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 members of the legislature. We're probably going to have to work harder to overcome that mistrust. Maybe the days of doing business by taking a person at their word are over, but that doesn't mean it's an end at being able to do business. It means you have to work a little harder to verify what's being said. ... It's going to take everybody putting their shoulders to the wheel."
For his part, Williams was his usual condescending self toward Rep. Brian Kelsey over the weekend. "I want to give him an opportunity to mature and be part of the process," Williams said of Kelsey at a Kingsport event. "I was really hoping his focus would be on legislation and not dog and pony shows and a circus atmosphere. ... He hasn't changed any yet, but we'll see. My staff person put (Kelsey's text) message on my desk, and I read it out loud in front of everyone in the room so it would be on record. ... These distractions haven't slowed us down."
