Pol Watchers

More poll numbers coming at 6 p.m. and midnight

Kentucky.com will have a story on Gov. Steve Beshear's job-approval rating at 6 p.m. and a report on the Kentucky General Assembly's job performance at midnight.

- John Stamper

McConnell leads potential Democratic challengers by double digits

APPROVAL RATING REMAINS BELOW 50 PERCENT

Download full poll results on McConnell

Download full poll results on Democratic U.S. Senate primary

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

Bruce Lunsford holds a comfortable lead over Greg Fischer in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate that Kentucky voters will decide May 20, a new poll shows.

But both Democrats would lose to Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell by double digits if the November general election were held today, says the Herald-Leader/ WKYT Kentucky Poll.

Still, McConnell’s job-approval rating remains below 50 percent, signaling a rare potential weakness for the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate.

Lunsford, a Louisville businessman who ran unsuccessfully last year for governor, leads Fischer, also a Louisville businessman, 43 percent to 23 percent, with 5 percent undecided.

Five other Democrats in the race lag considerably.

Name recognition appears to be the major reason for Lunsford’s 20-point lead over Fischer, said Joe Gershtenson, director of Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for Kentucky History and Politics.

“Lunsford has been in two races for governor,” Gershtenson said. “This is Fischer’s first statewide race. It takes time to build up name recognition.”

The telephone survey of 500 likely Democratic voters found that 47 percent of respondents have no opinion of Fischer, compared with 35 percent for Lunsford. Lunsford outdrew Fischer among men, women, whites, blacks and various age groups.

Fischer came closest to Lunsford among respondents in the 45-to-59 age group — 39 percent for Lunsford and 25 percent for Fischer.

The poll was conducted May 7-9 by Research 2000 of Olney, Md., and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Senate debate focuses on party loyalty

The two chief rivals in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate lashed out at each other Monday night on the issue of party loyalty.

During a 90-minute debate televised on the Kentucky Educational Television network, Greg Fischer criticized Bruce Lunsford for supporting Republican Ernie Fletcher over Democrat Ben Chandler in Kentucky’s 2003 race for governor, won by Fletcher.

“My opponent, Bruce Lunsford, is running as if he doesn’t have a past,” said Fischer, who has been criticized by some prominent Democrats for running TV ads about Lunsford’s business practices and support of some GOP candidates.

Lunsford acknowledged his “mistake” in the 2003 race, saying that he thought at the time that the state “was not getting enough change.”

He said he has since apologized to “my friend” Chandler and Kentucky Democrats and signed a pact with Democratic candidates in last year’s gubernatorial race not to attack each other.

To emphasize his party loyalty, Lunsford said before he entered this year’s race he had given $120,000 to the campaigns of various Democratic candidates while Fischer had only contributed $4,000 to Democratic office-seekers.

Lunsford said that as a businessman he has given to Republican candidates over the last 10 years, but only about 10 to 15 percent of the that he’s contributed to Democrats.

“I’ve had to worry about companies. I’ve had to worry about employees. I’ve had to make decisions that were correct for them,” Lunsford said.

Fischer, who, like Lunsford is a wealthy Louisville businessman, said he found Lunsford’s criticism “disingenuous,” while acknowledging that he has given $800 to Republicans over his lifetime. He said he has given about about $25,000 to Democrats while Lunsford has contributed “to the Senate campaign committee of the guy he wants to run against now, Mitch McConnell.”

The winner in next Tuesday’s Democratic primary will face Republican McConnell of Louisville in the November general election. McConnell has only token opposition in Williamsburg truck driver Daniel Essek in next Tuesday’s GOP primary election.

The comments on party loyalty provided the biggest sparks of the KET debate which also featured five other Democratic candidates running limited campaigns. They are Prospect physician Michael Cassaro, perennial candidate David L. Williams of Glasgow, Amazon.com warehouse employee and convenience store worker James E. Rice of Campbellsville, Manchester attorney Kenneth Stepp and former U.S. Postal Service employee David Wylie of Harrodsburg.

Besides party loyalty, the debate touched on several other issues.

Concerning the withdrawal of American troops in Iraq, Lunsford said Iraqi officials should be told they “need to be weaned off” American military power.

