I linked to the Tennessee GOP debacle last night, now here is some video:
Here is a link to News Channel 5, which has more reaction and a different video. The words “traitor” and “Republican in Name Only” are thrown about, and I have to admit that maybe halfway through the video I got a little happy in my pants.
I can understand why Republicans are pissed, but again, these Republicans are the kind that have absolutely destroyed the party I used to love- arrogant, ignorant, intolerant, and foolish. The only reason this happened is because they were so vicious to one of their own- going after his business, attempting to destroy the guy. Harry Reid should be forced to watch these videos every morning, every lunch break, and before he goes to bed, and they should be streamed at all times in his office.
TenguPhule
And yet it still would only go in one ear and out the other.
low-tech cyclist
I can’t watch the video from my work computer, but I’m looking forward to checking it out from home. As I mentioned in the "More GOP Fail" thread, I’ve got a personal interest in this one, since Mumpower was my student ~15 years ago.
NR
I still love this quote from your earlier post:
That should be nominated for quote of the month, or something.
CabbageBabble
Ditto the comment above. It made me laugh out loud.
Mazacote Yorquest
Charles Dickens approves of "Jason Mumpower."
Also, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA.
This was like watching the Corleone’s bring in Pantangelo’s brother– gorgeous maneuvering.
P.S. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Napoleon
I love this story.
Comrade Dread
A good lesson for all: when you have a one seat majority, it’s probably a good idea to be nice to everybody and not act like it’s a bloody mandate.
TruthOfAngels
Although I have never used the phrase before in my life, that was without doubt the funniest shit ever.
TR
Hard to believe the one-time party of Jim Jeffords forgot that.
SnarkIntern
I’m concerned that the voters are being short-changed here.
The voters picked a Republican majority, but thanks to mischief on the other side, they are denied the leadership they voted for.
How is this good for democracy?
blogenfreude
Sidebar in the middle of the screen for anyone else?
PiledHighandDeep
Snarkintern, did you catch that the winner was a Republican? A Republican fed up with the far right’s looney bin antics?
I love this story.
JL
@SnarkIntern: Wow, voters are being short changed. What did you say when the voters gave Gore more votes than Bush?
Voters tend to vote for an individual candidate not necessarily who controls the local state house.
gbear
Yep. I think PJMedia is punishing John.
If you were a gay man in TN, you’d see this as VERY good for democracy.
Shygetz
The voters did not pick a "Republican majority". The voters each picked a single guy to represent their district. A majority of those guys voted for a moderate as Speaker. There was no collusion to vote in a "Republican majority", much less to personally elect Mumpower as Speaker. Unfortunately, Mumpower was too dumb to recognize that.
I’m afraid two-party politics has forever stunted political thinking in this country.
The Moar You Know
That’s the best video I ever saw. I thought the fat guy was going to have a stroke.
@SnarkIntern: Your concern is noted. I’m sure you were equally concerned in 2000.
MikeJ
I remember back in the olden days when "snark" was funny. Now it’s just say the dumbest shit you can think of.
Everybody here can do better. Bring your A game, people.
SnarkIntern
They were cheated by a bad vote-counting situation. Luckily, SCOTUS set it right.
That’s why we have checks and balances.
GSD
Was Mumpy clutching his pearls while clinging to his Bible?
Funny stuff.
-GSD
blogenfreude
@gbear: I think it’s got something to do with that HAHAHAHA … comment up above. But I’m not fluent with teh tubez.
SnarkIntern
I think it’s a stretch to believe that there are gay men in Tennessee, don’t you?
Shygetz
On a side note, as a former constituent of departing TN Speaker Jimmy Nafeih, this doesn’t surprise me one bit. That guy is a serious politician, holding on to the Speakership so long as a Democrat, coming from a rural West Tennessee district. Although he’s more conservative than I’d like, I wish he’d go national.
demimondian
@SnarkIntern: 8/10
The snark is strong in that one.
