Bredesen Chides Pence For 'Name Calling'

NASHVILLE, TN -- Democratic Senate hopeful Phil Bredesen said the Vice President was "name calling" when he tweeted the former two-term governor was "a liberal" while on a campaign swing through Tennessee over the weekend.

While in the Volunteer State stumping for Bredesen's likely Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Vice President Mike Pence tweeted, among other things, that Bredesen, who won all 95 counties in his re-election bid in 2006, was "too liberal" for Tennessee and that he supports single-payer health care and wants to repeal the tax cut, which Pence had earlier touted as bringing raises to 56,000 Tennessee workers, or about 1.78 percent of employed Tennesseans.

Speaking to reporters, Bredesen said the tweet suggests that Pence couldn't think of anything else to say. He also noted the term "single-payer" is far too broad and that he thinks the tax bill needs another round of legislative tweaks.

Tennessee's primary election is August 2.

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