Tennessee Waltz Good For Tennessee

May 27, 2005

May 26, 2005 is a day that will go down in Tennessee history. How it's remembered will be a matter of perspective. “These indictments and arrests are a challenge and a sadness to us all,” Governor Bredesen announced, in the wake of four current lawmakers, one former state senator, and two “bag men” being led away in handcuffs. Operation: Tennessee Waltz stunned politicians and citizens alike but was hardly a huge surprise. Those of us who follow politics for a living have been waiting for years for time to finally catch up with Senator John Ford. The Ford clan has maintained a stranglehold on Memphis politics for decades. When the feds slapped the shackles on John Ford few were surprised. The other names in the indictment may have caught most of us off guard but they're hardly shocking either. Most citizens have suspected such corrupt activity all along. These arrests merely confirm those suspicions.

 

I understand the governor has the obligation to treat the whole matter with a degree of dignity and respect but I suspect, deep down inside, he feels as I do. May 26 was a glorious day for Tennessee. It was a glorious day because it demonstrated that the system actually works. Corrupt politicians are, unfortunately, a given, but it's refreshing to know that our law enforcement agencies are not only watching, they care enough to do something about it.

 

Were these the only corrupt politicians in Nashville? Probably not, but this latest police sting not only weeded out some bad seeds, it put the rest of the general assembly on notice that their every move would be watched under a microscope. Whether others would've walked the straight and narrow on their own is really irrelevant. The end result is the same.

 

Now for some predictions:

 

John Ford will cry racism, especially when prosecutors attempt to have the trial venue moved away from Memphis. Ford's only hope is to prey on the fears and suspicions of the same constituency that has blindly sent him back to the senate time and time again. Without a stacked jury he's toast. If prosecutors can assemble twelve reasonable people in another venue, John Ford likely faces a decade or more in federal prison.

 

Harold Ford, Jr.'s U.S. Senate candidacy will be damaged in the Eastern and Middle Grand Divides but will be bolstered in West Tennessee. If a John Ford conviction comes before the election it will serve to galvanize Junior's base and could push him over the top. The wild card, of course, is who will emerge from the Republican primary to face him. If the Republicans fumble this opportunity and lose the Senate Majority Leader's seat it will go down as one of the biggest political bumbles in history.

 

If we are really serious about curbing corruption we will insist on term limits. One of the primary reasons these politicians succumb to bribery is arrogance. Longevity breeds arrogance. The longer they're in power the cockier they get. They begin to believe they're bulletproof. More than that, some begin to believe they're entitled to extra money. I remember when former Nashville Sheriff Fate Thomas was indicted for running a bar-b-q business out of the jail at taxpayers' expense he commented that he had to do something to supplement his income. He was incredulous that anyone would object to his making money on the backs of the taxpayers. After all, he noted, that's the way it had always been done. One thing will become crystal clear in the wake of Tennessee Waltz . Corruption in government is no longer business as usual.