Democrats rally in Lexington amid calls to stick to party values

RONNIE ELLIS

LEXINGTON — There were calls for a change in the state Senate, controlled by Republicans. There were calls for changes in the U.S. Senate where two Republicans represent Kentucky. Mostly, there were calls for Democrats to hang tough in tough times and stick to their party principles.

A few hundred Democrats gathered for a fall festival and Democratic rally at the Red Mile race track Saturday in Lexington in advance of that evening’s statewide Jefferson Jackson Dinner, and nearly all of their favorites were there to call them to action.

Kentucky’s “Mr. Democrat,” former U.S. Senator and Governor Wendell Ford, showed up with a check for the party and a couple of lines for the faithful.

“I came like I started in this Democratic Party,” said Ford. “In the back of the crowd and with my check,”

But, said Ford, he hadn’t found anyone to take his check. Party Chairman Charles Moore called out he’d take care of that as soon as Ford finished speaking.

Ford had one more line to fire up the crowd.

“We’ve got two dummies up there in Washington,” said Ford, apparently referring to Republican Senators Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell.

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, the one-time presidential candidate who was twice stationed at Ft. Knox during his military career, urged the Democrats on hand “to stand up for your party values.” Clark said those include making sure “every American has good health care,” every child has access to a good education, and “no American who wants to work should have difficulty finding a job.”

U.S. Congressman Ben Chandler asked the crowd if they “are tired of the lies” by the Republican opposition who he said are responsible for the economic woes of the country. He echoed Clark’s calls for jobs for everyday working Americans and said that will be the focus of the Democratic Party after Congress completes work on health care.

Gov. Steve Beshear said the state has suffered through the worst recession since the Great Depression but Kentucky managed to cut $800 million out of its budget without laying off teachers, cutting Medicaid or laying off firefighters as other states have done, thanks in part to the federal stimulus.

He didn’t say how he planned to deal with a projected $161 million shortfall in the current year’s budget, although when asked later if he supported a proposal by House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, to utilize individual school districts’ contingency funds, he said, “Everything’s on the table.”

Also on the table for Beshear is next year’s election. Beshear has often said he wants to take back the state Senate from Republican control. Saturday night, he pointed to the number of seats on next year’s ballot.

“We’ve got some House seats and some Senate seats in the Kentucky General Assembly up for grabs,” said Beshear. “And I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to grab ‘em all.”

Three of the four Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate spoke – Lt. Daniel Mongiardo, Attorney General Jack Conway, and former U.S. Customs Agent Darlene Fitzgerald Price – and all pretty much repeated their standard stump speeches.

Mongiardo said he’d be the only Democratic doctor in the Senate and was prepared to help deal with health care and said he wasn’t born in the “silver spoon crowd,” an apparent reference to Conway – although he later said the reference could be applied to several people and not just Conway.

Conway reviewed accomplishments as Attorney General and said there are “people out there trying to scare people.” Just like Mongiardo, however, Conway denied that referred specifically to his main opponent.

Price said she is the only candidate “who is not bought off” and said she would fight to end “crony campaign fundraising."

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be contacted by email at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.