In the Catholic and Mormon churches they call it excommunication. The Amish refer to it as shunning. The Klingons call it discommendation. In each case, it’s a process by which an individual who has committed an egregious offense so serious they are literally kicked out of the organization.
In Tennessee, Republicans have invented a new term for this action: disassociation. I like “RINOing” better, but what the heck. Here’s what it’s all about…
“In November, the GOP won control of both houses of the state legislature for the first time since Reconstruction,” reports Brendan Miniter in Political Diary on February 11th. “That victory was one of the few bright spots for Republicans across the country in 2008 and seemed to set the stage for a GOP resurgence and possible capture of the governor’s mansion in 2010.
“Then, on Jan. 13, the wheels started to come off.
“Republicans had rallied behind Rep. Jason Mumpower for House Speaker, and he appeared to be a lock as late as the morning of the vote, when every House Republican prayed together. When it came time to vote, however, it became clear that GOP Rep. Kent Williams had cut a secret deal with Democrats to elevate himself with unanimous support from across the aisle to the Speaker’s chair.
“Mr. Williams was booed in the process, with at least one person shouting out ‘Judas,’ but he was unfazed, telling a reporter that he had ‘been booed before.’ He went ahead and organized the House chamber, splitting committee chairmanships between Democrats and Republicans.”
So what did the Tennessee Republican Party do?
They kicked Williams out of the party. Literally.
On January 30, 2009, the Executive Committee unanimously adopted a resolution which included, among others, the following “whereases”…
Whereas the supporters, voters and donors of the Tennessee Republican Party have a right to expect that, having collectively campaigned for and won a majority in the state House for the first time since 1868, both houses of the legislature would be lead by loyal Republican leadership; and
Whereas the evidence shows that Representative Kent Williams had been planning his betrayal for eight weeks and conspiring with Democrats to crown him Speaker in exchange for betraying his fellow Republican caucus members; and
Whereas Representative Kent Williams rewarded his Democratic allies with committee chairmanships, putting at risk the Republican agenda the majority of Tennessee voters voted for; and
Whereas Kent Williams’ actions and words provide indefensible evidence to the 30 written challenges questioning the Bona Fide status as a Republican; and is entitled to its constitutional right of Freedom of Association; and
Whereas the Tennessee Republican Party seeks to disassociate with Representative Kent Williams;
And this is the best part:
BE IT RESOLVED:
1. That state Representative Kent Williams of Carter County, Tennessee, be forever barred from seeking elective office in Tennessee on a Republican ballot; and
2. That the Tennessee Republican Party immediately request all media outlets in Tennessee to cease referring to Representative Kent Williams as a Republican.
3. That Kent Williams receive no support, endorsements, or financial backing by those affiliates of the Tennessee Republican Party.
Hoo-hah!
Can they DO that? I don’t see why not. As the resolution notes, the Republican Party enjoys the constitutionally protected right of Freedom of Association - and the Tennessee Republican Party is the official governing body of the organization. So if they want to kick somebody out of the party and not let them run for office as a Republican, why not?
Have the state parties in Pennsylvania and Maine – home to RINO (Republican In Name Only) sell-out Sens. Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins – heard about this?
“The politically expedient thing to do would be to overlook whatever he’s done,” Tennessee GOP Chairwoman Robin Smith said in explaining the decision to oust Mr. Williams. “We’re either going to stand for something or we’re no different from Kent Williams.”
Amen, sister!
Gee, I sure hope no one suggests that local Republicans consider “RINOing” Republican state legislators who sell out their party and conspire with Democrats to give the Democrats “bi-partisan” support for tax hikes in the middle of a recession.
Oops.
Posted on February 12th, 2009 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: National, Nevada
If you are not a RINO, you won’t be elected, period….
There should be a downside to political disloyalty and treacher and the GOP has been far too lenient.
The predecessor of the Republican Party was the Whig Party and the fourth Whig President (two were accidental) was John Tyler. When the sitting president began to impersonate a Democrat (just as Oscar Wilde was accused of ‘impersonating a sodomite’) he was booted from the party.
While our political parties do not have the discipline of European parties (dues. potential expulsion) membership should be more than bearing a label.
Boo hoo. If you claim to be a Republican and don’t subscribe to anything in the Republican platform, what does that make you? Let me give you a hint: a phony, a liar, a hypocrite and a worthless counterproductive waste of space.
Art Downs:
I am sure it was just a typo, but I feel I should point out that John Tyler was the second Whig President, not the fourth. Though one could even put forward the view that he was not a Whig President at all. The only reason he was even on the ticket was that “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” is really catchy.
Was funny on drive-into work today, Raggio was on the radio slamming Muth (not by name, but the announcer said it was directed towards him) that he doesn’t listen to republican “extremists” and they are out of control…LOL. I love it when the repubs eat their own. Team work baby!
Muth is by nature someone who is inclined to NAZI style politics. He does not want anything posted here that differs from his viewpoint.
nativenevada wrote:
You forgot anti-worker…….Muth is personally destroying what is left of the consevative party here in Nevada, his extremist/neo-con/Nazist views even Raggio has said in nice words he ia a lunatic. I despise “carpetbaggers” that are from out of state that shove their east coast views down our throats, and want to force their personal agenda upon us locals. Because of Muth, the State of Nevada turned blue, the conservatives are fighting with each other, now there is no “real” leadership, no voice, no solutions, just a unstable, bankrupt extremist paid and bought by a local lobbying group to make his wages.
