In a wide-ranging interview with our colleagues at The City Paper, former Gov. Phil Bredesen covered plenty of economic development ground and discussed initiatives he undertook both as governor and mayor of Nashville. Among the topics discussed were the necessity of incentives to play with the big boys when it comes to recruiting major companies and Bredesen's idea that a new Nashville Sounds stadium may not be the downtown anchor some envision it to be.

But he saved some of his clearest words for critics of the TNInvestco venture capital program.

I really think there was no favoritism. I mean my former chief of staff [Stuart Brunson] was mad at me because he didn’t get an award. I mean he applied with a bunch of people, and I think, but it wasn’t — he didn’t win. And there were a few people that didn’t get awards that thought they should have, and they’ve been keeping [controversy] alive for, you know, a long time now.

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