Some checks Fletcher shouldn't have cashed

I meet a lot of politicians in my job. And I go back and forth on the notion of just how cynical to be about their motives and agendas. When you meet most politicians face-to-face, you often find yourself thinking something like this: "He (or she) seems decent. He seems to really care and want to make a difference."

Then something else will come up that reminds me that I can't be cynical enough about what some politicians will say or do to be elected.

Such was my reaction today when I read a story from the Courier-Journal describing how Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher accepted $2,000 from Lexington developer Donald Webb and his spouse, Julie. (Enquirer reporter Pat Crowley also plans a follow-up story.)

According to the C-J, Donald Webb and his brother, Dudley, "figured prominently in the downfall of Kentucky Central Life Insurance Co., which the Fletcher campaign has tried to make a central issue in the race."

That's a polite way of describing how the Fletcher camp -- way behind in the polls -- has been trying to savage Democrat Steve Beshear for his role in the complicated matter. Beshear's law firm oversaw Kentucky Central's liquidation. And irony abounds here. The firm still is being used by the executive branch, under Fletcher's watch, to clean up matters involving Kentucky Central.

The Webbs were up to their necks in litigation from the collapse. Here, for example, is a story about Donald and Julie Webb agreeing to pay $2.85 million to settle one claim against them. This settlement also happened during Fletcher's administration.

The evidence is considerable now that Beshear could have paid more attention to what was happening as the Kentucky Central case unfolded, but he didn't do anything wrong beyond that. It's time for the Fletcher campaign to move on. An editorial in today's Lexington Herald-Leader, which has done extensive digging into the Kentucky Central story, is a good read on this subject.

If the governor wants to show classiness instead of crassness, he'll return the contribution from the Webbs.