FOR
FOR ALL
FOR ALL OF US." 18 á15:44 = QUESTION IS
>>>
>>> BACK
>>> BACK ON INSIDE TENNESSEE, ALSO THIS WEEK IN THE POLITICAL
HEADLINES WITH THE NEWS ABOUT
SPEAKER AND WHO WANTS IT AND
WHO DOESN'T, BILL DUNN SAYING
HE DOES NOT WANT IT FULL-TIME
IN KNOXVILLE.
IN KNOXVILLE. VETERAN LAWMAKER WE SPOKE TO
GOVERNOR BILL LEE ABOUT THE
UPCOMING SPECIAL SESSION.
HERE IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
>> WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
IS THAT WE HAVE LEADERS IN THE
STATE GOVERNMENT THAT REPRESENT
THE VALUES AND THE PRINCIPLES
THAT TENNESSEE HOLDS.
THAT IS SERVING THE INTEREST OF
EVERY PERSON IN THE STATE.
THAT IS WHAT THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES ARE LOOKING FOR
IN A LEADER AND I AM CERTAIN
THEY WILL FIND THAT.
>> THE GOVERNOR TALKING THERE
ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS TO SEE IN
THE NEXT SPEAKER.
WAS IT A SURPRISE THAT BILL
DUNN SAID, I WILL TAKE THE JOB
FOR THE INTERIM BUT I DON'T
WANT IT FULL TIME?
>> NOT REALLY.
HIS HEART NEVER SEEMED TO
COMPLETELY BE IN IT.
IT WAS ALWAYS MAYBE, IF I HAVE
TO.
TO.
TO. BILL
TO. BILL IS A NICE ENOUGH GUY.
BUT I THINK WE NEED A MAJOR
CHANGE.
CHANGE.
CHANGE. I
CHANGE. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT THE
GOVERNOR TOOK AS LONG AS HE DID
TO CALL OUT THAT HE WANTED
PEOPLE WITH HONOR AND
INTEGRITY.
INTEGRITY. HE KNEW FOR A LONG TIME WE DID
NOT HAVE THAT BEFORE ANY SHOULD
HAVE CALLED EARLIER.
>> DON'T YOU ALWAYS WANT
PEOPLE WITH HONOR AND
INTEGRITY?
INTEGRITY? >> I HOPE SO.
>> JUST BEING WISHY-WASHY
EARLY ON AND THAT WAS JUST
REALLY DISAPPOINTING TO ME.
>> SUSAN, LET'S TALK ABOUT
THE PEOPLE YOU DO WANT AND WHO
WAS AT THE TOP.
>> IT IS A LONG LIST.
THERE OUR OR SIX OUT LOBBYING
AND MAKING PHONE CALLS AND I
HAVE GOTTEN SEVERAL PHONE CALLS
FROM PEOPLE.
FROM PEOPLE. I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY TWO
AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
ONE IS CURTIS JOHNSON FROM
MIDDLE TENNESSEE.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE. HILL WAS A STATE REP AND A
FRIEND OF GLEN CASADA.
VERY CLOSE.
VERY CLOSE. IN FACT, WAS THE DEPUTY SPEAKER
WHO WAS IN AN APPOINTED
POSITION BY CASADA.
I DON'T SEE THEM DOING THAT.
BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW MY MONEY
IS ON CAMERON SEXTON.
>> GIVE PEOPLE A SENSE OF
WHAT YOU THINK WILL PLAY OUT IN
THE SPECIAL SESSION.
>> IT WILL BE VERY
INTERESTING.
INTERESTING. >> WILL THEY BE ABLE TO KEEP
IT ON THE RAILS, SO TO SPEAK
AND FOCUS ON THIS?
>> I HOPE SO.
THERE HAS BEEN ENOUGH TURMOIL
IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THE
LAST FEW DAYS WITH WHAT HAPPENS
WITH CASADA.
WITH CASADA. SO IT IS TIME TO GET SERIOUS
AND GET BACK TO GOVERNING.
GET SOMEONE WHO IS PASSIONATE
ABOUT THE JOB.
>> AND YOU HAVE BEEN
REPORTING ON THIS FOR SOME
TIME, JOHN.
