Subject: Jason Mumpower

• GOP Denies Appealing to Racial Prejudice

  November 12, 2008

• Rep. Rowland Admits Having a Boyfriend

  Yesterday before we were so rudely interrupted by one of the slickest political maneuvers in Tennessee history, we were discussing whether Republican Rep. Donna Rowland is shacking up with her boyfriend.According to Republican leader Jason Mumpower, the allegations against Rowland--specifically that she lives outside her Murfreesboro district with her boyfriend--are false. "They are not pleasant, but they are false," he says. And Rowland has produced a letter of exoneration from her district att

  January 14, 2009

• Kent Williams: 'the Ophelia Ford of the House'

  Laughably, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research still is billing itself as a nonpartisan, free-market think tank, even as its director, Drew Johnson, goes on right-wing radio and says this:"I want to make this very clear. Kent Williams is the dumbest member of the state House. He's the Ophelia Ford of the House. This is a guy who is known for being tacky and ignorant. He's been accused of making female colleagues and state workers uncomfortable and saying inappropriate things to them. He jus

  January 14, 2009

• Jason Mumpower's Keepsakes

  Yet another heartbreaking tale from the Republican day of infamy: On Tuesday, Jason Mumpower ordered 65 flags flown over the Tennessee Capitol as keepsakes for his big moment in the sun. But as the flags fluttered outside, the outfoxed Mumpower could only slump in his chair beside his distraught mother inside the Capitol, clutching the family bible he planned to use to take the oath of office as speaker of the House. What will he do with those flags now?

  January 15, 2009

• Mumpower Decries 'Web of Lies'

  Even Tuesday on the day of his betrayal, Jason Mumpower says Kent Williams repeatedly lied to him by promising to vote for him for speaker of the House. Mumpower also denies plotting with Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey to carry out mass firings of legislative staffers, as Democrats have charged."It is ludicrous to say there were going to be mass firings," Mumpower says. "It's another lie in a web of lies. It's just silly. It's unfortunate that they ever subjected any employees to that type of worry but it'

  January 15, 2009

• Gill: He's a 'Lying, Cheating, Backstabbing, Traitorous Piece of Scum'; What Else Ya Got?

  Maybe it's time for Kent Williams to just stipulate that he wasn't exactly shooting straight about this whole Jason Mumpower thing. As if Republicans need more proof, here it is. A week before his betrayal of Mumpower, Williams told a northeast Tennessee radio station: "Yes I've committed to Jason and I still plan to honor that commitment. I can't foresee anything happening in the next seven days to change my mind, but in politics you never know what's going to happen." Asked about this by Fox

  January 19, 2009

• Mumpower Throws Susan Lynn Under the Bus

  Since the daring Adam Kleinheider got hold of that sexual harassment memo against House Speaker Kent Williams, the blogosphere has been asking this question: Did Republicans leak it to the media to smear Williams? Or did the media go after it on their own initiative? The mystery has been solved, or has it? According to GOP leader Jason Mumpower, it was Rep. Susan Lynn herself who contacted the media. Here's Mumpower in an interview with his local TV station: Update: Lynn says Mumpower misspoke.

  January 23, 2009

• Mumpower's power, Haynesworth's worth and other local dispatches

  February 5, 2009

• 'Shocked' Susan Lynn Speaks Out

  Rep. Susan Lynn says she regrets all the media coverage of her sexual harassment complaint against House Speaker Kent Williams. So in an unusual strategy for someone who's so publicity shy, she gave a TV interview. She played the innocent victim to the hilt. "When he denied it, it definitely shocked me, it would have been so much easier for him to say it happened and for him to apologize," Lynn tells Channel 5. More from the Mount Juliet Republican: "I don't want to be treated like an object.

  January 26, 2009

• Even Republicans Vote to Dismiss Ethics Complaint Against Speaker

  It was Politics 101. When you open a Pandora's box, you unleash horrors on Republicans and Democrats alike. In this case, there was no telling where a full hearing on the sexual harassment allegations against House Speaker Kent Williams might have led. As Democratic leader Gary Odom made a point of noting, a precedent would have been set for the Ethics Committee to hear more such complaints against other lawmakers. He didn't need to remind anyone that the legislature's not exactly known as a gen

  January 28, 2009

• Regarding Jason Mumpower's Whiskers: A Psychological Examination

  Al Gore was cheated out of the presidency. He grew a beard and ate too much. Jason Mumpower is denied the House speaker's gavel. He grows a goatee, takes off his blue suit and puts on a weird sweater vest. Why is he doing it? As always, Pith in the Wind is here to examine the weighty issues of the day. Mumpower laughs off questions about his strange new look. "It started out as a little joke and it's still here," he says of his fuzzy whiskers. "I've never tried to do anything like that before a

  January 29, 2009

• Kent Williams: Even Creepier Than We Thought?

