Ambinder: Bredesen Is Being Vetted For HHS

10 Responses to “Ambinder: Bredesen Is Being Vetted For HHS”

1. Slartibartfast writes
   February 6th, 2009 11:25 am

   Wow. I just read that speech. Impressive. He may not be the best speaker in the world, but he understands how the world actually works.

   Phil may be a better Republican govenor than any of our “real” Republican govenors. I’m glad I voted for him.

2. morpheus120 writes
   February 6th, 2009 11:35 am

   This story is in direct contradiction with what Jeff Woods reported at the Scene’s blog yesterday. He personally interviewed Bredesen:

   Q: Your name has come up [for HHS secretary]. Have you been called? Would you consider this?

   Bredesen: Um, I’m a southern governor. I’ve been involved in health care all my life. I think for that reason my name has been on these lists. People have sent me various articles with my name on this short list or whatever. This as you remember is not the first time this has happened. I have not had any calls from the White House or anybody asking me about it. And you know, we’ll see what happens. I’m not packing my bags or anything.

   Q: Has anybody contacted you? Any intermediaries?

   Bredesen: No, I don’t think so. I mean I have had a lot of calls and emails from people around the country who have seen some of the press on it mentioning it to me. But nothing that I would regard as an emissary from the White House or anything like that.

   So either Bredesen is lying, he was just contacted by the White House yesterday, or the Atlantic is just speculating. Frankly, any of these could be true.

   God help us if he’s the one.

3. Sean Braisted writes
   February 6th, 2009 11:41 am

   I think I remember Joe Biden, two or three days before being announced as the VP pick, telling a group of reporters, “I’m not the guy”.

   The quickest way to not be the guy is tell reporters that you are being seriously considered.

4. B writes
   February 6th, 2009 11:44 am

   Would he really turn this state over to Ramsey? Bye Bye Kisber, Mitchell, Newman, Nicely, etc? They can’t all get jobs with Phil in DC. Is the thought that the only way a democrat (DINO or otherwise) can win in 2010 is to let the GOP have it for a few years?

   We may not have another democrat elected to statewide office again for a generation. If Phil leaves - are we just hastening the inevitable?

5. Sean Braisted writes
   February 6th, 2009 11:48 am

   Well, Janet Napolitano turned her state over to a Republican…and I don’t think Bredesen cares all that much.

6. bridgett writes
   February 6th, 2009 11:51 am

   Still not believing it, mostly because it makes no sense.

7. LeftWingCracker writes
   February 6th, 2009 1:36 pm

   Slarty nailed it, except the part about Phil being good.

8. Instapundit » Blog Archive » BREDESEN: Being vetted for HHS, reportedly. I expect that the vetters will be taking their time, t… writes
   February 6th, 2009 1:56 pm

   [...] Being vetted for HHS, reportedly. I expect that the vetters will be taking their time, this time around . . . [...]

9. Ben writes
   February 6th, 2009 2:34 pm

   I understand the emotions over TennCare. I don’t think anyone, including the governor, liked what happened. But has anyone stopped to consider what the state budget would be like today if we still had the runaway drain on resources that TennCare was? We’re looking at a $1B shortfall now. What would it have been $3B? $4B?

10. BobKrumm.com » Bredesen’s gift to Democrats? writes
    February 6th, 2009 4:38 pm

    [...] Phil Predesen will be appointed to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  More than a few Volunteer State Democrats are apoplectic at that thought because they fear the prospect of Republican Lt. Gov Ron Ramsey [...]