TIME, JOHN. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING AS FAR AS
HOW THINGS WILL MOVE FORWARD.
ANYTHING FROM THE EAST
TENNESSEE DELEGATION ABOUT WHAT
WE CAN EXPECT FROM THEM?
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE
WILL BE A LOT.
I REALLY DON'T.
I THINK THERE WILL BE SOME
SYMBOLIC ACTION.
SYMBOLIC ACTION. I THINK THAT WILL BE ABOUT IT.
JOHNSON CONFIRMED LAST WEEK
THAT SHE WILL TRY TO GET THEM
TO DISPEL DAVID BIRD.
I DOUBT THAT WILL HAPPEN.
>> I DO TOO.
>> IT SHOULD.
>> POSSIBLY.
>> POSSIBLY. >> POSSIBLY?
>> POSSIBLY? >> I DON'T KNOW --
>> HE ADMITTED TO -- THE
ASSAULT OF A CHILD.
>> CERTAINLY NOT REELECTED.
>> THEY COULD TAKE THAT UP
THEORETICALLY.
THEORETICALLY. >> THE OTHER BIG NEWS THIS
WEEK, BILL HASLAM SAYING, I'M
NOT RUNNING FOR U.S. SENATE.
I'M NOT RUNNING FOR ALEXANDER'S
SEAT.
SEAT.
SEAT. >>
SEAT. >> WAS AT A SURPRISE?
>> A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK THERE WERE EARLY SIGNS
THAT HE MIGHT BE THE RIGHT
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. GIVEN WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY
SUFFERING.
SUFFERING. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A HEAVY
FAVORITE.
FAVORITE.
FAVORITE. WITH THAT SAID, ALL OF US WHO
NO GOVERNOR HASLAM KNOW THAT
SOMETIMES HE HAS A SHORT
TOLERANCE FOR POLITICS AS
USUAL.
USUAL.
USUAL. AND HE STRUGGLED WITH IT
SOMETIMES BECAUSE HE DIDN'T
LIKE IT.
LIKE IT.
LIKE IT. IT WAS NOT THERE AT THE END OF
THE DAY.
THE DAY.
THE DAY. BILL HASLAM IS A DECENT MAN.
AND I THINK HE JUST HAD HIS
FILL BETWEEN BEING MAYOR AND
GOVERNOR AND HE IS XD AND HE
HAS A LOT OF THINGS HE PROBABLY
WANTS TO DO.
>> 15 YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE
AS MAYOR AND GOVERNOR.
SUSAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE LOST A
BET ON THIS ONE.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
EXPECTED THAT HE WOULD DO IT.
>> I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
WERE HOPING HE WOULD DO IT.
BUT I THINK THAT 15 YEARS IS A
LONG TIME IN PUBLIC OFFICE.
IT IS.
IT IS.
IT IS. AND BILL IS STILL YOUNG ENOUGH
TO ENJOY HIS GROWN CHILDREN AND
TRAVEL AND HE IS A MAN OF FAITH
AND COMMITMENT TO HIS FAMILY.
I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS NOT
THE RIGHT TIME FOR HIM OR THE
RIGHT DECISION.
RIGHT DECISION. WE COULD LOSE THE SENATE NEXT
YEAR AND CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING
A NEW SENATOR IN THE MINORITY?
I THINK THAT HAS PROBABLY BEEN
PART OF IT.
>> WHO WAS AT THE TOP OF THE
LIST?
LIST?
LIST? THE
LIST? THE DOCTOR THAT YOU KNOW WELL?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. HE ANNOUNCED EARLY JUNE THAT HE
IS RUNNING.
IS RUNNING. ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON AT
VANDERBILT.
VANDERBILT. HARVARD MEDICAL.
HARVARD MEDICAL. FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR.
FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR. VERY BRIGHT MAN WHO IS
PASSIONATE ABOUT RUNNING FOR
THE JOB.
THE JOB.
THE JOB. WE ARE HEARING BILL HAGGERTY
WHO WAS THE ACD COMMISSIONER
FOR BILL HASLAM.
WE HEARD HE MIGHT THROW HIS HAT
IN THE RING.
MARK GREEN IS NOT.
MAYBE OTHERS.
MAYBE OTHERS. >> LET'S NOT FORGET JAMES