Pol Watchers

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

Trail ahead: Hillary, a congresswoman and more Chelsea

Both Democratic presidential campaigns will launch massive volunteer canvassing efforts this weekend, which will be run out of each of their regional offices. For more information on each campaign's in-state operations see U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's Kentucky Web site and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's Kentucky Web page.

Meanwhile, Obama's campaign has said Obama will be here next week to stump and he's sending Texas U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson to Lexington Sunday for a volunteer kick-off event.

Clinton will be in Louisville Friday night for the state Democratic Party's fund-raiser. And her daughter, Chelsea Clinton, will be back in Kentucky Monday, said Jerry Lundergan, the former state Democratic Party Chairman and member of Clinton's national finance team who has served as Clinton's point-person in Kentucky.

Here's what's ahead:

CLINTON CAMPAIGN

MONDAY: Chelsea Clinton will campaign in Eastern and Central Kentucky, Lundergan said. Then she will join Betsy Ebeling, Hillary Clinton's lifelong friend, for an event called a "Hillary I  know"
party at the Carrick House, which is owned by the Lundergans, and is at 312 N. Limestone in Lexington. The event is slated to start at 6:30 p.m.

OBAMA CAMPAIGN

SUNDAY: Congresswoman Johnson, who represents the 30th District in Texas, will
kickoff neighborhood canvassing in Lexington at Obama's campaign office, 125 E. Reynolds Road, Suite 115 at 2:30 p.m. Before that, she is scheduled to visit the Wesley United Methodist Church and Historic Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church in Lexington.

- Ryan Alessi

Haire airs second ad in 2nd District Democratic race

Daviess County Judge-Executive Reid Haire launched ad #2 of his campaign against state Sen. David Boswell in the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary.

The ad, which focuses on Haire explaining what he says "it means to be a Democrat," also can be seen on Haire's Web site.

Haire's message -- which is essentially a packaged version of his closing argument in Monday's televised KET debate against Boswell -- is that being a Democrat "means you love God and you love your country."

The 30-second commercial shows Haire telling his philosophy to a group of people in what looks like a living room or a doctor's office waiting room.

View it here:

- Ryan Alessi

Obama coming to Ky. soon

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign issued a vague news release Friday morning that says he will make his third visit to Kentucky "early next week."

No other details of the visit were released. Obama has previously visited Louisville and Lexington, but both of those visits came last year.

"We're ecstatic that Senator Obama will be returning to our great state of Kentucky," said Carolyn Tandy, state director of Obama's Kentucky campaign. "Senator Obama has spent his life fighting for working families, and we're happy that voters will be able to hear first hand his plan to bring America together to deliver real change in Washington."

The announcement comes after Clinton agreed to attend a state Democratic Party fund-raiser in Louisville Friday night. Obama declined an invitation to the event and will instead campaign in Oregon.

Click here to read a full story on Clinton's planned visit from Friday's Herald-Leader.

- John Stamper