Mr Furious
NO. The only lesson he’d take away is figuring out how he can install a Republican atop the Senate and House.
gbear
No.
PS: It’s not a stretch to believe that you don’t know any.
Geeno
@SnarkIntern:
Actually, the guy who voted for himself was duly elected, too. If he thinks his constituents are better served this way, then that’s what he should do.
Incertus
@TR: They didn’t forget–they never learned it in the first place, in part because the Democrats on the federal level didn’t make them learn it.
I love this move, and I hope that the Democrats are able to gain a couple of seats in 2010 and get the outright majority again. I expect the new Speaker is going to have the re-election fight of his life when he runs again.
ed
Man are Republicans douchebags or what?
jake 4 that 1
I need a cig after that one.
Comrade Rick Massimo
It’s sad that this is a big story. I mean, it is, but it really shouldn’t be. It’s just what happens when members of a party TALK to each other, STICK together and VOTE TOGETHER, which is what Republicans do all the time. It’s only a big story because Democrats never do this.
Haven’t these guys ever heard of giving wingnuts whatever they want? I mean, reaching across the aisle?
thefncrow
@SnarkIntern: Here’s some Civics 101 for you.
When we have elections, we don’t vote for parties, but instead for people. In Tennessee, they held 99 elections in 99 districts, and in each district the voters voted for an individual to represent them.
When it all shook out, it turned out that 50 of the 99 had chosen a representative who belonged to the Republican party, and 49 of them had chosen a representative who belonged to the Democratic party.
When it came time to appoint the Speaker, these representatives voted for a leader based on what they thought was best for their constituents, and the result of that vote was that the Speaker of the House is Kent Williams.
You seem to think that, instead, Tennessee held 1 election, state-wide, in which voters voted for the Republican party or the Democratic party, and 49.49% voted for the Democrats and 50.51% voted for the Republican party, which would sort out to 49/99 seats for the Democrats and 50/99 seats for the Republicans.
If that had happened, then, yes, this would be overturning the applecart. Of course, that’s NOT what happened.
In that theoretical universe you’d be right, as opposed to in this actual universe, where you’re wrong.
Zuzu's Petals
Never mind.
jibeaux
You know, when "Sandy Cooter" posted here PUMA-style and people didn’t see the spoof, I thought you guys couldn’t get any more gullible…
Jay Severin Has A Small Pen1s
Funny video about the people of TN.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lQMjOdNks4
Comrade Stuck
@thefncrow:
Idealism is dead at least for the time being, unfortunately. Currently, I make one and only one X on my ballot, and that is for dem straight ticket. I wouldn’t vote for a republican for anything less than 100 large (kidding, mostly). Wasn’t always that way, when I thought politicians did things individually, but in today’s politics, in this country, this is rarely so. And I’m certain there are quite a few wingnuts who also only make one X in the other box. Such is life these days.
Sebastien
I watched the vid, and let’s say I’ll probably keep a permanent link to it just for the next time I feel depressed at our own lame politics and need a rousing laugh… First time in years I found entertaining to watch these kind of proceedings. And it had to be foreign politics ! Damn you Americans and your all-spectrum monopoly of teh awesome !
(To our amiable host: as I’ve returned from family holidays, the IP have changed, thus a probable sending of this post to moderation)
thefncrow
@Comrade Stuck: Sure, straight ticket exists, but it’s just an easy way to fill out the ballot.
My point is that there’s no race on any ballot where your options are "Democratic Party" and "Republican Party". They’re always for a position(in the case of a referendum) or a person(Senator, State Representative, Justice of the Peace, Dog Catcher, etc.).
Parties may influence the outcome of a race, and parties may get a significant boost or jolt as the result of an election, but parties don’t actually win election, people do.
cleek
that was a helluva sneaky move on Williams’ part.
whatever bad blood between Williams and the rest of the GOP caused him to want to try this just got 100 times worse. hope he knows what he’s getting into.