He said he wanted to protect the dignity of American soldiers who have been killed in the war by withdrawing “with a diplomatic surge rather than a military surge.” He was reluctant
to set a specific timetable for withdrawal.

Fischer said it was time to bring American troops home now. He said he would send that message to Iraqi officials and let American military leaders work it out.

Rice said he would step up the training of Iraqi troops and use Iraqi oil money to offset America’s costs in the war. Stepp said he would vote to “defund” the war, and Williams said he would move troops out of Baghdad immediately. Wylie said he is adamantly opposed to the war, and Cassaro said he would vote for no additional funding for it.

On the issue of providing “a gas-tax holiday” as the price of gasoline escalates, only Lunsford said he would support it.

Cassaro said its savings would be minimal and “a long-term solution” like alternative fuels should be the answer. Fischer called the temporary suspension of the federal gas tax “a political gimmick.”

All the Democratic candidates said they would attack McConnell on the issues.

— Jack Brammer

Chandler gives McCain a nickname before Obama event

U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler of Versailles, the self-described "warm-up act" for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in Louisville, called for change and criticized the Republicans, including likely GOP nominee John McCain.

Chandler said: "You know the Republican Party is going to put up" what then sounded at first like "John insane, uh McCain. UPDATE: Chandler says his actual line was "John McSame" -- playing on his argument that McCain would be a continuation of the Bush administration. With the sound system and the acoustics in the convention center being what they were, that's entirely possible. The digital audio from the entire event is indecipherable and useless.

UPDATE: Jim Pence over at Hillbilly Report posted his video from the event, which had audio plugged directly into the sound system. It sounds like Chandler did say "McSame."

"The last thing we need is 12 years of the Bush administration," Chandler said.

Chandler, a Kentucky superdelegate who endorsed Obama recently, described Obama as the agent of change the country needs and received roars of approval from the sea of Obama supporters.

"Now is not the time to be timid," Chandler said. "It is instead a time to be bold; a time to be bold in our country; a time to embrace change; and a time to elect Barack Obama to lead us."

- Ryan Alessi 

Obama event in Louisville draws thousands

With a half-hour still to go before U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's rally begins, people are still streaming into the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. The line outside the convention center remained several blocks long.

Sheridan McKee and a contingent from Harrodsburg arrived outside the convention center at 4:15 p.m. and got in shortly after 5 p.m.

McKee said she's been an Obama supporter since January. Even though Obama is behind in the polls in Kentucky, McKee said she expects him to pick up steam as voters get to know him and his message of change.

"I thin it's going to change as it gets closer" to the election, she said.

- Ryan Alessi

Lunsford leads Fischer by 20 points

COMING UP: Find out how Lunsford and Fischer stack-up against McConnell at midnight.

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE POLL RESULTS

FRANKFORT — Bruce Lunsford holds a comfortable lead over Greg Fischer in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate that Kentucky voters will decide May 20, a new poll shows.

Lunsford, a Louisville businessman who ran unsuccessfully last year for governor, leads Fischer, also a Louisville businessman, 43 percent to 23 percent in the Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll.

Another 14 percent of likely Democratic voters were undecided or wanted to vote for a candidate who has withdrawn from the race.

Five other Democrats in the race running limited campaigns lag considerably. Prospect physician Michael Cassaro and perennial candidate David L. Williams of Glasgow each garnered 5 percent, while Amazon.com warehouse employee and convenience store worker James E. Rice of Campbellsville and Manchester attorney Kenneth Stepp each amassed 4 percent.  Former U.S. Postal Service employee David Wylie of Harrodsburg got 2 percent. Nine percent of the poll respondents favored others.

Name recognition appears to be the major reason for Lunsford’s 20-point lead over Fischer, said Joe Gershtenson, director of Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for Kentucky History and Politics.

“Lunsford has been in two races for governor,” Gershtenson said. “This is Fischer’s first statewide race.  It takes time to build up name recognition.”

The telephone survey of 500 likely Democratic voters found that 47 percent of respondents have no opinion of Fischer, compared to 35 percent for Lunsford.

Lunsford outdrew Fischer among men, women, whites, blacks and various age groups.  Fischer came closest to Lunsford among respondents in the 45-to-59 age group — 39 percent for Lunsford and 25 percent for Fischer.

