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Daily Dose for June 27, 2008
The Bredesen AT&T Link Gets Deeper
The Bredesen AT&T Link Gets Deeper -- A few weeks ago, top Bredesen official and Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz was being criticized for opening and closing a no-bid 10-year contract worth $600M to AT&T to provide a statewide government telecommunications network. It was noted at the time that former Bredesen officials Bob Corney and Dept. Gov. Dave Cooley now both work for AT&T, the former as AT&T's spokesman and the later as a consultant. Now, another Bredesen link to AT&T is unveiled, as national healthcare information providers say Bredesen brokered a deal which could get AT&T into the healthcare information sharing business in a big way. ZDNet reports Bredesen "midwifed" a deal between AT&T and Microsoft's HealthVault division. The platform opens a market for AT&T to offer network-based VPNs to healthcare providers across the country. ZDNet speculates: "[The deal] sets up Bredesen, who is term limited after 2010, in position for either a sweet job in private industry, the Obama Administration or (dare we think it) a run for the U.S. Senate in 2012?"
Co-op Accuses Cooper of Illegally Accessing Web site -- The head of a national trade group representing electricity cooperatives said Thursday that Congressman Jim Cooper was being investigated by the FBI for logging into the group's internal Web site. Glenn English, chief executive officer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, made the claim at the end of a contentious hearing called by the Nashville Democrat to look at the operation of electricity cooperatives. Cooper said he had been given a password to gain access to the site, and denied any wrongdoing and said he has not been questioned by the FBI. Cooper: "He did not want people to know that his clients had stolen millions of dollars from their customers. So instead he made a false accusation against me."
Lt. Gov. Ramsey Selected to Head GOP Delegation -- Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey was elected to lead the GOP delegation to the Republican National Convention. The 55 delegates met in Legislative Plaza in Nashville for the vote. Ramsey: "I am delighted to receive this honor from delegates across the state of Tennessee ... I appreciate the confidence they have placed in me and I look forward to putting Tennessee in Sen. McCain’s column by an overwhelming margin."
Kurita Gets Top Rating from TCV -- Senator Rosalind Kurita has been awarded the top rating from Tennessee Conservation Voters’ legislative scorecard. TCV is a statewide non-profit non-partisan organization dedicated to the protection of Tennessee’s environment. Kurita: "I am very pleased to receive this honor from the Tennessee Conservation Voters ... I share their goal of protecting the environment through legislative action, education and advocacy."
Herenton: They're All Out to Get Me -- Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton charged Thursday that a powerful alliance of federal prosecutors, business interests and the news media is engaged in an all-out campaign to drive him from office. Herenton: "It is abundantly clear to me that there is a very serious effort that is ongoing to remove Willie Herenton as mayor by any means necessary." The FBI and a federal grand jury are investigating Herenton ally Elvin W. Moon. Herenton said he has not been interviewed by investigators or called before a grand jury and he criticized the government and media for scrutinizing city deals with minority businesses.
