Free Republic

<p>By MARK PITSCH mpitsch@courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal 2004 Kentucky General Assembly Gov. Ernie Fletcher will negotiate with lawmakers on his plan to cut education spending — a plan that touched off an intense debate on the Senate floor yesterday.</p> <p>For about an hour, Democrats challenged the cuts to public school programs and higher education contained in an order that Fletcher signed Monday, as well as further higher-education cuts outlined at a private meeting with university presidents on Wednesday. Senate Republicans defended Fletcher.</p>

<p>LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Bruce Lunsford, a millionaire businessman who sank $8 million of his fortune into a bid for governor, abruptly dropped out of the Democratic primary Friday, four days before the election.</p> <p>Lunsford cited a devastating set of campaign commercials unveiled Thursday by his chief Democratic rival, state Attorney General Ben Chandler, that talked about abuse of patients in the nursing homes Lunsford's company operated.</p>

FRANKFORT, Ky. - With eight Democrats and Republicans running for Kentucky governor, you'd think they would be bashing each other heading into next month's primaries. Instead, they have ganged up on Gov. Paul Patton, the term-limited Democrat who dropped a plan to run for Senate after admitting he cheated on his wife in an affair that has led to state and federal investigations into whether he misused his office to help or retaliate against his lover. Democrats are distancing themselves from Patton and Republicans are hoping they can win the governorship for the first time in 36 years, though the...