Donors with equine and casino interests bankroll the Bluegrass Freedom Fund. So what?

The Herald Leader has done an excellent job of following the money trail concerning the financing of the Bluegrass Freedom Fund, a 527, whose VERY effective ads were largely responsible for the demise of the Fletcher administration.

According to the H-L's story, a whopping 70 percent of BFF's contributions came from those interest groups, with one of them, Bill Yung, a Fort Mitchell-based casino and hotel owner, giving $1 million to the fund -- the biggest contribution.

Here is a list of those contributors:

HORSE AND CASINO INTERESTS

• $1 million from William Yung, president of Northern Kentucky-based development company Columbia Sussex, which owns several casinos and hotels, including the embattled Tropicana Hotel and Resort in Atlantic City and the Aztar in Evansville, Ind.

• $250,000 from Churchill Downs Inc., the Louisville racetrack's parent, that is looking for a casino.

• $250,000 from Phoenix Capital, a limited liability company formed in August by Keeneland, the Lexington thoroughbred track.

• $250,000 from EP Acquisitions in Louisville, which is owned by Ronald Geary, who bought Ellis Park in Henderson and also is interested in casinos.

• $125,000 from Turfway Park in Florence, which is co-owned by Keeneland and Harrah's.

• $60,000 from Lexington Trots Breeders Association, which owns The Red Mile harness racing track.

• $50,000 from Hideout of Lincoln County, LLC, of Palm Desert, Calif., owned by R.D. Hubbard, who has apparently recently dropped out of the Sprint Racing Partners seeking a quarter horse racetrack in London, Ky.

• $50,000 from Edward Allred, owner of Los Alamitos Race Course in California, who has also dropped out of Sprint.

• $50,000 from Will Farish of Versailles, who owns Lane's End Farm.

• $50,000 from Tracy Farmer, the Midway horse farm owner who staunchly backed Gov. Steve Beshear.

• $25,000 from Bruce Rimbo, president of Hubbard's Ruidoso Downs quarter horse track in New Mexico, and who is still part of Sprint Racing.

• $25,000 from Paul Blanchard, owner of the Downs of Albuquerque, who also has dropped out of Sprint.

• $10,000 from H. Greg Goodman, owner of Mount Brilliant Farm in Lexington.

• $10,000 from John Oxley, a horse breeder and owner from Tulsa, Okla.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY GROUPS

• $600,000 from the Democratic Governors Association in Washington, D.C.

UNIONS

• $200,000 from AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the national public employee union.

• $50,000 from SEIU PEA International, the Washington D.C.-based Service Employees International Union.

• $25,000 from the International Union of Operating Engineers in Washington, D.C.

• $15,000 from the Jefferson County Teachers Association in Louisville.

• $5,000 from the Carpenters' Legislative Improvement Committee in Washington, D.C.

• $5,000 from the Plumbers Pipe Fitters & M.E.S. Local 392 PAC in Cincinnati.

OTHER

• $20,000 from the American Association for Justice in Washington, D.C.

• $25,000 from the Kentucky Justice Association, Inc.

Total: $3,150,000

My question is: considering their "business interest" of building casinos in Kentucky, who do people expect these "gaming" folks to give money to -- Steve Beshear, who supports their interests, or Ernie Fletcher, who doesn't?

So, why is this news? Is this not the "American way"?