By Andy Sher
Nashville Bureau
PINEY FLATS, Tenn. —; Backed by more than $4 million in campaign cash and the power of incumbency, Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen today officially kicked off his 2006 re-election bid with a four-day, barnstorm tour of the state.
“You guys ready for 154 days?” Gov. Bredesen told senior campaign aides once the campaign’s plane rolled to a halt at Tri-Cities Regional Airport. “Let’s do it.”
The 16-stop trip, designed to pump up the governor’s supporters and play up first-term achievements, began in historically Republican Upper East Tennessee with a breakfast attended by an estimated 250 supporters at Pardner’s Restaurant in Piney Flats.
It is a traditional stop for Democrats seeking statewide office.
Some protesters greeted Gov. Bredesen, including a woman who said she was a Republican and complained about having been disenrolled from TennCare. A man in a bear suit said he was protesting problems in the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The department’s top three officials resigned in December, after news reports described troopers with criminal backgrounds, allegations of ticket-fixing and a culture of cronyism and political armtwisting.
Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Bob Davis on Monday called on the governor to return campaign contributions from THP troopers and “prove” he is dealing with ethics issues.
“You have an opportunity to show Tennesseans you are serious about cleaning up your administration by returning the campaign money and making the assertion that you bear the responsibility for what has happened,” Mr. Davis said in a statement.
Saying problems began years before he took office, Gov. Bredesen has vowed to clean up THP and the administration recently unveiled a new promotion plan officials say is designed to maintain professionalism in the patrol.
The governor was later scheduled to make stops at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Greeneville, Tenn.; Volunteer Landing in Knoxville and Athens Regional Park in Athens, Tenn. He will spend this evening in Chattanooga.
Also qualifying in the Democratic primary is John Jay Hooker, a long-time political figure from Nashville, and Tim Sevier of Hixson, according to the Web site for the state’s Division of Elections. Republicans vying for the GOP nomination include Sen. Jim Bryson, R-Franklin, and Mark Albertini of Chattanooga.
E-mail Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com
See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for full coverage.
Nashville Bureau
PINEY FLATS, Tenn. —; Backed by more than $4 million in campaign cash and the power of incumbency, Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen today officially kicked off his 2006 re-election bid with a four-day, barnstorm tour of the state.
“You guys ready for 154 days?” Gov. Bredesen told senior campaign aides once the campaign’s plane rolled to a halt at Tri-Cities Regional Airport. “Let’s do it.”
The 16-stop trip, designed to pump up the governor’s supporters and play up first-term achievements, began in historically Republican Upper East Tennessee with a breakfast attended by an estimated 250 supporters at Pardner’s Restaurant in Piney Flats.
It is a traditional stop for Democrats seeking statewide office.
Some protesters greeted Gov. Bredesen, including a woman who said she was a Republican and complained about having been disenrolled from TennCare. A man in a bear suit said he was protesting problems in the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The department’s top three officials resigned in December, after news reports described troopers with criminal backgrounds, allegations of ticket-fixing and a culture of cronyism and political armtwisting.
Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Bob Davis on Monday called on the governor to return campaign contributions from THP troopers and “prove” he is dealing with ethics issues.
“You have an opportunity to show Tennesseans you are serious about cleaning up your administration by returning the campaign money and making the assertion that you bear the responsibility for what has happened,” Mr. Davis said in a statement.
Saying problems began years before he took office, Gov. Bredesen has vowed to clean up THP and the administration recently unveiled a new promotion plan officials say is designed to maintain professionalism in the patrol.
The governor was later scheduled to make stops at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Greeneville, Tenn.; Volunteer Landing in Knoxville and Athens Regional Park in Athens, Tenn. He will spend this evening in Chattanooga.
Also qualifying in the Democratic primary is John Jay Hooker, a long-time political figure from Nashville, and Tim Sevier of Hixson, according to the Web site for the state’s Division of Elections. Republicans vying for the GOP nomination include Sen. Jim Bryson, R-Franklin, and Mark Albertini of Chattanooga.
E-mail Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com
See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for full coverage.
