Tag Archives: Phil Bredesen

Open house, closed books

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The first full day of Governor Bill Haslam’s administration saw the new executive and his wife welcoming guests to the Governor’s Mansion. But while Tennesseans were shown around the place, they won’t be privy to annual income information belonging to the governor or top administration officials. On Saturday, the AP reports, Haslam signed his first executive order, which “eliminates a requirement for the governor and top aides to disclose how much they earn.”

The move caused a stir in the Twitterverse, with most echoing the sentiment expressed by @TNcitizen: “Changing income disclosure rules is a bad first move by @billhaslam. Must say that I’m disappointed.” Another critic added “Disturbing.” And @thelastmango expressed his dissatisfaction rather bluntly.

It is worth noting two things here: one, that the income disclosure rules rescinded by Haslam were not extremely long-standing, but were put in place by his predecessor, former Gov. Phil Bredesen. And two, the news article points out that the entire General Assembly enjoys a similar privacy with regard to personal incomes. (The Legislature often writes itself out of rules it imposes upon others, but that’s a different blog post, someday.)

It comes down to timing and patterns. While elected officials’ salaries paid by the taxpayers are certainly and completely public information (to avoid situations like that endured by the citizens of Bell, California), their private incomes are not as clearly any of our business. Much more important than the amounts themselves are the potential conflicts of interest encountered by overseeing the sources of said incomes. Everyone pretty much knows that Haslam’s haul from Pilot Travel Centers and other places is approximately “more than I’ll ever imagine seeing in a lifetime.” What’s the point of knowing precisely how much that is? How, exactly, would his disclosing it alter any of the facts related to running the administration?

But while this disclosure is not a requirement, the spirit of openness and transparency is not something that should be dismissed or treated with nonchalance. Haslam was repeatedly criticized during the 2010 gubernatorial campaign for not disclosing his income—which, again, he was not obligated to do—and to make this his first official act carries just enough of a whiff of secrecy to get the bloodhounds baying.

Then again, it could have been placed first on the agenda in order to take advantage of our collective attention deficit disorder and cause all but the most dogged detractors to move on once the next bit of controversy arises. And if anyone spilled anything on one of the rugs during Sunday’s open house, just rest assured that the governor can replace it out of his own pocket.

Further reading: two additional executive orders were signed at the same time, and got no mention in the press. Executive Order 2011-02 calls for “[e]xtensive training…for all members and employees of the Cabinet and Departments of the Executive Branch relating to open meetings, open records, ethics and disclosure requirements.” Number 2011-03 outlines the administration’s non-discrimination policy and instructs the Department of Economic and Community Development to pass along those requirements to all companies doing business in the state.

A decade in Tennessee politics: Turning a redder shade of purple

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The first decade of the twenty-first century is ending, and though there is no rule that says retrospectives must be timed to coincide neatly with flips of pages in man-made calendars, such is, in practice, when they are written. Following is a brief recap of Tennessee politics, from the perspective of one who, in late 2000, was just starting to pay attention. Continue reading →

Nancy’s boys

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Stephen Shirley, a columnist for the Murfreesboro Daily News-Journal says that the Democratic nominee in the Sixth Congressional District race is just about as good a candidate as anyone could hope for, but has one major flaw working against him: were he to be elected, his first vote in the U.S. House of Representatives would be for Speaker Nancy Pelosi—and that is a real problem for voters in the conservative Middle Tennessee district.

It’s as if [Brett] Carter emerged from central casting for the recruitment of the ideal candidate.

But for all of the skill, abilities and compelling life stories, there is still one seemingly unshakable albatross hanging around the neck of Brett Carter — Nancy Pelosi.

In Tennessee’s 6th District, there may not be a more despised political figure than Pelosi. Just the mere mention of her name is enough to rankle the average voter. Pelosi has come to symbolize all of the worst caricatures of politicians in general and the Democrats in particular. Staunchly partisan, Pelosi has embraced the liberal moniker and has pushed the Obama administration away from the cooperative nature upon which he campaigned and toward an agenda that encompasses an expansive role of government in everything from health care to energy.

One wonders if U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis and state Sen. Roy Herron carry the same handicap in their districts (the 4th and the 8th, respectively). Davis, as popular an incumbent as one might find these days (save lame-duck Gov. Phil Bredesen) is widely seen as a conservative Democrat himself; but is his expected vote for Pelosi a wedge that Dr. Scott DesJarlais can use against him? Likewise, Herron is a well-financed, arguably moderate candidate in a traditionally Democratic district; but the promise that Stephen Fincher would vote for U.S. Rep. John Boehner instead of Pelosi may make Herron a tougher sell to the voters.