  Over at Post Politics, you can read the complete statement Rep. Susan Lynn planned to give at this week's sham meeting of the House Ethics Committee. The statement, her fullest accounting yet of what happened in the legislative parking garage two years ago and afterward, paints House Speaker Kent Williams as a real snake, even creepier than we had been led to believe previously--and that's saying a lot. It raises more questions about the committee's "sweep-it-under-the-rug" dismissal of Rep. Bri

  January 29, 2009

• Mumpower: Let's Put It All Behind Us (But Williams Is Still a Liar)

  It finally seems to have dawned on some lawmakers that they're disgusting the public with their embarrassing antics in the sandbox at the Capitol. On "Legislative Chat," an Upper East Tennessee public TV show, House GOP leader Jason Mumpower called a truce in his war with Speaker Kent Williams and termed the whole ordeal a "little bump in the road." But it sounds like his ass is still a little bit chapped. Here's Mumpower: "This little bump in the road, if anything, has created mistrust among m

  February 2, 2009

• Mumpower Suggests Spurning Budget Bailout

  Jason Mumpower today gave us all reason to be thankful he's not speaker of the House. At the monthly meeting of the GOP's First Tuesday club, Mumpower suggested that, like Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is talking about doing, Tennessee ought to turn down the billions of dollars in federal bailout money that's headed our way. Here's Mumpower: I've got a TV in my office and I'm been watching a little bit of what's going on in Washington. They've got a little bit of a bailout mentality up there.

  February 3, 2009

• Mumpower 'Ready for a Throwdown' in 2010

  Republicans rode the elevators up 27 floors to Waller Lansden's offices yesterday to hear Jason Mumpower speak at their monthly "First Tuesday" club meeting. The master of ceremonies, somebody named Tim Skow, joked about giving House Speaker Kent Williams "flying lessons" off the balcony. Those Republicans--what a wacky bunch!"I'm just glad to be anywhere that'll have me as a speaker," Mumpower laughed.He gave the crowd the red meat they craved, vowing to make certain Republicans win in 2010 so

  February 4, 2009

• Beth Harwell: Renegade Republican

  Rep. Beth Harwell is coming across as a reasonable, adult-like leader in the legislature lately, meaning she's skating on very thin ice with the Republican Party. Before last week's House Ethics Committee meeting, she could be seen arguing quite heatedly with GOP leader Jason Mumpower. Later, she led the move to dismiss the complaint against Speaker Kent Williams, apparently forcing Mumpower and the rest of the committee's Republicans to succumb to her wishes in the interest of bipartisan cooper

  February 4, 2009

• Bredesen Says Stimulus Could Save 2,300 Jobs

  First, the federal stimulus package would end the need for 2,300 state layoffs. Then it wouldn't. Now it will again, according to Gov. Phil Bredesen. The confusion raises questions about whether the governor is really paying attention to what's happening in Washington. Anyway, in Kingsport yesterday, he said: "As a result of the federal stimulus package, it looks like we may be able to reduce that number to zero. We certainly will be able to reduce it to a vastly lower number. I'm old fashioned

  February 5, 2009

• House GOP Leaders: 'We're Not Right-Wing Crazies'

  House Republican leaders summoned the media today to trumpet their priorities for the 2009 session. Apparently to avoid appearing like moralistic nutjobs--not an easy task--they omitted any mention of those ever-popular "family values" issues. At the presser, God and guns took a backseat to putting education first and doing whatever possible to help small businesses because, as we all know, they are the backbone of the American economy. Asked about this, GOP leader Jason Mumpower did some fast

  February 9, 2009

• Packing Heat on Playgrounds: Let's Think This Through

  A House subcommittee meets again this week to decide what to do about legislation to let people carry handguns in city parks and playgrounds. Last week, before a decision was delayed, it looked like lawmakers would delete local parks from the bill and keep the provision allowing guns in state parks. But the Tennessee Firearms Association has been given more time to twist arms, so who knows what might happen now? A smart politician who wants to be reelected is reluctant to offend gun freaks beca

  March 2, 2009

• Republicans Squabbling with Williams Again; Legislature's Approval Rating Drops Another 10 Points Overnight