Comrade Darkness
Getting to be speaker is no doubt in the best interest of Williams’ constituents. Easy vote for him. They tried to corleone him already with personal threats. Note to pols: when you have a slim majority, do not leave any stragglers with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Threatening money sanctions in the private sector over a political vote is best left for when you have 75% majority.
Joshua Norton
Not as long as there’s closeted, self-hating Republicans. And this group looks about ready to explode any minute now.
Comrade Stuck
@thefncrow:
Not for me. I used to vote individually for dems and repubs. Even voting for several goopers for presnit, including GHWB. I understand what your saying as a republic model of governance we don’t elect parties like in a Parliamentary system. But in practice we do, is my point, especially when one party has left the realm of commonly held truth and entered a world of contrived factoids that they refuse to let go of. And when it’s leadership demands fealty, or else, to the agreed upon alternate reality. The good news is, that right now, most Americans seem to realize the folly of GOP ideas, but I never sell short the American voters appetite for apathy when there bank accounts are healthy.
Scott
Well, I don’t much doubt that Mumpower and the GOP were planning on being jerks to every Democrat in the state anyway. They’d already targeted Williams for various punishments just because he wasn’t a wingnut. Turnabout is fair play.
And on the other hand, if they kick him out of the party… Well, that’s 50 Democrats to 49 Republicans. And it’s not the Democrats’ fault — the GOP would be the ones who willingly made themselves a minority party in Tennessee…
Jennifer
whatever bad blood between Williams and the rest of the GOP caused him to want to try this just got 100 times worse. hope he knows what he’s getting into.
Pwning wingnuts makes them cry, which is always a good outcome, regardless of other factors.
Zifnab
@SnarkIntern:
I think its safe to say there were very few Republicans feeling gay by the end of that vote. So good!
Tsulagi
@SnarkIntern:
Maybe, but the RSSF in their rhinestone studded BDUs are mobilizing as you write. As soon as they can sew their new patch on to accessorize, they’re deploying to TN to right this wrong. They’re a force, even bringing their own candies and flowers to greet themselves with.
J. Michael Neal
I think that we’ve established that we’re voting gay ticket.
Ninerdave
@The Moar You Know:
I’ve watched that part like 20 times, and it’s still funny.
Xenos
@Jay Severin Has A Small Pen1s: I am not in Boston anymore. Is Severin still going on about Obama’s birth certificate?
Joshua Norton
So he’s sort of a republican Lieberman. Wait… We already have one of those.
par4
Type slower he might get it better
Notorious P.A.T.
When the Democrats nominated someone they didn’t want the Republicans tried to cancel the nomination. Typical.
Incertus
What can’t be stated enough here is the fact that the Democrats, for once, looked at the situation and decided to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The only way this thing was going to work was if every one of the Democrats was on board, and they hung together on it. No one got all ideologically pure about it.
Notorious P.A.T.
Strictly speaking, Lieberman wasn’t kicked out of the party. He took his widdle ball and went home because mean ol’ Ned Lamont thought he could do better and the stupid mean votes agweed. Poor Joe! Waaah!
TheHatOnMyCat
I’m a Rabid Dog Dem. I vote for Dems.
passerby
Thanks for posting this John. I hope this becomes the story of the day across the tubes and the MSM.
It’s delightful to see this drama played out as we watch, right before our eyes, the death of business as usual politics. People are waking up and representatives are becoming more responsive to the will of the people vs the will of political parties.
From what I’ve experienced, Tennesseans are very provincial. The fetish they have for American Artists and Native Sons to the exclusion of European, Asian, and other cultures in general drives me crazy.
For example, in Nashville where they’ve built an exact replica of the Parthenon, complete with an exact(historically correct) replica of the colossus Athena, the museum itself largely contains exhibits of American and local artists. A world class tourist attraction which houses local stuff.
But, perhaps there is a willingness to be more open, more cosmopolitan than in the past. An undercurrent here trying to manifest that begins with the actions in the state senate.
