.
. BACK
. BACK ON
. BACK ON INSIDE TENNESSEE WITH FORMER TENNESSEE GOVERNOR BILL
WHO HAS WRITTEN A BOOK FAITHFUL
PRESENCE AND IT IS AVAILABLE
RIGHT NOW AND ONE POINT,
GOVERNOR, BEFORE I MOVED TO DON
BECAUSE HE HAD A FOLLOW UP ON
HIS QUESTION ABOUT THE JANUARY
SIX EVENT AND YOU MENTIONED
THIS IN EARLIER INTERVIEW WITH
US THAT YOU ACTUALLY FILED THIS
BOOK IN NOVEMBER AND ASKED THE
PUBLISHER, HEY, WAIT A MINUTE,
WHAT HAPPENED IN JANUARY I NEED
TO WRITE ABOUT AND THAT WAS THE
FOREWORD OF YOUR BOOK MENTIONED
IN THAT.
SO JUST THAT POINT IS WE GO TO
DON.
>> SO GOVERNOR, I KNOW YOU
STRUGGLE WITH THE DECISION AS
TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD RUN
FOR THE ALEXANDER'S OPEN SENATE
SEAT AND THE SEAT THAT
ULTIMATELY WAS WON BY BILL
HEGGARTY AND UNFORTUNATELY AT
LEAST CERTAINLY FOR ME AND MANY
OF US BOTH SENATOR HEGGARTY AND
SENATOR BLACKBURN SUPPORTED THE
EFFORTS THAT CLEARLY WERE NOT
FOUNDED IN OUR RULES AND
CONSTITUTION TO OVERTURN THE
ELECTION.
BUT YOU CHOSE NOT TO SAY
ANYTHING PUBLICLY AT THAT TIME
OR REACH OUT AND I KNOW YOU
HAVE SAID IN OTHER ARTICLES
THAT YOU FEEL IT MAY NOT BE
YOUR PLACE BUT YOU'RE ONE OF
THREE SURVIVING XXXX GOVERNORS
IN TENNESSEE IF IT'S NOT YOUR
PLACE, WHOSE PLACE IS IT TO TO
LET OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS KNOW
,HEY, THIS IS WRONG AND YOU
SHOULDN'T DO THIS?
>> WELL, THERE'S ACTUALLY FOUR
OF US.
YOU HAVE GOVERNOR DON GOVERNOR
SOLUTIOS GOESER ALEXANDER SO
I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO MAKE >>
LIST.
I THINK DIALOUGUE IF YOU LOOK
AT MY CAREER YOU SEE VERY FEW
TIMES WHEN I'VE TAKEN PUBLIC.
SCHOTTEL WHETHER IT BE
LEGISLATORS OF THE OTHER PARTY
JUST REAL ANYBODY >> BECAUSE
SCHOTTEL WHETHER IT BE LEGISLATORS OF THE OTHER PARTY JUST REAL ANYBODY >> BECAUSET OE
MORE PERSON TAKING A PUBLIC
SHOT AT SOMEONE IS A GOOD IDEA.
SO WHY DON'T YOU KNOW THESE
FOLKS?
YOU CAN REACH OUT TO THEM AS
WELL.
YOU KNOW, ON OCCASION I DO ON
THINGS BUT YOU KNOW, LAMAR WAS
ALWAYS REALLY STRONG ME LIKE
HASCH ONE GOVERNOR AT A TIME
AND I CAN GIVE YOU AN OPINION
BUT TO CALL YOU UP AND SAY
HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS
NOT APPROPRIATE AND I DON'T I
DON'T KNOW IN THAT SITUATION TO
BE HONEST THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF
THAT CHAOTIC DAY OF JANUARY 6TH
,ONE MORE CALL FROM SOMEONE
LIKE ME WAS GOING TO HELP
KNOWING THE PHONE CALLS THAT
WERE GOING IN THERE ALREADY.
GOVERNOR >>.
WELL, GO AHEAD.
GO AHEAD, DON.
I WOULD >> SAY EVEN PRIOR TO
JANUARY SENATOR SURGUERY AND
BLACKBURNE HAD INDICATED THAT
THEY WERE GOING TO OPPOSE THE
CERTIFICATION AND I THINK IN
HEARING YOU EARLIER AND IN
KNOWING YOU, YOU KNOW THAT
WASN'T RIGHT AND I SUPPOSE IT'S
ALL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO
LET OUR PEOPLE KNOW.
