Ned McWherter, former TN governor and House speaker, dies

[UrbScotty]

Source: The Tennessean

Ned McWherter, a one-time factory worker who became a millionaire businessman, speaker of the state House and then a two-term Democratic governor, has died at the age 80.

His administrative assistant, Madelyn Pritchett, says McWherter of Dresden died Monday at a Nashville hospital where he was being treated for cancer.

McWherter was governor from 1987 to 1995, following 20 years in the Legislature, 14 of them leading the House. He also was a political adviser to Bill Clinton during his presidency.

A child of sharecroppers, McWherter became a millionaire through various business enterprises before he was elected governor.

Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110404/NEWS0201/110404018/Ned-McWherter-former-TN-governor-House-speaker-dies-?odyssey=mod%7Cbreaking%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

[LawnKorn]

1. Ned McWherter was a no-nonsense Democrat and was well liked

Even a lot of Republicans liked Ned. He had the attitude that solving the problem with the obvious solution made more sense than playing politics.