Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Politics Oh Briley, Where Art Thou?
Posted by Jeff Woods on Wed, Jan 9, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Where are you, Rob Briley? In yet another twist in the bizarre saga of our favorite state representative, Briley has disappeared again, and this time apparently not to go gambling in Tunica. The Nashville Democrat has failed to show at this week's opening of the legislature, and House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh will say only that he has granted Briley an excused absence. What was Briley's excuse? Naifeh won't say, and House leaders claim they have no idea where Briley is.
Pith asked House Democratic Caucus flack Addison Pate for clarification this morning. “Where is Briley?” we asked.
“I don't have an answer on that,” Pate replied. “All I know is that he was given an excused absence. I've not been given any information as to what the excuse is.”
“Well, if you excuse him, you have to know what the excuse is, right?”
“Well, that would be the theory. I'll be happy to go ask.”
After a visit to the speaker's office, Pate was no more helpful, reading a letter from Briley to Naifeh in which Briley asked to be excused from the first two days of this year's session, but gave no reason.
“So Naifeh won't say where Briley is?" we asked.
“I am told this is the request that came in,” Pate replied. “There was no conversation. We just received this letter and it was approved.”
“What are his constituents to think?'
“I think that's something you'll probably have to ask his constituents. He requested the time off. He got the time off. We don't have a reason why. It's not required that you give a detailed description of why you're asking for time off.”
“He asked for two days off. Does that mean he'll be back tomorrow?”
“That would be my assumption.”
One Pith source says Briley, whose travails are chronicled here and here, is believed to have returned to rehab for treatment for substance abuse--his third trip since late 2006. Naifeh indicated as much in a cryptic way to reporters last week.
Asked what role Briley would play in this year's session, Naifeh said, “I don't know that I can answer that at this time because I haven't had any conversation with him in quite some time, and I don't know, I really don't know exactly where he is right now. I'm talking about physically. I think he's doing something to take care of himself at this time.”
It's hard to explain all of this evasiveness about a representative whose escapades are embarrassing the legislature and handing Republicans yet more talking points in their attempts to tar Democrats as the party of sleaze. Naifeh and the Democrats have been in power so long they seem to have forgotten that, as state officials, they are obligated to explain their actions to the public.
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Tammy Winette's "Stand by Your Man" would be an appropriate theme song for Naifeh at this point. What will it take for him to cut bait and run from Briley? Does Briley have to take everyone down with him before he is content? I admire loyalty as much as the next person but this type of continued public inquiry has its cost and I am worried it will be at the polls in November.
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Posted by
Stand bv Your Man
on 01/09/2008 at 1:48 PM
