She didn’t support his unsuccessful primary bid for governor last summer. And he didn’t back her nomination this week for state House speaker.
But hey, that’s water over the dam. Rep. Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, who is all but certain to become the new House speaker, and state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, who is lieutenant governor, say they will get along fine come January.
Harwell won the Republican Caucus nomination over GOP Caucus Chairman Glen Casada, of College Grove, on Thursday.
Harwell endorsed Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Haslam beat Ramsey and U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., in the primary and cruised to victory over Democrat Mike McWherter.
Casada had worked closely with Ramsey over the past four years and endorsed him in the GOP gubernatorial primary.
Before Thursday’s caucus vote, Ramsey told the Chattanooga Times Free Press he had offered assessments to incoming House freshmen, when asked, on the “strengths and weaknesses” of Harwell and Casada.
Ramsey said he thought Casada would be “great” in the role. Harwell, he mused, would be a “good speaker, too, I suppose.”
Following Harwell’s victory, Ramsey congratulated her on the nomination, calling it “a great honor” and saying, “I know she will do the job well.”
Harwell said “of course” when asked if she will get along with Ramsey. “We’ll have a good working relationship.”
Meanwhile, Haslam spokeswoman Christi Gibbs said the governor-elect stayed neutral. Haslam issued a statement calling both lawmakers “great leaders” and added, “I look forward to working with [Harwell] on the big challenges facing Tennessee.”
Cobb eyes caucus chairmanship
Casada’s loss may scramble the leadership contest for House Republican Caucus chairman.
Rep. Jim Cobb, R-Spring City, said he is entering the contest along with Rep. Debra Maggart, R-Hendersonville, and Rep. Phillip Johnson, R-Pegram.
Cobb said “there was an appearance of an alliance” between Maggart and Johnson with the two candidates for speaker. Maggart made calls for Casada. Cobb said he would bring a “neutral” perspective.
“I get along with Beth, and I get along with Glen,” said Cobb, who believes he best identifies with the Republicans’ massive 22-member freshmen class.
“Most of them are closer to my age than any new group, and we seem to think a lot alike,” Cobb said. “So I think I can push our agenda as well as anyone, if not better, with the different … personalities in leadership.”
The caucus chairman works with other party leaders and members to present a united front on legislative issues and helps focus on political strategy to push the party’s agenda. The chairman presides at caucus meetings and aids caucus members and challengers in political campaigns.
Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, is already running for majority leader in a race with Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol. McCormick had allied himself with Casada.
Alexander wants temporary earmark ban
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said he reversed his previous support for congressional earmarks because such designated spending by individual members of Congress “became a symbol of wasteful spending.”
“The American people sent a strong message in November that cleaning up earmarks is a part of the whole job of getting control of wasteful spending and controlling the debt, and I think we need to listen to the American people,” he told Tennessee reporters last week.
Alexander made 44 earmark requests in fiscal 2010. Earlier this year, he defended earmarks as part of the constitutional role of the Congress to appropriate money.
“When Tennesseans come to see me about keeping Chickamauga lock open, or making Center Hill Dam safe, or improving housing at Fort Campbell for the most-deployed troops in America, my job is not to give them President Obama’s telephone number,” Alexander said in April.
But Alexander and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., last week agreed to a moratorium on earmark requests for the next two years.
“As a short-term policy I think it’s good, but as a long-term policy it wouldn’t be because it just turns the spending decisions over to the president,” Alexander said. “This election was about checking the president, not just giving him a check book.”
Fleischmann joins freshman class
U.S. Rep.-elect Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., joined about 100 new lawmakers in Washington, D.C., this week and helped sponsor a freshman gathering to begin their orientation week.
Before leaving for Washington, the Chattanooga attorney said he hopes next year to “get on the committees that will do the most good” for Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District, which runs from Chattanooga to the Kentucky line.
“Natural committees would be energy and commerce and appropriations, but it’s yet to be seen where freshmen will land,” he said. “Traditionally, freshmen don’t necessarily get the prime committees, but there are so many freshmen this year we’ll just have to see.”
While promising to do what he can to represent East Tennessee, the new congressman joined other Republicans in pledging not to seek earmarks for local projects.
Compiled by staff writers Andy Sher and Dave Flessner.
Contact Andy Sher at 615-255-0550 or asher@times freepress.com
Contact Dave Flessner at 423-757-6340 or dflessner@timesfreepress.com.