Posted on 12/03/2002 8:45:10 AM PST by CreekerFreeper
FRANKFORT - U.S. Rep. Ernie Fletcher of Lexington officially launched his campaign for governor yesterday and tapped Hunter Bates, an aide to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, to be his running mate in next year's Republican primary election.
The move signaled a potentially heated Republican primary next spring, and disappointed state Rep. Steve Nunn, a Glasgow Republican who also plans to run for governor.
Nunn said McConnell had told him he would remain neutral in the GOP primary, but Fletcher's selection of Bates "gives the appearance that McConnell is right in the middle of all this, and it's contrary to what he has said at least twice to me."
McConnell issued a brief statement but did not mention what role, if any, he had in the selection.
"Hunter Bates is the leader of the next generation of Kentucky Republicans. I commend Congressman Fletcher on his choice," the statement said.
Fletcher insisted yesterday at a news conference in the state Capitol that Bates' selection was his decision, not McConnell's. He said he had appointed an informal committee to come up with prospective running mates and that Bates' name was among four or five finalists. Fletcher declined to name members of the selection committee or other finalists on his list.
Fletcher said he chose Bates, 35, because of his knowledge of government and his intellect. He had been touted by McConnell shortly after the Nov. 5 election as a candidate for the 4th Congressional District in Northern Kentucky in 2004.
Fletcher and Bates also traveled to Northern Kentucky and Campbellsville University yesterday to announce their team. They are to be in Owensboro, Paducah, Bowling Green and Somerset today, with a rally ending the day in Williamsburg.
Fletcher said he and Bates will tell Kentuckians that it's time for a change after 31 years of Democratic control of the governor's office. Louie Nunn, father of Steve Nunn, was Kentucky's last Republican governor.
Steve Nunn said he might announce his running mate next week. He said he is considering four prospects. He identified three of them -- state Reps. Bob Heleringer of Louisville, Lonnie Napier of Lancaster and Jon Draud of Crestview Hills.
Jefferson County Judge-Executive Rebecca Jackson, who also has formed an exploratory committee for governor in the GOP primary, had little to say about Fletcher, Bates and McConnell. "I'm running for governor, and only the senator knows what he is going to do," she said.
Other Republicans considering running for governor are state Sen. Virgil Moore of Leitchfield, former Pulaski County school Superintendent Bert Minton, actor and director Sonny Landham, and retired Army four-star general John G. Coburn.
This is absurd and sickening...
Tell us how you REALLY feel.
Seriously, the objective is to win the Governorship. The selection of Hunter Bates as running mate for Dr. Fletcher appears to be a good move. Mr. Bates will appeal to the younger voters. Plus Hunter Bates is apparently a bright guy, has demonstrated his willingness to work hard and is from a small Kentucky town.
Mt guess is we'll get down to a race between Fletcher/Bates on the Republican side verses Ben Chandler (D) plus his running mate. This promises to be quite a battle IMO.
I'm not walking in lock-step with the McConnell Youth Movement. It's borderline fascism, the way they buy in to the cult of personality--which is ironic considering McConnell is milquetoast.
The rank and file conservatives need to voice their disapproval at McConnell's meddling.
Give the public a choice between a liberal RINO and a liberal Dem, they will choose the real socialists, that being the Democrats.
Attorney General Ben Chandler and Louisville businessman Charlie Owen, who figured to be rivals in the Democratic primary for governor, instead became running mates Tuesday.
Chandler leads the slate as the candidate for governor. Owen is running for lieutenant governor. They are the first to officially enter the Democratic primary, and they began the campaign at a rousing rally in Versailles, Chandler's hometown, Tuesday night.
Owen, a multimillionaire who was perceived by many as being able to self-finance a campaign, said he agreed to accept a lower spot on a slate with Chandler in order to unite a significant segment of the Democratic Party. Asked whether he was committed to spending a full, four-year term as lieutenant governor or if he might run for U.S. Senate in 2004, Owen said talk of a possible Senate campaign was "really raw speculation. ... I am totally concentrated on the office of lieutenant governor."
