Van and Ed Were Right....

I may not agree with Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary on much of anything. However, I do agree with them on one thing--Bob Corker is unfit to be our next U.S. Senator.

Below is just a sampling of what fellow Republicans Bryant and Hilleary had to say about Bob Corker during the primary race:

• Van Hilleary’s Ad “Important”
  
  VAN HILLEARY [Speaking]: As an old military man, some things are more important to me than any election. Accountability. Truth. Honor. But my opponent Bob Corker has lost sight of that. By now you’ve seen those nasty ads Mr. Corker made. These papers say Mr. Corker’s ads are:
  
  [ONSCREEN and SPOKEN: Not true (CTFP), misleading (Tennessean)]
  
  They even call Bob’s charge:
  
  [ONSCREEN and SPOKEN: A lie (Knox News Sentinel)]
  
  Bob Corker may want to win at any cost. But I want to serve our state with honor. I’m Van Hilleary, I approve this message and I ask for your vote.
  
• Ed Bryant’s Ad "Too Many Lies"
  
  Ed Bryant: "I’m Ed Bryant and I approve this message."
  
  ANNOUNCER [v/o]: "The press called Bob Corker’s attack on Ed Bryant 'a lie'. The Tennessean said Corker’s misleading ad is a 'character issue'. Corker is even lying about his own record. As mayor, he raised property taxes and increased spending. Promised he or his subcontractors never hired illegal aliens but Corker got caught with illegal aliens working on his construction site. Bob Corker. False Ads. Too many lies.

• Van Hilleary’s Ad "Honor"
  
  ANNOUNCER [v/o]: Van Hilleary served our country with honor in combat.
  
  (Text on screen: Hilleary Awarded Air Medal For Service)
  
  Van defended our troops in Congress, and he's running an honorable campaign for the Senate. But Bob Corker's running a cowardly smear campaign falsely attacking Van Hilleary. It's wrong. (Text on screen: Corker's Negative TV Ad; It's False; Knoxville News-Sentinel, 7/20/06)
  
  Corker never served our country in uniform; never defended freedom in combat. How can Corker question Van's character?
  
  The choice: Corker's dirty politics or Van Hilleary. Send a soldier to the Senate.
  
  VAN HILLEARY [v/o]: I'm Van Hilleary, and I approved this message. (Text on screen: Paid For By Hilleary For Senate)

And as the press release from the weekend showed, "numerous Republicans have acknowledged that the “questionable history” of Corker’s “phony” and “dishonest” politics, where “no lie is too big,” have made him “the king of liars,” creating created deep bitterness and disunity."

• At a press conference, Hilleary tells the media Corker “cannot buy integrity and honor with a $2 million check”: "You cannot buy integrity and honor with a $2 million check. You can buy a bunch of ads, but you can simply not buy integrity and honor," Hilleary said. "He needs to show us that he has integrity and honor. And unfortunately, he has not done that with the ad mix he has had up." (Nashville City Paper, 08/01/06)

• Hilleary called Corker’s ads “devoid of honor and integrity”: “Candidate Van Hilleary charged that rival Bob Corker of Chattanooga is running ads that are “devoid of honor and integrity” (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 08/01/06)

• “Bob Corker Fails To Demonstrate Character and Integrity: Again” (Ed Bryant Release, 07/29/06)

• Tennessee Right to Life will not support Bob Corker in the general election: “Should Corker win the Republican primary, Harris said Right to Life will not support any Senate candidate in the November election.” (Knoxville News Sentinel, 06/24/2006)

• “Mr. Harris said ‘we’re very strongly opposed (to Mr. Corker), and if he wins the primary, I’m sure we’ll be very busy on other races. We will not support him. We will not support his bid for election.’" (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 6/23/2006)

• Bryant labels Corker "the king of liars": “Quarrelling among the Republican Senate candidates seemed something of a liar's contest on Thursday. The Corker campaign sent media a statement trying to debunk Bryant's latest television ad, which had accused Corker of lying in his earlier ads. Shulman fired back by calling Corker "the king of liars." (Knoxville News Sentinel, 7/28/2006)

• “[Corker’s] negative ads against Bryant and Hilleary are stupid, wrong, and more importantly in politics, they do not pass the smell test.” – Knoxville Metro Pulse columnist Frank Cagle on Corker’s misleading ad [Knoxville Metro Pulse, 8/3/06]