(BTW, I had no idea that the TN St. Sen. had 49! Dems seated.)
I view the fact that this coup went down the way it did and where it did is another sign of the death of neocon rule throughout the land.
It is yet another example of how "we’re not in Kansas anymore". I think we can expect more surprises like this.
From another angle…
Yesterday, we read how Obama had dinner with some of the members of the jingosphere. Engaging them in an intimate setting builds personal relationships and allows for actual dialog vs defensive party hackery. Instead of allowing hoarified party hackery to continue, engage them one on one, and let reason, rather than rancor, rule.
Change is a’comin’.
Comrade Stuck
And they conducted their coup democratically, upper and lower case "d". Quite a successful mission. Maybe we should put them in charge of finding Bin Laden.
SnarkIntern
Perhaps you do, but "we" vote first for country, then for party, and then for values. People come and go. Our foundation is lasting.
Incertus
@TheHatOnMyCat: Explain to me how "values, country and party" holds a seat in the legislature. In a election for an office, you vote for a person who (hopefully) represents those things in a manner close to your own. That’s all the commenter was saying.
Incertus
@SnarkIntern: I think you just outed yourself there.
Comrade Stuck
@SnarkIntern:
Wow. that’s pretty good. Excuse me, I have the urge to go out and wave My Flag, followed by a slice of Apple Pie.
evolutionary
Pennsylvania beat them to it In January 2007!
Democratic Pa. Assembly Elects GOP Speaker
From Wikipedia (I love this sentence)
Dennis M. O’Brien the first minority-party Speaker in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Although, it only happened because all the Democrats didn’t like their own Majority Leader enough to vote for him. Typical self-centered circular firing squad action.
Zifnab
@SnarkIntern:
We vote for tax cuts first, last, and always. Get your values straight.
demimondian
@evolutionary: Given that O’Brien held the position for one year, and then stepped aside to allow a Democrat to take it back, I think that the situation wasn’t a true firing squad.
AAbshier
I read the story on Kos last night. I laughed, and laughed, took a very deep, noisy inhalation, and laughed some more.
I’m at work, so can’t watch the video, but I can’t wait for the Comedy Gold this evening!
jibeaux
That was a cool and sneaky move, but requires R collaboration, which can be hard to come by among the feds. There are the ladies of Maine, and maybe an occasional other one depending on the issue, but the Rs that survived the carnage tend to be the hardest right obstructionists. Losing elections does not appear to have taught them any lessons whatsoever about the dangers of hard right obstructionism. So, received wisdom about Harry Reid’s uselessness is accepted and agreed with, but what actual tangible things would you have him do to subvert the obstructors? I’m not saying there aren’t any since I’m sure there are, I just can’t think of any and would like to hear ’em…plausible or implausible scenarios are welcome.
SnarkIntern
Only to you, my new friend.
thefncrow
@SnarkIntern: You do, really?
I’d like to see the election results where "Country, Party, Values" was certified the winner, and not, say, "Gary Smith".
I’m also interested to see how "Country, Party, Values" was seated and how the job was conducted under the reign of an ethereal entity such as "Country, Party, Values".
Or, perhaps, you meant what I was talking about to begin with, that "Country, Party, Values" leads you to vote for an individual to hold a position, which is what I said from the beginning.
Ecks
Roughly 5% of the population everywhere, sometimes higher if it’s attractive enough a place that more will seek it out (c.f. bits of San Francisco). But thanks for playing.
So here’s what gets me: Tennessee has apparently had a D senate forever, but NY has had an R one forever. What gives with all these states having local houses that fly the exact opposite way to their federal voting?
Zifnab
We’ve got a 58-vote majority in the Senate. That should strengthen Reid’s hand, if anything. I don’t know enough about procedure to really understand how much leverage that gives him, but I imagine it offers him quite a bit of rope.
J.D. Rhoades
So Williams expects to be thrown out of the party. For winning…as a Republican.
