KY election reflections

Ernie Fletcher

Bill Clinton might have to give up his Comeback Kid title. Key Republicans, including NKY's own Jim Bunning, were mouthing last rites for Gov. Ernie Fletcher as his popularity sank amid an ethics mess that was of Fletcher's own making, despite protestations to the contrary. Memo to Democrats for general election: Fletcher won't be as easy to beat as you think.

What does it mean to NKY? If re-elected, Fletcher will remember that he owes the region for a lot of support. He'll continue to support local projects, but it's time for political courage as well as a big checkbook. I will expect both Fletcher and Democratic nominee Steve Beshear to commit to real leadership on two major issues. First is the urgent need to tackle the state's unfair formula for school funding. Second is the need for Kentucky to do more to make sure the Brent Spence Bridge project gets funded someway, somehow.

Attorney General

You'll never find a sharper contrast between two candidates than Republican Stan Lee and Democrat Jack Conway. Lee, a state rep from Lexington, is a social conservative for whom the word "zealot" might fit. Conway is a trial lawyer (boo, hiss) with union backing. These two already are taking shots at each other. One blog poster noted this morning that the GOP probably will paint Conway as someone ready to sanction marriage between animals and people. And the Dems will make Lee look like the leader of the Christian Taliban. This race could be X-rated on the negativity scale.

Lost in the shuffle will be the importance of the attorney general's office. Under KY law, not only does this large department defend criminal convictions and protect consumers, it's the guardian of your right to know, reviewing complaints about violations of open records and open meetings laws.

State Treasurer

OK, normally you wouldn't care, but Republican Melinda Wheeler appears to have won her party's nomination by about 1,000 votes after campaigning on a platform to abolish the office as an outmoded job with duties that can be readily absorbed by other state agencies. That sounds like a discussion worth having. The runner-up, State Rep. Lonnie Napier says he will ask for a re-canvass of votes.