BUT YOU HOLD A UNIQUE POSITION
AND I GUESS JUST HOW SERIOUS
DOES IT HAVE TO BECOME BEFORE
YOU FEEL COMPELLED TO PICK UP
THE PHONE AND CALL A
COUNTERPART OR A COLLEAGUE?
WELL, LISTEN, I'M NOT I CAN'T
I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE THEIR
ARGUMENTS FOR THEIR MY
UNDERSTANDING IS THEY HAD SOME
QUESTION ABOUT THE PRESS THAT
AGAIN I DON'T I CAN'T I CAN'T
>> SPEAK FOR THEM IN THAT
SITUATION.
I JUST DON'T YOU KNOW, AT THE
END OF THE DAY I WAS CONFIDENT
THAT THE RIGHT THING WOULD
HAPPEN AND THE RIGHT THING DID
HAPPEN DESPITE THE
BEING
BEING STORMED. DESPITE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY VICE PRESIDENT PENCE DID
THE RIGHT THING AND THE VOTES
HAPPENED THAT DAY ON THE SENATE
FLOOR >>.
GOVERNOR, WHEN YOU LOOK
CURRENTLY AT OUR POLITICAL
LANDSCAPE AND APPLY SOME
LESSONS FROM YOUR BOOK TO
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW AND PICK
YOUR TOP TOPIC BE IT VOTING
RIGHTS OR WHAT THE DISCUSSION
WE'RE HAVING ABOUT THE BORDER
AND WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN THERE.
IS THERE SOME >> ARE THERE SOME
LESSONS FROM YOUR BOOK YOU
THINK COULD HELP IN PEOPLE
DISCUSSING WHAT TURNED OUT TO
BE VERY DIVISIVE ISSUES >>?
WELL, I THINK YOU START WITH
THIS >> IS THIS STUFF REALLY
MATTERS RIGHT BACK TO THE
EXAMPLE I GAVE WITH EZRA
ISRAELITES IN BABYLON LIKE
WE'RE >> SUPPOSED TO CARE ABOUT
THE THE PLACE WE LIVE AND >>
THIS MATTERS AND TO GET WHERE
WE'RE ALWAYS IN >> AND I MET A
MODE OF OPERATION THAT SAYS OUR
JOB HERE IS NOT TO SOLVE THE
PROBLEM.
OUR JOB HERE IS TO BE ABLE TO
FIRE BACK AT THE OTHER SIDE.
AND SO I THINK >> THE FIRST
THING I WOULD ASK TO WRITE ASPX
IS >> NO MATTER WHERE THE
ELECTED OFFICE OR IF YOU'RE
JUST A SUPPORTER THIS IS WHAT
YOU'RE DOING ACTUALLY WORKING
TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM ON >>
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT >> JUST
YELLING AT THE OTHER SIDE DOES
NOT DO THAT AND IF YOU TRULY
CARE ABOUT THE COMMON GOOD OF
THIS COMMUNITY, THIS STATE,
THIS COUNTRY THEN YOU SHOULD BE
ABOUT SOLVING THE PROBLEM AND
REALLY >> THAT THIS IS A VERY
DIVIDED COUNTRY.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES MISS IS
THERE'S ALMOST THERE'S THERE'S
ABOUT >> AS MANY PEOPLE ON THE
OTHER SIDE AS THERE IS ON YOUR
SIDE WHICHEVER SIDE YOU'RE ON.
AND SO THIS IDEA THAT IF WE
JUST DIG IN AND YELL HARDER
WE'LL SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT
WAY IS >> NOT TRUE.
>> GOVERNOR, ONE OF THE THINGS
YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT
GOVERNING IS A LOT MORE
DIFFICULT AND SOLVING PROBLEMS
THAN WHAT YOU WOULD ANTICIPATE.
TELL ME WHAT WAS THE HARDEST
WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT
PROBLEM THAT YOU FACED AS
GOVERNOR >> THAT YOU HAD TO
SOLVE?
>> YOU KNOW, IN OUR EARLY YEARS
WHEN THE STATE WAS COMING OUT
OF THE RECESSION OF 08 09
REMEMBER WE GO IN AND NOVEMBER
11 THERE HAVE BEEN ALL THE
FEDERAL MONEY FROM THE STIMULUS
PLAN THAT WAS PUT IN THE STATE
BUDGET WAS COMING OUT.
