NASHVILLE -- Republican Chuck Fleischmann said Tuesday he is looking forward to 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee campaigning with him today in Southeast Tennessee and dismissed a rival campaign's suggestion that Mr. Huckabee's support carries a financial price tag.
"No, sir. Not at all," the 3rd Congressional District hopeful said when asked if Mr. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, was charging his campaign a fee. "This is done out of the kindness of the governor's heart and his support for me. I know we're not paying any speaking fees or any lodging fees or anything like that."
Earlier Tuesday, Republican Robin Smith's campaign manager Chris Meekins raised the issue in a new release.
The Smith campaign also lobbed shots on another front by rounding up one-time supporters of Mr. Huckabee, a current Fox News host, to appear in a campaign Web site video backing Mrs. Smith.
Mr. Huckabee will fly into Chattanooga today, hold a news conference with Mr. Fleischmann and later appear with the candidate in a 2 p.m. rally at Lee University in Cleveland.
Smith campaign manager Chris Meekins sought to raise questions about Mr. Huckabee's support of Mr. Fleischmann, an attorney, in a news release labeled "Seven Questions for "Huck and Chuck," dubbing the two "Tennessee's newest political odd couple."
"Chuck -- Did you pay Mike Huckabee to come to Tennessee and speak on your behalf as did candidate Les Phillips (sic) in Alabama?" the news release states.
The e-mail refers to an Aug. 1, 2009, article in The Huntsville Times regarding Alabama 5th Congressional District GOP candidate Les Phillip. Mr. Phillip, the newspaper reported, paid Mr. Huckabee $33,990 to speak at a campaign fundraiser.
Mr. Huckabee's daughter was quoted in the article saying the fee was for a speaking engagement but her father's endorsement was not for sale.
Mr. Fleischmann said of Mrs. Smith, a former Tennessee Republican Party chairman, that "desperate, losing candidates will take desperate, losing measures -- and that's what she is ... I really kind of feel sorry for her. It's an act of despair."
The Smith campaign also poses a question to Mr. Huckabee, asking if he still believes as he said "repeatedly" in his 2008 race that voters should reject "self-funders" who are trying to "auction candidates" for office.
WATCH THE VIDEOTo view the video from the Smith campaign, go to youtube.com/robinfortennessee.
Mr. Fleischmann has loaned his campaign some $544,000, or 75 percent of what his campaign has raised, records show. Mr. Fleischmann recently began airing television ads.
On Tuesday, the Smith campaign posted a video on YouTube featuring Tennessee supporters of Mr. Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign expressing their support for Mrs. Smith.
Mr. Huckabee won the Feb. 5, 2008, GOP presidential primary in Tennessee with slightly more than one third of the vote, edging second-place finisher U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
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