The winner in the Democratic primary will take on Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell of Louisville, who faces token opposition in Williamsburg trucker Daniel Essek  in next Tuesday’s GOP primary election.

The poll was conducted by Research 2000 of Olney, Md., from May 7 to May 9 and has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

Pollster Del Ali, president of Research 2000, described Lunsford’s lead as “commanding,” but said there is still time for the race to tighten. He added that critical attacks by each campaign in its final days probably would offset each other.

Lunsford, who has been the target of Fischer TV ads regarding Lunsford’s past business practices and his 2003 support of Republican gubernatorial nominee Ernie Fletcher, held a 42 percent favorable rating to Fischer’s 37 percent.

Lunsford’s unfavorable rating was 23 percent, compared to Fischer’s 16 percent.

Those surveyed also believe Lunsford is more likely to “bring needed change to Washington and Kentucky.” They favored Lunsford 46 percent to Fischer’s 39 percent, with 15 percent not sure.

Lunsford led Fischer among both sexes, races and age groups. Lunsford got his lowest support on the change question among women, but edged out Fischer 43 percent to 41 percent.

- Jack Brammer

McConnell wants your advice (and your cash)

He’s an undisputed master political strategist. But Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., wants your advice on how to run his re-election campaign – and your cash to help pay for it.

Late last week, McConnell mailed out a “Kentucky Issues Survey” to people whom he identifies as “select” conservative voters.

“I need your help,” wrote McConnell, who has raised more than $12 million to win a fifth term in the U.S. Senate. “I am running for re-election against heavy opposition from the National Democrat Party and the entire left-wing establishment.”

McConnell warned that his political opponents could undermine the United States’ economy and national security by catering to Democrats, trial lawyers, labor unions, MoveOn.org and other "radical left" interest groups. Then he offered a quiz, including:

“Which issue, if any, do you believe I should focus on between now and Nov. 4?”

The choices: “Abortion, Economy, Education, Health Care, Immigration, Judges, Second Amendment, War on Terrorism, Other.”

“What do you think is the best way for my campaign to communicate with voters?”

The choices: “Direct mail, Internet, Door-to-door canvassing, Large public events, TV/radio ads, Other.”

And finally, "Can I count on you to return this SURVEY DOCUMENT along with your generous gift in the next seven days?”

The choices: “Yes Mitch! I am returning my completed SURVEY DOCUMENT along with the most generous gift I can afford in the amount of $1,000, $500, $250, $50, $25, other.”

Or, in much smaller type: “You have my complete support! However, I cannot give a contribution at this time, but I have enclosed $13 to cover the costs of tabulating the results of my survey.”

-- John Cheves

Obama's Lexington event cancelled

UPDATE 5:40 p.m.: U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign has canceled its planned stop in Lexington on Tuesday. Obama must return to Washington D.C. for an important vote in the Senate, said campaign spokesman Clark Stevens.

After attending a rally Monday night in Louisville, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama will hold an invitation-only "community event with nurses" at the University of Kentucky on Tuesday.

A news release from the campaign doesn't say what time the event will start, although it appears to be a morning gathering. It also doesn't say why he's meeting with nurses and who else in the "community" is invited.

Obama is expected to hold at least one other event in Kentucky Tuesday before leaving the Bluegrass State for Missouri.

UPDATE 3:40 p.m.: Obama's campaign has released an updated schedule for the remainder of the week that shows no further stops in Kentucky after Tuesday morning.

After leaving Kentucky, he'll be spending much of the week in Missouri and Michigan, two states that have already cast their ballots in the Democratic presidential primary, before heading west again for stops in South Dakota and Oregon.

Oregon votes May 20. South Dakota votes June 3.

- John Stamper

Economy is top election issue in Ky.

DOWNLOAD FULL POLL RESULTS

By Ryan Alessi
ralessi@herald-leader.com

It’s the economy, stupid. Again.

The same issue that became the focus of Bill Clinton’s upstart 1992 presidential campaign is overwhelmingly the top concern of Kentuckians in the 2008 race, according to a Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll.

And Kentuckians — a plurality of whom voted for Clinton in November 1992 — again say a Clinton is the best of the presidential hopefuls to handle U.S. economic problems.

