Bryant and Hilleary Agree:

Conservatives Should Be United in Efforts to Expose the Truth about Bob Corker’s Record of Raising Taxes, Increasing Spending and Debt, and Supporting Abortion Rights

BRENTWOOD, TN – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ed Bryant today sent the following letter to Van Hilleary in response to the letter Hilleary sent him this morning. A copy of both letters are attached below.

Text of letter from Ed Bryant to Van Hilleary:

May 12, 2006

The Honorable Van Hilleary
P.O. Box 680519
Franklin, TN 37068

Dear Van:

Throughout the eight years we served together in Congress, I appreciated your willingness to stand for what is right and always considered you a friend.

That’s why I didn’t hesitate to step out early and endorse you in the 2002 Republican primary for Governor, was saddened by your defeat, but remained hopeful the desire to lead Tennesseans as Governor still burned in your heart and that you’d challenge Gov. Bredesen this year.

I too believe it’s critical that our party nominate a real conservative, whose record matches his rhetoric, in an effort to defeat Harold Ford, Jr. in November. Naturally, I believe that I am that conservative and am humbled to have received the endorsements of so many leading conservatives from our state, and around the nation, who share that belief, such as Ambassador Joe Rodgers, Tennessee Right to Life, Tennessee taxpayer advocate Ben Cunningham, the American Council for Immigration Reform, the Home School Legal Defense Association, Concerned Women for America, the Madison Project, our former Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Dick Armey (R-TX), U.S. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Thad Cochran (R-MS), John Ensign (R-NV), and Trent Lott (R-MS).

I too am disturbed by the millions of dollars Bob Corker is spending on TV ads designed to deceive voters into believing he’s a conservative in spite of his record of raising existing taxes and fees, creating new taxes, increasing government spending and taxpayer-financed debt, and support of abortion rights. I would, however, encourage you to follow my lead in making certain that all critical analysis of Mayor Corker’s record is done in a straight forward, factual and well-documented manner.

I understand, appreciate, and share your concern for the need of conservatives to remain united in our effort to defeat Bob Corker, particularly after Bob’s already signaled his intention to attack you for what his campaign manager described as your “strong ties to Jack Abramoff.”

While Bob Corker may feel like attacking you is the key to victory, I have been, and will continue to be, focused on sharing with Tennesseans my commitment to fighting for our conservative values in the U.S. Senate, and educating our fellow conservatives as to the truth about Mr. Corker’s well-documented, public record of raising taxes, increasing government spending and supporting abortion rights.

Of course, the same from you’d be appreciated, but I understand that ultimately you will need to run your campaign as you see fit, as you always have.

I look forward to seeing you on the trail.

Sincerely,

Ed Bryant