Matt Gunterman August 6th, 2007

In today’s installment of his column Political Notebook, the Herald-Leader’s Ryan Alessi offers what in my opinion has thus far been the most astute coverage to come out of the MSM.

He very accurately notes that the Republicans are suffering on two fronts in this campaign: lack of unity and lack of leadership.

On unity, let’s compare the Democrats with the Republicans. First, the centerpiece of the Democratic party camp site featured a giant banner that had all the candidates’ names on it, and every candidate had a team of people in the area handing out stickers and literature. The Republican party camp site, on the other hand — which was right next door to the Democrats — was almost exclusively graced with Fletcher signs. There were no visual signs of unity for the Republicans.

Second, every Democratic candidate stayed on the stage until the end of the event when all the speeches were done. Senator Mitch McConnell (R) was first to bail on the Republicans; he got out of dodge as soon as possible. Governor Ernie Fletcher similarly abandoned ship soon after he was done speaking. Fletcher also, according to Alessi, had no comment on his runningmate’s churlish and humiliating performance. Seriously, folks, it was so bad, I’m sure even the Republicans were having second thoughts about putting this joker Robbie Rudolph in office.

Third, the Republican supporters of the various candidates didn’t even stand together. The Fletcher support was centered in the traditionally Republican corner. The Trey Grayson troop of bigots and homophobes stayed in the back with the labor union guys and gals (skinny little young Republicans that they largely were, they also got bumped around quite a bit by the far more fit and muscular men and women with organized labor. Representative Stan Lee (R) had no support aside from what he brought with him. He had no signs and only a few more stickers. No-one wants to touch the crazy fundamentalist Christian or his “The End Is Near” campaign for attorney general. Agricultural Commissioner Richie Farmer (R) stayed away from the whole mess. He’s quite possible the only Republican who will win reelection this November.

The lack of leadership level runs several layers deep. Senator Mitch McConnell is gradually failing as Senate Minority Leader. He has small victories here and there, but the general trend is that he’s alienating his #2 Trent Lott and his caucus because he’s unable to provide them leadership now that the thing most occupying his mind and his energies is his own political survival.

Alessi offers the most stunning example of Fletcher’s failed leadership in the article below. Richie Farmer is taking the lead on rural health care. Our Republican-led state government is that disfunctional, ladies and gentlemen: the agricultural commissioner is having to bear the burden of addressing pressing issues because the other Republicans are simply too consumed with political calculation for their own survival.

The end result: there is little enthusiasm on among Kentucky Republicans leading into the November election. Fancy Farm was a chance to get themselves pumped up, but it only proved to them very evidently how divided and outnumbered they are.

Mitch McConnell makes the comment in Alessi’s piece that the Republicans were better organized. It’s true, but only because it’s much easier to organize a few hundred Republican activists versus a few thousand Democrats.

Fletcher-McConnell: Next phase
By Ryan Alessi

MAYFIELD –A subplot to watch during this fall’s campaign will be how the patchwork relationship between Gov. Ernie Fletcher and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell holds up.

Much is at stake for both Kentucky Republican officials. Fletcher is seeking another four-year term. And McConnell, who is up for re-election next year, risks facing a more powerful, strongly backed Democratic opponent in 2008 if that party takes control of the governor’s office.

In public, McConnell and Fletcher shrug off suggestions that animosity or frustration exists between them.

“Mitch is campaigning with us. We’re glad to have his help,” Fletcher said in a manner-of-fact tone Saturday after the Graves County Republican breakfast in Mayfield.

When pressed on what McConnell’s role will be in the campaign, Fletcher gave few details. He acknowledged that he would take advice from the state’s senior U.S. senator but quickly added that he talks “to all of the federal delegation quite a bit.”

On the topic of whether McConnell — a famously prolific fund-raiser — will be spearheading efforts to collect bucket loads of national donations, Fletcher was equally vague.

“I’d welcome any help that anyone can give with raising money,” the governor said. “I’m sure he will.”

Fletcher noted that McConnell introduced him during a July 17 fund-raising event for the Republican Governors’ Association in Washington, which Fletcher said brought in “several hundred thousand dollars.”

The RGA is expected to buy TV advertisements for Fletcher this fall. Fletcher didn’t mention that McConnell is hosting two major fund-raisers for him in Lexington and Louisville this month. The invitations announce him as the “special guest,” before listing dozens of co-sponsors who already have pledged $1,000 checks.

Among the 135 names on the list for the Aug. 28 event at the Lexington home of Dr. Russell and Jill Travis is Larry Forgy, a former GOP gubernatorial candidate and ardent Fletcher supporter who has criticized McConnell for not sticking up for the governor.

Forgy, who hasn’t ruled out challenging McConnell in a primary next spring, said he’s waiting to see what McConnell will do to promote Fletcher this fall, especially in the senator’s hometown.

“He can be very helpful in Louisville,” Forgy said.

In Louisville, 107 sponsors have signed up for the Aug. 23 event at the home of businessman Todd Blue.

McConnell arrived late to Fancy Farm on Saturday after a hectic and exhausting finish of business in the U.S. Senate last week. He took a few sharp jabs at Fletcher’s Democratic opponent, Steve Beshear, whom he beat handily in the 1996 Senate race.

But McConnell gave a less inspired speech than he had at previous Fancy Farm picnics, partly because he allowed the fired-up crowd to interrupt him often.

After the speeches, the senator offered a pro-Fletcher assessment of the day. “The crowd was better organized on the governor’s side. I think this is an extremely sharp operation,” he said.

McConnell spent much of 2005 and 2006 avoiding talking about Fletcher as the governor’s political troubles boiled over. Although the investigation into improper state hirings led to indictments, including three misdemeanor charges against Fletcher, McConnell’s comments to reporters were little more than the obvious: that Fletcher was going through hard times.

McConnell stayed out of the spring’s GOP primary, saying only that he would support the eventual nominee. The senator and his camp didn’t offer any hints that they were behind Fletcher the way they did during the 2003 primary.

Beshear chose to highlight the on-again, off-again McConnell-Fletcher relationship as the opening line of his Fancy Farm remarks.

“It only took you a year, but I’m glad you finally remembered Ernie’s name,” Beshear said to McConnell.

Difference in opinions

Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer is forming a rural health care committee to look at the availability of medical treatment and insurance in smaller Kentucky communities.

“We know there are some projects already out there,” Farmer said. “What we want to do is take advantage of that and see what is working and what will work” in rural Kentucky.

Dr. Kevin Kavanagh, a Somerset physician and chairman of the Republican Party in Pulaski County, said policies to help increase health coverage outside of the bigger cities are crucial. He said he’s been disappointed in the lack of emphasis state officials — including Fletcher, who is a doctor — have put on it.

The Fletcher administration’s strides in health care have mostly come through restructuring Medicaid and stemming its financial bleeding, passing a pilot program to encourage small businesses to provide workers with insurance.

But Kavanagh said he’s frustrated that the administration has tightened regulations to make it more difficult for new hospitals to be built and hasn’t been receptive to critics and whistle blowers inside the public health system.

For those reasons, Kavanagh said, he’s stepping down this week as Pulaski County GOP chairman.

“I don’t feel I can adequately lead the party to champion his re-election,” he said.

He then suggested that Fletcher could learn from Farmer, a former University of Kentucky basketball guard.

“That is a testament to how bad the governor is doing in health care when the agriculture commissioner has to form an ad hoc committee,” he said.

• 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Ernie Fletcher , Fancy Farm 2007 , Gubernatorial race '07 , Kentucky Dems , Kentucky GOP , Stan Lee , Trey Grayson
• Comments(8)