From left, Democratic Senate candidate Gordon Ball, the Chicken and former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis share a moment before Ball kicked off a "No Show Lamar" bus tour.NASHVILLE - Allegations of an "illegal" raffle for a chance to wear a chicken costume and complaints about Republicans blocking appointment of a U.S. Surgeon General are the topics of the day in Tennessee's U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Lamar Alexander and Democratic challenger Gordon Ball.
The Tennessee Republican Party says it has filed a formal complaint with the Tennessee Secretary of State's Division of Charitable Solicitations and Gambling after Ball's campaign offered to enter donors' names in a drawing to wear a chicken costume.
An aide dressed as a chicken has accompanied Ball on some campaign stops to underline his point that Alexander is "chicken" to debate him.
The GOP's point is that only IRS-certified 501(c )(3) nonprofit groups can get state permission to hold raffles.
The Ball campaign, working the Halloween theme hard, accused Alexander of being a serial costume wearer and declaring "it's time to unmask the Career Politician."
Specifically, the Ball campaign is chastising Alexander for wearing a "white doctor's coat" to erect barriers in filling the U.S. Surgeon General's vacancy while also traveling around the state and holding Ebola virus "summits."
One such summit is today in Chattanooga.
"Lamar Alexander threw roadblocks up during hearings in Congress with his colleagues to hinder the appointment of a surgeon general for partisan politics. I know he likes to wear costumes, but this isn't helping anyone. We don't have a Surgeon General," Ball said.
The election is Tuesday.
See Saturday's Times Free Press for complete story.