Thirty-eight percent of 600 likely Kentucky voters surveyed chose Democratic U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as the most capable candidate on economic policies. Nearly half of Democrats surveyed picked her, compared with 28 percent for Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

“This is one of these areas where she is really benefiting from Bill Clinton being in the White House and the country enjoying very good economic times during his terms,” said Joe Gershtenson, director of the Center for History and Politics at Eastern Kentucky University.

Bill Clinton used the mantra, “It’s the economy, stupid,” to defeat President George H.W. Bush in 1992.

Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, meanwhile, was Kentuckians’ top choice of the three to manage the conflict in Iraq and ward off the threat of terrorism, according to the telephone poll, conducted May 7-9.

Research 2000, an Olney, Md.-based firm, conducted the survey, which has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

While Democrats, Republicans and independents all picked the economy as their top issue, they agreed on very little after that.

Clinton creaming Obama in Ky.

MCCAIN LEADS CLINTON AND OBAMA BY DOUBLE DIGITS

DOWNLOAD FULL PRESIDENTIAL POLL RESULTS

By Ryan Alessi
ralessi@herald-leader.com

U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton enters the final week before Kentucky's May 20 Democratic presidential primary with a commanding 27 percentage point lead over U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, a new poll shows.

She leads the Illinois senator 58 percent to 31 percent, with 11 percent uncommitted, according to a Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll of 500 probable Democratic voters.

But either Democratic candidate would trail the expected Republican nominee, John McCain, in the state by double digits if the November general election were held today, reveals a companion survey of 600 likely voters from all parties.

The results reinforce the expectation that Obama will lose Kentucky, even as he seems on the verge of securing the Democratic nomination.

Also, the numbers put into doubt whether Kentucky will be a battleground state in the fall. McCain leads Obama by 25 percentage points and Clinton by 12. This could bode well for McCain, since the state has backed the winning presidential candidate in every race since 1964.

"This is a tough state for a Democrat for president," said Del Ali, president of Research 2000, which conducted the surveys. "If Obama's sitting down with (his chief strategist) David Axelrod going over the electoral map in the fall, Kentucky isn't part of the equation. I think with Hillary it could have been."

The telephone survey of 500 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted between May 7 and May 9 and has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points. The poll of 600 likely general election voters has a 4-point error margin.

Obama's campaign has long downplayed expectations in the Bluegrass State, as well as in neighboring West Virginia, where Democrats go to the polls Tuesday.

"€œSen. Obama is certainly the underdog in Kentucky," said Obama campaign spokesman Clark Stevens. "President Clinton and Sen. Clinton have been campaigning here for two decades. And people in Kentucky are just now getting to know Sen. Obama."

Stevens said Obama'€™s goal in these states is to personally deliver his message of change and to introduce himself to Kentuckians, which he will do at a Louisville rally Monday and at yet-to-be-announced stops Tuesday.

Ali said Obama could chip into Clinton's sizable lead, especially if some Democrats are persuaded by his leads among superdelegates as well as the popular vote, the number of states won and among total delegates needed to win the nomination.

"€œI actually think this polling shows an improvement for Obama,"€ Ali said. "If we had polled prior to the (May 6) primary in Indiana and North Carolina, my guess is that Hillary would have been over 60 percent."

Lt. Gov. Mongiardo endorses Obama

Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo is backing U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in Kentucky's May 20 Democratic primary, the Obama campaign announced.

Here's Mongiardo's statement:

"I am happy to announce my endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President. I believe Senator Obama can unite the Democratic Party and build a coalition of independents and Republicans to win in November. A proven leader at working across the partisan aisle, he will bring relief to the hardworking families of Kentucky and a responsible end to the war in Iraq. As a surgeon I am particularly impressed with Senator Obama's plan to deliver health care to all Americans, with an imperative focus on cutting medical costs for all families. It's time for real change in Washington, and Sen. Obama is the candidate to deliver that change."

Mongiardo ran with Gov. Steve Beshear in the 2007 election. Beshear will serve as a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention in August but hasn't announced which Democratic presidential candidate he will support.

Although he's not a superdelegate, Mongiardo, a former state senator from Hazard, is the second key adviser to Beshear to back Obama. Beshear's chief of staff, Jim Cauley, ran Obama's successful 2004 run for U.S. Senate in Illinois.

