NASHVILLE -- U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis' campaign is accusing 4th Congressional District Republican rival Scott DesJarlais of dodging the incumbent Democrat after the Jasper physician dropped out of the campaign's only debate today in McMinnville, Tenn.
"He obviously doesn't want to talk about the revelations that we've focused on in this campaign," said John Rowley, a Davis campaign spokesman. "He's been hiding. He even insulted Chattanooga police."
He described DesJarlais as "a man of shame."
DesJarlais campaign manager Brent Leatherwood said by e-mail that "given the fact Scott has circled this district in the last week and we have yet to see Mr. Davis -- except on a video where his Washington chief of staff takes a swing at a student asking questions -- the only person in hiding seems to be Democrat Lincoln Davis."
Leatherwood said that "to me, he [Davis] seems to be content slinging mud when he is the last person who should be making allegations about someone's personal life."
Davis has sought to raise questions about DesJarlais' character, utilizing accusations made by his then-wife, Susan, in a bitter 2001 divorce.
The debate, cosponsored by The Southern Standard newspaper and radio station WCPI-FM, had been set for 6 p.m. In a "quick poll" featured on its website Sunday, The Southern Standard says, "Scott DesJarlais has withdrawn from a scheduled debate Monday night in McMinnville because his campaign manager says he doesn't want to give opponent Lincoln Davis another platform for negative attacks against DesJarlais. However, the DeJarlais camp has mounted similar attacks against Lincoln Davis."
DesJarlais becomes the third Republican congressional candidate in Tennessee who will not debate his general election opponents. The others are Republican Chuck Fleischmann in the 3rd District and Stephen Fincher in the 8th District.
Davis has been airing an ad focusing on 2001 court filings in DesJarlais' divorce with his first wife, Susan. One filing claims DesJarlais "became violent and threatening, dry-firing a gun outside the locked bedroom door" and "holding a gun in his mouth for three hours."
In a recent interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press, DesJarlais denied the allegations, noting the judge awarded him his guns and joint custody of the couple's child. He also questioned the veracity of a 2001 Chattanooga Police Department incident report on a matter that took place after divorce proceedings were under way and the couple had split up.
It said DesJarlais "became extremely agitated" when an officer told him to leave the Gunbarrel Road apartment complex in Chattanooga where his ex-wife was living. The officer said it was the second time he had intervened in a dispute between the couple.
DesJarlais, who had come to the complex to pick up their child per agreement, said the off-duty police officer was a friend of his ex-wife "and I felt like I was being set up."
He said "this is like the 'Dukes of Hazzard' when the officer breaks out someone's light and then writes him a ticket."
On Sunday, the Davis campaign released a television ad that cites the Chattanooga police incident report. "Proof," the ad says, "Scott DesJarlais was abusive to his ex-wife" and was "insulting to the police officer who tried to help her."
The "Dukes of Hazzard" remarks resulted in the Davis campaign on Friday releasing a letter they said came from two police chiefs and a former sheriff that blasted DesJarlais. After being forwarded a copy of the e-mail, Leatherwood pointed out a computer search of the document's properties showed one of Davis' media consultants, Bill Fletcher, was the "author."
Rowley said Fletcher did not write the letter. Efforts to reach the law enforcement personnel were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, DesJarlais on Friday attended a previously unannounced fundraiser in Nashville with U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. Leatherwood said there would be no news media availability. He indicated DesJarlais has an event scheduled in Chattanooga today with U.S. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.