John David Dyche: Fancy Farm Offered A Preview Of Beshear's 2011 Campaign.
Fancy Farm offered a preview of Beshear's 2011 campaign
By John David Dyche
Judging from stories in local newspapers along his route, Gov. Steve Beshear was practically throwing state money from the motorcade windows as he headed west for Fancy Farm last week. Towns got funds to fix ice storm damage. Businesses got tax incentives. Happy days are apparently here again in our cash poor commonwealth.
Tight budgets have blocked Beshear from giving away as much of other people's money as his Democratic instincts dictate, but this Bluegrass-style stimulus road show seemed to buoy his spirits before Saturday's picnic festivities. He gave a strong speech previewing his case for reelection next year.
The Governor argues that almost every important measure the Democratic state House and the Republican state Senate have passed since 2007 was due to his skillful leadership. Beshear has indeed brought legislators together, this time in bipartisan agreement that his boast is delusional. He spent nary a breath on expanded gambling, the sole basis for his 2007 candidacy, which he has failed to deliver as promised.
Beshear was not alone in posturing for next year's gubernatorial contest. Republican Phil Moffett, a Louisville businessman who aspires to be 2011's Rand Paul, proved his potential on Friday night in Calvert City. It would be a big mistake to underestimate him.
Moffett's platform includes a state sovereignty plank that harkens back to Thomas Jefferson's 1798 Kentucky Resolutions, replacing the current tax system with a single-rate sales tax on all goods and services, more school choice and less education bureaucracy, and an amorphous government reduction idea patterned after the federal military base closing process.
State Senate president and prospective Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams was seemingly everywhere in western Kentucky except the Fancy Farm stage. Rumors about whether Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer will run with him next year swirled, but Williams focused on electing Paul and holding the state Senate in November. “Next year will happen,” he said in a tantalizing double-entendre.
Williams showcased his stump-speaking skill at Calvert City on Friday and as breakfast emcee in Mayfield on Saturday. He warned party faithful that a Democratic state Senate could team with state House colleagues to redraw boundary lines lumping GOP congressmen Hal Rogers, Brett Guthrie, and Ed Whitfield into one district.
The new, nicer Williams was aggressively cordial toward some officeholders with whom his past relations have been prickly. He also endorsed Paducah independent Bob Leeper for the state Senate second district despite the presence of a registered Republican in that race.
U. S. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell rallied resistance to the liberal Democratic regime personified by President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Harry Reid. This three-headed political monster is anathema to conservative Kentuckians of both parties. McConnell made sure the Fancy Farm crowd understood the fundamental calculus in the featured Senate contest: Democrat Jack Conway will vote with the leftist triumvirate; Republican Paul will fight against it.
The Senate hopefuls were the stars of this year's event, which drew considerable national attention. Both did decently.
Conway was considerably more comfortable and authentic than he was last year. His best line was a dig at McConnell, who backed Secretary of State Trey Grayson against Paul in the Republican primary. After needling Paul's “accidents happen” attitude toward various disasters, Conway concluded, “And what did Mitch McConnell say to the members of the Republican National Committee after the primary? ‘Accidents happen.'”
But Paul continues to prosper despite Democratic attacks depicting him as an extremist with risky ideas. He convincingly counters that trillion dollar-plus Democratic deficits are the really dangerous extremism and offers to pay for Obama and Pelosi to come to Kentucky to campaign for Conway.
Perhaps the saddest sight of the day was Grayson, whose bad luck continued. Just as he was getting to the meat of his speech the Bluegrass band struck up “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” to signal he had talked too long. Silenced and more sheepish than the mutton sandwiches being gobbled down around the picnic grounds, Grayson sat down to ponder his next political move.
John David Dyche is a Louisville attorney who writes a political column on alternating Tuesdays in Forum His views are his own, not those of the law firm in which he practices. Read him on-line at www.courier-journal.com; e-mail: jddyche@yahoo.com.
By John David Dyche
Judging from stories in local newspapers along his route, Gov. Steve Beshear was practically throwing state money from the motorcade windows as he headed west for Fancy Farm last week. Towns got funds to fix ice storm damage. Businesses got tax incentives. Happy days are apparently here again in our cash poor commonwealth.
Tight budgets have blocked Beshear from giving away as much of other people's money as his Democratic instincts dictate, but this Bluegrass-style stimulus road show seemed to buoy his spirits before Saturday's picnic festivities. He gave a strong speech previewing his case for reelection next year.
The Governor argues that almost every important measure the Democratic state House and the Republican state Senate have passed since 2007 was due to his skillful leadership. Beshear has indeed brought legislators together, this time in bipartisan agreement that his boast is delusional. He spent nary a breath on expanded gambling, the sole basis for his 2007 candidacy, which he has failed to deliver as promised.
Beshear was not alone in posturing for next year's gubernatorial contest. Republican Phil Moffett, a Louisville businessman who aspires to be 2011's Rand Paul, proved his potential on Friday night in Calvert City. It would be a big mistake to underestimate him.
Moffett's platform includes a state sovereignty plank that harkens back to Thomas Jefferson's 1798 Kentucky Resolutions, replacing the current tax system with a single-rate sales tax on all goods and services, more school choice and less education bureaucracy, and an amorphous government reduction idea patterned after the federal military base closing process.
State Senate president and prospective Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams was seemingly everywhere in western Kentucky except the Fancy Farm stage. Rumors about whether Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer will run with him next year swirled, but Williams focused on electing Paul and holding the state Senate in November. “Next year will happen,” he said in a tantalizing double-entendre.
Williams showcased his stump-speaking skill at Calvert City on Friday and as breakfast emcee in Mayfield on Saturday. He warned party faithful that a Democratic state Senate could team with state House colleagues to redraw boundary lines lumping GOP congressmen Hal Rogers, Brett Guthrie, and Ed Whitfield into one district.
The new, nicer Williams was aggressively cordial toward some officeholders with whom his past relations have been prickly. He also endorsed Paducah independent Bob Leeper for the state Senate second district despite the presence of a registered Republican in that race.
U. S. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell rallied resistance to the liberal Democratic regime personified by President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Harry Reid. This three-headed political monster is anathema to conservative Kentuckians of both parties. McConnell made sure the Fancy Farm crowd understood the fundamental calculus in the featured Senate contest: Democrat Jack Conway will vote with the leftist triumvirate; Republican Paul will fight against it.
The Senate hopefuls were the stars of this year's event, which drew considerable national attention. Both did decently.
Conway was considerably more comfortable and authentic than he was last year. His best line was a dig at McConnell, who backed Secretary of State Trey Grayson against Paul in the Republican primary. After needling Paul's “accidents happen” attitude toward various disasters, Conway concluded, “And what did Mitch McConnell say to the members of the Republican National Committee after the primary? ‘Accidents happen.'”
But Paul continues to prosper despite Democratic attacks depicting him as an extremist with risky ideas. He convincingly counters that trillion dollar-plus Democratic deficits are the really dangerous extremism and offers to pay for Obama and Pelosi to come to Kentucky to campaign for Conway.
Perhaps the saddest sight of the day was Grayson, whose bad luck continued. Just as he was getting to the meat of his speech the Bluegrass band struck up “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” to signal he had talked too long. Silenced and more sheepish than the mutton sandwiches being gobbled down around the picnic grounds, Grayson sat down to ponder his next political move.
John David Dyche is a Louisville attorney who writes a political column on alternating Tuesdays in Forum His views are his own, not those of the law firm in which he practices. Read him on-line at www.courier-journal.com; e-mail: jddyche@yahoo.com.
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