The Leaf Chronicle: "Nosiness no excuse"

Outrage over Bredesen's Watergate continues to spread across the state. Today, The Leaf Chronicle became the latest newspaper to challenge the governor's lame cover-up of illegal background checks:

Gov. Phil Bredesen said it appeared that Shirley was a "nosy" man with too much time on his hands. But Bredesen didn't think he was out to misuse information on private individuals.

The governor added, however, that if it goes beyond nosiness, "it'll be a very serious matter, and we'll handle it appropriately."

This is not the first time Shirley has been in the news. In 2004, he fixed a ticket for Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley. He wasn't punished in that instance, even though top patrol officers said he had been.

In this latest transgression, it's hard to say how much damage could be done.

Ordinary citizens often can track down someone's criminal record, even traffic tickets, by utilizing Internet searches.

Still, a Highway Patrol lieutenant should not misuse his power to run unauthorized criminal background in an effort to satisfy his curiosity. Also, if he has so much time on his hands, the patrol ought to find something more productive for him to do.