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Bryant brings Senate campaign to Fun Fest

KINGSPORT - U.S. Senate Republican candidate Ed Bryant was shaking hands with Fun Festers in the searing early evening heat Friday and insisting that his GOP primary race is anything but over.

A University of Tennessee poll released earlier this week showed former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker with an 11-point lead over Bryant and 22-point lead over GOP rival Van Hilleary. Seventeen percent were undecided.

All are seeking the GOP nomination and have hopes of winning the U.S. Senate seat held by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who isn't seeking re-election.

Bryant's apparent challenge through the end of early voting on July 29 and on the Aug. 3 primary election day is to close the gap with Corker.

"We have to keep campaigning," Bryant said as Fun Festers chowed down and listened to rock music at Memorial Park. "That poll showing we're down by 11 (points) was done before we really started our television (ad) or at least at the beginning of it."

Bryant's latest TV ad suggests Corker can't be trusted on pro-life issues and touts Bryant's endorsement by Tennessee Right To Life.

But Corker has already aired more than a half dozen TV ads statewide, and this week he announced that he would put $1.7 million of his own money into his campaign.

Corker had already raised more than $6.5 million and spent almost $5 million, according to financial disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission.

"In order to keep the negative tactics of others in this race from affecting the hard work of thousands of volunteers, activists and supporters who have worked so hard on this campaign, I have decided to make a significant personal contribution to the campaign," Corker said in an e-mailed release. "Whether it was starting my own business with $8,000 in savings, helping lead the creation of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, or leading the effort to transform Chattanooga's waterfront, I have always personally contributed to causes I believe in. This campaign is no different."

In contrast, Bryant has raised more than $2.1 million and spent about $1.5 million on his campaign.

"So basically Bob has had the television field to himself, and he spent two months and $4 million plus on it," said Bryant. "I'm surprised his lead is not bigger than it is."

An internal poll recently released by Corker's campaign showed him with 46 percent of the vote compared to Bryant's 24 percent and Hilleary's 17 percent.

One of Corker's latest TV ads says both Bryant and Hilleary, when they were congressmen, voted to allow illegal immigration to become a crisis and stood by as spending skyrocketed, but voted to raise their own pay.

"For somebody who touts himself as the front-runner, for them to go hard negative and use a black-and-white ugly photograph of me that my mother doesn't even like, and then to put $1.7 million into the race of personal money which he said he would not do when he started this campaign, shows to me that he is not a front-runner," Bryant said of Corker's TV ad. "This is a rough campaign. It's necessary to point out each other's inconsistencies, I guess, but if you are going to do it, at least do it right. ... I actively worked and voted against every pay increase."

Bryant is scheduled to meet with volunteers during the opening of his Kingsport area headquarters today at 9 a.m. at 4260 Fort Henry Drive in Colonial Heights.

"I think it's coming down to a strong finish in our campaign," Bryant said. "We're in the process of peaking with our momentum at the right time. I think Bob (Corker) has basically hit a stone wall. I don't think he has sufficient votes to win. He's having to circle back and confuse the pro-life vote with some of these late ads and get the conservative vote. We're excited."

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