TN-Sen: Dem Phil Bredesen uses Republicans' own words to boost his campaign in latest ad

With the midterm elections just three months away, the contentious battle for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Bob Corker (R) in Tennessee is heating up as both candidates — former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R) — make their case to voters with advertisements.

Bredesen's latest ad, though, hits Blackburn and the GOP right where it hurts.

What does the ad show?

Instead of attacking Blackburn's history in Congress or explaining why her policy proposals are not in the best interests of Tennessee, Bredesen uses the words of Republicans and conservatives against her — well, more like in his favor.

Bredesen, who was a widely popular governor even among Tennessee Republicans and conservatives, spliced together sound bites of name-worthy Republicans singing his praises.

"Folks do not realize this: A lot of Trump supporters are also Phil Bredesen supporters. ... You've never seen a tax being fought for by Phil Bredesen," political commentator Scottie Nell Hughes says in the ad.

"Phil Bredesen is a friend of mine, OK? I have worked with him for 23 years," Corker says in the ad. "He was a very good mayor [of Nashville], a very good governor, very good businessperson."

"He had a very strong fiscal relationship with a lot of the business people in this state, and he did a good job as governor," Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R) says in the ad.

The ad also includes praiseworthy clips from former state Rep. Debra Maggart (R) and Republican consultant Bill Phillips.

For now, the ad is planned to only air on digital platforms, not television. Bredesen's campaign said they plan to pay in the "six-digit territory" to run it online.

Are the comments endorsements?

The comments are not endorsements. And according to the Tennessean, the ad was made without the knowledge of those included in it. To make matters worse, some Republicans are indicating that the sound-bites were taken out of context.

In fact, the two current members of Congress in the clip — Corker and Fleischmann — have actually endorsed Blackburn.

Speaking to the Tennessean, Fleischmann called Bredesen "wrong for Tennessee" and alleged he was "personally recruited by Chuck Schumer."

"I wholeheartedly support Marsha Blackburn for Senate. She is the only candidate Tennesseans can count on to stand up for our values," he said.

Maggart similarly pushed back against the ad's sentiment and characterization of her comments.

"I support Marsha Blackburn for Senate 100 percent," she told the Tennessean.

What did the campaigns say?

Abbi Sigler, a spokeswoman for Blackburn's campaign, emphasized that November's election is about the future — and all Bredesen can seem to do is highlight the past.

"This election is not about the past. It is about the future, and Chuck Schumer has already bought and paid for Phil Bredesen’s vote in the Senate. If Phil Bredesen were to get to Washington, his first vote would be for Chuck Schumer for Majority Leader," she said.

Meanwhile, Alyssa Hansen, press secretary for Bredesen, told the Tennessean the ad "summarizes what Tennesseans — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — know to be true about Phil Bredesen: He’s a proven leader with a track-record of getting things done for our state."