Monday, July 27, 2009
Politics / Woods Ramsey Defends Stanley's Three-Month Silence on Scandal
Posted by Jeff Woods on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 11:52 AM
Of Paul Stanley, Ramsey said, "It's my understanding he's taken a few days off and may be back in circulation again next week." Oh joy.
Also, Ramsey defended Stanley for neglecting to tell him for three months about that little sex-and-blackmail scandal that was about to blow up. That allowed Stanley to remain as Commerce Committee chairman through the end of this year's session. At his presser, Ramsey first claimed Stanley kept quiet under orders from state investigators. Told that isn't true, he then maintained Stanley's lips were sealed on the advice of his lawyers.
Whatever, senator. The fact remains that you are running for governor claiming a record as a strong leader. Yet all this--a Republican senator's affair with his intern, an attempted blackmail, a TBI sting, an arrest, etc.--all this went on right under your nose. Voters might believe legitimately that you are either not telling the whole truth about what you knew and when you knew it, or you haven't been paying attention. Here's the Q&A:
Q: Senator there are some senators who have talked about intern policy, literally a Senate rule. Do you think that's needed?
Ramsey: You know, it's a shame if it is. It really is. I've been in the Nashville now for 17 years and I've had 17 interns, actually more while I've been in a leadership position. Never seen the first case of anything crossing the line or even coming close to crossing the line. It should be commonsense. It should be human nature that you treat these interns well and the same goes for interns, that they have the right kind of relationship with their senator or representative. But if that policy needs to be in writing, I'm all in favor of having that policy in writing. It's just a shame in my view that it's actually come to that.
Q: When you had that phone conversation with the senator did he express any remorse?
Ramsey: Oh yes ... obviously as a human being, you care about other human beings. I know I care about other human beings. So I told him I'd be praying for him and that all things would be good for him. But obviously I felt strongly that he made a mistake and in the end it hurts everyone in the state Senate
Q: What's worse, that you didn't know about it or the fact that he didn't tell you for three months?
Ramsey: Well it's my understanding the reason he didn't tell me was perfectly logical why he didn't tell me because it was that it was an ongoing TBI investigation. He was told not only by the attorneys but also the TBI that this was supposed to be kept quiet and there wasn't supposed to be any news out there until they had that preliminary hearing where apparently the fellow was bound over to the grand jury or at least he was indicted.
Q: Well the prosecutors say that's not the case, that they never told him to keep quiet.
Ramsey: Well then his attorneys told him not to, that's my understanding. And I think that is the reason.
Q: Senator, you're running for governor. Clearly this is not something you'd like to be talking about on the campaign trail. How much of a distraction is this going to be?
Ramsey: This is a distraction for a few days, no doubt about that. At the same time, I expect that. I am running for governor, but I'm also speaker of the senate and lieutenant governor. I'm the one who makes committee appointments. I'm the one that appoints the leadership of the state Senate. Obviously, it's not something I condone. Do I wish it hadn't happened? Absolutely. It's wrong. It shouldn't have happened.
Q: In your opinion, is Stanley still capable of leading as a state senator?
Ramsey: It's one thing to be in a leadership position. I don't think he's capable of that. As far as the next step, whether he resigns or not, that's kind of up to him and his constituents. We'll discuss that when the time comes.
Comments (3)
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Woods,
Did you give Ramsey a little syrup to go with all that waffling?
This guy wants to lead our state? Heaven forbid.
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Ramsey caught up in a lie about Stanley...
You do know that Senators Ramsey, Stanley, and Bunch all had apartments/condos in the same complex?
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey had to keep Senator Paul Stanley on as Chairman on the TNGA Senate Commerce Committee upto the time that Chairman Stanley had pushed Ron Ramsey's Sullivan County buddy and Tennessee Regulatory Authority director appointee --- Kenneth C. Hill --- through the TN Senate Commerce Committee before receiving approval of the Tennessee Senate.