• State Representative Chris Clem, R-Lookout Mountain, claims that many elected Republicans and conservative leaders are telling him they will not support Bob Corker in the general election: “Rep. Chris Clem, R-Lookout Mountain, said, “Bob Corker needs to promise to stop systematically and consistently opposing conservatives at every turn.” In his e-mail, Rep. Clem, who is backing Ed Bryant in the GOP primary, listed “12 reasons why conservatives do not trust Bob Corker.” He said in an interview that he sent the e-mail to about 15 friends, including some Republican state legislators. He said he has heard back from some recipients and now has roughly 20 reasons against voting for Mr. Corker, a former Chattanooga mayor. “I’m getting so many e-mails back from legislators saying, ‘I’m never going to support this guy,’” Rep. Clem said.” (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 07/06/06)

• The Republican activist group Team GOP called on U.S. Senate candidate Bob Corker a political phony, who is undermining the GOP from within: “Mr. Ward said of TeamGOP, "We rarely discuss issues; however we always seek party loyalty. Our belief is simple. We are not opposed to Mayor Corker because is too moderate or too conservative. We oppose his candidacy because Bob Corker is a political phony. That may be good enough for Jimmy Naifeh; I don't believe it is good enough for the average Tennessee Republican. "If Bob Corker cares so much about the Republican Party that he seeks to represent, he should do the right thing and end his course of undermining the GOP from within and withdraw from the Senate race." (Chattanoogan, 04/13/2006)

• Team GOP chair says Corker has lost trust of Republicans: “Jeff Ward, TeamGOP.org's general chairman, said, ‘After another revelation this past weekend that again undermined Bob Corker's credibility as a Republican when he chose to vote in Democrat primaries, it is now clear that Bob Corker has lost the trust and faith of rank and file Republicans across this state’… He stated, ‘This was just another revelation about Bob Corker in a long line of events that has raised serious questions about Bob Corker and the integrity of his race in the Republican primary. This is the same Bob Corker who supported abortion rights and attacked Bill Frist's GOP credentials in 1994, but all the while was donating to Democrats the same year. This is the same Bob Corker that discussed with Democrat House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh 'about his running in the future as a Democrat,' and that Corker was a Democrat 'deep down inside.' This is the same Bob Corker who held a meet and greet at his home in 2002 for Phil Bredesen during the gubernatorial campaign." (Chattanoogan.com, 4/3/2006)

• Christian radio powerhouse with stations in Memphis and Nashville ran editorials questioning Corker’s credentials: “A Christian radio network, with stations in Memphis and Nashville, challenged Corker's ad that highlighted his pro-life stance after getting dozens of complaints from listeners. ‘We aired our editorial giving the rest of the story,’ said Rich Bott, executive vice president of the Kansas-based Bott Radio Network… The campaign declined to renew its contract with the station, Bott said. ‘We're not sorry we lost his business,’ Bott said. ‘It's more important for us that our listeners trust us to tell them the truth.’" (7/9/2006 Tennessean)

• Columnist and 2002 Hilleary for Governor Communications Director Frank Cagle, says it is ‘ridiculous’ to suggest Corker shares a conservative viewpoint with Bryant or Hilleary: “It is unfortunate he has been running a dishonest campaign. It does not serve him well, nor does it serve the voters… Corker, throughout this campaign, has tried to paint himself as a “conservative” with no difference on the issues between him and his opponents, Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary. To suggest they share a conservative viewpoint is ridiculous.” (Frank Cagle, Knoxville Metropulse, 7/20/2006)

• Donna Locke of Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform said, "Apparently no lie is too big and wild for Bob Corker as he tries to buy this Senate seat," said Donna Locke, with Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 7/20/2006)

• Conservative radio host Steve Gill posts on his website that there is reason to not support Corker: “Do we really need a Republican nominee that the Tennessean prefers over those with real conservative credentials?) If the Don "Tax and Spend-quist" is for Corker, isn't that reason enough to voter for one of the other two candidates? (GillReport.com Daily Notes, 7/23/2006)

• Jonathan Lindberg, publisher of the conservative Main Street Journal, organizer of a January debate wonders if Corker is trying to raise the most money for ads rather than debate the issues: "I think voters get the wrong message when a candidate refuses to debate in a valid, approved forum. When I read in the Commercial Appeal that the Corker campaign has confidence in their touted war chest, saying they will turn the election around overnight, I wonder, is this campaign really about debating the issues, or is this campaign about raising the most money and running the most 30-second ads?" (Main street Journal Press Release, 12/29/2005)