- Ryan Alessi

Chelsea has Mom's Day ad, Obama backers make signs

Chelsea Clinton narrates a Mother's Day ad running Sunday in Kentucky for her mom's presidential campaign.

"Yes, she’s running for President, but she’s always done a lot of running," Chelsea Clinton says of her mother, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "She’d run straight home from work to ensure we had dinner together every night. She’d run from one softball game to one soccer game to every ballet recital."

The 60-second commercial shows old pictures of Hillary and Chelsea Clinton from their days in Arkansas, the White House and the campaign trail.

"I want to wish every mother out there a happy mothers day and remember your little girls can be anything they want to be in America when they grow up – even if it’s to be the second woman President," Chelsea said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign began gearing up for his appearance at a rally Monday evening in Louisville at the Kentucky International Convention Center.

The campaign is holding sign-making parties at both the Louisville and Lexington headquarters for posters to be used at the rally. The Lexington sign-making began at 1 p.m. at the headquarters on 125 E. Reynolds Road, suite 115, while the Louisville event starts at 3 p.m. at it's headquarters at 900 E. Market Street.

- Ryan Alessi

Obama's race is the 'elephant' in the voter booth

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE RESULTS

COMING AT 11 P.M.: Find out who leads in Kentucky's Democratic presidential primary

By Linda B. Blackford
lblackford@herald-leader.com

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s race and inflammatory racial remarks made by his former preacher negatively affect how likely voters view the candidate, according to a new Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll.

More than one in five likely Democratic voters surveyed said being black hurts Obama’s chances of winning an election in Kentucky, compared to 4 percent who said Obama’s race helps him.

Although more than half of respondents said his race isn’t a factor in the election, many of those surveyed also said racially charged remarks by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright will play an important role as they decide whom to support in the May 20 primary.

Wright’s remarks are important or very important to 43 percent of those polled. Among white voters, his statements were important to 46 percent, compared to only 11 percent of black voters.

“Race is still the elephant in the room, and the Rev. Wright issue hits at remaining racial prejudices and fears that people here might have,” said Saundra Ardrey, head of the political science department at Western Kentucky University.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s gender is not a major factor for those surveyed. Eleven percent saw Clinton’s gender as a positive, which was only slightly less than the 14 percent who viewed it as a negative. Clinton’s gender didn’t matter to 63 percent of those polled.

The telephone survey of 500 likely Democratic voters was conducted from May 7 through May 9 by Research 2000 of Olney, Md. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Some of the statements made by Wright over many years at his Chicago church included questions about the government’s complicity in the AIDS epidemic, praise for black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan and criticism over America’s foreign policy.

At first, Obama said he would not disavow Wright; after more public statements in which Wright repeated some of his former opinions, Obama denounced him.

Kentucky’s population is only 8 percent African-American, and many of the state’s voters are older and more traditional. No black candidate has ever been elected to statewide office.

“I’ll be very blunt,” said pollster Del Ali, president of Research 2000. “Even if there wasn’t a Rev. Wright controversy, I think Obama would have a tough time in Kentucky, for obvious reasons.”

Obama's new Kentucky ad focuses on coal

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama launched a new TV ad this weekend featuring an Illinois miner praising the the him for work on coal issues.

"Washington, D.C., is not listening to us," said Randy Henry, who is identified as a miner for 31 years. "Barack understands it."

The ad is running in the Lexington and Bowling Green television markets, Obama's campaign confirmed.

The commercial lists Obama's key accomplishment as supporting $200 million for clean coal technology. An announcer says Obama "helped lead the fight for clean coal to protect our environment and save good-paying American jobs." Click here to view the ad .

The Republican National Committee, however, slammed Obama's energy policy proposals, which the GOP group said would restrict job growth in the coal industry.

"Barack Obama is telling Kentucky voters he 'understands' coal, but fails to mention that he has proposed taxing coal, voted against coal-to-liquid legislation, and that his own energy policy would restrict the growth of Kentucky's coal industry. If he can't 'understand' why that is bad for Kentucky's economy, then he doesn't 'understand' how to lead," said  Katie Wright, RNC spokeswoman in a statement.

