Bredesen in Retreat on HSS: 'I Was Mugged'

[BlueJessamine]

Source: The Nashville Scene

Gov. Phil Bredesen acknowledged this afternoon there's "a relatively low probability" he'll be named health and human services secretary. What was his first clue? He blamed attacks from liberal health-care advocacy groups for derailing his candidacy.

"It's been startling to me," the governor told reporters. "You have a spotlight shined on you and then come along and get mugged, and then the spotlight goes away."

He added: "As I say, I certainly have some detractors and some baggage, and some of those detractors are part of the core of support of President Obama. If I were in his shoes, I'd be thinking long and hard about that as well. I learned a long time ago there's nothing about politics that's fair."

He gave legislative leaders this news this morning at their weekly breakfast meeting because he said some of them were so excited about his Cabinet prospects that they were discussing new office arrangements. We assume Bredesen was referring mainly to Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who would become governor if Bredesen departs and seems unable to surrender his vision of grandeur.

Bredesen made his remarks even as he was taking yet another beating. MoveOn was emailing supporters with an attack on the governor for the second straight day.

Jeff Woods Q&A with Bredesen:



Read more: http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/pitw/2009/02/bredesen_in_retreat_in_bid_for.php#more

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Bredesen's Own Words Sabotage His Health Care Reform Pitch


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