Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester wants to know if the state Republican Party’s anointed gubernatorial candidate, Bill Haslam, agrees with Texas Congressman Joe Barton that the White House is being too hard on BP for its reckless behavior in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Mr. Haslam’s family business has made a fortune selling gasoline and diesel fuel,” Forrester said. “Is he more worried about the fortune of his Big Oil buddies or the struggles of ordinary people like those affected by the oil spill in the Gulf?

“Tennessee voters need to know where he stands on this very important issue. Our state is blessed to have an abundance of lakes, streams and forests that provide us and our visitors with exceptional recreational opportunities. It’s important to know just how committed the gubernatorial candidates are to protecting our state’s natural resources.”

Forrester pointed out that another Republican gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from coal-mining interests and has refused to allow a vote in the Senate on a bill banning mountain-top-removal mining.

“Mr. Ramsey is more worried about giving the boot to Washington than giving a boot to companies that would rather destroy our beautiful mountains and pollute our streams,” Forrester added.