Monday, May 18, 2009
Politics / Woods Ramsey, Wamp Jostle for the Anti-Haslam Money
Posted by Jeff Woods on Mon, May 18, 2009 at 5:12 AM
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Ron Ramsey and Zach Wamp are demonstrating what every political insider in the state already knows: The GOP gubernatorial primary is Bill Haslam's to lose. With his personal wealth and popularity as Knoxville's mayor, Haslam is the clear favorite, and Ramsey and Wamp are jostling to be seen by contributors as his main rival. They're playing to the party's hard-core culture warriors and attacking Haslam as a squishy child of privilege.
At a joint appearance at the Hamilton County Lincoln Day dinner over the weekend, Ramsey and Wamp both jabbed at Haslam. Ramsey made the dubious assertion that, as a legislator, he knows more about education than Haslam, who's presumably had more direct dealings with school issues as a mayor. Ramsey said:
"Mayor Haslam mentioned a lot about education. I'm kind of a been-there, done-that kind of guy. Some of these guys can talk the talk and are good people, but I'm the only who's been there and walked the walk."For his part, Wamp needled Haslam as a Johnny-come-lately to public service. After Haslam noted Bob Corker piqued his interest seven years ago while the two were on vacation in Florida, Wamp retorted:
"Let me tell you, seven years ago, public service was not a foreign idea to me, because I started 27 years ago, right there, in this county."More on the campaign: Haslam responds to Bill Gibbons' attack of last week: "I'll compare my time spent in schools with anybody." Mr. Kleinheider, who seems to favor Ramsey, comments on class warfare in the GOP and lifting the ban on session fund-raising. And Andy Sher reports Ramsey's role in the legislature is a double-edged sword in the governor's race.
"In the position I have, I do have the bully pulpit," said Lt. Gov. Ramsey, who is expected to formally launch his campaign June 1. "They are going to whack away at me when they can, but that's part of politics. I'm just going to do what I think is right and move forward."
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