  Wondering why the legislature's approval rating rivals Pol Pot's? Maybe it's because they're behaving like spoiled brats. In the latest example, House Republicans barred Speaker Kent Williams from their caucus yesterday. Republican leader Jason Mumpower says dealing with Williams is an "issue we're working on." No Kidding. "If it causes discontent within the caucus, it would be best if he did not attend," Mumpower says."And there are more than a few members who are discontent with him." More

  March 5, 2009

• Titty Bar Owner Escapes Taxes Through Odom/Mumpower Loophole

  Odom supports tax break for out-of-state titty bar ownerOn the evening news, Channel 5's Phil Williams rolled a New York titty bar owner, weird rich dude Jack May, Bill Freeman, Gary Odom and Jason Mumpower all into one big giant shitball and slung it at supporters of the state's tax loophole for real-estate moguls. It was beautiful. "It's a Tennessee tax break meant for families," Williams' report begins. (Heh, heh.) "So how did a so-called strip club 'king' from New York end up taking advanta

  March 5, 2009

• Nursing Home Industry Pushing 'Kill Old People Cheap' Law Again

  The nursing home industry is back at the legislature this session demanding a law to cap its liability in Tennessee courts for neglecting and abusing residents. That's even though a legislative study committee, which met once after last year's bill failed, decided more time is needed to write balanced legislation. One lawmaker last year dubbed the bill the "Kill Old People Cheap" Act. If anything, this new version is even more audacious. Residents and their families could win no more than $300,

  March 9, 2009

• Who's Whoring Down for the Nursing Home Industry?

  Two new potential sponsors for the nursing home industry's billSpeaking of whoring down for special interests (we were doing that, weren't we?), how about all those fine lawmakers shilling for the bill to let the nursing home industry abuse and neglect patients and get away with it? Yesterday, we reported on the introduction of the Kill Old People Cheap Act, which would essentially cap negligence damages for nursing home residents and their families at $300,000. Today, dear Pith reader, we reve

  March 10, 2009

• House Republicans Defy Leadership, Admit Williams to Caucus

  Update: Robin Smith reacts by vowing to beat Williams in 2010. "Our purpose is to stand on our principles and be the voice of Republican voters across the state of Tennessee. Their charge is to conduct their legislative agenda." In defiance of their party leadership, House Republicans have voted to allow Speaker Kent Williams to attend their caucuses. The vote took place secretly Monday evening, Tom Humphrey is reporting. Not surprisingly, GOP leader Jason Mumpower isn't much interested in tal

  March 11, 2009

• Campfield Offers His Thoughts on Kent Williams

  Rep. Stacey Campfield just stopped by the gritty Legislative Plaza pressroom to give his thoughts on Speaker Kent Williams' return to the House Republican caucus. These comments, Campfield assured us, were pre-approved by none other than GOP leader Jason Mumpower. He has stuck duct tape across Campfield's mouth this session but will occasionally allow him to speak to reporters. According to reports, House Republicans overwhelmingly favored letting Williams attend their caucuses again. But Campf

  March 11, 2009

• Morning Roundup: Ramsey Complains About Helping the Needy and More Weirdness

  Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey complains that too much of the federal stimulus is directed at social programs. ... Nathan Vaughn snipes at Jason Mumpower over his state mileage reimbursements. "Sometimes they aren't doing the people's business, they're doing their own partisan political business." The lame Mumpower comeback: "Rep.Vaughn never served in any leadership positions, so I understand why he doesn't quite get it." ... Tennessee counties flunk pollution standards. ... Bredesen comes up with federa

  March 13, 2009

• No Confidence Vote in Mumpower?

  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 hur

  March 19, 2009

• Ramsey, Herron, McMillan, Kisber All Voted for Law Allowing Risky Bond Deals

  Before Two-Face and the Joker, er, I mean Robin Smith and Bill Hobbs, get too carried away attacking Gov. Phil Bredesen as the rotting fish in our own little financial scandal, they probably should take a look at the record here. The law authorizing local governments to enter into these risky bond deals with the approval of the Comptroller's office zipped through the legislature in 1999, and prominent leaders of both parties voted for it. They include Ron Ramsey, Jason Mumpower, Marsha Blackbur

  April 9, 2009

• If not for a special election, English Only would have prevailed

  January 29, 2009

• Who's running the Tennessee House now?

