A handful of fliers are making their way through mailboxes in Tennessee's 7th Senate District with some lofty claims.
As part of our on-going Heart of the Matter series, 10News took a look at the claims made by the state Republican and Democratic parties and found not all that's fit for print and stuffed into your mailbox is true.
In this case, the advertisements don't need candidate approval and are paid for by the state parties, not the candidates.
Starting with a mailer attacking Randy Walker that questions hundreds of dollars from University of Tennessee professor John Bohstedt. The flier calls Bohstedt an 'anti war protester' and points to a Knoxville News-Sentinel article to say he also "specializes in riots".
The claims are misleading.
Bohstedt may be a familiar name if you follow the news. In 2008, he was largely hailed as a hero as one of the men who brought down a gunman at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on Kingston Pike in Knoxville.
Bohstedt did give Randy Walker's campaign $550 but the professor with a Ph.D. from harvard specializes in riots as a course of study, not starting civil unrest and riots like the advertisement might lead you to believe.
In another flier, the GOP questions Walker's financial judgment, pointing to a personal bankruptcy and thousands in credit card debt.
Those claims are true.
In 2006 Walker filed for bankruptcy in Federal Court and disclosed at least $8,000 due in taxes and thousands worth of credit card debt.
On the other side of the aisle, Tennessee's Democratic Party is fighting for Walker with attack ads of their own targeting Stacey Campfield.
In one, they say Campfield would let anyone carry a concealed gun, including rapists and child sex predators.
Those claims are false.
While Campfield doesn't believe a state carry permit system is necessary and people have the right to carry weapons without state permits, federal laws still in place would limit convicted felons.
Convicted rapists who have not had their rights restored would not be eligible to legally carry a weapon or even own a weapon under federal law.
Also, Tennessee democrats hit Campfield for his support of a federal fair tax. They argue a fair tax would cost Tennesseans 23% more for nearly everything they buy.
That claim is misleading.
While Campfield may support a fair tax, the issue is a federal issue. No matter who becomes the 7th District Senator in Tennessee, they will have about as much influence on federal taxation from the capitol in Nashville as they would on other national issues like the war in Afghanistan.
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