Without A Doubt, Politics Played Into Steve Beshear Missing Visit.
Politics played into Beshear missing visit
By the Daily News
As the highest elected official in the state, an important facet of Gov. Steve Beshear’s job is bringing jobs to Kentucky and he has achieved success at that, but his recent snub of our troops and President Barack Obama, who was visiting Fort Campbell, hints that he may be trying to distance himself from the president.
Beshear said he was not able to go to Fort Campbell because of the short notice given to him and because he had long-standing commitments with CEOs who were in the state to talk about jobs.
We understand that 36 hours notice was given to Beshear’s office about the president’s planned trip to the military base, but if Beshear really wanted to be seen with the president, he could’ve been there briefly and quickly returned to meet his other commitments as well.
Beshear’s absence from this event gives the impression that he is trying to distance himself from Obama during a gubernatorial election year.
The governor wouldn’t be the first elected official to distance himself from Obama. Kentucky Attorney General and former U.S. Senate candidate Jack Conway, a Democrat, never invited Obama to come to Kentucky to campaign for him.
Perhaps Beshear knew that appearing with Obama would come back to bedevil him in the 30-second ads during the general election campaign.
In his State of the Commonwealth address in January, Beshear minced no words in criticizing the Obama administration’s “unreasonable regulation” of our state’s vital coal industry. Proposed new regulation by the federal Office of Surface Mining would eliminate mining jobs in Kentucky and other coal producing states.
What was so significant about the Fort Campbell event was that some members of the 101st Airborne, which is based at Fort Campbell, participated in the operation that killed Osama bin Laden more than a week ago.
This event was primarily about the troops, not Obama and Beshear. Beshear should have recognized that.
He did express pride in Obama and the military assault team that took out bin Laden, but his appearance next to the president would have meant a lot to the troops at Fort Campbell.
House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, agreed that Beshear should’ve attended the event.
“That wasn’t a political event,” Stumbo said. “That was an event to honor the bravery of those men and I believe he should have gone down there probably and been with the president. He could have helicoptered back up here for the (Kentucky Oaks) presentation if he wanted to do that.”
This was Obama’s first visit to Kentucky and it seems, given the circumstances of his visit, that Beshear could’ve altered his plans to stand beside Obama.
He chose not to and the reason seems quite simple: re-election considerations.
We want our governor to succeed and bring more jobs into this state. We commend him for devoting his energy to doing that, especially at a time when new jobs are badly needed, but if you’re going to be complimentary of the president, do it standing next to him so the voters of the state can see you and don’t distance yourself because your commander in chief is unpopular with many in the state.
By the Daily News
As the highest elected official in the state, an important facet of Gov. Steve Beshear’s job is bringing jobs to Kentucky and he has achieved success at that, but his recent snub of our troops and President Barack Obama, who was visiting Fort Campbell, hints that he may be trying to distance himself from the president.
Beshear said he was not able to go to Fort Campbell because of the short notice given to him and because he had long-standing commitments with CEOs who were in the state to talk about jobs.
We understand that 36 hours notice was given to Beshear’s office about the president’s planned trip to the military base, but if Beshear really wanted to be seen with the president, he could’ve been there briefly and quickly returned to meet his other commitments as well.
Beshear’s absence from this event gives the impression that he is trying to distance himself from Obama during a gubernatorial election year.
The governor wouldn’t be the first elected official to distance himself from Obama. Kentucky Attorney General and former U.S. Senate candidate Jack Conway, a Democrat, never invited Obama to come to Kentucky to campaign for him.
Perhaps Beshear knew that appearing with Obama would come back to bedevil him in the 30-second ads during the general election campaign.
In his State of the Commonwealth address in January, Beshear minced no words in criticizing the Obama administration’s “unreasonable regulation” of our state’s vital coal industry. Proposed new regulation by the federal Office of Surface Mining would eliminate mining jobs in Kentucky and other coal producing states.
What was so significant about the Fort Campbell event was that some members of the 101st Airborne, which is based at Fort Campbell, participated in the operation that killed Osama bin Laden more than a week ago.
This event was primarily about the troops, not Obama and Beshear. Beshear should have recognized that.
He did express pride in Obama and the military assault team that took out bin Laden, but his appearance next to the president would have meant a lot to the troops at Fort Campbell.
House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, agreed that Beshear should’ve attended the event.
“That wasn’t a political event,” Stumbo said. “That was an event to honor the bravery of those men and I believe he should have gone down there probably and been with the president. He could have helicoptered back up here for the (Kentucky Oaks) presentation if he wanted to do that.”
This was Obama’s first visit to Kentucky and it seems, given the circumstances of his visit, that Beshear could’ve altered his plans to stand beside Obama.
He chose not to and the reason seems quite simple: re-election considerations.
We want our governor to succeed and bring more jobs into this state. We commend him for devoting his energy to doing that, especially at a time when new jobs are badly needed, but if you’re going to be complimentary of the president, do it standing next to him so the voters of the state can see you and don’t distance yourself because your commander in chief is unpopular with many in the state.
Labels: News reporting
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 1:11 PM
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