PICAYUNE — Wells Griffith, campaign manager for Steven Palazzo, said last week that Palazzo had not refused to debate Joe Tegerdine, that Palazzo has only had a scheduling problem, and also threw in for good measure that Tegerdine was working for a foreign company from China.

Tegerdine’s supporters here this week responded quickly to Griffith’s statements, and maintained that Palazzo was avoiding a head-on debate with Tegerdine because Tegerdine, they maintain, is well-versed on the issues and that the company Tegerdine works for is owned by an American, incorporated in Florida and headquartered in Hattiesburg.

The Tegerdine campaign hit back here this week with a press release, charging Palazzo’s campaign manager with putting out falsehoods.

Palazzo, a state legislator and Biloxi CPA, will square off with Tegerdine, a Petal businessman, on Tuesday, June 1, in the GOP primary for the right to meet 20-year incumbent Democrat Gene Taylor of Bay St. Louis in the Nov. 2 General Election.

The June 1 primary is an open primary. Any registered voter, no matter what party affiliation can vote in the primary, including Independents.

The Tegerdine campaign explained Tegerdine’s job status after Griffith charged that Tegerdine works for a Chinese company.

With 11 days left till the election, no pundits or bloggers are chancing a guess on who might win the GOP primary. Tegerdine said in Picayune at a fund-raiser on May 7 that he believes that with a solid year of campaigning behind him, and building a grass-roots organization, he feels he is strategically placed to win.

And as far as we could determine, no polls regarding the race have been conducted in the fourth district.

Palazzo, although he has raised about $125,000 and is preparing to run his first TV ad, jumped in right before the March 1 deadline and has been playing catch-up.

Tegerdine, who has raised a little over $60,000, says he has about 700 volunteers working in the counties that make up the fourth congressional district, which contains mostly the southern portion of Mississippi south of a line drawn through Hattiesburg.

The latest developments this week on a possible debate went like this:

Tegerdine in a campaign appearance at Picayune’s Paul’s Pastry on May 7 charged Palazzo had reneged on a promise to debate him on WLOX-TV. Griffith said that was not the case, that Palazzo was real busy and was not specifically refusing, that it was a scheduling problem.

WLOX’s Dave Elliot, who would host any debate, said that Palazzo had not outright “refused” the invitation but a May 13 deadline on the request had passed with no response from Palazzo.

Then this week Tegerdine’s Pearl River Co. campaign released a statement, charging that Palazzo has on four occasions “declined invites for candidate forums or debates on at least four confirmed occasions.” The release charged:

No. 1 — In Marion Co. Palazzo declined an invite from Josh Mitchell of the “Marion County Informer” to participate in a candidate forum.

No. 2 — In Wayne Co. Palazzo declined an invite from Norma Macky of the Wayne Co. Tea Party and Republican Party, to participate in a candidate forum.

No. 3 — In Jones Co. Palazzo declined an invite from Richard Conrad, Jones Co. 912 Group and Republican Party, to participate in a candidate forum.

And No. 4 — At WLOX Palazzo refused to confirm a time to appear jointly on Dave Elliot’s weekly program. During a previous interview with Elliot, Palazzo was asked if he would be willing to appear on Elliot’s show with Tegerdine. Palazzo stated, “If it will work into our schedule I would absolutely love that.” The Tegerdine supporters said that Palazzo’s comment is on video on You Tube.

Tegerdine’s Pearl River Co. supporters pointed out also that Tegerdine was willing to clear his calendar but Palazzo was not.

With 11 days left, there is a slight chance that a debate might come together, but don’t look for it. It will be a surprise if it does.

Concerning Tegerdine’s job status, Griffith last week in an interview with the “Item,” pointed out that Palazzo was “born and reared” in Mississippi, was a Gulf War veteran with the Marine Corp., and that Tegerdine was a lawyer and worked for a foreign corporation.

Tegerdine’s camp hit back, saying Tegerdine does not work for a foreign corporation. In a press release from his supporters, the Tegerdine camp said that Tegerdine is a senior director for business development for WNC Satcom Group, a company based in Hattiesburg.

They said the company is registered with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office to do business in Mississippi and is a Florida LLC. They pointed out that the company is owned by Ken Brown, who is a successful entrepreneur who was “born and raised in Mississippi.”

The release said that the company is one of many companies owned by Brown and has created jobs and pumped millions of dollars into the local South Mississippi economy.

Tegerdine pointed out that he has worked for a number of companies throughout the country and world. He said China is Mississippi’s No. 1 trade partner next to NAFTA countries and that Gov. Haley Barbour is working to grow trade relations with China. Tegerdine previously served as a missionary to China for his church.

The release said, “Tegerdine’s ability to speak Mandarin Chinese and experience dealing with Chinese companies is a valuable skill that will benefit South Mississippi as we work to build sustainable industry and jobs in our state.”