  January 22, 2009

• The Republicans Take Control of the Tennessee Capitol

  November 20, 2008

• Angry Protesters Brew Tax Revolt at Tea Party

  Here's the crowd just before today's rally started.Organizers are claiming a crowd of more than 10,000, but we're guessing there were about 1,000 noisy white people at the Tax Day Tea Party at Legislative Plaza. We're not going to engage in a lot of mockery here because it's mean to make fun of crazy people. They honked their horns and circled the Capitol and heard the usual spiels from local right-wing radio blowhards. They had a little fun shouting down a lonely protester who was immediately b

  April 15, 2009

• The crazies come out on Legislative Plaza

  April 23, 2009

• Kill Old People Cheap Files: TBI Investigates Suspicious Death in Knoxville Nursing Home

  Still think a bill capping punitive damages for victims of nursing home abuse at $300,000 is a good idea? Even after the disturbing allegations of sexual abuse at a National HealthCare Corp. Bristol, VA nursing home uncovered by the Scene last week?Here's something else to think about while certain lawmakers, ahem, cough--Sen. Jim Tracy, Rep. Jason Mumpower, etc.,--kowtow to well-heeled National HealthCare Corp. and the nursing home lobby. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into th

  April 17, 2009

• Morning Roundup: Special License Plates for Drunks and the Mystery of the Mown Daffodils

  Rep. Marsha Blackburn taunts the Blue Dogs on the budget: "The Blue Dogs' PAYGO push is 100 days late and a trillion dollars short." ... The governor signs a bill barring the Safety Department from taking down the handgun serial numbers of permit holders. ... Did TDOT mow down the daffodils? ... House and Senate disagree on how to pick justices. ... Lawmakers push gas tax hikes. ... The Senate Judiciary Committee approves letting rednecks ride around with loaded guns in their pickups. ... And th

  April 30, 2009

• NHC Says It's Struggling Under Frivolous Lawsuits, Fat Dividends Otherwise

  So have lawmakers like Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), Rep. John Lundberg (R-Bristol), Rep. Jason Mumpower (R-Bristol) and Sen. Thelma Harper (D-Nashville) just been hoodwinked by National HealthCare Corp. and ChooseCare TN, the proponents of the Kill Old People Cheap Act?Before sponsoring this bill did they simply fail to check the vitals of companies like NHC to ensure that they are, in fact, struggling beneath the weight of punitive damages scored by out-of-state lawyers for victims of nursin

  May 6, 2009

• Crybaby Republicans Whine About Rough Treatment

  Mumpower shakes his fist at Democrats.House GOP leaders Jason Mumpower and Glen Casada are upset about what they see as rough treatment at the hands of Democrats. Mumpower and Casada met last week with House Democratic caucus chair Mike Turner to whine, sources say. Among their complaints: (1) During a committee hearing, Rep. Henry Fincher asked tough questions about the conservative Christian bill jeopardizing $6 million in federal family planning money and (2) on the House floor, Democrats bea

  May 11, 2009

• Morning Roundup: Senate Republicans Unveil Budget Plan and Other Momentous Events

  Senate Republicans are releasing their state budget plan today. It's expected to nix $500 million in Bredesen borrowing for university construction and bridge repair. House GOP leader Jason Mumpower: "It's kind of like using the credit card when you're in tight financial circumstances. I don't think the taxpayers of this state want us running up expenses on their credit card at a time like this." ... Road-builders are against the bridge bonding too. They host a fund-raiser for Ron Ramsey. ... It

  June 10, 2009

• Chip Forrester: 'We're Ready for the Throwdown'

  Chip Forrester goes macho in this video, taunting Republicans like a WWF wrestler: "We're ready for the throwdown, and I'm ready to take Jason Mumpower on." He says winning back the House is the Democrats' No. 1 priority and gives the party's basic 2010 message: Republicans have priorities reversed and mixed up. They should be concentrating like Democrats on preserving jobs for people, building roads for rural communities and opening them up. And they're not. They're talking about guns. They'

  June 15, 2009

• Morning Roundup: State Budget Finally Passes and More Political Miracles

  The legislature finally passes the nearly $30 billion state budget in late-night votes with Senate Republicans surrendering on their major points of disagreement with the governor. The budget includes bonds for bridges and higher education buildings, and pre-kindergarten money goes into the recurring expenditure column after all. Republicans do manage to spread bridge bonding over four years, and they succeed in mandating $55 million in cuts to be made if tax receipts fail to reach projections.

