The Lamar Alexander campaign said the Knoxville debate added to the "stature gap" in favor of their candidate, while the Bob Clement campaign focused on the economy.

Kevin Phillips, Communications Director for the Alexander for Senate campaign, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate debate in Knoxville:

"The stature gap between Lamar Alexander and Bob Clement is growing more apparent with each debate.

"Bob Clement started off the debate dodging important questions, especially on social security. The record shows Bob Clement favors a risky scheme to invest social security in the stock market.

"Bob Clement finished the debate slinging mud.

"Lamar Alexander, on the other hand, demonstrated the seriousness of important issues. The difference is clear: Lamar Alexander is best prepared to serve in the United States Senate."

The Clement campaign gave this version:

Responding to a question during
tonight¹s Senate debate in Knoxville tonight, Bob Clement said Tennessee
voters ­ Democrats, Independents and Republicans ­ will support him in the
November 5th election to "send a wake up call" to Washington to focus on the
economy.

Clement related a story about his meeting with President George W. Bush
recently. During the meeting, Clement urged President Bush not to ignore the "unraveling economy."

"I regret to report to you what he said," Clement said tonight. "He said
'The economy is doing OK.'"

Clement issued a statement immediately after the debate restating what he said during the event.

"This economy is not doing OK," Clement said. "We have high unemployment. We have plant closings. I don't believe the administration has a first
class team working on the economy. The administration does have a strong
team working on the war on terrorism but the economic team is not as
strong."

Clement also said during the debate that he would support protecting and
preserving the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

When the candidates had an opportunity to question each other, Bob Clement asked Alexander why he has commissioned a $36,000 study to learn how to sell more tickets to sold-out football games at Neyland Stadium.

Alexander said, "I think you¹ve got that a little wrong. The first six
games that I was president we lost all six games and they about ran me and Johnny Majors out of town so there were some empty seats."

As Alexander rambled on, Bill Williams, the moderator of the debate said, "I don't think we got an answer there."

Alexander then admitted he had hired his long-time political consultant to
show him how to "make a better presentation for the University of
Tennessee."

Alexander then said he had, "Never heard it suggested that it was to sell
more football tickets."

After the debate, Clement released details about the ticket study. In the same special audit that uncovered the Blackberry Farm deal to benefit
Alexander and his family, two other deals were uncovered by state
investigators.

According to press reports, Alexander pushed university officials to use
indirect channels to pay his former chief of staff for a study on increasing football ticket sales even though football games have been sold out at UT for years.

Apparently concerned about an obvious conflict of interest, Alexander routed
the payment for the study through a third party.

During tonight¹s debate, it became clear that Lamar Alexander is involved in still another scheme to bring taxpayer money to his company.

During the debate, Clement asked Alexander about a reading program promoted by Governor Don Sundquist.

Alexander said during the debate, "It sounds good to me."

No wonder it sounds good to Alexander. Millions of taxpayers dollars would have been diverted to ENA under this new initiative, including both federal and state dollars, according to reports by WTVF-TV in Nashville, and documents from the State Dept. of Education.

Al Ganier, CEO of ENA and a long-time friend of Gov. Sundquist, e-mailed the
administration last year to lobby for the plan, and also served on the state
committee that developed the plan.

Now ENA stands to get millions because the teaching training component of the new plan will run over the networks it helped build for Tennessee schools.

Lamar Alexander, humiliated in a Jackson, Tennessee debate when Bob
Clement asked him to take one dollar and turn it into $620,000 for Tennessee school children, tonight waited until five minutes before the debate to petition the debate organizers for a "no prop" rule.

Alexander was no doubt unsettled when more than 100 East Tennesseans -
waving $1 bills - greeted him at the debate sight.

During the Jackson debate, Clement discussed a "sweetheart deal" where Alexander put one dollar in a partnership and, using inside information, received a $620,000 payday.

Alexander accused Clement of breaking a "no prop" rule during the
Jackson debate.

Bill Fletcher, Clement¹s communications director, challenged Alexander on the stage of the Knoxville debate and reminded him that there was no such rule in the Jackson debate.

Alexander responded by saying, "Don't you talk to me" and then pleaded with debate organizers to tell Clement not to use his now famous dollar. Clement, apparently taking pity on Alexander, agreed not to pull the dollar out during the debate.

Fletcher said, "It was sad to see Lamar Alexander begging the debate
organizers to protect him from Bob Clement."²