Sources indicate that yesterday on Inside Tennessee a major gaffe went unnoticed by one veteran Knoxville news guy, one rookie and the television station. The veteran, Jack McElroy of the E.W. Scripps owned Knoxville News-Sentinel, the rookie WBIR John Becker as they interviewed Governor Phil Bredesen on WBIR.

Inside Tennessee is taped on Thursday evenings and broadcast on Sunday mornings, which makes sense, because the Governor was in Fountain City on Thursday for a pep rally event for CoverTN.

The gaffe was when a question was asked by the panel about the County Mayor visiting Nashville and the Governor about the special election for the County Commission appointed replacements. In response Bredesen makes the comment that he has always had a lot of respect for Mayor Haslam. The City of Knoxville Mayor is Bill Haslam. The Mayor that Bredesen met with was Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale.

Neither news guy corrected the Governor. Obviously, the station didn’t catch it and correct it before or after the taping and/or before the airing.

Makes you wonder if McElroy, Becker or the producers were even listening to the Governor’s answers.