South of I-10
I just watched it twice. So entertaining. Is it just me, or does Mumpower look a little like Joe the Plumber?
SnarkIntern
It is the benefits of machine politics and the power of incumbency, plus districting powers (gerrymandering in some cases).
In any event, it’s what ensures that the values of country, family and party are secure for all of us.
comrade scott's agenda of rage
All politics is local. Most of these guys are good ole local boys with *lots* of friends and families and well, guanxi (a Chinese term that sums up what you have if you have connections of various types and ilks). If they aren’t term limited out of existence (as they are here in Misery), then they pretty much get to keep the seat forever.
Zifnab
There was a massive shift in party ideology in the 70s and the 80s, but incumbency is still kinda a big deal. The Republican Party in NY isn’t Tom DeLay’s GOP. Likewise, the Democratic Party in Alabama probably still has a few Klansmen in it. It takes a while for a full realignment to occur.
Bubblegum Tate
OT but amusing: John Ziegler gets his WATB on.
Punchy
Pet peeve alert: "mainstream" is one word. Therefore the acronym is correctly "MM", not "MSM".
Andrew
Did you watch the video with Mumpower? He’s four snaps in a Z away from being a power bottom.
Jamey
Why, yes, that is some mighty fine pwnage y’all got there, Tennessee Republicans.
Jon H
Off topic, but this is nice. From work (Harvard Medical School):
Glocksman
Heh…there’s one thing Harry Reid could do that’d minimize the number of threatened filibusters.
That one thing is make the bastards actually filibuster instead of letting a failed cloture vote automatically stop a bill.
How long do you think Senator Cracker…er..Corker is willing to stand at the podium reading from the Nashville phone book?
Oh, sure, he’d have some allies. Diaper Dave Vitter and Saxby Chambliss might read their Klavern’s member rolls and Big John Cornyn could read a Michener western, but are they going to do so for weeks on end?
If nothing else, clips of Corker reading ‘John Smith, 2000 Larch Lane, 867-5309, Joe Smith….’ during the debate over the stimulus would make great ad fodder.
SnarkIntern
It’s not an acronym, it’s a colloquialism. MM is a candy. Or Marilyn Monroe. Or any number of things.
MSM works because people know what it means. Who would know what MM means?
Luckily there are Republicans around to keep these things straight.
Bubblegum Tate
@Jon H:
ZOMG! LIE-brul bias! This proves that colleges are just Marxist Indoctrination Centers!
gbear
#1 When the R’s threaten to obstruct a bill with a fillibuster, MAKE THEM ACTUALLY CARRY THRU WITH A FILLIBUSTER. Right now so much stuff just gets derailed by the threat that 41 senators can run the show. If Reid actually made them carry thru on the threat, I’d wager that after the second attempt they’d think very hard about using it for every damned little thing.
Ash Can
LOLZapalooza! What a bunch of assholes. The guy had the fucking nerve to vote for himself? Shriek!
Good fucking grief. Will these fucking princesses ever get hit over the head with real life enough to get even the tiniest bit of their overfed, overblown senses of entitlement knocked out of them?
@South of I-10: All of those overweight white chromedomes look alike to me.
Shygetz
@Zifnab:
Try the ’60’s. LBJ…Civil Rights Act…Fair Housing Act…LBJ wasn’t blowing smoke when he said he just lost the South for a generation. But in local politics, EVERYONE loves good ole’ Joe/Bob/Sue, who ain’t like them other Democrats/Republicans.
JGabriel
@SnarkIntern:
Dude, they can’t keep their own members straight…
.
Comrade Darkness
@Ash Can: "LOLZapalooza! What a bunch of assholes. The guy had the fucking nerve to vote for himself? Shriek!"
Yeah, and bible-clutching, wings-of-righteous-victory Mumpower (who comes up with these names, jk rowling??) had already voted for *himself* too. So your point is? Well, we know the point has a built-in double standard…but anything worthwhile beyond that?
JGabriel
@SnarkIntern:
The voters picked a nearly evenly split House, 50-49.
