Democratic lawmakers discover Emperor Phil the First has no clothes in selecting Odom as leader

Finally, we have some justice in the world of Tennessee politics that puts the people first.

House Democrats voted to elect Davidson County lawmaker Gary Odom as Minority Leader despite the efforts of Gov Phil Bredesen to interfere, denigrate Odom and support his opponent.

Yet Bredesen -- a Democrat in name only -- was rejected in his efforts by lawmakers who paid him back for the little support he offered their campaigns during the GOP sweep of the General Assembly in Nov. 4 elections.

Former Gov. Don Sundquist, a Republican, used his excess campaign funds to help GOP lawmakers and challengers to win their races. Bredesen in turn used his funds to pay himself back millions of dollars he had loaned to his gubernatorial campaign.

Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, Odom's challenger for minority leader, was the candidate of Bredesen and House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh. The vote that turned the Democrats out of power in the House was a referendum against Naifeh. But Bredesen has never cared what the people of this state think.

Odom will be a good minority leader, and he will challenge Bredesen on budget cuts directed mostly at the most vulnerable among us, particularly those on TennCare and state employee numbers.

For his six years in the governor's office, Bredesen has been more show than substance. He has reigned, not served. But now more people are discovering that this emperor has no clothes and deserves no respect for his nakedness.