Go read Sharon Cobb. She has two posts up about the Kurita situation, which seems to indicate that she knew early yesterday morning that she would vote for Ramsey.
Here are my thoughts: Yes, Andy Axel, there was a shiv in her back, but it didn't say TNDP on it, it said DSCC. She was betrayed by DC, not John Wilder or Bob Tuke or anyone here; hell, most of us loved her because she was the Anti-Ford.
Yes, Wilder needed to go, but not at the expense that it cost. There's simply going to have to be a better explanation for all who supported her than "I voted my conscience". Every one of us who are active in Democratic politics in this state who supported her deserves that.
UPDATE: Sean Braisted has a good take on this as well.
5 comments:
Steve, my friend, my brother--- I didn't see what you said to me as a shot or anything like that. Just a natural reaction. Truth be told, I would have much preferred that you be right and me wrong on this one. I only regret that I overslept this morning and didn't get to post a proper response to you on it.
I think I caught a glimpse of motive a little while ago--- I was at a clent's house and they had the news on. A little blurb crawling across the bottom of the screen said "Bredesen to support tobacco tax". The tax is approximately thirty pieces of silver, by my count. Ramsey will support her on the cigarette tax.
You were right on several counts--- We DO need to rebuild, and we DO need to pick up three more seats. As for Ros Kurita, I will look for a mangy three legged dog to support against her next time she runs a primary.
Steve, Wilder was powerful enough to get folks from *the other party* to vote for him, and more than powerful enough to squash any attempts at unseating him from *within* his own party. How in the world were the Democrats ever going to get him out of office.
And I suspect had the Republicans held the speaker's chair when Democrats had been the Senate majority for almost three years you would be far less sanguine and far more snarky in what you had to say about the situation. Wilder is a relic and an obstruction. Wilder needed to go for the good of Tennessee and the Senate. Period. Regardless of your political affiliation, I think that's an agreeable statement.
I read somewhere, maybe on Volunteer Voters, that Kurita had been saying for a while (maybe months?) that she was voting against Wilder.
Mike,
remember when Kyle and Milton Hamilton led the coup attempt in 1987, only to see it backfire horribly? Remember how, despite the Democrats having clear majorities until 2003, that we Democrats had to put up with Curtis Person chairing the Judiciary Committee (among other Republicans receiving chairs from Wilder) because of Wilder?
the Goopers only had to put up with lack of control for 2-4 years, while the Democrats had to put up with it for 18 YEARS.
Look, Wilder is a relic and has outlived his usefulness. Ramsey is going to have to show me that he is an improvement, though.
Just knowing where you are at all times isn't enough.
No problem here either, LWC. Anytime I bitch slap you, you are free to bitch slap me back. Or nail me to the hull. We're all friends here.
L-wack, you aren't seriously trying to argue that any kind of Republican agenda got advanced under Wilder, are you? Wilder did give out chairmanships to Republicans, but it was *never* on any meaningful committees.
Wilder used chairmanships and patronage to buy, if not outright support, then complacency with the status quo. It may be business as usual, but it's still wrong. And to the degree it blocked the expressed political will of the people for the personal benefit of John Wilder, it was criminal.
Post a Comment