Williams defends himself against Ramsey’s accusations that he’s Democrats’ ‘patsy’

By John Rodgers, NashvilleCityPaper.com
December 12, 2006

A visibly upset Sen. Mike Williams defended himself Monday against accusations that he would be a “patsy” by voting for Lt. Gov. John Wilder again as opposed to fellow GOP Sen. Ron Ramsey for the Speaker of the Senate.

As first reported in The City Paper, Ramsey (R-Blountville), in a handwritten letter sent in mid-November, said Williams could be a “hero” by voting for him for speaker of the Senate or a “patsy” by again supporting Wilder (D-Mason).

Monday, Williams (R-Maynardville) responded for the first time to Ramsey’s statements, denying that he was a fall guy for the Democrats.

“In my 16 years of service here, I think a lot of things can be said about me,” Williams said following a meeting of the Senate Republican Caucus. “I don’t think no person could ever say that I’m a patsy.”

Williams’ vote is crucial for Ramsey since the Republicans hold a slim 17-16 majority in the Senate and it takes 17 votes to elect a speaker. Ramsey needs Williams to be the 17th among 17 Republicans voting for him in order to unseat Wilder.

There are 16 Democrats in the Senate, meaning if Williams voted with them, Wilder would remain speaker.

In response to Williams’ comments, Ramsey said he’s sorry Williams was upset, but defended his letter, saying it served to “lay out to him the exact options that [Williams] had.”

“I don’t see how you argue with what was in the letter,” Ramsey said.

Williams made the remarks to reporters and became visibly upset during the statements before abruptly leaving. He was the only Republican senator present who did not vote for Ramsey to be the GOP’s nominee for Speaker of the Senate.

Williams passed on that vote and said he has not made a decision about whom he will support for speaker of the Senate and, therefore, lieutenant governor. Wilder has held both spots since 1971.

The Maynardville Republican has spurned party loyalty before. In Jan. 2005, Williams and fellow GOP Sen. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) voted for Wilder to remain speaker, even though the GOP held the majority. Ramsey has said Burchett is now supporting him, but Burchett said Monday he hasn’t “committed to anybody.”

Monday, Williams did vote for Ramsey to be re-elected as Senate majority leader, which he was unanimously.

But the Republicans did not march in lockstep. In a somewhat unexpected move, Sen. Mark Norris (R-Collierville) knocked off Sen. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) in a 10-5 vote for the chairmanship position of the Senate Republican Caucus. That’s the No. 2 position among GOP senators.

Norris, the current chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee and frequent critic of the Bredesen Administration, said the Senate Republicans will be more “assertive” with him leading their caucus.

“I don’t hesitate to speak my mind,” Norris said, adding that the GOP needed to “change our offense a little bit” as one of the reasons for his opposition to McNally.

McNally, who acknowledged that he is “probably” a moderate Republican, said he didn’t think his loss was a result of ideology.

“I think it’s more about personal leadership style,” McNally said.

Norris said “some” find him “more conservative” than McNally.

While the Senate Republicans met Monday, the House Republicans will gather today to elect their leadership positions. Both of the two top leadership positions – minority leader and caucus chair – have contested elections.