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« Christmas Scenes | Main | Blogs and the Future of Journalism » December 27, 2004Tennessee GOP Begs Wilder: "Pick" More RepublicansThe weirdness that is Tennessee politics continues... Today's Nashville City Paper reports: Well, ya know, the GOP did win a majority in the state Senate in the recent election... Though Republicans won an elected majority in the state Senate in November for the first time since Reconstruction, Wilder, a Somerville Democrat, is expected to remain speaker by anywhere from two to three Republican votes. The Republicans have a 17-16 majority.There are two turncoat Republicans in the state Senate - Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) and Curtis Person (R-Memphis) - both of whom should be defeated at the earliest opportunity. Both have pledged to vote for Wilder as speaker. Some have questioned whether Wilder, as a Democratic speaker serving over a Republican majority, would relinquish powerful committee chairs to the GOP. Currently there are five Democratic committee chairmen and four Republican.There should be zero and nine. By giving the Republicans an extra committee chair Wilder would be forced to unseat a fellow Democrat.Well... they did lose seats - and lose the majority - in the election... Ramsey (R-Blountville) said Wilder has indicated he would give the GOP a majority of the nine powerful standing committee chairs as well as a majority of members on each committee. The chair of a committee has the power to bring a bill forward or stall it. And a majority party has the power as a bloc to kill legislation.The image of Ramsey - whose party won a majority of seats in the state senate - begging Wilder - who leads the minority caucus - to share a little more power is pathetic. Ramsey said the chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, which controls the funding of all Senate legislation, should also be Republican. But Wilder has refused to do so, he said.And if he does, a pro-income tax Democrat will continue to control the senate committee that is key to passing or blocking any legislation related to taxes, including an income tax, a constitutional amendment to ban the income tax, or a constitutional amendment to cap the currently uncapped and excessive growth of both taxes and government spending in Tennessee. UPDATE: This post had an embedded video (of Wilder picking his nose and, uh, eating the booger, during a public Senate hearing) but the link is dead and the video no longer available on Steve Gill's website, so I removed it. But if you can picture it in your mind, ask yourself this: how embarrassing is it that Ramsey and his fellow Republicans in the state Senate are having to beg Wilder to 'pick me! pick me!'? The question is self-answering. Posted in Tennessee News
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If anybody from Curtis Person's district is reading, please respond. I want to know why- yes, I want an accountability- you people have elected him again. He is *nothing* but a shill for the movie industry. Bill can testify as he also followed the SDMCA bill written by MPAA lawyers and pushed by Person (and Rep. Rob Briley). Did nobody else run against him? Do you think it's good for Tennessee senators to push legislation written by the movie industry? Did he not tell you about it and none of you do your research? I don't get it. Posted by: Michael Chaney at December 27, 2004 09:27 AMThe story of guy that went to Iraq and the video of the service so good. I too have the same disconent and know I need to go to Irag but cannot find a way to get there. Putting this kind of stuff on your blog says a lot about the kind of person you are and I thank you. By the way the pictures of your children are really good and they look so sweet. Bill Love Posted by: Bill Love at December 27, 2004 06:04 PMI have an idea. Why don't we exhibit the same fairness to Wilder that he did to Republicans. Elect a Republican as speaker and appoint Democrats to head the same few committees that Wilder allowed the GOP to head. Then appoint Republicans to head all the powerful committees the democrats controlled. Wouldn't that be the same bi-partisan spirit demonstrated by Wilder? Posted by: Lynn Sebourn at December 29, 2004 09:15 AMI have an idea. Why don't we exhibit the same fairness to Wilder that he did to Republicans? Elect a Republican as speaker and appoint Democrats to head the same few committees that Wilder allowed the GOP to head. Then appoint Republicans to head all the powerful committees the democrats controlled. Wouldn't that be the same bi-partisan spirit demonstrated by Wilder? Posted by: Lynn Sebourn at December 29, 2004 09:16 AMPost a comment
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Lt. Gov. John Wilder has struck a deal with Republicans that could give them a majority share of the power in the new state Senate, Sen. Ron Ramsey said last week.