  June 18, 2009

• Morning Roundup: Legislature Leaves, Delirious Citizens Party All Night

  One of many rural Tennessee celebrations sparked by news of the legislature's adjournment.Lobbyists and staffers erupt into wild cheers as the legislature finally goes home. The last day is highlighted by the surprise failure in the Senate of legislation delaying installation of voting machines capable of producing paper trails to verify voting results. Also, lawmakers vote to enhance sentences for gun crimes. And in yet another big surprise, the bill to roll back ethics laws by letting Ron Rams

  June 19, 2009

• What Will We Do? Missing the Legislature So Terribly Much Already

  The legislature went home and that's made Pith in the Wind all misty eyed with memories this morning. It all started with a bang a short 23 weeks ago with Kent Williams seizing power in his corrupt bargain with the Democrats, and the fun just never seemed to stop. There was Susan Lynn's panic attack, Brian Kelsey's extortion attempt, the hysterical shrieking of Robin Smith, the shocking double castration of Gary Odom and Jason Mumpower, the darkly righteous fury of Tony Shipley, Curry Todd's li

  June 19, 2009

• Whopper of the Month: Who's the Best Liar in the Land?

  It's time once again to elect the lucky winner of our celebrated "Whopper of the Month" award. And this month as the legislature careened to the end of its fabulous 2009 session, the bald-faced falsehoods were flowing like raw sewage into the Cumberland. So as you might imagine, the competition is brutal once again. Newcomers like Joe McCord are staking their claim to the top prize with some disgustingly putrid bullshit. But don't count out veteran liars like Jason Mumpower and Doug Jackson. Th

  June 26, 2009

• Morning Roundup: Mumpower Sneers as Governor Plants Flowers and More News

  Haslam will report $3.8 million and Wamp $1.2 million. That's the good news. No one else wants to say. ... Ramsey treats the midnight deadline like a telethon. At last report, he remained $538 away from "his goal." ... The governor vows never to scale back job recruitment efforts: "I think particularly with European and Japanese businesses, they just like to see the governor. You gotta be there." ... Reps. Jason Mumpower and Jon Lundberg watch as Bredesen plants flowers at an interstate welcome

  July 1, 2009

• Two Legislators Shock Tennessee by Producing a Good Idea

  ​It was one of the most embarrassing legislative sessions in the history of the state, and that's saying a lot. As Pith in the Wind recounted when it all finally came to a merciful ending in June: There was Susan Lynn's panic attack, Brian Kelsey's extortion attempt, the hysterical shrieking of Robin Smith, the shocking double castration of Gary Odom and Jason Mumpower, the darkly righteous fury of Tony Shipley, Curry Todd's lies, Bobbie Patray's glassy eyes, and the rise of the Children of t

  September 14, 2009

• The Boner Awards 2009: Our annual roundup of the year’s biggest blunders, boondoggles and oddities

  December 17, 2009

• Morning Roundup: Lawmakers Return to the Capitol for Fun-Filled Special Session

  ​The Tennessee Education Association agrees in a major concession to let student tests count for 35 percent of teacher tenure evaluations. If you're keeping score at home, that's at least 15 percent less than the number the governor had in mind. An excited Andy Sher reports "the move puts TEA, which represents teachers, on a collision course with the Bredesen administration during the special legislative session on education that starts Tuesday." But the administration bill won't mention any p

  January 11, 2010

• House Ethics Committee Makes It Harder to Police Ethics

  Brian Kelsey​Ever since then-Rep. Brian Kelsey filed his ethics complaint against House Speaker Kent Williams last year, lawmakers have been desperately looking for a way to stop it from ever happening again. We're not talking about sexual harassment at the Capitol. Who cares about that? No, we're talking about ethics complaints against legislators. That's the real problem here.

  January 27, 2010

• By Narrow Majority, Tennessee House Honors Michael Jackson

  ​With only one vote to spare today, fans of Michael Jackson won the adoption of a state House resolution honoring the late pop superstar. The resolution squeezed through 51-22 with 16 26 lawmakers refusing to vote at all. Last week in the session's first dustup, Republicans objected to voting on the resolution along with other noncontroversial measures on the House's consent calendar. House GOP caucus chairman Glen Casada later explained some Republicans thought it was wrong to spend a few

  February 3, 2010

• House Speaker Against Cable TV Tax Hike

  ​House Speaker Kent Williams all but declared the governor's cable TV tax dead today. That's bad news for the state's criminal justice system. By raising the sales tax on cable bills, the administration hopes to collect $21 million. It's part of a plan to prevent 200 layoffs involving prosecutors, public defenders and probation officers, among others. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and House GOP leader Jason Mumpower have objected to the tax increase too. The House speaker threw down on it during his wee

  February 4, 2010