Bob Tuke is marching across the state of Tennessee (wearing his Marine combat boots from Vietnam) to meet and talk with voters and to emphasize the need for someone in Congress who has "fought in combat and understands the difficulty of ending a war with minimal casualties and maximum honor."

He also intends to highlight the natural beauty of our state and our obligation to be good stewards of the environment, and to demonstrate his commitment to the voters of Tennessee.

Read the full press release after the jump...

Tuesdays with Tuke
May 13, 2008
"The March"

On Saturday, May 10, I began my march across Tennessee in Memphis. I marched from the Mississippi River to Cordova, the beginning of a statewide trek. I wasn't wearing a plaid shirt; I was wearing my Marine combat boots from Vietnam.

The purposes of this march are several. First, it has been 30 years since a candidate walked the State to ask Tennesseans from all three Grand Divisions what their most pressing concerns might be. That candidate from 30 years ago appears to have forgotten how to ask that question; he seems to have lost touch with every day Tennesseans. I intend to get in touch, up close and personal, with Tennesseans from across the State, much as I did by visiting so many counties as Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman.

This march also will demonstrate an important difference between Lamar Alexander and me. My boots aren't a gimmick – they are the real thing, earned by military service in war. Our nation is fighting two wars now and we need at least one more Senator who has fought in combat and understands the difficulty of ending a war with minimal casualties and maximum honor.

This march also will focus attention on the beauty and majesty of Tennessee – something we must not take for granted. Tennesseans need a Senator who will look to develop alternative energy sources so that we can break our dependence on foreign oil and strip-mined coal, a Senator who has hiked the Appalachian Trail through Tennessee, on the Cumberland Plateau and along the Mississippi. I love the beauty of Tennessee, and I believe we have stewardship obligations to preserve her resources.

Lastly, I want to physically demonstrate my devotion to the people of Tennessee and to this campaign, by marching more than 1,100 miles from Memphis, to Chattanooga, to Nashville, Knoxville, and Morristown, and to Mountain City, and points in between.

I hope I will see you on the march. I hope that you will march with me when I am near you. We will keep you updated on our website.

Let's Take the Hill together!

Semper Fi,
Bob Tuke