Come heavy, or don’t come at all.

Fleming, a GOP congressional candidate, isn’t pulling any punches when he attacks Rep. Paul Broun, R-Athens, on his record and leadership style.

Thursday, Fleming sent out a press release slamming Broun for dropping a bill making English the official language, and for voting against an amendment barring illegal immigrants from public housing.

Fleming argued that English should be the official language, but that Broun should work with congressional leaders and support existing legislation to make it happen, in keeping with his message that he is a responsible lawmaker while Broun is a loose cannon and publicity hound.

I hadn’t heard these rumors until last weekend, but state Rep. Barry Fleming felt the need to knock them down.

“Apparently due to some problems of my extended family members a rumor was begun that I was withdrawing my name from the race for congress. I have no intention of withdrawing from the race,” he said in a statement Friday night. “Today, I will finish my current business with the legislative session in Atlanta and then will continue my campaign for (C)ongress.”

I asked around and here’s what I heard:

In one version, it’s not clear how the rumor got started, but supposedly reporters starting calling each other trying to confirm it until finally an Augusta talk radio host broadcast it over the air. It seems highly unlikely that no reporter would, you know, call the campaign or anything.