Reply from Haslam camp

[morg]

From an earlier conversation with the Haslam camp, I answered:

I had asked two questions before the primary and due to the campaign's silence, I voted for our Lt. Governor.

Since Haslam may very well be the real liberal on the ballet please tell me why he was not only a member of Blomberg's anti gun group of which he allowed his signature to be on their VERY ANTI GUN letter to the UN but he insulted us by claiming to be pro gun when he decided to run.

And, please, being a member of the NRA is no longer a sign of pro gun (Hell, even Harry Reed just got a free pass for them). How long has Haslam been a member of Tennessee Firearm Owners Association to which all real pro 2nd Amendment Tennesseans should belong.

Second: Why did he tell a half truth about taxes in Knoxville (careful, I have friends who own property there)?

One of my favorite people in politics is Thelma Harper. She is a bleeding heart liberal and a complete 180 degrees in her viewpoint from me.

But you know what? She is honest about it and I respect her for it.

I don't vote for liars.

Prove to me that Haslam is not a liar.

>From what I know of the family, McWherter may very well be more conservative than Haslam.

To which they replied:

Thank you for your interest in Mayor Haslam and his effort to be the next governor of Tennessee. I appreciate you responding, and if you would like to talk about the issues over the phone I would be happy to do so. I would be happy to discuss Mayor Haslam's conservative credentials compared to Mike McWherter's. Ron Ramsey endorsed Bill Haslam last week and he mentioned that he would be campaigning for him across the state of Tennessee, and I hope we can gain your support as well.

As a member of the NRA, Mayor Haslam is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and believes in an individual's constitutionally protected rights to keep and bear arms. As Governor, he will protect those rights.

In regards to your question regarding his affiliation with Mayors Against Illegal Guns; while attending a national mayors meeting in 2006, Mayor Haslam was one of approximately 700 other mayors who signed a petition to address criminal violence in our cities. When it became evident to Mr. Haslam that the group had changed its agenda, he withdrew his membership. Mr. Haslam understands Second Amendment rights are essential to our freedom, and as Governor, he will continue to work with our legislature and Tennessee local law enforcement to create and enforce laws that protect those rights. Mayor Haslam believes the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right and he will protect those rights. If, at any time, we find restrictions infringing on Second Amendment rights, we should remove the restrictions.

In regards to your question about property taxes in Knoxville, Knoxville has the lowest property taxes in fifty years.

Thank you again for contacting the campaign with your message, we appreciate hearing your thoughts, as Mayor Haslam continues his campaign travels to learn what is important to every Tennessean in every corner of the state.

If you have any additional questions or comments, or would like to keep up with the latest campaign news, please visit our website www.BillHaslam.com.

Sincerely,

Trammel Hoehn

General Assistant to the campaign