Democratic Senate candidate Bob Tuke's campaign remarks on Sen. Alexander's energy proposals:

Nashville: Senator Alexander has attempted to reinvent himself and his anti-environmental voting record with his proposal for a "Manhattan Project" on alternative energy sources, an election year stunt aimed at covering up the truth about Senator Alexander's close ties and vested interests with Big Oil.

Rest of the press release after the jump...

Senator Alexander has received $109,100 this election cycle alone from fossil fuel industries like Big Oil. In return, Senator Alexander was a leader in the effort to expand drilling in America's coastal waters, a move that would mar our coastlines and significantly increase the chances of devastating oil spills from pipe line ruptures and malfunctioning oil pumps. Senator Alexander also pushed to drill for oil in the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a policy that would only work to prolong our dependence on air-polluting fossil fuels for decades while having very little impact on the price of a barrel of oil.

Now Senator Alexander, who is ranked in the Top 10 "Fossil Fools" by Mother Jones for obstructing a U.S. clean-energy future, is calling for more research into alternative energy solutions while being an outspoken opponent of the existing and proven clean energy technology of wind power because it "destroys the landscape."

"I support investments into alternative energy solutions including cellulosic ethanol, solar power, and wind power to end our dependence on air-polluting fossil fuel consumption. Senator Alexander is calling for alternative energy research while simultaneously pushing for more oil wells to extend fossil fuel consumption and opposing the existing clean-energy solution of wind power. Senator Alexander may not like the way windmills look, but I think they look a lot better than our mountaintops destroyed by strip mines and oil pumps off our coasts and in our protected wildlife sanctuaries," says Bob Tuke, candidate for the U.S. Senate.