Things are getting heated in west Tennessee.

In the less than three days that state Sen. Roy Herron (D) has been a candidate for the seat of retiring Rep. John Tanner (D), the National Republican Congressional Committee has issued more than half a dozen press releases attacking his “liberal positions” and credibility as a candidate, and provided statements to scores of state and national news outlets doing the same.

Herron’s campaign responded to those attacks Friday afternoon with a statement calling the the behavior of Washington Republicans “ridiculous and desperate.”