• Conservative blogger Bill Hobbs urges voters to support Bryant to prevent a Corker nomination: “Now, with Corker dumping $1.7 million of his own money into the race to try to buy the nomination that appears to be in danger of slipping through his fingers, Hilleary supporters have a stark choice to make: Vote for a guy who will finish third, or vote for Bryant, someone with whom Hilleary agrees on virtually all of the issues - Ed Bryant - in order to prevent Corker from winning the nomination…By dropping out now, Hilleary could ensure that Tennessee conservatives who back either him or Bryant won't have to go to the polls in November holding their noses to vote for Corker in order to prevent the election of "Sen. Harold Ford Jr." (Bill Hobbs, BillHobbs.com, 7/20/2006)

• Republican State Representative Stacey Campfield cannot get past Corker’s ‘questionable history’: “Bob and Bob’s wife have a bad history of helping out the wrong side in many races. They don't help the party or its candidates much and have supported many democrats. They have low name recognition and Bob is weak on the issues that are important to republican primary voters (Right to life and taxes). (Stacey Campfield, lastcar.blogspot.com, 9/12/2005)

• Former Anderson County Republican Chair Terry Frank says Corker is the wrong candidate: “See, Corker gives Democrats the warm and fuzzy feeling of having two good liberal choices. If a Democrat Party Chairman has nice things to say about our candidate, then that candidate just can’t be the right candidate.” (TerryFrank.net, 7/6/2006)

• Shelby County School Board Chairman David Pickler, ‘Bob Corker's decision to boycott this important debate deprives the people of West Tennessee. If Bob Corker is afraid to address the critical issues in an honest forum of debate, how can we seriously appraise his integrity as a candidate and evaluate his true beliefs and governing philosophies?’ (Main Street Journal Press, 12/19/05)

• Van Hilleary campaign refers to Corker as a liar whose deceit is breathtaking: “Bob Corker can rephrase the line as many times as he wants, but it's still a lie. His deceit is breathtaking," Coxe said.” (Tennessean, 7/26/2006)

• “Hilleary's ad calls Corker's campaign cowardly” Memphis Commercial Appeal headline, 07/25/06

• Hilleary charged Bob Corker was attempting to hijack the Republican party and it’s philosophy: “People listening need to take note please, cause this is a sort of a hijacking of our party and our philosophy if Bob wins this seat. And he obviously is not who he says he is. We’ve seen this over and over again. If you went to a dictionary and looked up the classic definition of someone changing everything about themselves to try and win a race and then buy it with massive amounts of money, that’s what this is all about. It’s not much more complicated than that.” (Hilleary, Kevin Wall Show Forum, 07/24/06)

• Bryant said there was ‘apparent hypocrisy’ in a Corker ad: “Mr. Bryant said there was ‘apparent hypocrisy’ with Mr. Corker’s ad. He cited a 1988 federal raid of a Memphis construction site where Bencor, a company Mr. Corker co-founded, used subcontractors found to have hired illegal immigrant labor.” (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 07/20/06)

• Van Hilleary campaign manager declared Corker had “no regard for the truth and no respect for Tennessee voters”: “Bob Corker has no regard for the truth and no respect for Tennessee voters,” said Jennifer Coxe, Hilleary campaign manager. (Nashville City Paper, 7/20/06)

• Bryant called a Corker accusation a bald-faced lie and hypocritical to boot: "Bob Corker's accusation that Ed Bryant voted to raise his own pay is a bald-faced lie," stated Bryant spokesman Andrew Shulman. "Bob Corker's lie is hypocritical to boot  this is a man whose own pay increased at least 9% while he was raising taxes on Chattanoogans by 24%, creating a brand-spanking-new hotel/motel tax, and fighting against giving police officers their step pay raise increase, all while he jacked up the cost of health insurance for all city employees.” (Bryant Press Release, 7/19/2006)

• Republicans say once voters learn about Corker, then his “house of cards” will fall: “Both the Hilleary and Bryant campaigns have been bashing Corker for months on his changed stance on abortion – was pro-choice but now pro-life – his choice to raise property taxes by 48 cents as Mayor as well as a subcontractor for his construction company that employed four illegal immigrants. “Once voters learn about those things, then I think Corker’s house of cards will begin to fall,” Jennifer Coxe [Hilleary’s Campaign Manager] said.” (Nashville City Paper, 07/05/06)

