Ramsey Gives Feds the Boot in New TV Ad

Tennessee's Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey has released his first tv campaign ad for governor.

It promises to give the federal government "the boot" if they don't like how things are done in Tennessee.

While the spot does not mention his republican opponents, the Wamp campaign was quick to criticize Ramsey.

"Ron Ramsey obviously is trying to rewrite history. The ad fails to mention that state spending has nearly tripled since he joined the legislature, from $11 billion to $29 billion a year, and state government has added more than 10,000 workers to the payroll on his watch."

"Now that may be Ron Ramsey's way, but it's the wrong way for Tennessee taxpayers.” said Wamp spokesman Sam Edelen.

Knox Views blogger Randy Neal also taking on the ad, but for different reasons.  Neal questions Ramsey's desire to give the federal government "the boot."

 Neal writes: "Really? So he wants to give up:

• $53,676,000 in federal funding for general government
• $1,853,621,100 in federal funding for education
• $7,767,522,100 in federal funding for health care and social services
• $121,210,800 in federal funding for law enforcement
• $269,796,200 in federal funding for the environment
• $1,137,871,800 in federal funding for transportation
• $6,272,000,000 in Medicare benefits for Tennesseans
• $12,173,000,000 in Social Security benefits for Tennesseans

My calculator doesn't have enough numbers, but I think that adds up to about $29.6 billion in federal funding and benefits that Ramsey says we don't need. Apparently the state budget is in a whole lot better shape than anyone imagined!"

No word on the ad from the Haslam campaign.