson than Howard Baker and Lamar Alexander. Those in the hills of East Tennessee have little use for the ideological and the religious right and, hailing from the birthplace of Tennessee Republicanism they do not take kindly to those who wish to tell them what Republicanism is.
Kent Williams has cast himself as a strong, independent fierce Republican advocate for his district — just as we assumed he would.
Robin Smith may have taken away Williams’ ballot access but the actions of the TNGOP today have helped Kent Williams fashion a narrative that will be very difficult to counter in Carter County in 2010.
SEE ALSO: The TNGOP
Williams Will React Later To TNGOP Booting
Posted on at 10:17 amThe Speaker is a very busy man:
This morning Williams was asked by NashvillePost.com about being removed from the GOP roster, to which he stated that he had not been informed of Smith’s decision and “right now I am concentrating on legislative work and getting ready for session tonight, there is much work that needs to be done here.” Williams then said that he would issue a statement on the matter later today.
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Williams To Get The Boot In Twenty
Posted on at 9:39 amThe TNGOP chair has notified the members of her state executive committee as to her decision regarding the challenge to Speaker Kent Williams’ status as a Republican. From the desk of Robin Smith:
Members of the State Executive Committee:
As you know, I have announced that I will be making the results of my deliberations on the Williams matter public today.
It is my first duty as Chairman to keep you informed of the activities of the TRP and wanted you to know the result I will announce before it is made public.
I have reviewed documentation presented by members of the Legislature, members of this Committee and Mr. Williams’ comments, both public and private, in the course of coming to this decision. It has been my intention to move deliberately to gain an idea of the course Mr. Williams intends to take. With you, I have watched his actions.
We have watched during the last 28 days to see if Kent Williams would assign the 13 Committee Chairmanships to the Republican Majority. He did not.
We watched to see how Rep. Williams would assign office space and staff to the Republican Majority. He has crammed 49 of his colleagues in 46 offices.
We have watched Rep. Williams maintain the same wage practices with Democrat staff earning more than the Republican staff, even as democrat staffers are assigned to fewer representatives.
We have learned that Mr. Williams has met with Governor Bredesen as the “Republican Representative” on the critical issue of the budget. Mr. Williams has withheld all of this information from the Republican Caucus encumbering their policy statements and decisions.
We have been repeatedly informed that Rep. Williams refuses to caucus with the Republicans.
We requested that members of the Caucus provide the TRP with specific examples of assistance that Rep. Williams has given to our candidates, caucus or party. None could.
So it is with regret that I inform you of my decision to remove Kent Williams’ status as a bona fide Republican. In the end, I must do what I believe to be right in this matter and not just what might be the politically or strategically expedient response. The principles we value must be placed above mere political calculation.
With this decision, we send a message that Tennessee Republicans expect better. Our party is not the tool to achieve personal power. The grassroots members who work so hard will not have their dedication sold to the highest bidder. Ours will be the Party of principle standing on integrity and honor.
It is now time to move forward. My staff and I are already out recruiting candidates, raising money and preparing for 2010. Next year we will elect a Republican governor and strengthen our majority in the legislature. I am honored to have you along on our journey.
Sincerely,
Robin T. Smith
Chairman
Tennessee Republican Party
SEE ALSO: The Smith family got the letter as well.
UPDATES:
Humphrey with a report on the official booting
Andy Sher on the case as well
John Scott reacts
Joe White
What The Williams Resolution Says
Posted on at 9:36 amMichael Silence hears things about the Kent Williams’ getting the boot document:
I’m told the resolution says Kent Williams is banned from ever running as a Republican, may not access funds from Republican organizations and notifies the news media that he is no longer to be referred to as a Republican.
That, of course, is the most important part. Republicans don’t want the casual voter to think that just because both Houses are led by elected Republicans that Republicans are responsible for what happens over the next two years.
In this down economy, the GOP still wants the option to run plausibly against the “do-nothing” Democratically-controlled House. That’s what this is about more than anything else.
SEE ALSO: Andy Sher
What’s Robin Got To Do With It?
Posted on at 1:43 amR. Neal mentioned over the weekend that Michael Silence had the scoop on the decision Robin Smith has made regarding whether or not to allow Speaker Kent Williams to remain in the Republican Party, a decision that will be announced not too many hours from now.
Of course, the tea leaves have been pretty easy to read on where Robin Smith’s head is at regarding Williams and no recent events or interventions have seemed to sway her mind much.
My question is: what does it matter? What does it really matter what Robin Smith does? Of course, it will matter in 2010 when Williams is unable to gain access to a Republican primary ballot but what about before that? The talk, the assumption, is that if Williams is kicked out of the Republican Party the Republicans lose their numerical majority in the state House.
Yes, I suppose after this morning’s announcement the house will be comprised of 49 Republicans, 49 Democrats, and Kent Williams. But what difference does that actually make?
It is, after all, the membership of the Republican caucus which makes “the party” the majority or the minority. A Republican caucus member, unless I am mistaken, could be from any party. Bernie Sanders, a U.S. Senator from Vermont, is an independent yet always caucuses with the Democratic Party.
So it would seem membership in the caucus, not membership in the party is what determines who holds the majority. Speaker Williams has not been to a Republican caucus meeting since his election as speaker, this is true. But, as far as Post Politics knows, Williams has neither renounced his membership in the Republican caucus nor has official action been taken by the caucus to expel him.
So if Kent Williams is expelled from the Republican Party this morning does this mean that the Leader of the Republican Caucus in the House is no longer the Majority Leader? Does the status quo in the legislature really change?
I don’t think that can be said until Williams either leaves the caucus or the caucus expels him.
Neither of which, have anything to do with Robin Smith.
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