David Williams Uses GOP "UNITY" Rally To Target Steve Beshear.

Williams uses GOP unity rally to go after Beshear
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Right out of the blocks at Saturday’s Republican unity rally, Senate President David Williams set his sights on Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who he’ll face in November.

Noting criticism that he can be unfriendly, if not mean, Williams said he had gone to the University of Kentucky’s hospital the day before for a physical.

“After a series of tests, they determined that I do have a heart, they knew I had a brain and unlike Steve Beshear, I’ve got a spine,” Williams said to a huge round of laughter from the Republicans in attendance.

An ugly race shouldn't surprise anyone, say political analysts who follow Kentucky politics.

Already, the barbs are flying.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, was in Louisville last Saturday, and he lobbed shots at Williams for having an expensive office renovation done at taxpayer expense.

Last Monday, the Democrats held press conferences across the state to call on Williams to release his tax returns — a subtle way to call attention to the fact that while he has opposed expanded gambling in Kentucky, he reported $36,147 in gambling losses (and offsetting winnings) during a four-year span a decade ago.

That same day, Williams made a crack about the weight of state Democratic Party Chairman Dan Logsdon. And then, after winning the GOP primary on Tuesday, Williams, who has acknowledged that some have raised questions about his likeability, promised the Republican faithful with a smile that there would be “no more mister nice guy” in the campaign ahead.

He proved that on Thursday by releasing an Internet ad that savages Beshear for what the campaign says is failed leadership.

“Four years ago, Steve Beshear made us a promise and for four years, Gov. Beshear has failed to lead,” the ad says. And at the unity rally, where all the Republicans who won and those who lost in Tuesday’s primary appeared, GOP attorney general nominee Todd P’Pool, went after Beshear’s running mate and former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, making sport of even his choice of shoes.

“When you come to Western Kentucky, don’t wear those alligator shoes with tassels,” P’Pool said. “Down in Western Kentucky, we’ll take those tassels off and use them for fishing lures.

University of Kentucky political scientist Steve Voss predicted that Williams will attack relentlessly to try to win the election.

“I expect it’s going to have to get nasty,” Voss said. “Most people have tried to attribute that to his (Williams’) personality but, really he has no choice.”

That’s because, Voss said, Beshear remains relatively popular in the state and has done a good job positioning himself as a moderate to conservative Democrat on most issues.

“The only way you beat somebody who’s positioned himself successfully is to get voters to think less about issues and personality,” he said. “The thing that David Williams has to do is convince voters that Beshear is flawed and that he should be rejected.”

Williams’ problem, Voss said, is that he has been successfully portrayed as a bully in the past, and a campaign that constantly attacks Beshear could reinforce that image among voters.

Meanwhile, Voss said he expects Beshear will try to stay positive throughout the race.

“He doesn't need to go negative,” said Voss, who noted that the governor needs instead to define the conversation before Williams does.

“If you’re the frontrunner, people don’t like negativity … you kind of take on the stigma of being part of the problem,” he said. “Beshear should have an upbeat message, remind people of the good things that have happened.”

So far, that seems to be Beshear’s approach.

In his first television ad of the campaign, which will begin airing Monday, Beshear and his wife, Jane, talk about his upbringing in Dawson Springs, and he acknowledges the state’s economic problems while touting his efforts to bring jobs to the state.

When he was elected in 2007, Beshear's campaign stayed positive throughout the race, though he allowed the Democratic party to attack Republican incumbent Ernie Fletcher.

And he got help from a political group formed for the election, and funded by pro-gambling forces, called the Bluegrass Freedom Fund, which spent $3.2 million attacking Fletcher for the hiring scandal that stained his administration.

Beshear, at a stop Thursday in Louisville, said he doesn't want to get into mud slinging but is prepared to talk about Williams’ record.

“Different people, I guess, run their campaign in different ways, and some of them get into a lot of rancor and a lot of name calling,” he said. “That’s just not me and that’s just not where we’re going.”

But he added, “I think we’ll be looking at his record, my record and we’ll be having some good affirmative conversations, I hope, about the future of this state.”

Beshear’s campaign manager, Bill Hyers, said he doesn’t expect the same of Williams noting that the Republican candidate has “already started this race in a nasty way.”

Republican Larry Forgy, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1991 and 1995, said he believes Beshear will go negative at some point in the race and may ultimately be responsible for escalating the ugliness.

He noted that in 1987, when Beshear lost in the Democratic primary, he attacked John Y. Brown Jr. over his glamorous lifestyle and other issues.

“My experience with Steve is that he can go ugly fast, and I would think David Williams wouldn’t require much provocation,” Forgy said.

Editor's note: Check out the piece here.

BTW: I'll post video later. So come back, yer hear?

OK, below's the promised video. Enjoy: