TN Elections: Lynne Cheney joins Van Hilleary at campaign fund-raiser (Rudy Giuliani there too)

The Kingsport Times ^ | 10/22/02 | Hank Hayes

[GailA]

Lynne Cheney joins Hilleary at campaign fund-raiser By Hank Hayes

KINGSPORT - Republican star power once again fueled Van Hilleary's gubernatorial campaign on Monday.

Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, spoke to benefit Hilleary's campaign at a $250-a-plate morning fund-raiser attended by about 100 business and community leaders at the Ridgefields Country Club in Kingsport.

"Mrs. Cheney, this is the area that put George W. Bush in the White House, right here," Hilleary told Lynne Cheney during her introduction.

After that event, Hilleary flew to Nashville for a luncheon fund-raising appearance with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has endorsed Hilleary in a new television ad.

Lynne Cheney said she ran into Hilleary last year during a Washington, D.C., reception for former U.S. Sen. Howard Baker, who had been named U.S. ambassador to Japan.

"While we were standing on the deck, Van said to me, ‘If I decide to run for governor, will you come campaign for me?' Van, here I am," said Cheney, who praised Hilleary for supporting President George W. Bush with last year's tax cut and passing education legislation.

"He understands that improving our schools is the surest way to make sure every child participates in the American dream," Cheney said of Hilleary, a congressman from Spring City. "He is not about to let the bigger-government-is-better forces undermine the progress we've made."

Lynne Cheney's visit to Northeast Tennessee was paid for by the Hilleary campaign. President George W. Bush, former President George Bush and Vice President Cheney have all come to Tennessee to campaign and raise money for Hilleary, who according to the polls is in a tight race with former Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen.

Late last week, Bredesen committed to extending a $1 million line of credit to his campaign in order to combat attacks by Hilleary. The Bredesen campaign estimates that Hilleary has spent at least $1.8 million so far on ads attacking Bredesen's mayoral record.

Bredesen's contribution to his own campaign violates a state law that caps the amount candidates for state office can give their campaigns at $250,000.

State regulators, however, don't enforce the 1995 law because a state attorney general's opinion considers the limit unconstitutional.

Hilleary said it has been "very difficult" keeping up with Bredesen's campaign spending.

"Mayor Bredesen made $47 million in an HMO business, sold it, and then it went broke a couple years later," Hilleary said. "He squeezed a lot of money out of people's health care and enriched himself. I don't have that money. I can't be Phil Bredesen and wouldn't be Phil Bredesen if I could be. It does mean I have to shake hands and raise money at the same time."

Hilleary campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Coxe said Hilleary has been outspent by a 3-to-1 margin and added it takes about $300,000 a week to run statewide TV ads.

With two weeks to go until Election Day, Hilleary said he would come back to campaign in GOP-dominated Northeast Tennessee "two or three" more times.

He also took issue with assertions by the Bredesen campaign that he's not qualified to be governor.

"It's just arrogant for Phil Bredesen to say ‘I'm from Massachusetts, I went to Harvard, I'm a physicist, therefore I'm the only one who knows how to govern,'" said Hilleary. "While he was governing Nashville, he raised the taxes on the average property owner by 37 percent. If that's his idea of government, I want to send him back to Massachusetts."

[GailA]

AlGorebatross has lots of time on his hands as the Tennessee demwits especially the demwit weasel word phil bredesen who is running for governor is RUNNING from AlGorebatross as if albore has the black plague!

Come to think of it AlGorebatross has only campaigned for 2 Tennessee canidates. Leftist boby clement who is running against Lamar, and socialist sherry fisher who is running against Heroine anti-income tax warrior Mae Beavers for state Senate.

Bredesen running from Albore

Gore's role minor in state politics Bredesen keeping his distance from ex-vice president