Obama's campaign fired back, saying that Obama's record does, indeed, reflect his commitment to the future of coal.

"With Americans desperate for an end to the disastrous policies of George W Bush and John McCain, it is no wonder that the Republican Party is trying to distract voters with misleading statements," the statement said.

Obama has been a proponent of coal-to-liquid legislation and even co-sponsored a bill with Kentucky Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning in 2007. "I am a strong believer in the free market, and I relied on my long experience in economics when I wrote the coal-to-liquid legislation that I introduced with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill," wrote Bunning in a June 11, 2007 column in the Herald-Leader. "My bill would provide incentives for the first commercial demonstrations of coal-to-liquid technology."

Obama has advocated treading slowly when it comes to expanding the use of coal to generate electricity.

For instance, in a town-hall meeting this January in Nevada, Obama said he wants to invest more federal money into coal technology research to develop ways to sequester carbon dioxide emissions -- a key greenhouse gas -- from power plants.

"If we can figure out a way to produce coal generated power cleanly, then we should be for it," Obama said. "But I am not going to license or encourage coal that’s dirty. The technology is going to have to prove itself, and right now we’re not quite there yet."

- Ryan Alessi

Obama to campaign in Kentucky Monday and Tuesday

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois is making good on his pledge to stump personally in Kentucky by holding a rally Monday night in Louisville. He also is planning on campaigning in the Bluegrass state on Tuesday, but no details have been released yet about where or when.

Obama will hold a public rally Monday at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville -- the same venue where his primary rival, U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, spoke Friday night at a Kentucky Democratic Party fund-raiser.

Doors to the event will open at 5 p.m. and the program is slated to begin at 7 p.m., according to the Obama campaign's news release. While the event is free and open to the public, the campaign suggests RSVPs through Obama's Web site, www.barackobama.com. (The campaign also is asking no bags or signs be brought).

- Ryan Alessi

Fischer launches second attack ad

Greg Fischer's campaign for the U.S. Senate rolled out a new TV ad Friday, criticizing Bruce Lunsford, his chief rival in the May 20 Democratic primary election, for endorsing Republican Ernie Fletcher in the 2003 race for governor.

Lunsford got in trouble with die-hard Democrats when he supported Fletcher over Democrat Ben Chandler.  Fletcher won the 2003 election.

Lunsford stood with Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell when he endorsed Fletcher. McConnell is seeking re-election and has token opposition in this month's GOP primary.

Earlier Friday, Allison Haley, Lunsford's press secretary, criticized Fischer's advertising in a letter to "interested parties."

"Although Bruce Lunsford continues to maintain a sizeable leader over Greg Fischer in all polling, there is no reason why we should continue to be subjected to false personal attacks that tarnish his reputation.

"If Greg Fischer can't sell himself to the public on the merits of his candidacy, he should not resort to desperate campaign tactics."

Haley added:  "Democrats are tired of Mr. Fischer’s McConnell-style campaigning and are urging our campaign to treat Mr. Fischer like he is Mitch McConnell."

Lunsford has said he hopes Democrats have forgiven him for endorsing Fletcher and noted that many Democrats across the state erred by voting for Fletcher in 2003.

He said he has shown that he is a good Democrat with his support of Democrat Steve Beshear over Fletcher in the 2007 gubernatorial race.

Labor union activists who ardently opposed Lunsford's candidacy last year for governor are backing him this year.

Fischer's first ad attacking Lunsford dealt with Lunsford's business practices.

After it, several prominent Democrats urged Fischer to refrain from negative advertising but he said he would speak out on Lunsford's record.

--Jack Brammer

Coming Sunday

Beshear does not reappoint Williams' cousin

Gov. Steve Beshear has not reappointed a cousin of Senate President David Williams as an administrative law judge though Tom Davis of Tompkinsville was selected by a nominating committee for another four-year term.

Williams, R-Burkesville, said the appointment is the Democratic governor's prerogative, "but every occasion he gets to stick his finger in my eye, he does."

Dick Brown, Beshear's director of communications, said, "The fact that Mr. Davis has any relationship with Sen. Williams played no role in the decision. The nominees for these positions face the same objective process as those for any other board, commission or appointment made by the administration."

Williams disputed Brown's comments.