3/7/2009 7:27:42 AM on nevadaappeal.com
Williwaw wrote:
Given that Chuck Muth is the de-facto head of the Conservative Republican Party in Nevada, and given that Chuck Muth and Sharon Angle accurately represent the right-wing ideological platform of the Conservative Republican Party in Nevada, and given that their platform is anti-regulation, anti-tax, anti-education, anti-child, anti-government, anti-21st century reality, why would any Nevadan be stupid enough to vote for Conservative Republicans who have repeatedly demonstarated that they have no solutions whatsoever to the problems and challenges facing Nevada in particular, and the nation as a whole?
The only thing that Conservative Republicans seem to be good at is throwing cow-pies at those politicians who are trying to repair the damage created by the Neo-Con Numbskulls responsible for the Bush Depression.
Never forget that it was Conservative Republicans who de-regulated America into the depths of a Depression.
Interesting. “Ned” and “Willy” hide behind blog aliases and are afraid to use their real names. Yet I’m supposed to take the lame opinions of these cowards seriously. I don’t think so.
I can’t take it anymore. This is for Ned, Willy, and Robert “Hollow of A
Man” Holloway. If you’re collective IQ’s were 3 points higher, I believe you could actually all out think a mailbox.
Just for the record. While I do share a good if not majority of viewpoints as Mr. Muth, he is not the leader of the Conservative Republican Party in Nevada because, oh yeah, there isnt one!! I probably got my Conservative views from the same person that Mr. Muth got his from. A certain Conservative Governor who was from………..California. If either of you facsimile excuses for men are still in a fog about who that Governor is, please see the first paragraph of this entry.
Now for the FYI portion of this entry, this is for you Willy, attributing Mr. Muth to the reason why this state turned blue simply demos your true ignorance and willingness to blame people you disagree with so you have a face to direct people to as “The Bad Guy.” If you still want to play the blame game with Mr. Muth, then let me go on record and say that if it wasn’t for Mr. Clinton, I’m sure the sale of cigars wouldn’t have increased with sexual deviates after the Lewinsky affair. Whew!!! I finally got that off my chest.
It’s amazing how idiots like you 3 and the others like you love to criticize us Conservative for being anti-regulation, or anti-rules, and then go after us over our feelings towards abortion, capital punishment, etc, etc. You dare call us anti-child then criticize our “hokey” stance on…..the importance of families. You dare call us anti-government, yet it isnt our party that passes laws in the middle of the night behind closed doors. I guess that’s what being a Progressive Democrat truly is, “progressively” usurping the will of the people AND the Constitution of The United States of America. Conservatives are the only ones left that have any committment to the Constitution. By the way, you are right about one thing. I am opposed to one type of government. A Socialist government.
And lastly, if it wasn’t for Conservative values, your idiot President would have NEVER won. Let’s see, he was going to give tax cuts to the middle class, hmm. That sounds pretty Reaganish to me. I don’t have to be a life long resident of Nevada to figure that one out.
Chuck Muth is so sure of the correctness of his views that he often deletes any comments that disagree with his. Sort of like fascism to me.
“Comprise” is what has led us to the mess we now find ourselves in. The GOP has been diluted with people who actually believe that if we give a little, the other side will give a little. The trouble is that the world doesn’t work that way.
In the fine example of Neville Chamberlain, we now see our President doing much the same thing with the world’s leaders so it is not just a GOP issue. Somehow we need to find a backbone as a nation and start standing up to the back door politics that has invaded our system. There was a time when fist fights on the senate floor were common as leaders defended their views.
It is about time that a state party stands up for what they believe. It is obvious that Representative Williams blindsided the members of his party with a cowardly move and for that he should be held accountable.
Mr. Holloway, Ned and Williwaw articulate much of what is wrong with our country. If you disagree, shout accusations. It is much easier to yell that the other side does not have solutions than come up with solution’s of your own.
As voters of Nevada, we will have an opportunity due to term limits to elect people who represent our values. Those on the left will have the same chance. The Republican party fractured a long time ago as conservative values were sold out to political expediency. What we do next is our choice.
If you don’t agree with me, you can always call me names!
Roger Stockton, WRPAC
“Compromise ” is what has led us to the mess we now find ourselves in. The GOP has been diluted with people who actually believe that if we give a little, the other side will give a little. The trouble is that the world doesn’t work that way.
In the fine example of Neville Chamberlain, we now see our President doing much the same thing with the world’s leaders so it is not just a GOP issue. Somehow we need to find a backbone as a nation and start standing up to the back door politics that has invaded our system. There was a time when fist fights on the senate floor were common as leaders defended their views.
It is about time that a state party stands up for what they believe. It is obvious that Representative Williams blindsided the members of his party with a cowardly move and for that he should be held accountable.
Mr. Holloway, Ned and Williwaw articulate much of what is wrong with our country. If you disagree, shout accusations. It is much easier to yell that the other side does not have solutions than come up with solution’s of your own.
As voters of Nevada, we will have an opportunity due to term limits to elect people who represent our values. Those on the left will have the same chance. The Republican party fractured a long time ago as conservative values were sold out to political expediency. What we do next is our choice.
If you don’t agree with me, you can always call me names!
Roger Stockton, WRPAC