Tell it to the White House. Had the White House not coronated Lamar Alexander as the chosen canidate almost before the words "I will not seek re-election" were uttered by Fred Thompson, then Ed Bryant likely would be a U.S. Senator today. The man would have also ran against a person who was a weaker candidate Frank Clement. Hopefully the White House will not spoil it this time with a friend of Poppy again. Ed Bryant would have been far better qualified person for the senate than Lamar Alexander ever will be.
Ed Bryant I will vote for gladly but Lamar Alexander I did not. Truth was Lamar Alexander wasn't that great a governor. He only looked good because the man he replaced was called Pardon Me Ray Blanton {a prison Pardon selling governor} that was so pathetic anyone looked good after that.
Many of us in the Knoxville area remember such deals he helped along like the Whittle Communications building, the 1982 Worlds Fair {that went bust} and two at that time of the biggest banking failures since the Great Depression that clean out a lot of persons life savings. Most of this the city got stuck with and a few more things to boot. Oh yea and his very short tenure as University of Tennessee President.
Now if we can only get Van Hilleary sitting in Alexander's senate seat then after that things might get better.