Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate Ed Bryant is proposing a series of six televised debates across the state.

former Chattanooga Mayor and Republican Senatorial candidate Bob Corker called fellow candidate Ed Bryant’s debate proposal “a great starting point” for discussions between the campaigns.

Fellow Republican Bob Corker responded, “I applaud Ed for putting forth an honest and straight forward proposal on debates and I look forward to working with his campaign to ensure voters are given the opportunity to hear from the candidates.”

The former Chattanooga mayor added, “Debates will give voters the opportunity to hear directly from us on where we both agree and disagree. That’s something the voters deserve, and Ed’s proposal today serves as a great starting point for working out an agreement on debates.”

Bryant challenged his Republican rivals to join him in a televised debate in each and every of the six major media markets in Tennessee prior to the start of early voting on July 14, 2006.

“Tennesseans have rightfully come to expect those who seek to represent them in Washington to be upfront about sharing their views on the issues that matter to them, and they deserve nothing less," Bryant said. "Granting Tennesseans their right to see us debate these issues that affect their lives is the only way to pierce through the haze of the thirty second political ads that some candidates use to try and hide their records.

"Debates allow the frank exchanges between candidates which will let the voters decide who is the best qualified and best prepared to promote the conservative Tennessee values of fiscal discipline, a strong defense, and our traditional values in the U.S. Senate.”

Bryant continued, “Both my opponents have expressed their interest in debates although some seem more interested in using the debate calendar to try to score political points against each other than to present the voters with a clear picture of where we stand.”

Although Bryant has committed to both a Republican debate in Memphis organized by the Main Street Journal on Jan. 31, 2006, he said not all Republican candidates have. The Associated Press/Tennessee Press Association candidate forum in Nashville on Feb. 9 features candidates from both political parties in a non-debate format. Earlier in the year, Democrat Harold Ford Jr. declined to participate in any debate alongside Republicans before the August primary.