Hasner Fires Back at LeMieux for 'Tricks He Learned' Under Crist

Looks like former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner was ready for the attacks from a Republican primary rival in the 2012 U.S. Senate race.

Less than 20 minutes after former U.S. Sen. George LeMieuxs team attacked the former state legislator, Hasners team released an e-mail entitled Here Come the Attacks. The Hasner camp claimed to be garnering momentum with fundraising and endorsements.

This momentum means we're building a strong, principled, grass-roots campaign that will not only unite Republicans toward victory in the primary election, but will defeat Senator Bill Nelson next November, noted the Hasner camp. It also means that our opponents will grow more desperate, and will do anything they can to stop us. Bill Nelson and George LeMieux have grown accustomed to being called Senator and they will do anything they can to keep it that way. Already, they have launched false and misleading attacks."

Hasner looked to tie LeMieux to his former boss -- former Gov. Charlie Crist -- who is a persona non grata to Republicans for leaving the GOP.

Bill Nelson is relying on the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and liberal groups like Progress Florida to do his bidding, while George LeMieux resorts to the tricks he learned as Charlie Crist's top political operative, insisted the Hasner team. In the coming weeks and months, you can expect to see more false, negative stories about Adam, more attacks from our opponents, and more distortions of Adam's record.

We'll fight back each and every time to set the record straight, insisted the Hasner camp. No matter how hard our opponents try to attack Adam or distort his record, he won't stop fighting.