Embattled TN House Speaker Calls Explicit Sexual Texts 'Locker Room Talk'

[riversedge]

Source: TPM


By Kate Riga May 7, 2019 11:11 am

Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada (R) is holding onto his reputation and political viability by his fingertips as wave after wave of scandal crashes over his office, already sinking his powerful chief of staff Monday night.
...................................

Taking a leaf from President Donald Trump’s book, Casada dismissed the conversations Tuesday as “locker talk” of a (three years) younger man.

“Three years ago, I participated in base locker room talk, if you will, amongst two adult men,” he told Tennessee radio station WWTN. “I’m not proud of that.”

“I’m embarrassed about that. In the last couple of years, I have come to realize — I can’t do this and it is not appropriate behavior,” ......................

...........................Casada added to WWTN that he still enjoys “overwhelming” support from House Republicans and that he does not intend to step down, as Democrats gear up to push for the his resignation.....................

Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/embattled-tn-house-speaker-explicit-sexual-texts-locker-room-talk

[not fooled]

1. But now he is enlightened

and would NEVER make such comments.

Yeah, right.

[Chin music]

2. Been in locker rooms since Jr High. People don't talk like that. Folks rarely talk at all.

Especially there.
Maybe on pro teams. Sorry but, that's my experience. When I heard it from trump about the P**** comment, I felt the same. Imagine the line of shit rich old men give to their wives to try to normalize really odd behavior?

[Roy Rolling]

3. We Gotta Choose our battles

I would stipulate that any moron who hides behind the Republican political party for legitimacy has no foundational principles to begin with. Being outraged because such a moron texts moronic statements to a comrade uses up my valuable outrage energy.

I gotta ration my outrage, there's too much to trigger me.

Even if 100% true, if we accuse them of every outrage it will dull people to the outrages that are significant compared to others. That is the goal of distraction, we shouldn't be a victim of it.

[struggle4progress]

4. Tennessee House speaker's chief of staff resigns

Natalie Allison and Joel Ebert, Nashville Tennessean
Published 7:19 p.m. ET May 7, 2019 | Updated 7:20 p.m. ET May 7, 2019

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee House speaker's chief of staff has resigned in light of reports that the top aide solicited sex in text messages to interns and lobbyists and used illegal drugs in the legislative office building.

Cade Cothren, 32, confirmed his resignation Monday evening.

"I think it was just a distraction," Cothren told the USA TODAY Network-Tennessee in an interview.

Cothren's resignation came hours after the USA TODAY Network-Tennessee published a story that showed he asked one intern in 2015 for oral sex and nude photos. He also suggested in 2014 texts that he would continue "hitting on" another intern, and made sexual advances to a lobbyist in 2016 ...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/07/glen-casada-house-speaker-cade-cothren-republicans-tennessee/1135122001/

[struggle4progress]

5. White noise machines installed in Glen Casada's office

Joel Ebert, Nashville Tennessean
Published 9:56 p.m. CT May 7, 2019

As House Speaker Glen Casada continues to allay concerns about his ability to lead while dealing with the fallout of a scandal involving his former chief of staff, the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee has learned the Williamson County Republican has:

a white noise machine system inside and outside his legislative office,
allowed his now former chief of staff to eavesdrop on committee rooms, and
caused concern among some lawmakers, leading at least three to have or plan to have their offices checked for recording devices.

White noise machines are used to diminish the potential for recording or overhearing conversations ...

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/05/07/glen-casada-and-cade-cothren-white-noise-machines-eavesdropping/1130205001/

[struggle4progress]

6. Legislative culture again in spotlight

Joel Ebert and Natalie Allison, Nashville Tennessean
Published 9:53 p.m. CT May 7, 2019 | Updated 10:29 p.m. CT May 7, 2019

... Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, said Tuesday House Republicans "should not tolerate the kind of behavior and the kind of judgment" that was shown.

The USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee Monday afternoon detailed text messages sent from a cellphone number associated with House Speaker Glen Casada's former chief of staff Cade Cothren.

In the messages, Cothren, who earlier in the day admitted to using cocaine while in the legislative office building, solicited sex from an intern and a lobbyist.

