Tennessee: Republicans trying to oust new speaker

NASHVILLE — Republicans continued their attacks Wednesday on new Republican House Speaker Kent Williams, complaining that unnamed “emissaries” were trying to trade committee chairmanships for supporting Democrats who now hold the secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer positions.

Rep. Williams, R-Butler, staggered and infuriated Republicans Tuesday by beating Republican Jason Mumpower of Bristol in a move engineered by House Democrats. Republicans have a 50-49 advantage in the 99-member chamber, but the 49 Democrats and Rep. Williams turned the tables on them.

Speaker Williams on Wednesday quickly found himself under a multi-pronged assault even as Capitol Hill lawmakers and lobbyists pondered what his assumption of power in a closely divided House means.

At least 18 Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee members presented papers to state GOP Chairman Robin Smith challenging the “bona fide” status of Rep. Williams’ standing as a Republican. It accuses him of breaking “multiple verbal promises” to back Rep. Mumpower.

The 66-member executive committee will review the information and can take steps to prevent him from running again as a Republican in 2010.

Not long after Speaker Williams assumed the House podium Wednesday morning, Rep. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, took to the floor and publicly called on Rep. Williams to resign his House seat and run as a Democrat or independent.

“I feel personal ambition was put ahead of the people of Tennessee,” Rep. Kelsey said, accusing Speaker Williams of perpetrating a “falsehood” to become speaker. “We all make mistakes. I have made them. But I feel this mistake can be corrected” by his resigning and running as an independent or Democrat.

Later, Rep. Williams said he respected Rep. Kelsey, but “he comes up with a lot of silly ideas.”

State GOP spokesman Bill Hobbs accused Speaker Williams of having “put personal ambition ahead of honor and lied his way into the speaker’s chair.”

Rep. Williams said he still considers himself a Republican and only reluctantly would become an independent.

“I probably did violate my oath,” Rep. Williams said, then attacked Mrs. Smith, who is from Hixson.

“She’s queen of the Republican Party, and she’s the one that leads us around with the nose ring,” he said. “Well, I’m not going to be led around by the nose ring. If they don’t want me in the Republican Party, that’s fine. I’ll be an independent ... But in my heart I’ll always be a Republican.”

Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, on the House floor questioned whether the roll call vote for the speaker position proceeded according to House rules.

Rep. Vince Dean, R-East Ridge, said he was approached by someone he would not identify and asked what would it take to get him to vote for one of the sitting constitutional officers.

“I said I can’t do it ... I was told I could name my chairmanship, and I said it was not worth a two-year chairmanship” to break his word and pledge, Rep. Dean said.

He said it was not a lawmaker, constitutional officer, state employee or lobbyist.

Earlier in the day, Rep. Henry Fincher, D-Cookeville, said Republicans need to move on, noting that Rep. Williams has promised to be bipartisan.

Elections for constitutional officers were delayed Wednesday, and it was unclear if they would be held today.

“They’re melting down,” he said of GOP House members. “You’d think they’d be happy about having a Republican speaker. In the words of the great philosopher Mick Jagger, you can’t always get what you want.”