Indecisive Bryson Not Gubernatorial Material
From Tuesday’s Nashville City Paper: State Sen. Jim Bryson needs to decide if he really wants to lead the state of Tennessee from the executive office. Yes, Bryson, a Republican, has entered the gubernatorial race against incumbent Democrat Gov. Phil Bredesen. He has filed papers to seek the state’s highest office. Bryson’s action — or rather lack thereof — at the General Assembly Monday, however, should give anyone considering backing his play for the governor’s chair pause as to his ability to be decisive when difficult issues are on the table.
Bryson chose to abstain from voting during a key committee hearing Monday on Bredesen’s Cover Tennessee plan to offer bare bones health insurance to the state’s working poor.
The plan calls for state government, the worker and the employer to each pay a third of about a $150 monthly premium to obtain a very basic level of health care coverage. The plan comes after deep cuts were made by the administration to the overblown TennCare program.
On the same day, Bryson’s fellow Republican senators were attempting to see some 57,000 Tennesseans disenrolled from TennCare added back to the rolls, though the senators in question had no way to pay for the move.
Bryson can certainly say he did not vote in favor of Cover Tennessee. He also did not vote against it. It is a common move at the General Assembly to abstain for political reasons during touchy votes. It is a tactic perhaps expected of a legislator, but not one of a governor or potential governor.
Copyright 2000-2004, The City Paper LLC.
