Lunsford's political career hasn't come easy
By Sarah Vos
SVOS@HERALD-LEADER.COM
Bruce Lunsford has lived the quintessential
American dream. As a child, he went five years without indoor plumbing
and set tobacco in his family's fields.
He worked his way through college and law school and found success in the business world. He's now a multimillionaire, with enough cash flow to dabble in Hollywood flicks, Thoroughbreds and politics.
It's the last that has proven most elusive for Lunsford, who has evolved from an outsider politician to establishment choice.
He
has spent almost $14 million of his own money trying to capture
Kentucky's governorship but never garnered more than 21 percent of
Democratic primary votes.
In 2003, he pitched himself as an outsider, running television ads that portrayed Frankfort legislators as monkeys. He pulled out just before the primary, and then endorsed Republican Ernie Fletcher in the general election.
Lunsford spent much of the 2007 race trying to atone for that endorsement.
Now he's running for U.S. Senate, and, this time, he's the establishment choice, recruited by Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and, Lunsford says, "very important people" in the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has all but endorsed him. Unions who fought him before have lined up behind him.
The reason they give is simple: Lunsford has name recognition and enough money to fund a credible race against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
"We took a pragmatic view of the situation," said Bill Londrigan, president of the Kentucky AFL-CIO.
Lunsford, 60, says he'll make a good senator for the same reasons that he's been a good business executive: He hires the right people, and he's persuasive.
But the argument has its dangers. It's also the venue where Lunsford has faced the most criticism.
If Mitch keeps up his obstructionism, he'll be easy to beat.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/mcconnell_spikes_fec_compromis.php
Posted by: Roger | May 08, 2008 at 02:44 PM
he sure is getting enough free coverage!! but that wont make me vote for him
Posted by: kilowat | May 08, 2008 at 04:46 PM