AC Kleinheider pontificates about Phil Bredesen’s condition, and the issues surrounding gubernatorial succession

Frankly, it seems that they don’t know exactly what is wrong with the Governor. There seems to be a whole lot of secrecy around this issue. He was reported to have been getting better but then all of sudden it comes across the wires that the Governor is going to the Mayo Clinic for tests.

Are these tests something that they can’t do at Vandy? Is the reason they wisked the man off to Minnesota because they wish not to have the media snooping around the Vanderbilt campus? Go to small media market where no one particularly cares about a Tennessee Governor. Seems like a plan.

Then there are questions of succession. If Bredesen is very sick and out of state should we not have a clear procedure on what happens? Also if the man is in Minnesota, how will the people know in what shape the Governor is?

I wish no ill will towards Governor Bredesen and wish him a complete and full recovery. He is a political opponent, not a personal one.  This does, however, bring up interesting issues regarding incapacitation and succession that are not adequately covered by the Tennessee Constitution. Article III, Section 12 only states contingencies for removal, death or resignation. I suppose technically the governor could be removed on some trumped up minor charge by impeachment and conviction if unable to fulfill the duties designated under Article III, but that would be a rather sober and unsavory process for the General Assembly to undertake, and a poor way to address the ongoing concerns of the government in light of a duly elected governor’s poor health.

What to do, then? I would encourage full disclosure of the governor’s condition, as the people of Tennessee have a right to know the capabilities and limitations of the man heading the most pro-active branch of state government.  This is not detrimental to Bredesen, and serves to allow the people to be best informed about the state of their government.

In the meantime, responsible legislators ought to be working to amend the state constitution so that this question does not arise again.