MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Every day in the administration of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee gets stranger than the day before. In the last week alone, Lee suddenly showed up in a TV commercial with country music star Brad Paisley – crooning about spending $2.5 million taxpayer dollars on airline tickets for out of state tourists to visit Tennessee. He then jetted off to the U.S. southern border to proclaim that the influx of immigrants is a national security crisis.
Then came the capper back home. Dr. Michelle Fiscus, the state’s top vaccination expert, was fired simply for doing her job providing information about who can safely and legally get the COVID-19 vaccine – including teenagers. Lee’s department of health refused to comment on the firing. But Dr. Fiscus made no bones about it. She says she was let go because of raw partisan politics that she described as bizarre and reprehensible. In a lengthy statement, Fiscus said some politicians have bought into the anti-vaccine misinformation campaign – rather than taking the time to speak with medical experts. And Tennesseans are suffering the consequences.
The governor could have stopped this travesty. He could have stepped up and pushed backed against outlandish Republican lawmakers who are playing politics with Tennessee lives. Instead, Lee was palling around with Paisley. Then flying off to the border in a self-serving attempt to make national headlines. I have to wonder what strange thing will happen tomorrow. And that’s my point of view.