In Kentucky, Reporter Ronnie Ellis Says Governor Steve "Beshear [Is] Not Connecting [With Kentuckians]".

Read Ronnie Ellis below:

Beshear not connecting
By RONNIE ELLIS
CNHI News Service

FRANKFORT — Two years ago, when Kentucky Democrats wondered who would be their 2007 candidate for governor, political insider, lobbyist and party activist Terry McBrayer said, “The next governor will be someone with white hair or gray hair, who has the experience to understand how Frankfort works.”

McBrayer was at least half right. Steve Beshear has white hair.

After bungling a special Senate election, Beshear watched his top legislative priority, expanded gambling, fail. Its future prospects are questionable. He’s stuck with a miserly budget because of his misguided belief he could bluff legislators into raising taxes or passing gambling in order to avoid painful budget cuts. Instead, the Republican Senate gave him what he asked for.

While preaching bi-partisan cooperation, Beshear seemed to go out of his way to annoy Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, who responded in kind. Beshear contributed to divisions in the Democratic House. He seemed briefly to recover momentum with passage of the pension reform and plans to travel across the state, trying to connect with voters and look gubernatorial.

But now he seems intent on inserting himself into House leadership races and appears inadvertently to be strengthening Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green. His disdain for Richards is no secret, and, despite denials, he would prefer Rob Wilkey, D-Scottsville, or Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, as speaker. But Wilkey decided to retire and Stumbo has doubts he can topple Richards. (The best evidence for that is that Stumbo isn’t running, although he hinted Thursday he might change his mind.)

Early in the session there were rumors Beshear would offer House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, the post of secretary of a new energy cabinet. That would clear the path for Stumbo to get his old job back — and push Beshear’s agenda. But then Beshear’s staff informed reporters that Adkins wasn’t going to be offered a job. Len Peters got it instead.

But Stumbo may have reservations about challenging Richards and he probably didn't want to challenge Adkins, his friend and fellow eastern Kentuckian. So when Beshear approached Adkins about his interest in a job in Peters‚ cabinet, some Adkins supporters saw it as a way for Stumbo to rejoin leadership. But Adkins said Friday he believes Beshear's overture was sincere and he has no evidence it had anything to do with leadership races. Still, some rank and file House Democrats who may have been flirting with supporting a challenge to Richards see it as meddling by the governor and may have moved back into Richards' camp.

Democratic lawmakers in both chambers complain Beshear won’t return their calls or requests for attention to problems in their district. Democratic Sen. Ray Jones didn’t bother to show up at the town hall Beshear conducted in Jones’ district. Others say they’ve offered to help him improve his relationships with lawmakers — only to be treated dismissively. Some of Beshear’s staff said at the end of the regular session they couldn’t wait for lawmakers to leave town “so we can go back to governing.”

And there was the press release from the governor about a scheduled town hall meeting in Ashland, which would take place at Raceland-Worthington High School — in Greenup County. It’s not just media critics and Republicans questioning Beshear’s political ability. Democratic lawmakers are confused, too.

That isn’t what Terry McBrayer had in mind.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com.