But some voters may sense that their representative’s vote for Speaker is a given, a formality; and thus concentrate more on what the candidate would do for the district.

Lastly, the marked contrast between 80 percent of Tennessee’s Democratic congressional delegation (incumbent U.S. Reps. Jim Cooper, Davis, Bart Gordon, and John Tanner) and the party’s Washington leadership says something about the party, or about its leadership, or about Tennessee. Or maybe all three.

Latest Haslam ad ups Bredesen, McWherter

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Knoxville mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam today unveiled a new campaign ad aimed at his general election audience—in other words, not just Republicans—and it hails Tennessee’s two most recent Democratic governors along with the state’s current Republican U.S. Senators as leaders whom Haslam intends to emulate. Here is the ad script, courtesy of the campaign:

There’s no place like Tennessee. Mountains in the East, river in the West. Heartfelt music in every corner. Good people. Great leaders. Phil Bredesen, Ned McWherter, Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker. People who take our natural good and give it a shine. There’s another good man from Tennessee. Thinks he can make a difference. Seasoned in the world of business. Created thousands of jobs. As mayor, led Knoxville to its best days ever. Sees Tennessee a few steps ahead of some. Plan’s right for the future. Brings us security, prosperity. Bill Haslam. Businessman. Mayor. A good man. The right experience to be Governor. Not for any part of Tennessee, but for the good of all Tennessee.

Governor Phil Bredesen and former Gov. Ned McWherter, both popular Democratic officials, have endorsed Haslam’s chief opponent, Mike McWherter, in the November election.

Haslam campaign manager Mark Cate said “Tennessee has been blessed with great leaders—statesmen—who rise above the fray during difficult times. Bill Haslam is that type of leader, and the combination of his public and private executive experience makes him uniquely qualified to govern in these challenging times.”

UPDATE: Andy Sher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press got this reaction from the Mike McWherter campaign:

McWherter campaign spokesman Shelby White scoffed.

“It’s glaringly apparent that Bill Haslam is leaving out the eight-year term of (Republican) Gov. Don Sundquist in his new fluff piece,” White said. “He also fails to address the fact that his family strongly supported Don Sundquist and raised millions of dollars to support their quest for a state income tax.”

UPDATE 2: I found this quip by renowned political commentator A.C. Kleinheider on Facebook: “Let’s be honest. If Mike McWherter [weren't] the actual candidate running against him, even he would be thinking seriously about voting for Bill Haslam.”

Democratic governor endorses lone Democratic candidate for governor

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Mike McWherter announced the expected today:

Today, before a standing room-only crowd of supporters at Swett’s Restaurant in Nashville, Governor Phil Bredesen officially announced his endorsement of Jackson businessman Mike McWherter to succeed him as Tennessee’s next governor.

“I have spent the past eight years working to make Tennessee a better place to raise a family and operate a business, and I believe Mike McWherter is the candidate best suited to build on this foundation,” said Governor Phil Bredesen. “Mike’s background as a small business owner gives him the personal perspective and experience he needs to move our state forward, particularly during these tough economic times. He understands what it takes to make a payroll, to provide health insurance to working families and to create new jobs from scratch. I believe Mike is the most qualified candidate in this race and I look forward helping him win in November.”

“When Governor Bredesen took the oath of office, Tennessee was on the verge of bankruptcy, and because of his steady judgment, willingness to make tough decisions, and commitment to fiscal responsibility, Tennessee weathered that crisis. That took leadership, it took doing the right thing, not the political thing and that’s the kind of governor I will be,” said McWherter. “As I have travelled to all 95 counties, I have seen first-hand how much Tennesseans value Governor Bredesen’s commitment to problem solving rather than folding to the politics of usual. I appreciate and share this style of leadership and as governor I will uphold these principles, putting the best interests of Tennesseans above those of special interests and partisan politics.”

Following the announcement, McWherter rolled up his sleeves and went to work bussing tables and washing dishes at Swett’s as he made another stop on his Mike Works! Tour. The Mike Works! Tour is an initiative launched several weeks ago that provides McWherter the chance to work alongside small business owners and employees across state giving him the opportunity to learn more about the issues and challenges facing working families across Tennessee.

Nashville radio host Steve Gill, appearing on “This Week with Bob Mueller,” says that the Bredesen endorsement is a “kiss of death.” (via Pith in the Wind)