BillHobbs.com - Blogging about politics and media from Nashville.

There growing speculation that state Sen. Ron Ramsey, the Senate Majority Leader and chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, might decide to run for governor in 2006 against incumbent Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Watching Ramsey address the crowd at the Tennessee GOP's 2005 Statesmen's Dinner Saturday night at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center, I remarked to my wife, "He looks like a governor." He does, though I wasn't expecting he'd make a run at Bredesen. It's a good bet that he won't run if state Rep. Beth Harwell decides to run for governor instead of the U.S. Senate - which happens to be what I think she should do.

But if Harwell doesn't enter the race, don't be surprised if Ramsey does. Ramsey is not up for re-election to the state Senate until 2008, so a race in 2006 is essentially all upside even if he loses. It won't cost him his Senate seat, and will only enhance his statewide name recognition and ground-game base for 2010. A race against Bredesen also would endear Ramsey to Tennessee GOP faithful who don't want Bredesen to have a free pass.

Ramsey was one of ten state Senators who signed a pledge to vote against and fight against a proposed state income tax. If he runs for governor and gets the GOP nomination, he'll be running against a Democratic governor who has said repeatedy - and never retracted - his statement that he will be open to an income tax in a second term.

I asked Sen. Ramsey if he was going to run for governor as he was about to vote in the straw poll at Ed Bryant's reception on Sat. night. He smiled, and wrote in his name on the ballot before dropping it in the box. You can take that for what it's worth.

Posted by: JB at June 20, 2005 03:03 PM

Interesting post.

Yet amid the graft and corruption in Nashville, Ramsey's comments today in the News Sentinel:

' "I'm finding that, in theory, we may have all the teeth we need' in the existing Senate Ethics Committee that he chairs, Ramsey said in an interview."

Ramsey also questioned the need for a special sesssion on ethics and for an independent commission to enforce campaign finance and lobbying laws.

So... before the fantasy Ramsey race ever kicks off, the public perception will be Ramsey 0, Bredesen 1.

Basically what Ramsey statements say to me: "I like business as usual. And what better way to power broker like Wilder than control the strings of ethics violations."

Ramsey was a day late and a dollar short on Ford, no matter what the spin. If it weren't for the FBI and U.S. Attorney's office, Ford would still be shuffling his velvet slippers down the taxpayers hallways. And no telling what else hasn't been dealt with.

Republicans need to get with the program. Bredesen was awol on ethics, and now we're letting Bredesen paint a picture that he is going to save the day by holding a special session.

The GOP answer shouldn't be to do the opposite of Bredesen, it should be to take the issue away from him. Good grief.

Posted by: GOP Faithful at June 20, 2005 05:26 PM

June 20, 2005

Ramsey for Gov?