Tim Burchett

When I first got elected to the Statehouse, the best thing that ever happened to me growing up was we never had money, but we were around people with money.

So it wasn't, you know—

I was a teetotaler.

I didn't drink.

When they started busting people with DUIs at UT College campus, I was always driving somebody's 260Z or their BMW or their Porsche because I'd get to Smokey Mountain Market and get chili dogs after midnight because they were hammered drunk and they knew I'd be sober and I'd eat for free.

So fast forward, I'm in the state legislature.

I get elected, and all of a sudden,

The ladies are laughing at my jokes and compliment me on the way I'm dressing.

People are telling me how that's a great story, man.

Thank you.

And invite me to dinner, introducing me to people.

I'm told all these great things.

And you just start believing it.

And I've been doing this most of my adult life.

And I mean, I just laugh at it because I see it.

Because I've seen people commit suicide

ruin marriages, never talk to their kids again.

I go back to the suicide.

That's happened more than once of people that I've served with because they got caught up in it and they were going to get popped and they couldn't take the heat.

So they took their own lives.