I worked with Weston Wamp off and on for nearly 15 months on his campaign. Our country would be well-served to have as many 25-year-olds as mature and statesmanlike as Weston was throughout the entire process. It was amazing to watch voters who dismissed him in October of last year vote for him in August of 2012. He carried the largest county in the 3rd District despite being outspent 2-1.

Congressman Fleischmann earned his victory Thursday night, and I congratulate him. He was willing to stand up and debate, unlike the other candidate who neither agreed to debate or to concede. The Congressman defended his positions and stuck to his message. The power of incumbency served him well.

Weston immediately issued a statement wishing the best to all of Thursday night's winners. I was there as he gave upbeat remarks to his supporters that night as well as positive interviews to all media outlets that asked to speak with him. Whether or not the local media included his statement is not within our control.

The overwhelming response the campaign has received since Thursday is gratefulness to Weston for running a mature, optimistic campaign about the issues. Anyone who would find reason to criticize Weston after the incredibly positive campaign he ran needs to move on. I would suggest to those worried about a phone call that our Congressman is better served looking forward rather than backwards.

As we did Thursday, we, again, congratulate all those who competed and those who won Thursday night, including Congressman Fleischmann.

Davis Lundy

Chattanooga

* * *

Mr. Davis Lundy,
 You're telling us to move on for asking Mr. Weston Wamp a simple question about good political etiquette is quite out of line, in my opinion. If  we can't ask a congressional candidate a simple, off the talking points, question without being attacked by someone not named in the question, or even known to exist, Davis Lundy, what does that say about the person the question was of?

Obviously, since you claim to know him so well, maybe the best thing you could have done was encourage the candidate to answer a simple etiquette question publicly. With Weston Wamp having been raised in a political  family, I'm sure he witnessed his father receiving congratulations from those he defeated.  Yet his father, Zach Wamp, says in a video, that the 
best candidate always wins, whether that is true or not, he said it.

Also,  Mr. Zach Wamp, did in fact, call candidate Bill Haslam the very night of the election and congratulate him on winning the primary. A lot of the time, the son is not the father, as Weston Wamp alluded to during his campaign,  for better or worse.

In my asking Weston Wamp why he did not call the winner was not to demean him as you allege. It is fine for Weston Wamp to come before the public day after day, with commercial after commercial, and make all of those prepared statements as to his maturity, courage, etc. and we listen to what he has to  say, day after day. So when the very first problem arises for him, as 
in losing an election, instead of the courage and class of a deserving leader, we get Davis Lundy telling all of us to move along, there is nothing to see, no questions, hush.  If we have to see all the signs, commercials, speeches, etc., month after month, all of us are entitled to ask where all of that courage and professionalism went, if in fact, it ever existed. 

Next time, let the grown man speak for himself, he sure had a lot to say before the election. 

Joe Blevins
Guild, Tn.