Gov. Bredesen's Cover Tennessee insurance program passed in the Senate by a vote of 31-1. The final bill did not include GOP "tort reform" provisions, or a GOP amendment to require insurance companies to bear all the risk which would have effectively killed the bill.

So what have we learned? People are tired of right-wing rhetoric and wary of the failed right-wing agenda. They want real solutions. Their representatives are listening, even Republicans.

This was also a humiliating defeat and an embarrassing failure of leadership for GOP goobernatorial candidate Jim Bryson, who tried to kill a program which clearly has broad, bipartisan support. He also tried to hijack the bill for the benefit of Republican controlled special interests, and that failed too -- in the Republican controlled Senate no less. I guess this is a preview of how he would govern. It isn't pretty. Isn't this the same guy who said just last week that he is a gifted leader?

There was a lot of blustering from the right-wing conservatives about the bill. Expect a lot of blubbering when it sails through the House and the Governor signs it.