In the speech launching his campaign, Chandler made no specific promises and worked his way carefully around some sticky issues, such as the sudden possibility of an unbalanced state budget as revenues decline. "I will not rely on higher taxes to address Kentucky's needs," Chandler told his audience. When asked by reporters if he was making the pledge against higher taxes, Chandler said only that he was "not interested in raising any taxes, and we'll just leave it at that." "We'll talk about specifics of a lot of things as the campaign gets going," he said.
Chandler, 43, is the grandson and namesake of Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, who was elected governor in 1935 and 1955. In between, the elder Chandler was a U.S. senator and commissioner of baseball. Ben Chandler has himself won three statewide elections, beginning with a campaign for state auditor in 1991. He is nearing the end of his second term as attorney general and cannot run for a third.
House Speaker Jody Richards of Bowling Green is scheduled to enter the primary on Thursday. A third candidate, Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, is expected to file in about two weeks. On Monday, U.S. Rep. Ernie Fletcher of Lexington became the first Republican to officially enter the race. His running mate is Hunter Bates, who was chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and also managed McConnell's recent re-election campaign.
Fletcher might not be my first choice, but you nor I can come up with anything that would make him bad for KY. Without demonstrated negatives, not personal dislike, I will back him. He is head and shoulders above the contemptous, corrupted crap the Dims will front so stifle your Goreish, Daschell inspired whining Democrat rant.
Given the Patton mess and the Dems not pressuring him to resign, I'm not so sure Fletcher/Bates can't win over Ben Chandler. Chandler is a personally attractive candidate with "the name" but everyone knows it will be old-line Democrat politics as usual from the Governor's office if Chandler wins. I believe Kentucky is ready for a Republican Governor.
Maybe they'll get some of those Red Chinese corporations McConnell got all that money from (John Huang, etc.) and save us from ourselves.
This is one conservative who'll just as soon pass on that offer.
McConnell sucks and so does Fletcher and Master Bates.
You need to meet Sen Virgil Moore if you are a constitutionalist at heart.
If just any Republican with a (R) behind his name will do; then, the Weasel's hand-picked candidate, Fletcher should suffice I guess.
But, most all of what C F says is true.
You met Don Bell one afternoon in 2000. He will agree. So will Pocat.
A man that appears totally clueless or worse, contemptable toward liberty.
A man that is a proven taxer and big spender. That is no less a Stepford son to the Weasel.
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Check this out..
On June 5, 2002 Congressman Ernie Fletcher voted YES on S.1372 (Roll Call 210). This legislation provides $100 Billion in international trade assistance. In recent years, this bank has been used to build up Communist China at the expense of American jobs. As the New York Times on September 1st reported:" Export-Import policies in recent years have had the perverse effect of sending American jobs, rather than goods and services, overseas...."
On June 27th, by a vote of 215 to 214 (Roll Call 279), Mr. Fletcher was the deciding vote to pass S. 2578, which increased the public debt limit by $450 Billion for a new ceiling of $6.4 Trillion on the National Debt. Instead of raising the legal limit on what the federal government may borrow, Congress should cut spending.
Congressman Fletcher voted YES on H.R. 5093 on July 17th (Roll Call 318). This is a bill that awards $126 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and also gives $131 million to the National Endowment for the Humanities.
On July 26th (Roll Call 367), Ernie Fletcher voted YES on H.R. 5005 (Homeland Security). This legislation is a GIANT step toward integrating federal, state, and local law enforcement under federal supervision which is an indication of a coming Police State. The Bush Administration's "National Strategy for Homeland Security" states: "The homeland security community will view the federal, state, and local governments as one entity..."
On July 27th Mr. Fletcher voted YES on H.R. 3009 (Roll Call 370). This legislation that was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 215 to 212 is known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA); it is unconstitutional and it will cost many Americans their jobs. President Bush has made it clear that he intends to use TPA to complete negotiations on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by early 2005. The FTAA could be modeled after the EU, but it is designed to evolve toward a full-blown regional government at a greatly accelerated pace.
And Congressman Fletcher voted YES on the War Authorization Against Iraq. (H.J. Resolution 114 passed on October 10th (Roll Call 455). The main thrust of this joint resolution is that the President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States to "strictly enforce through the United Nations Security Council all relevant Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq." That is, the purpose of the resolution is to enforce United Nations Security Council dictates.
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