"The place over there leaks like a sieve and it was the factor," the senator said. "I'm not complaining, whining about this, but every time the governor does something like this, he looks a bit smaller."

Earlier this year, Beshear nixed a road project championed by Williams. Beshear's Transportation Cabinet canceled an $11.9 million change order that expanded a $53.2 million project to widen and straighten Ky. 90 and Ky. 61 in Cumberland County.

The change order was approved at the recommendation of Williams for his district in the final days of former Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher's administration. The Beshear administration said the project was canceled because of its cost and "bad use" of the change-order process. Change orders are meant to reimburse contractors for unforeseen expenses, not expand the scope of projects, it said.

Beshear also redirected $15 million in developments at Dale Hollow State Park, which is in the heart of Williams' district, to the state Horse Park in Lexington to prepare for the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

Williams said Friday that he played no role four years ago when Fletcher appointed Davis to be an administrative law judge. Such judges, appointed by the governor with consent of the Senate, deal with workers' compensation claims and receive about $130,000 a year.

Davis, 59, said he learned Thursday that Beshear had not reappointed him. He is to leave the job July 15.

"I guess it's political," said Davis, a former district judge in Adair, Casey, Cumberland and Monroe counties.

Asked if his kinship to Sen. Williams played a role in his losing his job, Davis laughed and said, "I think that was a factor."

Davis, whose office is in Bowling Green, said he expects he will practice law in Tompkinsville.

--Jack Brammer

Williams writes Beshear about his concerns of veto of state road plan

FRANKFORT — Senate President David Williams sent a letter Friday to Gov. Steve Beshear, questioning Beshear’s veto of a bill last month containing the state highway plan for the next two years.

Williams, R-Burkesville, repeated that he thinks the veto is invalid.  The senator contends that time had expired for a gubernatorial veto.

Williams also said in his letter to Beshear that he is “deeply concerned about the intent expressed in your veto message to spend money for road construction without budgetary approval of the General Assembly.”

A recent Supreme Court ruling, Williams said, “makes it clear that the executive branch cannot spend money without legislative approval.”

Even if the veto was upheld, Williams said, the budget bill “clearly establishes a 2008-2010 biennial road construction plan.”

The governor can only spend highway funds, both state and federal, on projects in the budget bill, he said.

“The General Assembly enacted that provision, you signed the bill, and it is now the law.  It is your constitutional duty to follow the law.  Although certain flexibility is allowed by statute, you cannot make up the law as you go,” Williams said.

He added that he respects the power and authority of the governor’s office.

“I hope you recognize my obligation to protect the legislature's exclusive constitutional authority to appropriate funds and authorize spending on road projects.” Williams said.  “ I respectfully request that you respond in writing with the legal reasoning or authority you claim in order to accomplish the expressed intent to ignore the law regarding spending on road projects.

 
“Hopefully, we can work together to resolve this within the law and without unnecessary legal expense.”

UPDATED AT 6:26 p.m.: Dick Brown, Beshear’s director of communications, said, “The governor is very confident that his veto of House Bill 79 is effective and that he is proceeding constitutionally to implement an effective highway plan for the Commonwealth.”

Beshear said after he issued his veto that he has directed Transportation Secretary Joe Prather to come up with a substitute highway plan that combines  projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars he originally recommended with projects the Senate and House added. His revised highway plan is expected before July 1.

--Jack Brammer

Strategy for undeclared superdelegates: leave town

While U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are both expected to spend time in Kentucky next week in preparation for the May 20 primary, one key state Democrat won't be around to see it.

Undeclared superdelegate and Democratic governor Steve Beshear and his wife Jane are scheduled to be away next week, according to the governor's office.

"There are no public events scheduled during this period of time. Governor and Mrs. Beshear will be enjoying a family vacation," said the governor's schedule notice for May 10-18, which was e-mailed to reporters Friday.

The Beshears will be in Florida for some R and R, said spokesman Dick Brown.

Beshear and Democratic Party Chairman Jennifer Moore and Vice Chairman Nathan Smith are the three Kentucky Democratic superdelegates who haven't picked between Obama and Clinton yet. All three have received numerous calls from representatives of both campaigns urging them to take the plunge. And all three have said they plan to wait until after the May 20 primary to make their decisions.

- Ryan Alessi