Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A hard read

From the Nashville Scene (an adult site) comes this heartbreaking tale of Rob Briley's "Affairs of State"

This is very hard reading. It's so frustrating. It enrages one to know that people who had the authority both moral and legal, to help this man, failed to do so again, and again, and again. This will be the most difficult thing you read today. But read it all so that the vermin that are running the legislature will be exposed and hopefully, they will be accountable and the SOP will change. This sort of thing has to stop. How can they dare to say they're caring for the people of Tennessee when they won't care for one of their own. They were willing to sacrifice this man for their own comfort, to hold on to power and out of fear that their own lives would then would be judged.

These friends, who ask not to be named, blame the Capitol’s well-publicized culture of sleaze for contributing to Briley’s troubles. They question why House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh never intervened to stop Briley’s affair with Littleton—a volatile, on-again, off-again relationship they say destabilized the tormented young politician. But it’s hard to imagine Naifeh objecting, given that the speaker himself romanced his now-wife Betty Anderson, a lobbyist, in the 1990s.

“Rob’s gotten up in something he can’t handle, but he’s not willing to give it up,” one source says. “All these people knew what was going on. Every one of these people knew he was out of control, but they overlooked it. Every time I leave there, I need a bath. It’s so dirty and contaminated.”

Keep praying for this man, his children and his family. Alcoholism is a family illness. They need our support.

As a constituent I would want Rob Briley to resign. He needs to focus on his health and his fractured family. That's his first duty.

Previous Post:
Powerless over alcohol, lives unmanageable

4 comments:

Katie Hill said...

Kay,
Thank you for this column. I've gotten accustomed to (perceived) right-wingers penning columns that I usually find offensive. This was spot-on. Wonderful. Thank you for questioning this "culture of sleaze" that everyone pays lip service to hating but does nothing to stop.

I don't live in Rob Briley's district, which makes me relieved, but if I did, I'd be really torn between wanting him to resign for his own and his family's health, but also wanting him to stay because he is a gifted legislator (which is such a rare thing to say these days).

Kay Brooks said...

Thank you, Katie. I appreciate your kind comment.

Even though you don't live in Briley's district you can help by sending a note to your representative and Speaker Naifeh along with Democratic head Gary Sasser and let them know what you want them to do to clean all this up.

Briley's not the only Democrat legislator that's been used up, Jerry Cooper and Ophelia Ford are in nearly the same boat.

He may be effective, as you say, however, I can't ask him to sacrifice his personal health and his family to represent me. There are others who can also be effective. No one else can get him well and heal his family.

TN fan said...

Kay,
Can you please make a correction to your response. The Democratic head you reference is Gray Sasser not Gary.

Kay Brooks said...

I'm not able to edit responses, Tn Fan, but thanks for pointing out the typo in Gray Sasser's name. Thanks for reading.