The representatives selected a House leader that promised to share power and work with both sides, apparently mirroring the will of the people.
What’s the problem? It looks like democracy working to me.
.
sidereal
I wonder what the chances are that the Democrats went to Williams in part because he’s alphabetically the last vote, and the drama of his final vote was awesome.
If they did, that’s wily.
MMM
I needed this after today….
Ash Can
@Comrade Darkness: Um, that was my point. The fact that all these yahoos were shocked that he voted for himself, and not for Mumpower, thus casting the deciding…
Aw, skip it. It loses everything in the translation. I was being sarcastic.
Comrade Darkness
@Ash Can, ah crap, I claim jet lag.
hamletta
You ain’t from around here, are you, boy? That’s our Parthenon, not like that crumbly ol’ thing ov’ air in Greekistan!
But seriously; it’s owned by the city, it’s in a city park. Of course it showcases local artists! (I’ll spare you the long story of how we got a Parthenon in the first place.)
For Big Famous Art, we have the Frist.
And I love my wily Tennessee Democrats so much, I may have to scrounge the couch cushions for $$ to go to Drinking Liberally tomorrow and get some backstage skinny from the regulars!
Dave Ruddell
Anyone have a link to what the TN GOP did to try to mess with his business and/or generally mess with his life?
TheAssInTheHatOnMyCat(Formerly Comrade Tax Analyst)
Looking forward to watching/listening to this after we close this evening (can’t "stream" during business hours). I followed a link from another thread here yesterday to "The Tennessean" newspaper and then read all the comments to the article. It was tremendous fun to consume all the froth coming from the Republican commenters – some of them seemed closed to have their heads absolutely implode.
LanceThruster
My sister moved bnack to CA from TN but brought her right wing sensibilities with her. She thinks Sarah Palin is the bees knees. It feels good the see the TN GOP self-destruct because, as has been mentioned, they were the extreme winger base of the party; God, guns’n’gays.
Objective Scrutator
The Tennessee Democrat Party has been one of the most notorious gerrymanderers of all time, other than the Reconstruction Republicans.
Kyle
We vote first for country, then for party, and then for values.
Which country are you intending to support? Because your selfish, bigoted, douchebag ideology is wrecking the United States.
Bob
I think Reid figured out how to do that when he got himself elected leader.
low-tech cyclist
@Andrew: Did you watch the video with Mumpower? He’s four snaps in a Z away from being a power bottom.
Not saying one way or the other, but neither his Wikipedia bio, nor his TN House website bio, mention a spouse. He’s 35 years old; probably just been too busy with wingnuttery to find the right woman. ;)
Lacey
The wingnuts have asked their "brothers" to boycott Speaker Williams’ Restaurant, his siblings businesses and even called his terminally ill 92 year old father for a contribution to the "perfect party" to oust his own son. They are also mailing packages of silly putty and other things to his local office which are few but are now being destroyed without being opened for the protection of the staff throughout the building. I personally don’t think the security is necessary because these wingnuts don’t have the conjones of Speaker Williams or maybe they would be Speaker themselves! The only thing that is bad about this is there are at least 25 other Republican legislators that would have voted for Williams had the TN Republican Party not mandated that Mumpower become speaker. It will be a bi-partisan house and that can’t be all bad. Hopefully Williams can help prove that bi-partisan is the best effective governing technique within our current system.
Elmer Gantry
@Dave Ruddell:
Elizabethton Forum – Topix
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/elizabethton-tn
Traffic from Nashville and Sullivan County (much of Mumpower’s Tennessee House District) increased greatly at Topix Elizabethton following the election of TNGA House Speaker Kent Williams.
Mumps will now be facing a 2010 challanger for his House seat:
Mumpower Tops Per Diem And Mileage Totals In East TN
http://www.tricities.com/tri/news/local/article/mumpower_tops_per_diem_and_mileage_totals_in_east_tn/21622/P0/
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