D.D. 07/31/05

Tom Humphrey has an article in today's Knoxville News-Sentinel with reaction from several legislators on the no-end-in-sight nature of ethics complaints. Most of the complaints center around activist Barry Schmittou who has filed numerous complaints against sitting legislators including the first round of complaints against former-Senator John Ford. Some call Schmittou a "gadfly," while House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh says Schmittou just likes the media attention. State Rep. Rob Briley, said, "So much of what's happening is totally partisan politics." Which may be true Rep. DeBerry resigned her spot on an ethics review panel after GOP Chair Bob Davis called for her resignation and Democrats have been calling for the resignation of Rep. Jeff Miller from the same committee. Senate Republican leader Ron Ramsey has the best answer, saying that party politics itself is a watchdog. "We are the Legislature. There are Democrats and Republicans. Politics is involved in everything we do. That doesn't bother me; that's part of it...Partisan politics is a watchdog in and of itself," Ramsey said.