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RNC Notebook: State House talk at RNC By: Ken Whitehouse, NashvillePost.com At a Monday morning breakfast of Tennessee delegates, the keynote speaker was Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey who spoke to the state’s delegation about the importance of legislative races in the state, calling attention to House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower’s need to pick up four seats in the state House to get a majority as well as his own need to get at least one more seat in the state Senate. Among legislative members in attendance were state Representatives Glen Casada, Jimmy Eldridge and Eric Watson as well as state Senators Jamie Woodson and Mark Norris. Non-elected but well known individuals in the room included Nashville businessman Ted Welch, AT&T Tennessee President Gregg Morton, freshly arrived from the Democratic Convention in Denver, and former Congressman Van Hilleary. Seen and Heard Some well known young Republicans from the Nashville area are in town volunteering for the convention this week, including Kevin Phillips of Brentwood PR firm Jarrard, Phillips, Cate & Hancock; Toby Compton, who is taking a week off from the staff of Mayor Karl Dean; and former Sundquist staffer Jennifer Hatten, who is about to move to D.C. to work for a banking industry association. All were spotted at a Saturday night media reception held on the banks of the Mississippi River with Native American dancers providing the entertainment and local vendors handing out food grown in Minnesota. Also in attendance were Tennessee Republican Party chair Robin Smith and state party staffer Mark Winslow, Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower and his wife Alicia, State Rep. Eric Watson, Shelby County D.A. Bill Gibbons, Huckabee delegates Steve and Deanna Kuhn of Franklin, and Randy, Marty and Lauren Fairbanks of Soddy Daisy. Lauren is the youngest Tennessee delegate at age 19, she is a MTSU marketing major. Smith arrived earlier in the week as she serves on the GOP Rules Committee. That committee decides the “who, what, where, how, and when” of most party procedures that the general public never really becomes acquainted with, unless there is a real showdown between people or factions. It’s obscure to most, but nonetheless important. Leipold Sighting Former Nashville Predators owner and current owner of the Minnesota Wild, Craig Leipold was spotted serving as a delegate to the convention for Minnesota. Leipold also has the added distinction of having the convention being held on his “home ice” in St. Paul as he is now owner of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. When asked if he had any messages for Nashville, Leipold said, “I miss all of my friends in Tennessee. They treated me like family there. I hope we will get to visit soon.” And just so you don’t think I didn’t ask, he did decline to discuss a certain guy named ‘Boots’ Del Biaggio. |