• "Bob Corker has a well-documented history of not telling the whole truth about his record, on taxes, abortion, government spending and now illegal immigration. And now, Mr. Corker won't come clean with Tennesseans and release his full tax records - what is he hiding from the voters?" (6/27/2006 Bryant Press Release, Bryant Calls On Corker To Release Full Tax Records)

• Bryant campaign says Corker owes voters an explanation about Haiti ad, or they’ll assume he will say anything to get elected: "If Mr. Corker learned 'every life is sacred' on his mission trip to Haiti in the 80's as he says he did, he owes Tennesseans an explanation for supporting abortion rights when he ran to the left of Bill Frist in 1994, refusing to say that life begins at conception, and for opposing pro-life legislation in 1995 as Don Sundquist's Finance Commissioner - both just a few years after he returned from Haiti," stated Bryant spokesman Andrew Shulman. "Otherwise, we'll have to conclude Mr. Corker will say anything to get elected, even on a fundamental issue like abortion, and we'll be left wondering who distrusts Bob Corker more: the pro-choice Tennesseans he courted in 1994 or the pro-life Tennesseans he opposed in 1995." (6/26/2006 Bryant Press Release, Bob Corker's Pro-Life Conversion Raises Questions)

• “Mr. Hilleary accused Mr. Corker of ‘playing’ a ‘pretend conservative on TV’" (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 06/25/06)

• Van Hilleary campaign charged Bob Corker has a character problem: ‘Bob Corker has a character problem. He can't tell the truth about his own record. ... It's leading people to believe he's 100 percent pro-life and has always been pro-life.’" (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 6/23/06)

• Van Hilleary campaign manager Jennifer Coxe says Corker has credibility gap and voters can’t trust him: "…And on the all-important issue of life, Corker says he was against protecting life before he was for it." "Bob Corker has a credibility gap. He can't tell the truth about his record and he misleads people about his opponents' records," said Coxe. "Why should voters trust Bob Corker to vote for pro-life legislation on the federal level when he killed similar state legislation when he was Don Sundquist's Commissioner of Finance and Administration?" (6/22/2006 Hilleary release, Corker Runs Another False Ad)

• “’Corker says he will be tough on illegal immigration - but in fact he is attempting to buy this election with false ads paid for in part from the money he made off the backs of illegal aliens working on his construction sites,” (Hilleary release, Corker Runs Another False Ad, 6/22/06)

• “Bryant spokesperson Andrew Shulman: ‘It doesn't matter because Tennessee voters will be able to see through his hypocritical and deceitful ad campaign and they will know his true record’" (Knoxville News-Sentinel, 6/15/2006)

• “Bryant spokesman Andrew Shulman said the immigration ad and issue are part of what he called a ‘hypocritical and deceitful’ pattern in advertising by Mr. Corker, a former Chattanooga mayor. He questioned other ads about Mr. Corker's position on abortion and raising taxes while mayor.” (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 06/06/2006)

• “Once again, Bob Corker's ads say one thing, Bob Corker's records say just the opposite," said Hilleary campaign manager Jennifer Coxe. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 06/05/2006)

• "This is just another example of Bob Corker's deliberately deceitful efforts to hide the truth about his record. He claims to be tough on hiring illegal immigrants but the record proves not only did he have illegal immigrants on the job site, but he ignored repeated warnings from public officials not to do so, just like he ignored warnings he received about the crisis facing Chattanooga's emergency response system and allowed the city's 911 system to deteriorate into 911 'Dial-a-Prayer'” (Jun-05-2006 Bryant Release, Corker Busted For Illegal Immigrants On His Construction Site, While Hypocritically Claiming To Be Tough On Illegal Immigrants In TV Ad)

• Mayor Corker is thumbing his nose at Tennesseans and seems content to run out the clock before answering the questions of what he knew, when he knew it and what he did about fraud, waste and abuse in Chattanooga city government. (May-26-2006 Bryant Release, Corker Celebrates 100th Day of Ducking Chattanooga Fraud-Related Questions)

What has changed in the week since Van and Ed were saying these things? Nothing.

They are all true and they meant every word they said when they said them.

Don't be fooled this fall Tennesseans. Vote for character. Vote for Ford!