I think I’m not going to be amazed, that I’m desensitized to the cover-yer-arses excuses by politicians. But then lo and behold, I find that I am.  Governor Bredesen has said what we’ve got here with this ole’ Highway Patrol stuff is just one “nosey” Highway Patrolman.  Kind of like your mother in law just snooping through your drawers.  Yeah, it ain’t nice, but heck, she’ll be heading back home soon.  And the Governor, he’s just doing the best he can trying to clean this place up.  You know, sometimes it just takes a little longer.

OK then.  Let’s just move along.

Not hardly, Governor.  Governor Bredesen’s record of being open and forthright isn’t stellar.  In fact, stalling, shredding, cover-up have been seen before.  I don’t mind trusting, but like many fine folks in the state who agree with me, we need to verify.

Saying that Lt. Shirley is just “nosey” is about as believable as the famous line from Casablanca: “I’m shocked, shocked, that’s there’s gambling going on here!”

Let’s break down the problems with the Governor on this issue.  First let’s start with a must read by Brad Schrade.  If you’ve only got time for one article today, read Brad’s piece in the Tennessean.  It is a primer on the entire affair.  I’m going to address just a small portion of Brad’s report:

The Gov: Bredesen made it clear that was not his intention, and expressed confidence in the THP to investigate one of its own.

“When one of them is governor, they’re welcome to make the determination about how you handle this,” Bredesen said. “At this point, I have considerable faith in (the THP criminal investigators) to look at this issue and to render an opinion.”

Here the Governor utilizes the tactic mirrored by the head of the department, that is, if you’re asking questions then you are challenging their intelligence.  If you ask a question, then you’re challenging their authority?  No, we are challenging your loyalties and the nature of man himself–that is the universal principle of self-preservation.  

At issue here is the Governor’s obvious conflict in protecting his own reputation and hide, and his history of obfuscation.  If indeed there is nothing to worry about, if it’s just an officer being “nosey” then turn it over to an independent authority, preferably a federal authority. 

And Schrade on Democrat State Representative Gary Odom who is calling for an independent investigation (thank you, sir):

Odom said he did not care to get in a direct confrontation with the governor, also a Democrat, but again called for the list of names to be released. He said it’s possible to pursue the matter through the legislative committee oversight process.

“Now it’s time to examine options available to us, and that’s something I intend to do,” Odom said. “Committees have subpoena (power). The obvious issue, is this a public document already? I think it is.”

I would suggest that Odom act immediately and seize all communications asap.  Why?  Here is good cause, as showcased by Schrade:

The department, in a carefully worded news release, also contradicted information previously reported that Shirley had run checks on as many as 300 people. The department’s statement said “our preliminary investigation” determined 182 checks were run by Shirley from October 19, 2006, until July 3, 2008 — when Shirley’s access to the portal was cut off pending the investigation.

So how did we get the department moving from 300 down to 182?  Was some information scrubbed?Eliminated?  Destroyed?  Are the remaining 182 names in fact names where the evidence or trail cannot be hidden?  Are we to trust their own investigation when we go from 300 to 182?

And Bredesen says Shirley just appears to be a nosey kind of guy–he wasn’t looking at any criminal stuff.

The THP officials said there’s no evidence at this time that Shirley used the FBI national criminal database, but Mitchell just asked the state custodian of that information, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, on Tuesday to begin reviewing his activity.

No evidence…”but Mitchell just asked” for a review?  Doesn’t sound like it’s open and shut to me.  It sounds like we’re just getting started.

If I think my name has been queried, I would be filing a FOIA request with the Feds.  ASAP.

How did the investigation begin into Lt. Shirley?  Did the Department discover his activities, or was a complaint filed? 

Now, on to other reports.  From NewsChannel5:

Dave Mitchell, Tennessee’s safety commissioner, and Col. Mike Walker of THP think this cyber-snooping wasn’t politically motivated. The men spoke at a news conference Tuesday.

But, they do know it’s wrong and they’ve suspended Shirley.

“I can tell you, I read through the list of names and probably two-thirds of them I don’t even know.  I don’t have a clue who the people are,” Walker said.

If Walker doesn’t recognize two-thirds of the names, how he is qualified then to make the determination that it isn’t political?  This makes absolutely no sense at all.

And the Nashville City Paper has a related story on expunged records appearing in envelopes, giving rise to more suspicions on the nature of Shirley’s alleged activities:

A Republican State House candidate who said his expunged DUI records are being used against him in his campaign to unseat a longtime Democratic incumbent is joining leaders from both political parties in calling for an outside investigation into allegations of unauthorized background checks performed by a Tennessee Highway Patrolman.

Mumpower and Democratic House Majority Leader Gary Odom have both called for an investigation from an outside agency into allegations THP Trooper Ronnie Shirley performed some 300 background checks outside the normal investigative process at THP. The THP has confirmed they have an internal investigation of Shirley ongoing concerning the alleged background checks. See related story.

Mumpower referred to the envelope with the arrest records left in his office when he publicly called for the independent probe this week.

and:

McCall added copies of the arrest records were also sent to his wife at their home, along with what he called a “negative mail piece” targeting State Rep. Tim Dubois. Dubois was hit with allegations from the Tennessee Democratic Party in a flier that underage drinkers were drinking alcohol at a party at his home.

And by the way, as I’ve noted many times before regarding the Knoxville News Sentinel’s very poor coverage of the Bredesen administration, this major story received a one column by approximately 2″ tiny write up in the state briefs section of the paper today.  So essentially, we’re talking no coverage.