We just got back from Democratic candidate for governor Mike McWherter's Knoxville stop on his state-wide campaign kickoff tour. Our report follows...

Mr. McWherter's remarks focused on jobs. He said the state's 10.7% unemployment rate is the highest in his working lifetime, and there are too many storefronts closed and too many parking lots empty. He is in the race to help get the economy going again, noting that we've pulled together to solve problems before and we need to do it again.

Mr. McWherter said that it's great we have large international companies here in Tennessee, but we have to ensure that suppliers are Tennessee companies creating jobs for Tennesseans. He proposes tax incentives for Tennessee companies that create jobs in the state, but also said he would bring accountability to job recruitment and that if a company gets tax breaks they will have to keep the jobs here or answer to him.

He also stressed that a good education is key to a good job and a good future, and emphasized the role of community colleges and technical schools such as the Tennessee Technology Center at Pellissippi State where he was speaking.

Mr. McWherter said these are serious times and Tennessee needs someone to take it seriously. Referring to Mayor Haslam, he asked if a candidate stretches the truth about jobs, how can we trust him to handle the economy? He said that as a businessman he has made a payroll and balanced a budget and knows how to live within that budget, and that's what he will do for the state.

He closed by saying that what he learned from his father (former Tennessee governor Ned Ray McWherter) was that the key to being a successful governor is to put Tennessee's working families first, and that's what he pledges to do.

The press conference was attended by 25 or 30 people. WBIR and WVLT had camera crews there. Knox County Democratic Party Chair Gloria Johnson was there, along with Bill Owen and (I believe) Erin Lonas among others.

Trivia: Mike McWherter is traveling the state in a rented Beechcraft King Air, according to a staffer. (We asked.)

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