SO THOSE EARLY YEARS WHEN YOU
HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON
BUDGET ISSUES ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
VITAL SERVICE AREAS AND WE JUST
CAN'T DO ALL THIS.
WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO
IT.
THOSE ARE HARD WHEN YOU REALIZE
WHEN YOU SAY >> ARE WE GOING TO
WE'RE GOING TO CUT THE BUDGET
TO OUR TO OUR FOLKS THAT SORT
OF INTELLECTUALLY,
INTELLECTUALLY AND PHYSICALLY
DISABLED.
NOBODY WANTS TO MAKE THAT CALL
SO EARLY WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME
OF THE DIFFICULT BUDGET
CALLS LATE.
WE MAKE DECISIONS CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT AND WHERE ARE WE
GOING TO INTERVENE IN THAT
PROCESS?
AND AS MUCH AS YOU SEE IT
COMING AND KNOW THAT YOU SHOULD
BE PREPARED FOR THAT, YOU'RE
NOT PREPARED UNTIL YOU KNOW
THAT I NEED TO SIT HERE BY THE
PHONE IN THE WARDEN OF THAT
PENITENTIARY.
HE'S GOING TO CALL SOMETIME IN
THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES.
>> WELL, I KNOW SPEAKING IN ONE
OF THOSE LIGHT IN YOUR TERM
DECISION YOU HAD TO MAKE THIS
INTO YOUR BRETTELL AND I READ
>> YOU HAD A COUPLE OF CHAPTERS
IN YOUR BOOK ABOUT HER AND THE
DECISION WHETHER TO PARDON HER
BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL STORY
NOT JUST SOMETHING IN TENNSEEE
YOU MENTIONED THERE WAS A
STRUGGLE FOR YOU BETWEEN MERCY
AND JUSTICE.
HOW DID YOU MAKE THAT DECISION?
SO >> THOSE WERE ALL HARDENED.
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY LIKE DON WHO
DEALS WITH DEFENSE WORK ALL THE
TIME.
YOU KNOW, YOU THINK YOU CAN DO
BOTH OF THOSE IN SOLUTIOS CASE
OR ANYONE ELSE I CAN LOOK AT A
CASE I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE
JUST, YOU KNOW, DO THE RIGHT
THING CONSIDERING THAT THE
VICTIM'S FAMILY AND SETTING
PRECEDENTS AND THINKING THIS
PERSON, YOU KNOW, DESERVES SOME
MERCY AND GRACE IN THIS AND I
CAN LOOK AT THOSE AND BALANCE
THEM OUT AND IT WAS JUST WAY
HARDER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD
BE INSTANTANEOUS.
I BECAME CONVINCED AFTER A
WHILE LOOKING IN HER CASE THAT
WE A BETTER SOCIETY THAT
SOCIETY WAS BETTER OFF WITH HER
OUT OF PRISON AND SHE TRULY WAS
A GREAT CASE OF REDEMPTION THAT
THE CORRECTIONS SYSTEM IN THIS
CASE >> HAD WORKED BUT ALSO
BECAME AWARE OF LIKE 80
SOMETHING OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD
BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE AS A
JUVENILE AND THEIR ATTENTIONS
HAD NOT THEIR CASES HAD NOT
GOTTEN ALL THE ATTENTION THAT
SOLUTIOS HAD.
YOU KNOW, SNOOP DOGG AND KIM
KARDASHIAN HAD NOT TWEETED
ABOUT THEM.
>> SO WAS IT FAIR TO PULL HER
OUT BECAUSE OF ALL THE
ATTENTION SHE GOT >>?
ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS IT FAIR
TO SAY FOR BECAUSE SHE GOT ALL
THIS ATTENTION >> AND THOSE ARE
THE THINGS LIKE THAT YOU JUST
YOU THINK I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW
TO DO THIS BUT IT'S A LOT
HARDER AND THE CASE IS A LOT
MORE MEXICAN.
AGAIN, SUMEMR LIKE DON DOES
THIS FOR A LIVING.
THERE'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT
MORE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
STORY THAN YOU THINK THERE IS.
>> WE'RE GOING TO TAKE