Baesler questions Farmer's credibility at KET forum

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Richie Farmer's celebrity as a former University of Kentucky basketball player, and whether he is relying on it to be elected commissioner of agriculture, arose as an issue Monday night in a televised forum with his opponent, Alice Baesler.

"This election is not a basketball game," said Baesler, who has a Kentucky basketball connection of her own - husband Scotty was a captain of the Wildcats - but also years of experience running a cattle and tobacco farm in Fayette County.

"We need to take it off the basketball court and into the plowed field," Baesler told a Kentucky Educational Television audience.

Farmer, a Republican from Manchester, is in the financial services business but graduated from UK's College of Agriculture. He said he would "surround myself with quality people" in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

Farmer also objected to any implication that he has no ideas of his own. "I have a positive agenda for agriculture," including plans to promote aquaculture and develop an array of farm markets, Farmer said.

Baesler, a Democrat who worked in the Department of Agriculture before becoming a candidate, said agriculture is a business that touches everyone in the state. The forum with Farmer and Baesler was the first of two Monday night on KET. It was followed by 30 minutes with the candidates for secretary of state - Republican Trey Grayson and Democrat Russ Maple.

Grayson charged that Maple used his former office as a Jefferson County commissioner as leverage for raising campaign money from developers. Maple said the charge was false.

The two agreed on most matters involving the workings of the secretary of state, who by law is Kentucky's top election official. Both pledged to try to increase voter registration and turnout and to reduce voter fraud. Both endorsed the idea of experimental internet voting by people in the military.

"Grayson charged that Maple used his former office as a Jefferson County commissioner as leverage for raising campaign money from developers. Maple said the charge was false."

Oh, but the charge is not false, as anyone can verify through simple research. Maple became the target of an FBI inquiry for his unethical conduct.

While a remote possibility a 'Florida' situation could happen again, and even more remote that it would be in Kentucky, it is still a possibility. We cannot afford to have someone in that office that does not have the integrity to do the job. Grayson will need the funds to get his message and name out there in this race, which is not very well publicized, especially in relation to the governor's race (and even our governor's race is being overshadowed by the California situation). I encourage everyone to help spread the word about this and, if it is at all possible, make a contribution. Grayson is not just a good candidate, but he is also a good conservative, and young rising star in the party. He would be a great investment in the future of the GOP when the old guard of Senator Jim Bunning and others must step aside.

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