Tuesday, January 13, 2009
What a fuckin' rat bastard!
Folks, if you want to know what a rat bastard looks like, well here you go:
The rat bastard in question is Tennessee State Representative Kent Williams (R-Elizabethton). Excuse me, Tennessee Speaker of the House Kent Williams (R-Elizabethton).
Today, after having his name placed in nomination as the Republican candidate for House Speaker by Democrat Gary Odom, Kent Williams voted for himself, along with Odom and the remaining members of the Democratic caucus, and was thus elected.
Prior to today's events, Williams gave every indication that he would vote for Rep. Jason Mumpower (R-Bristol) for House Speaker. Indeed, he signed a letter last month pledging to support "a Republican" for speaker, which, as every other House Republican certainly knew at the time, meant Rep. Mumpower. That makes him a liar perhaps not in letter, but certainly in spirit.
I have to hand it to former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh. He is one cagey - and resilient - SOB. I always marveled at Naifeh's ability to round up a handful of Republicans to vote for him for speaker every two years, even though he had a track record of gleefully sticking it to the GOP at every turn. The Republican turncoats who voted for him in those instances, however, were only rewarded primo assignments on preferred committees.
I can only imagine what political thirty-pieces-of-silver Kent Williams was promised to pull the stunt he pulled today. I know why Jimmy Naifeh offered said silver -- and lets be honest, Jimmy Naifeh's fat hands are ALL OVER the unprecedented events of today -- he's hoping the Democrats will regain control of the State House in 2010, and he can resume his iron-fisted control over the body. I'm sure Kent Williams has been promised to be richly rewarded if Naifeh again becomes House Speaker.
Here're are a couple of things for Williams and Naifeh to consider:
First, as part of his "deal" with Democrats, Williams will no doubt appoint Democrats to chair most major committees. Tennessee is facing a serious budget shortfall this year, and any unpopular cuts in services will have to come through committees headed by Williams-Naifeh Democrats. That'll provide great campaign fodder for Republicans in 2010.
Second, Tennessee has been trending heavily Republican for the past decade. If you don't believe me, just compare county-by-county maps of the 2006 Corker-Ford U.S. Senate race and the 2008 McCain-Obama race. To say that Tennessee has become even more Republican in the past two years is indeed an understatement. Chances are the GOP will pick up a couple of seats to build on its one-seat majority in the State House in 2010. (If Obama falls flat on his face, a couple of seats may be a bunch o' seats.) If Naifeh betting that he'll be able to get his gavel back in 2011, well, he probably shouldn't put no money down on that bet. He may look - and act - like a Mafiosi, but even Jimmy Naifeh can't change electoral tides or shift political winds.
Republican voters in this state are going to remember what happened today when they vote in November 2010. I know this Republican voter will. We all thought we'd banished the "good ol' boy" politics that's dominated Tenn. House politics since -- wait, has there ever been a time when ol' boys, rouges and adulterers (one of whom's been mentioned in this post, who conducted "business" in plain sight of his colleagues)?
Finally, I, Joltin' Django, pledge that I will send a check in the amount of $100 to the first Republican who files papers to challenge Kent Williams in the August 2010 primary. And I promise to post a copy of the canceled check, too.
The rat bastard in question is Tennessee State Representative Kent Williams (R-Elizabethton). Excuse me, Tennessee Speaker of the House Kent Williams (R-Elizabethton).
Today, after having his name placed in nomination as the Republican candidate for House Speaker by Democrat Gary Odom, Kent Williams voted for himself, along with Odom and the remaining members of the Democratic caucus, and was thus elected.
Prior to today's events, Williams gave every indication that he would vote for Rep. Jason Mumpower (R-Bristol) for House Speaker. Indeed, he signed a letter last month pledging to support "a Republican" for speaker, which, as every other House Republican certainly knew at the time, meant Rep. Mumpower. That makes him a liar perhaps not in letter, but certainly in spirit.
I have to hand it to former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh. He is one cagey - and resilient - SOB. I always marveled at Naifeh's ability to round up a handful of Republicans to vote for him for speaker every two years, even though he had a track record of gleefully sticking it to the GOP at every turn. The Republican turncoats who voted for him in those instances, however, were only rewarded primo assignments on preferred committees.
I can only imagine what political thirty-pieces-of-silver Kent Williams was promised to pull the stunt he pulled today. I know why Jimmy Naifeh offered said silver -- and lets be honest, Jimmy Naifeh's fat hands are ALL OVER the unprecedented events of today -- he's hoping the Democrats will regain control of the State House in 2010, and he can resume his iron-fisted control over the body. I'm sure Kent Williams has been promised to be richly rewarded if Naifeh again becomes House Speaker.
Here're are a couple of things for Williams and Naifeh to consider:
First, as part of his "deal" with Democrats, Williams will no doubt appoint Democrats to chair most major committees. Tennessee is facing a serious budget shortfall this year, and any unpopular cuts in services will have to come through committees headed by Williams-Naifeh Democrats. That'll provide great campaign fodder for Republicans in 2010.
Second, Tennessee has been trending heavily Republican for the past decade. If you don't believe me, just compare county-by-county maps of the 2006 Corker-Ford U.S. Senate race and the 2008 McCain-Obama race. To say that Tennessee has become even more Republican in the past two years is indeed an understatement. Chances are the GOP will pick up a couple of seats to build on its one-seat majority in the State House in 2010. (If Obama falls flat on his face, a couple of seats may be a bunch o' seats.) If Naifeh betting that he'll be able to get his gavel back in 2011, well, he probably shouldn't put no money down on that bet. He may look - and act - like a Mafiosi, but even Jimmy Naifeh can't change electoral tides or shift political winds.
Republican voters in this state are going to remember what happened today when they vote in November 2010. I know this Republican voter will. We all thought we'd banished the "good ol' boy" politics that's dominated Tenn. House politics since -- wait, has there ever been a time when ol' boys, rouges and adulterers (one of whom's been mentioned in this post, who conducted "business" in plain sight of his colleagues)?
Finally, I, Joltin' Django, pledge that I will send a check in the amount of $100 to the first Republican who files papers to challenge Kent Williams in the August 2010 primary. And I promise to post a copy of the canceled check, too.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, January 13, 2009 
