Mitch McConnell

DENVER – Kentucky labor unions are mobilizing to counteract the impact of an advertising campaign targeting Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) for supporting the Employee Free Choice Act, according to AFL-CIO Vice-President Ken Koch.

The ads attacking Lunsford claim the EFCA legislation would "take away your right to a private vote."

"The membership is outraged," Koch told PolitickerKY.com in Denver, where Koch is serving as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. "The facts are it's not taking a vote away from them, it's taking the power away from the corporation and giving it to the working people."

The EFCA legislation removes an employer's option of calling for a secret ballot vote on unionization and permits union certification when a majority of employees have signed union membership cards.

Koch said Kentucky unions were reaching out to their membership about the legislation and the ads, and hoping members push that perspective to others.

DENVER – Speaking to Kentucky’s Democratic delegation on Tuesday, U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) predicted that a certain combination of voters would help him oust four-term incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) in November’s general election.

“We know that if we get 10 percent of the Republican vote, if we get 50 percent of the independents and we get 75 percent of the Democrats in the state, Mitch McConnell cannot win,” said Lunsford.

There is only one problem in that equation, Lunsford said, according to recent poll data – the Democratic vote.

“We have not seen one poll where we didn’t exceed 10 percent of the Republicans, that we didn’t get 50 percent of independents,” said Lunsford. “It’s time for Democrats to bring back home that crossover Democrat.”

DNC Chair Howard Dean speaks to Kentucky's delegates today: Politicker photo

DENVER -- As the surprise opening speaker at this morning's Kentucky delegation breakfast, Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean spoke with familiarity about Kentucky politics, referencing races up and down the ballot and laying out strategic suggestions for the assembled delegates.

At the beginning of his remarks, Dean referenced the campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford as a priority for the state.

"He's in striking distance. How about that?" Dean asked about the challenger to incumbent U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville).

Lunsford was last shown 12 points behind McConnell in a mid-August poll, though his ability to self-finance his campaign has led many analysts to predict an ultimately competitive race.

Beyond that, Dean said another top priority for Kentucky Democrats was more local in scope.

"The first thing that people need - in addition to electing Bruce - is we really want to take back the state Senate," said Dean, referencing the state legislative body currently in Republican hands.

Republicans announced today that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) will speak on Monday, September 1 -- the first day of the Republican National Convention. President Bush (R) is also scheduled to address the convention on Monday.

McConnell's Democratic Senate challenger Bruce Lunsford  is not scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention this week.

DENVER -- The campaign of incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) tried to sound a note of confidence in response to the news that U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Versailles) had officially announced his support of Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) - Chandler's former political rival.

"Senator McConnell has enjoyed working with Congressman Chandler on key issues and looks forward to continuing that bipartisan relationship over the next six years," said McConnell's campaign manager Justin Brasell in a statement presupposing a McConnell victory over Lunsford in November.

"We think Congressman Chandler showed particularly good judgment when he said that Senator McConnell's leadership was 'essential' as they worked together on obtaining funding for Kentucky State University, and that he appreciated Senator McConnell's 'ongoing leadership' in cleaning up the chemical weapons stored at the Bluegrass Army Depot," continued Brasell, referencing earlier Chandler quotes culled from two press releases.

"Senator McConnell looks forward to six more years of fostering bipartisan relationships that move Kentucky and our nation forward," added Brasell.

McConnell and Chandler conducted a joint visit to the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond just last week to consider the destruction of chemical weapons there, while the two worked together to secure funds for Kentucky State University.

DENVER -- As more of Kentucky's prominent elected Democratic leaders arrived in Denver for their party's national convention today, the line-up of speakers at the delegation breakfast was bolstered - and then supplemented by some special guests.

This morning, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean made a surprise appearance to kick off the line-up. He spoke for nearly 15 minutes on campaign strategy and the prospects for Kentucky Democrats.

Dean was followed by Washington D.C.'s "shadow Senator" Michael Brown, who spoke to assembled delegates about his hometown's lack of official Congressional representation.

U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Versailles) then took the podium for remarks in which he announced his support of Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville), who later closed the morning speaking program.

Chandler was followed by delegate Ken Koch, a labor organizer. Koch introduced United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts, who delivered a fiery speech slamming Republicans and the current nationwide advertising campaign targeting Democrats for their support of the Employee Free Choice Act.

DENVER – During the 2003 Democratic gubernatorial primary, candidates Ben Chandler (D-Versailles) and Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) waged a contentious fight against each other. Attacks were frequent and the television ads were vicious, with then-Attorney General Chandler’s campaign airing out allegations of business impropriety against Lunsford. Lunsford subsequently dropped out of the race before the primary and said he would vote against Chandler if he won the nomination.

Chandler did, and Lunsford endorsed the Republican candidate – and eventual winner – Ernie Fletcher.

This morning – some five years later - the two former opponents shared a table at the Kentucky delegation’s breakfast in Denver, the site of this year’s Democratic National Convention. Chandler is in Denver as a superdelegate while Lunsford is here to rally support for his U.S. Senate bid against incumbent Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville).

Perhaps the seating arrangement was suitable foreshadowing for what was to come when Chandler took the podium to speak to the gathered delegates, dashing any rumors that he was not supporting Lunsford’s candidacy.

Chandler commenced his remarks by referring to a less contentious primary battle than that one from 2003 – this year’s Democratic presidential primary between U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). Chandler made a call for unity between supporters of the two candidates and then delivered an appropriate segue.

“You all may remember just 5 years ago we had a somewhat difficult primary in the governor’s race in Kentucky,” said Chandler to some chuckles from the crowd. “There were some of us that weren’t terribly happy about it. On all sides, there were some bruised feelings.”

DENVER – State Auditor Crit Luallen (D-Frankfort) was one of several Kentucky Democrats who considered a U.S. Senate run this year against incumbent Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville). She ultimately did not jump into the Democratic primary, which was eventually won by Louisville businessman Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville).

Lunsford is now considered some of the toughest competition McConnell has faced in his career, as he has the ability to self-fund his race.
Recent polls show Lunsford trailing McConnell by double digits, but Luallen says the race is a prominent point of discussion among those in the Kentucky delegation and delegates from other states.

“This race is one of the high profile races in the country because of Mitch McConnell and the image he has built as the chief obstructionist in the U.S. Senate,” said Luallen. “He has been in lockstep with George Bush. He has blocked the efforts on the part of the Democratic leadership in the Senate to put forward progressive policy changes.”

DENVER – Lois Combs Weinberg was the last Democrat to face incumbent U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in a general election. The daughter of a former Kentucky governor and an education activist from Hindman, Weinberg did not fare well aginst McConnell’s well-funded campaign in 2002, and she lost her bid by nearly 30 points. This year, McConnell is embroiled in what some analysts predict will be his most competitive race ever, as he faces multi-millionaire businessman Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) in a campaign that will likely be the most expensive the state has ever seen.

DENVER – The campaign of Democratic U.S. Sen. candidate Bruce Lunsford, of Louisville, briefly responded this weekend to the addition of U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) to the ticket of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (D-Ill.)

“Bruce has a good opinion of Biden and thinks it’s a good pick, particularly in that Biden brings a lot of foreign policy experience to the table,” said campaign spokesman Cary Stemle in an e-mail to PolitickerKY.com.

Obama added Biden to his ticket on Friday evening.

Lunsford faces incumbent U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) in the general election.