Bruce Lunsford

LOUISVILLE -- Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford, of Louisville, objected to several aspects of the recently-passed bailout package today, suggesting the bill was rushed through without provisions that would have benefitted taxpayers.

"What I am mainly concerned about is everybody rushed to the plate to get a bill passed so they could get home and run for office," Lunsford told reporters after holding a roundtable discussion with AFL-CIO members this morning.

The legislation in question passed the Senate last Wednesday, with a supporting vote cast by Lunsford's opponent in Kentucky's U.S. Senate contest, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville). Revised from the edition that failed there on Monday, the bill then passed the U.S. House on Friday with some so-called "sweeteners" included in the package that were said to have some swung some votes to the "aye" side.

While he did not specifically say he would have voted against the bill, Lunsford suggested it was incomplete and seemingly referenced some of the so-called "sweeteners."

"When I see a bill that they can't pass on their own - that they've got to add all the things in to get votes - that immediately raises questions in my mind," said Lunsford.

The Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion organization, is targeting Democratic U.S. Sen. candidate Bruce Lunsford, of Louisville, with a radio buy.

Reports filed yesterday by the organization with the Federal Election Commission indicate the group is putting $51,600 into the media buy.

Joy Yearout, political director for the group, said an ad is airing on Christian radio stations in Kentucky, and notes it focuses on Lunsford's "history of opposing Kentucky's fetal homicide bill."

In the minute-long spot, the voices of two women conversing at Lunch are played when "that Bruce Lunsford fellow" is mentioned by one.

"Apparently, Bruce Lunsford doesn't think a criminal that attacked a pregnant woman and killed her unborn baby should be charged with the baby's murder," says one of the actors in the ad.

The rollercoaster poll performance of the candidates in Kentucky's U.S. Senate race continues today, as a new survey from Rasmussen Reports indicates U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) is holding a nine point lead over challenger Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville). While Lunsford has narrowed the margin in polls from that firm, the numbers show a different scenario for the Democrat than two recent polls which showed him in a closer race with the incumbent.

Rasmussen's poll of 500 "likely" voters, conducted on Sept. 30, gives McConnell a 51 to 42 percent lead over Lunsford, with 2 percent of respondents choosing "other" - though no other candidates are on the ballot - and 5 percent indicating they were "not sure" of their choice.

Rasmussens's last poll of the Kentucky race, from late July, have McConnell a 12 point lead, 50 to 38 percent. Since that survey, however, other firms have shown the state swinging towards Lunsford. SurveyUSA recently gave McConnell just a three point lead in a poll conducted from Sept. 21 to 22, and Mason-Dixon Polling conducted from Sept. 22 to 25 found McConnell with just a one point lead.

Candidates for federal office will close the books on third quarter fundraising at midnight tonight, meaning they are rallying for last-minute contributions from supporters to bolster their efforts going into the final month of campaigning.

"We need to file the strongest report possible, because our opponents, pundits, the press, and third party special interest groups looking to defeat Republican incumbents will review these reports to judge which campaigns are showing the most strength heading into Election Day," read an e-mail from the campaign of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville), signed by McConnell.

"We are $20,000 away from meeting our goal and it's essential that our third quarter report be impressive, because a good FEC report generates tremendous media coverage for the campaign, and helps future fundraising and grassroots efforts," read a similar appeal from the campaign of McConnell's opponent, Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford, of Louisville.

The race between Lunsford and McConnell has tightened up in recent days according to new polls, but official fundraising numbers for the race have not been revealed since the last reports were filed in mid-July. At that time, McConnell showed around $9 million on hand compared to Lunsford's $1.3 million, with the caveat often uttered that Lunsford was capable of self-financing his own campaign.

With just over a month to go before the general election, noted national political analyst Stuart Rothenberg appears to be warming to the chances of two Kentucky Democrats embroiled in tough races.

