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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Politics / Woods Bredesen Pokes Fun at Reporter for Bringing Up THP Scandal

Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 2:27 PM

click to enlarge oie_philbredesen_282_29.jpg
Gov. Phil Bredesen, plagued by scandal inside the Tennessee Highway Patrol, has started mocking reporters who have the audacity to question his handling of the department. At a press conference this afternoon, Bredesen poked fun at the Chattanooga Times Free Press' Andy Sher when Sher asked for his reaction to the latest bad news and Bill Gibbons' call for cleaning up the THP. The scandal has been a favorite topic of the Tennessean's Brad Schrade, and Bredesen clearly would like to stop the coverage from spreading to other newspapers. The governor says he thinks the departure of a top THP official for possible misuse of funds shows the agency is healthy. No kidding. Here's the exchange:

Sher: Governor, it looks like you're continuing to have problems within the Department of Safety with two top officials getting into trouble ...

Bredesen: Do you work for the Tennessean now? I didn't realize. I'm sorry.

Sher: Anyway, Bill Gibbons, candidate for governor, was saying it's time to restore levels of professionalism in the Highway Patrol. I'm curious what you have to say about the latest problems and what he has to say about them.

Bredesen: As you know, when I guess the magnitude of things became clear we changed the management out entirely. I have great confidence in the commissioner. I think he's a very straightforward guy who's really trying to do the right thing. I think they're going to be finding problems and digging them out one by one from time to time. I've had no indications of any sort that anybody's trying to cover things up or make thing go away. They're doing what they think they ought to do. ... They're finding most of the problems, as opposed to somebody on the outside finding them and making it available. I hope whoever frankly whoever the next governor is, whether it's Bill Gibbons or one of the others, that they will continue this process. I'm heartened by the fact that they are talking about concentrating on it.

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How dare the Governor make fun of our friend?
To see Woods' own frequent mockery of Andy, search "lapdogs" ; to see it live, try Brandon's tonight or 3 Crow Bar tomorrow.

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Posted by Henry Walker on August 4, 2009 at 3:54 PM

Woods,
When Bredesen glances at you during a press conference do you imagine he's thinking about the scathing "PhilBot 3000" piece you did last summer? I bet he does. Does that make you feel funny? I bet it might.

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Posted by Ernie on August 4, 2009 at 5:25 PM
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