Bredesen Lays Hands On Bone
Posted on December 10, 2008 at 5:00 pmDespite a somewhat embarrassing loss of face after his defacto endorsement of Rep. Craig Fitzhugh over Rep. Gary Odom in the race for state House Democratic leader failed to tip the scales in Fitzhugh’s favor, Phil Bredesen seems to be playing favorites again in an intramural Democratic Party contest.
In the rapidly developing race for chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party between current TNDP Treasurer Chip Forrester and attorney Charles Robert Bone, the Governor has indicated who, in his estimation, “party leaders” are eager to get behind.
While falling well short of an endorsement, the Governor’s office, through spokeswoman Lydia Lenker, released the following statement when queried whether Bredesen had a favorite in the race.
“The Governor hasn’t weighed in publicly on the chairman’s race and he’s not rushing to get involved. But I can tell you there are a growing number of conversations happening among party leaders, including members of Congress and legislative leaders who have a lot at stake in the matter. The consensus seems to be that [Charles Robert] Bone is best equipped to move the party forward,” said Lenker.
When asked point blank about rumors that the Governor had gotten involved in the race and was making calls explicitly on behalf of Bone, Lenker responded, “The answer is no. The Governor is 101% focused on the budget.”
Charles Robert Bone, asked whether he was aware of any support, either implicit or explicit, coming from the Governor’s office, asserted that he was concerned only about the support of state’s executive committee who will vote to determine the next chairman.
“I’ve had conversations with many leaders in our party, including the Governor’s office and others, and am appreciative of the encouragement I’ve received. However, my current focus is on meeting and talking with the members of the Executive Committee across the state,” replied Bone.
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2 Responses to “Bredesen Lays Hands On Bone”
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Bredesen needs to get his hands off the Bone and help elect Chip. Thank God elected party leaders don’t vote and won’t be able to set the party back another 20 years!
YES WE CAN!