That’s the spirit of this open letter to the governor from the Tennessee GOP. If I were under federal indictment I don’t think I would want to come out of respect to the process. Perhaps the respective chambers can slap the equivalent of a big red “A” on all the indicted legislators when they arrive.

Since the indicteds have no credibility on the issues of ethics, they might as well be a walking example.

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Chris Newton participated in an interview with News Channel 9 in Chattanooga. He still doesn’t get it.

I did the best I could while in office and I’m sorry for the outcome of the last few months,” Newton says.

It’s a bittersweet election for the former State Representative. Since he was 21, he’s been an elected official for Bradley, Meigs and Polk counties.

And while he says he never sees himself running for office again, Newton ironically says he’s never felt better.

“There’s been like a load’s been lifted off my shoulders,” Newton says.

He did the best he could? I am having trouble believing that. In fact, I’m not sure that Newton even knows what that means.

“I think if there’s one downfall that I had personally, it’s that I allowed that position to consume me, to become my identity,” says Newton.

Newton says what he did was was business as usual in Nashville and that’s why he resigned November 1st.

What a perversely weak man. First, allowing the position of state representative consume you oughtn’t result in the routine taking of bribes. I would think that letting the position “consume you” would result in overzealous representation of your constituents, not personal enrichment at the expense of betraying their trust. Second, he cops out and blames it on “business as usual.” Horrible. And he says this as if it was a justification for his behavior. This “boy” (I refuse to call him a man any longer) deserves what he gets.

Newton calls money the key to political corruption, and says there’s no hope for Nashville unless the politicians get back to their roots.

“They need to take a look in the mirror and they need to ask themselves, ‘are we doing everything that we should be doing to ensure fairness, integrity, and ensure that we’re doing things in an ethical manner?’”

Newton says that’s how he plans to live his life. And he says he hopes others learn from what happened to him, cautioning, “Don’t make choices that you cannot live with.”

Newton’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February. He faces up to 25 years in prison.

Consider the source. The entire story sounds as if he was on Oprah, bearing his soul for all to see, expecting some sort of absolution. Well, this Baptist ain’t buying it. Newton can do us all a service and completely disappear from public life. He’s done enough damage as it is.

I just did perhaps my personally lengthiest post on the ethics issue in Tennessee over at BillHobbs.com. I have largely not addressed the issue on MooreThoughts as it seems there is more than enough blog coverage as it stands.

It also worth noting that most individuals watching the legislative Democrats like hawks are from the major newspapers in the state or are politically astute bloggers, with a marked concentration in Middle Tennessee. I have spoken with reliable Republican office holders, field reps, volunteers, etc., across the state, and contrary to the hopes of many (including me), it does not appear that most corners of the state give a spit in the bucket about the ethics issues affecting the legislature.

I am afraid that if Republican candidates outside the Nashville media market focus too much of their campaign on the ethical deficiencies of the Democrats, we will lose our immediate opportunity to take back the government. Ethics is an important issue that needs to be addressed, but it’s not something we can run on statewide and expect to win back the General Assembly. At least not now. If the Democrats continue to act like a bunch of noncompliant children, merely content to wipe the counter than scrub, that could change. I’m not sure it will.

Of course, contrary to some current talk, the best ethics proposal right now is not going to come out of any joint committee. Real ethics reform will happen when Republicans control both the state house and senate. There’s more than one way to make Jimmy Naifeh’s wife unemployable.

State Representative Chris Newton has just resigned today, making way for a special election instead of a Democratic appointment.

In place of Chris Newton, the first Republican declared is Elizabeth Kalabus. From a press release dated yesterday

Elizabeth Kalabus announces candidacy

Contact Information:

Elizabeth Kalabus
2141 Old Parksville Rd. NE
Cleveland, TN 37323
(423) 559-1674
Ekalabus@aol.com
August 29, 2005

For Immediate Release

To the citizens of Bradley, Meigs and Polk Counties, my name is Elizabeth Kalabus. I am pleased to announce my candidacy for State Representative for the 22nd District House of Representatives. I want to serve all the people of this district.

I’ll work hard for improved education and responsible educational spending. Our children are our future. Let’s help them get a good foundation for life. I will work toward helping Tennessee teachers build a fair retirement system. We need to attract and keep good teachers.

Attracting industry and securing a job force in the present, and the future, keeps the economy stable, and assures future economic growth. Building Tennessee in a responsible manner now will help meet the demand for jobs. We can increase industry in low impact ways to preserve the environment.

I was born in the northeast and traveled over the years from border to border due to my husband’s job. I have had the chance to experience a wide variety of cultural diversity. My husband was in the law enforcement field for over thirty years and I am familiar with the problems society is facing.

I have been a business owner, I am a nurse, and I’m presently a student working toward a BS Degree in Paralegal and Pre Law Studies. I have four children, all grown, and understand the problems and concerns parents face.

I grew up without many of the advantages available to young people today. I know the value of working hard and how hard it can be to get ahead when you’re working just to get by.

As a nurse I understand the difficulties faced when you don’t have health care insurance, and what an enormous problem this area is facing trying to provide the care needed. We need a safety net in Tennessee to help those in need of health care now. From the day I take my oath of office, I will work diligently to find an answer to resolve this problem.

I am a strong ally of the second amendment.

I am against a state income tax.

It’s time for a change in the 22nd district.

Paul Ney, general counsel to the Tennessee Republican Party, addressed the joint House / Senate panel on ethics yesterday. I have included the address as a page on this blog, and link to it here.

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Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) has taken the right step and has moved forward with ethics charges against Lois DeBerry. My post and summary on what Lois admitted to doing is here.

Brian is a great person, and one of the good guys in the legislature. I’m glad to see good people taking the initiative.

If you’re in state government in Tennessee, here is the most thorough assessment of what never to say, ever, especially if you’re on the state ethics commission.

We have to have someone we can run down in District 29.

Half-Bakered has the play-by-play. As the perps turn….the more pleas we see, the more indictments we’re going to see.

The Tennessean has the story here.