Though he had declared the 2nd Congressional District race between state Sens. David Boswell (D-Owensboro) and Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) to be "over" if Boswell did not improve his financial standings against Guthrie, Rothenberg now holds that the recent investment by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in support of Boswell could swing the race.

Boswell is the beneficiary of an $840,000 DCCC ad buy and was recently added to the organization's Red-to-Blue list as a candidate in a race targeted for Democratic pick-up. 

"Now, with the DCCC's help, it looks like Boswell could win despite a cash disadvantage to Guthrie," wrote Rothenberg on Friday. "But Boswell's road is still tough, considering he will have to run well ahead of Obama at the top of the ticket because Kentucky was one of the Illinois Senator's worst-performing states in the Democratic primaries."

LOUSIVILLE, Ky. -- The campaign of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell told supporters the race between the four-term incumbent and Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford is not as close as recent polls indicate. In an email to supporters ostensibly written by consultant Scott Jennings and campaign manager Justin Brasell, the McConnell camp objected to the findings of public polling yet again. "You have probably seen the Courier-Journal's Bluegrass Poll story today claiming the race between Senator McConnell and Bruce Lunsford is 'a dead heat,'" read the e-mail." We disagree."

Shortly after a SurveyUSA poll showed the margin in Kentucky's U.S. Senate race shrinking dramatically, a new poll commissioned by the Louisville Courier-Journal finds Louisville Democrat Bruce Lunsford and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) statistically tied.

The survey of 717 likely voters - conducted by Mason-Dixon polling - showed each candidate collecting 41 percent support from respondents. The Courier-Journal reports that including "leaners" in the results gives McConnell a one-point edge, 45 to 44 percent.

The poll was conducted from Sept. 22 to Sept. 25, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percent.

The paper also reports the poll found "favorable" ratings hit 40 percent for McConnell and 26 percent for Lunsford. Unfavorable ratings hit 31 for the incumbent and 29 for the challenger.

48 percent approved of McConnell's job performance in the U.S. Senate, and 39 percent disapproved.

LEXINGTON -- Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford unveiled his “women’s bill of rights” on Thursday evening in Lexington, where he was joined by a group of high-profile female Democrats who took aim at U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell from a number of different angles.

Speaking before Lunsford took the podium, First Lady Jane Beshear referenced her past experience with McConnell. Her husband – current Gov. Steve Beshear (D-Lexington) – challenged the incumbent Sen. in 1996.

“He fights dirty, he lies, and he makes a mockery of the democratic process,” said Beshear. “I know personally, and I know every one of you women in this room, do not want to lose another election to this man.”

In lauding Lunsford as the candidate to beat McConnell, Beshear pointed to research that said Kentucky had one of the “five worst economies in the nation for women,” and suggested Lunsford was the candidate who would “ensure that the voices of the women in Kentucky are heard loud and clear.”

Lunsford presented his nine-point “bill of rights” after an introduction from former first lady Phillys George, who was married to Gov. John Y. Brown when Lunsford served under him as state commerce commissioner in the early 1980s.

If a recent poll is accurate, Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) appears to be within striking distance of taking out U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville). They're among this week's Winners & Losers. | CLICK HERE

In Washington with his colleagues in the U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) said today that some steps forward were being made in negotiations over the "economic recovery" proposals under consideration.

"Members from all sides of the aisle continue to talk," said McConnell, the Senate Minority leader, in a statement released today. "There was constructive progress among some members of the Banking Committee and we will review these and other ideas with the Congressional Leadership, the Secretary of the Treasury, the President and the two Presidential candidates."

Yesterday, on the Senate floor, McConnell said action on the economy "needs to put Main Street ahead of Wall Street," announcing his support for limiting compensation for executives employed at companies asking for government assistance. McConnell also asked that proceeds from the government sale of any business assets required be used to reduce the national debt while requesting greater transparency and "taxpayer protection" from any potential fraud in the package.

In the same remarks on the floor, McConnell praised the decision by U.S. Sen. John McCain to suspend his presidential campaign to work on the economic package, calling it "an outsanding idea."