NASHVILLE - After initially brushing off Republican gubernatorial rival Zach Wamp's television ads attacking his record as Knoxville's mayor, Bill Haslam is now responding in kind with a new television ad.
Mr. Haslam's ad accuses U.S. Rep. Wamp, R-Tenn., of deceiving voters about Mr. Haslam's record and charges that the congressman has left a trail of broken promises in public office.
"If you've seen Zach Wamp's television commercials or received his e-mails, you've been misled about my record and his," Mr. Haslam said in the 60-second spot. "I'm Bill Haslam. I've tried to focus on the issues in this campaign for governor, but enough's enough."
Mr. Haslam said Rep. Wamp "knows I support the Second Amendment. He knows that Knoxville - where I'm the mayor - has the lowest property tax rate in over 50 years."
The mayor goes on to note that Rep. Wamp, a Chattanoogan, "spent his career in Washington, broke his promise on term limits and special interest contributions, voted for billions in earmarks, helped run up the federal debt to record highs, never met a payroll or balanced a budget."
Last week, Mr. Wamp launched an ad attacking Mr. Haslam and the Haslam-family's Pilot Corp., calling him a "billionaire oil man who price gouged working Tennesseans when we were hurtin' the most."
Wamp spokesman Sam Edelen said the congressman "is proud to be a Ronald Reagan Republican, not an Al Gore supporter like Bill Haslam. But today Mayor Haslam's double talk and hypocrisy really caught up with him."
For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.