Lexington Herald LeaderEditorial Finds "Barr Best In GOP 6Th District Race". We Won't Quibble With That!
Barr best in GOP 6th District race
Experience in government an asset
Six Central Kentucky Republicans want to take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler in November. But just two of them have demonstrated the ability to generate the wherewithal to be competitive in such a race.
And one of those, retired coal executive Mike Templeman, did so mainly by putting up his own money.
That pushes Lexington lawyer Garland H. "Andy" Barr IV to the forefront of a primary race in which there are few differences in the conservative positions the candidates take on such issues as reducing the size of government and imposing greater fiscal restraint on it, repealing the recently passed health care reforms, opposing the "cap and trade" approach to reducing greenhouse gases and protecting individual liberties and the free enterprise system.
Garland H. Barr IV, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, 6th District.
But being the best fund-raiser among the six candidates isn't the only reason 6th District Republicans should make Barr their party's nominee.
His experience in government, including a stint as a congressional aide and service in the administration of former Gov. Ernie Fletcher, makes him better prepared for serving the district as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives should he win in November.
In the Fletcher administration, Barr was one of the voices who counseled against politicizing merit system jobs. Had his advice been heeded, the hiring scandal that ultimately proved to be Fletcher's political undoing might have been avoided.
Templeman's career in the coal industry was somewhat checkered, to say the least.
His companies were cited numerous times and fined tens of thousands of dollars in both Kentucky and West Virginia for such violations as water pollution and failure to reclaim mined areas.
When one of his companies filed for bankruptcy in 1989, the Internal Revenue Service was among the creditors, claiming the company owed $229,563 in back taxes. Another of his endeavors resulted in a loan default suit against him and his family.
Templeman blames some of his misfortunes on government policies and enforcement. Part of his campaign pitch is that he suffered at the hands of bad government and still managed to achieve the American dream and that these life experiences make him the better candidate.
Still, fines, bankruptcy, back taxes and a loan default suit are not good recommendations for a congressional candidate.
Nicholasville businessman Perry Wilson Barnes, Lexington home builder and developer John T. Kemper III, Nicholasville salesman Matt Lockett and Georgetown emergency-medical pilot George Pendergrass are running limited campaigns.
Andy Barr represents the party's best chance for unseating Chandler.
Candidates not endorsed in this race may submit a statement of no more than 250 words by noon Friday.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/05/05/1252244/barr-best-in-gop-6th-district.html#ixzz0n3ofat23
Experience in government an asset
Six Central Kentucky Republicans want to take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler in November. But just two of them have demonstrated the ability to generate the wherewithal to be competitive in such a race.
And one of those, retired coal executive Mike Templeman, did so mainly by putting up his own money.
That pushes Lexington lawyer Garland H. "Andy" Barr IV to the forefront of a primary race in which there are few differences in the conservative positions the candidates take on such issues as reducing the size of government and imposing greater fiscal restraint on it, repealing the recently passed health care reforms, opposing the "cap and trade" approach to reducing greenhouse gases and protecting individual liberties and the free enterprise system.
Garland H. Barr IV, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, 6th District.
But being the best fund-raiser among the six candidates isn't the only reason 6th District Republicans should make Barr their party's nominee.
His experience in government, including a stint as a congressional aide and service in the administration of former Gov. Ernie Fletcher, makes him better prepared for serving the district as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives should he win in November.
In the Fletcher administration, Barr was one of the voices who counseled against politicizing merit system jobs. Had his advice been heeded, the hiring scandal that ultimately proved to be Fletcher's political undoing might have been avoided.
Templeman's career in the coal industry was somewhat checkered, to say the least.
His companies were cited numerous times and fined tens of thousands of dollars in both Kentucky and West Virginia for such violations as water pollution and failure to reclaim mined areas.
When one of his companies filed for bankruptcy in 1989, the Internal Revenue Service was among the creditors, claiming the company owed $229,563 in back taxes. Another of his endeavors resulted in a loan default suit against him and his family.
Templeman blames some of his misfortunes on government policies and enforcement. Part of his campaign pitch is that he suffered at the hands of bad government and still managed to achieve the American dream and that these life experiences make him the better candidate.
Still, fines, bankruptcy, back taxes and a loan default suit are not good recommendations for a congressional candidate.
Nicholasville businessman Perry Wilson Barnes, Lexington home builder and developer John T. Kemper III, Nicholasville salesman Matt Lockett and Georgetown emergency-medical pilot George Pendergrass are running limited campaigns.
Andy Barr represents the party's best chance for unseating Chandler.
Candidates not endorsed in this race may submit a statement of no more than 250 words by noon Friday.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/05/05/1252244/barr-best-in-gop-6th-district.html#ixzz0n3ofat23
Labels: Endorsement
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 12:15 PM
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