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Posted on 07/14/2003 8:07:10 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Chandler, Fletcher play the blame game BUSH, PATTON WILL BE DRAGGED INTO FRAY By Ryan Alessi HERALD-LEADER FRANKFORT BUREAU
The fall campaign for Kentucky governor is shaping up to be a battle of partisan bogeymen: George W. Bush versus Paul Patton.
Democratic Attorney General Ben Chandler, who entered July at a tremendous fund-raising disadvantage, says he's adopting a fall campaign strategy of trying to pin the "Bush economy" on his opponent, U.S. Rep. Ernie Fletcher, a Republican.
Meanwhile, Fletcher's side will try to use his connections to the Bush White House as an advantage and try to link Chandler to the embattled Patton administration.
The two offered a sneak preview of their strategies at the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation's candidate forum Thursday.
"We've got an economy that's not doing well," Chandler told the federation. "Quite frankly, we're not getting much help from Washington in moving our economy."
Fletcher lifted his gaze from his notes and gave Chandler a wry grin.
Later, Chandler brought it up again.
"We have what we refer to in some quarters as the Bush economy, and it's not going particularly well. This economy is one of the worst economies that we've had since the Great Depression," he said.
At his next turn to speak, Fletcher launched into the theme he has been hammering on since the primary.
"We've languished behind many surrounding states too long for one simple reason: that's the lack of a visionary, effective leadership and wanting to bring opportunity to Kentucky," he said, referring to Democrats.
In addition, state Republican Party Chairman Ellen Williams is looking for proof of a connection between Chandler and Patton. Last month she filed open records requests with Chandler's office looking for, among other things, correspondence between the two.
Thorns in his side
For Chandler, the race has become uncharted territory.
He hasn't been the underdog since his first statewide race for auditor in 1991. Never has an opponent raised more money than he has. And never has he faced such a nationally connected opponent.
Chandler also is running against the sour legacy of a fellow Democrat, Patton, who in the last year has revealed an extramarital affair and, amid controversy, pardoned four men accused of breaking campaign finance laws during Patton's 1995 campaign.
Mark Nickolas, Chandler's campaign manager, said Kentucky voters understand that Chandler has nothing to do with Patton.
"We are all in agreement when we say that Paul Patton has embarrassed the state, has hurt his party. And no one more than the attorney general has been a thorn in his side by indicting the very people that Patton just pardoned," he said.
Instead, Nickolas said, the "Bush-Fletcher" economy should turn people off more than Patton's missteps.
"When a voter goes to his mailbox and opens up his 401k statement and sees that it's worth a third of what it was two years ago, that's not Paul Patton, that's the Bush economy," he said. "And Ernie Fletcher has been there in lockstep with Congress and this administration in passing every one of the reckless, irresponsible policies that is continuing to decimate Kentucky's economy."
Nickolas said he expects that Bush and other Republicans from Washington will come to Kentucky to speak on Fletcher's behalf. And while he says he thinks Bush is popular as a leader, Kentuckians will disagree with Bush's economic policies.
Specifically, Chandler pointed to Fletcher's vote in favor of Bush's energy plan, which would create a national electricity grid that Chandler says could raise Kentucky's low electric rates. And he said Fletcher's support of tax cuts two years in a row have thrown the country further in debt.
"He is the Bush economy," Chandler said of Fletcher. "He has voted for every failed economic effort. They're losing jobs at a record clip."
If Bush's administration ended today, Nickolas added, he would be the first president since Herbert Hoover to end a term with a net loss of jobs in the nation.
Running the right race
Fletcher, however, says he stands behind his votes and Bush's economic policy, including the tax cuts passed last month.
He said even though the economy is still sputtering, last year's tax cuts helped.
"We were supposed to have negative growth in the last quarter of last year. Instead, we had 1.4 percent growth," Fletcher said. "I think part of that was attributed to the fact that we gave some tax relief to the American people, it increased consumer confidence to some extent.
"It's clearly going to take some time to turn this economy around, and I think these things we're doing are right," he said.
The effects of this latest round of tax cuts, Fletcher said, could be seen as soon as this fall.
Daniel Groves, Fletcher's campaign manager, said Chandler's tactics to link Fletcher and Bush to a stalled economy will fall short.
"We believe, and I think most Kentuckians believe, that President Bush has done a wonderful job in working on the economy," he said. "Nationalizing the election here I don't think is going to work. I don't think Ben understands he's running for governor, not for president."
Groves said it is easier to link Chandler to "the mess in Frankfort" because Chandler has received contributions from some of the same people who strongly supported Patton and previous Democratic governors.
Not letting up
As for fund-raising, early returns show Fletcher well ahead.
Fletcher has raised more than $918,000 while Chandler has collected about $117,000, according to campaign finance reports through June.
"I think this shows a tremendous amount of growing momentum across the state," Groves said. "But we're still not going to let up one bit."
In fact, as Chandler's campaign predicted, Fletcher plans to tap his White House connections to help raise more cash.
Already, Fletcher has held an event with Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, and Commerce Secretary Don Evans will appear at one today in Erlanger.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will attend a Fletcher fund-raiser with Louie Nunn, Kentucky's last Republican governor, at the end of the month, Groves said.
The campaign has invited President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and first lady Laura Bush to come as well.
On Chandler's side, Nickolas said the campaign has been concentrating more on building up grass-roots support than raising money.
He said Chandler has more opportunities to raise funds than Fletcher because Fletcher spends several days a week in Washington.
Chandler did raise $3 million to Fletcher's $2 million in the primary.
"We'll be just fine with money," Nickolas said. "The sad part is that some people are going to let money be the gauge of how the campaign is going."
Reach Ryan Alessi at (859) 231-1303; 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 1303; or ralessi@herald-leader.com.
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It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
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LOL!!!!!!
Bring it on Benny Boy!!
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