seconded

SayUncle better-expresses my own sentiments concerning Governor Phil’s objections to Tennesseeans wanting to know who the police officers standing behind him when he vetoed HB0962 were:

Let me explain it to you, Sparky. These officers, like you, work for me. I pay your salary. And theirs. You and those officers are my employees and, frankly, I have some requirements for my employees . I expect them to respect my rights. And I expect those of my employees who are elected to vote the way I want them to. Or I will take appropriate action (like not voting for those elected officials, writing letters, supporting opponents, legal action, etc.). When a citizen demands accountability from public officials and employees, it’s not intimidation. It’s being a good citizen. And it’s very American and very Tennessean. That you don’t understand that difference shows how little you understand what it is to be American or Tennessean.

Can I get an “Amen”?
For too long, politicians and citizens alike have forgotten who works for whom. Legislators, governors, and Presidents alike work for us, the citizens – we elected them, we pay for them, and we allow them to remain in office. Our demanding accountability from the representatives we pay for, elect, and employ is not only very American, it is the height of American, and one of the prime reasons we told the British to bugger the hell off. If our governor, representatives, or other elected or publically-funded individuals do not like being held accountable for their actions, I would suggest that they find another form of employment.
However, SayUncle also links us to a report by Stacey Campfield indicating that at least some of the police officers and chiefs standing behind Governor Phil may not have known why they were there:

It is now coming out that several of those police chefs may not have been as excited about the governors over ride on the gun bill as he would like people to believe.

We are now finding out they were all in town for some convention or other and were asked to come over and meet the governor during a break. Of course most of them went. When they got there they were all piled in together and finally told what it was about just shortly before the signing of his veto with them as the backdrop.

They did not come to the event knowing they were about to be used.

Sneaky

Sneaky indeed. Personally, I would have packed up and left the second the situation had been explained to me, but I am not a police chief.
On the other hand, though, Bredesen’s lackeys claim the police officers were there, knowing full-well what was going on:

“The law enforcement officers came knowing the governor was going to veto the bill. All supported his actions,” she said.

Well, in that case, who were those law enforcement officers?