Education should be top priority of future governor

WASHINGTON — Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn., may no longer be a 2010 gubernatorial candidate, but he said he hopes education will be the centerpiece of the future Tennessee governor’s administration.

“Our state constitution says that every child should be afforded equal access to a good education,” he said.

Rep. Davis had long been mulling a gubernatorial bid but decided to stay in Congress, where he has served since 2003 and recently gained a coveted seat on the House Appropriations panel.

“I believe our future governor will need to be a good manager of our state’s resources, be a good ambassador and surround him or herself with people of good character,” Rep. Davis said.

So far, only Nashville businessman Ward Cammack has declared his candidacy on the Democratic side. Former Rep. Harold Ford Jr., former state House Majority Leader Kim McMillan and state Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, are mulling bids.

Current Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, is term-limited and cannot run for re-election.

ALEXANDER: STIMULUS WOULD RAISE DEBT TOO HIGH

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said even though Tennessee will get an estimated $4 billion over two years in the economic stimulus package, consider the cost, including interest on the debt that will be incurred.

“By way of comparison, former Gov. (Don) Sundquist’s (proposal of) a 3.5 percent income tax that was so unpopular would have raised $400 million a year,” Sen. Alexander said. “With $4 billion over two years, this would be like a new 18-20 percent income tax on the people of Tennessee.

“I think there’s a limit to the debt our country can afford and still be a strong country,” he said.

DEAL: DEMS PAID LIP SERVICE TO BIPARTISANSHIP

Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., said House Democratic leaders should take a page from President Barack Obama’s playbook and embrace the bipartisanship he has promoted.

Rep. Deal said Democrats drafted the economic stimulus bill without any Republican input, which led to the party-line vote, where no Republicans voted in favor of it.

“Where is the bipartisanship?” he said. “It was not bipartisan in the drafting of the bill. It was not bipartisan in the mark-up or the amendments. For (President Obama) to say he wants to be bipartisan, unless his colleagues follow through, there isn’t much of that going on.”

Compiled by Washington correspondent Herman Wang.

E-mail Herman Wang at hwang@timesfreepress.com