Thursday, March 19, 2009
Legislature / Politics / Woods No Confidence Vote in Mumpower?
Posted by Jeff Woods on Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 7:35 AM
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By letting Speaker Kent Williams join their caucus, House Republicans were casting a vote of no confidence in Jason Mumpower. That's according to Frank Cagle, who contends in his Metro Pulse column this week that Mumpower has suffered "a fatal wound" as Republican leader. Cagle writes Mumpower's vindictive attitude since losing the speaker fight has "almost guaranteed" that his political career already has reached its highest point. And all because, Cagle says, "Mumpower has had his feelings hurt."
It's likely he was aware, if not instrumental, in having Republican Party chair Robin Smith throw Williams out of the party. Then he set out to remove Williams from the Republican caucus. He tried to say he could do it unilaterally, without a vote of the caucus. When that didn't work he was faced with backing down or asking for a vote of the caucus. Either route was untenable. When he polled the members, he discovered it wasn't even close. Most of the Republicans would not vote to throw the speaker of the house out of their caucus. Mumpower no longer controls his caucus. When a majority leader asks his members for an important vote and they reject him, it is a fatal wound. It is analogous to a party leader in a parliamentary system that loses an important vote--it calls for a new election either to recommit to the leader or to pick a new one. Williams is in control of the House. He also appears to be in control of the Republican caucus. As someone observed to me on a recent visit to Nashville, he may not be as smart as he thinks he is, but he is a lot smarter than his enemies think he is.Update: Rep. Frank Niceley, a buddy of Cagle's, just stopped by the pressroom to distance himself from Cagle's column. "I did not have anything to do with it," Niceley says. "I'm a semi-innocent bystander."
Comments (3)
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Mumpower isnt in control of himself much less his party. His whinny little temper tantrums dont do anything but degrade the Republican party.
Its obvious that Mumpower is just an immature overly self important person that needs to loose an election.
Maybe we can make that happen!
Posted by
mborocitizen
on March 23, 2009 at 1:33 PM