Casada participated in some of Cothren's text messages with derogatory comments toward women ...

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/05/07/glen-casada-cade-cothren-chief-of-staff-sexual-harassment-culture/1123148001/

[struggle4progress]

7. How did dates change, spaces appear in emails from House Speaker's office?

Posted: 6:37 PM, May 07, 2019
Updated: 7:37 PM, May 07, 2019
Phil Williams

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — How do the dates on an email magically change - or spaces suddenly appear?

Those questions are at the center of the continuing controversy over whether House Speaker Glen Casada's office may have tried to frame a student activist who had become a thorn in the Speaker's side.

Now, the legislature's Black Caucus wants the TBI to investigate.

The controversy focuses on a screenshot that Casada's now-former chief of staff, Cade Cothren, sent to Nashville's DA back in March in an apparent effort to get activist Justin Jones locked up ...

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/how-did-dates-change-spaces-appear-in-emails-from-house-speakers-office

[struggle4progress]

8. Tennessee GOP speaker faces calls to resign

Tuesday, May 7th 2019, 5:51 PM EDT
By Eli Watkins and Pamela Kirkland, CNN

Tennessee GOP state House Speaker Glen Casada faced calls on Tuesday to step down after his chief of staff resigned following reports that the top aide had made racist comments, sent sexually explicit messages to interns and allegedly tried to frame an activist.

Cade Cothren, Casada's former chief of staff, resigned Monday, Tennessee House GOP spokesman Doug Kufner confirmed to CNN. On Tuesday, top Democrats in the state called for the speaker to step down as well.

Casada stood by Cothren throughout many of the revelations, initially disputing reports that he and Cothren later acknowledged were partly true and vouching for his aide's character even as pressure mounted. In a radio interview on Tuesday, Casada continued to vouch for Cothren's character as he confirmed the chief of staff had resigned ...

A series of reports about Cothren's conduct have surfaced in Tennessee in recent days, including mention of a text he sent where he said "black people are idiots" and another where he used the N-word. The text messages were revealed in an investigative report last week from local news outlet WTVF ...

https://www.abc-7.com/story/40433583/tennessee-gop-speaker-faces-calls-to-resign-after-top-aide-steps-down-amid-scandal

[struggle4progress]

9. Republican Lawyer leading renewed effort to oust David Byrd

STEVEN HALE
MAY 7, 2019 4 PM

As House Speaker Glen Casada faces calls for his resignation in the wake of a multi-pronged scandal involving the high-ranking Republican and his now-former chief of staff, a West Tennessee lawyer is looking to reheat the scrutiny of another House Republican — Rep. David Byrd.

More than a year ago, Byrd was accused by three women of sexually abusing them when he was their high school basketball coach. Despite calls from then-House Speaker Beth Harwell and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally for him to step down, Byrd refused and announced his intention to "fight a majority" of the allegations. He did so even though one of the women had called him and recorded a conversation in which he apologized to her at length, saying, “I can promise you one thing, I have been so sorry for that" ...

https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pith-in-the-wind/article/21067730/a-republican-lawyer-is-leading-a-renewed-effort-to-oust-david-byrd

[struggle4progress]

10. Gov, Lt. Gov condemn reported misbehavior from House Speaker's office

Natalie Allison, Nashville Tennessean
Published 3:48 p.m. CT May 7, 2019 | Updated 4:40 p.m. CT May 7, 2019

Tennessee's top two ranking Republicans on Tuesday condemned behavior attributed to a top aide in House Speaker Glen Casada's office — of which Casada had in some cases been aware — but came short of calling for any change in leadership in the lower legislative chamber.

Gov. Bill Lee's office initially declined to comment Monday on news that Casada's chief of staff Cade Cothren had sent text messages soliciting sex from an intern and had admitted to previously using cocaine in the legislative office building.

In some of the text messages, sent between 2014 and 2016 and obtained by USA TODAY Network - Tennessee, Casada himself engaged in sexually explicit conversations with Cothren.

But on Tuesday, Lee said that elected officials "have an obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard and cultivate an environment of professionalism and respect" ...

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/05/07/tennessee-republicans-cade-cothren-glen-casada/1132419001/

[oasis]

11. GOP backward culture. nt