Tenn. Gov. Bredesen denies Cabinet rumors

Gov. Phil Bredesen, amid swirling speculation about whether he will be called upon to serve in President Barack Obama's Cabinet, will deliver his annual State of the State speech today.

For days, Bredesen's name has surfaced in various media reports as a possible front-runner for secretary of Health and Human Services. Obama's preferred candidate, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, bowed out last week over revelations of tax problems.

Bredesen and his aides have repeatedly said that he had not been contacted by the White House, but reports of interest from the Obama administration turned from a trickle to a flood over the weekend. Three administration staff members did not respond to questions about his status over the weekend.

Health-care advocates who opposed the governor's cuts to TennCare, the state's expansion of the Medicaid program, have gone on the offensive, trying to prevent his potential candidacy from moving forward.