Tennessee Republicans throw House speaker out of the party

Kent Williams voted with Democrats to gain post

NASHVILLE (Memphis Commercial Appeal) - State House Speaker Kent Williams said Monday that he remains a "Carter County Republican" and suggested that a faction of the Tennessee Republican Party -- including its chairman who ousted him from the state GOP Monday -- "rules by hate."

Williams, a Carter County restaurateur elected to his second House term last fall as a Republican, said there's no chance he'll become a Democrat but he may run in 2010 as an independent if the state GOP hasn't changed its mind by then. "It's a long time to the next elections, and we could have some changes in the state GOP by then. Maybe we'll have someone more level-headed, someone who doesn't rule by hate," he said.

Williams said that moments after his election as speaker on Jan. 13 -- in which he joined all 49 House Democrats in voting for himself over the GOP nominee -- state GOP Chairman Robin Smith approached him and said: "Congratulations, Speaker; it's hard to kill the devil, but in two years you're a dead man."