Ben Chandler

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.

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.”

U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Versailles) embraces Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville): Politicker photo

DENVER -- Fierce opponents in the 2003 Democratic gubernatorial primary, U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Versailles) and Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford embraced today after Chandler announced his full support for Lunsford's Senate bid during remarks at the Kentucky delegation's pre-DNC breakfast in Denver.

Details here.

DENVER -- The whirlwind of activity surrounding the Democratic National Convention will find Kentucky's delegation all over Denver today, with events capped off by a party jointly hosted by those from the Bluegrass state, Ohio, and Alabama.

Delegates started the day this morning with their daily breakfast at their downtown Denver hotel.

Keynoting today's meeting was U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, who blasted the Bush administration as a galvanizing force to unify Democrats across the nation.

Kentucky Democratic Party chair Jennifer Moore emceed the event and announced that, during each day's breakfast, she would highlight a different set of races. Today she spoke about Kentucky's state Senate races.

Much of the Kentucky Democratic delegation was also in attendance, including Attorney General Jack Conway (D-Louisville), Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D-Hazard), Louisville attorney and Obama fundraiser Matthew Barzun, former party chairs Terry McBrayer and Jerry Lundergan, state Auditor Crit Luallen (D-Frankfort), and several Louisville metro council members.

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth's (D-Louisville) race for the 3rd Congressional District is still the only U.S. House campaign in Kentucky on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's list for targeted television ad buys, even after the list was expanded by 20 in recent days.

Yarmuth's re-election effort against former U.S. Rep Anne Northup (R-Louisville) was included in the DCCC's initial target list of 31 races, for which the organization aims to buy ad time in September and October. The DCCC reportedly allocated $659,000 for ad buys in the 3rd District.

The liberal news outlet Talking Points Memo reported yesterday that the DCCC had expanded their list to include 20 more races, but none of the additions are in Kentucky.

According to reports, the DCCC has now allocated a total of $53 million towards ad buys for the 51 targeted races.

LOUISVILLE -- Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) kept the focus of Kentucky's U.S. Senate race on energy policy during his remarks before members and guests at last night's meeting of the Metro Democratic Club in Louisville.

Lunsford targeted his opponent, four-term incumbent Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville), for voting against cloture on legislation that would have imposed a "windfall profits tax" on oil companies.

Of McConnell, Lunsford argued "Rather than debate on the issues, he personally stood in the way of the windfall profits tax with companies that have taken out over half a trillion dollars in profits during the bush administration. That's what he's doing to the country."

Any post-primary respite for the campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Bruce Lunsford was abruptly halted this morning when incumbent U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) took aim at his new opponent just hours after the Democrat clinched his nomination.

On a morning conference call with reporters, McConnell -- a four-term incumbent and the Senate's minority leader -- speculated that the Senate race would turn ugly quick by pointing to Lunsford's past history of engaging in contentious battle with his opponents.U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville): Politicker photo

"Judging from the just completed primary, I fully expect Bruce to run the most negative campaign Kentuckians have ever seen," said McConnell. "Bruce will attack for the next six months. This is a well-established pattern that Greg Fischer and my friend Ben Chandler are all too familiar with."

On the heels of a narrow loss across the river in Indiana last night, the Obama campaign is ramping up efforts to lessen Senator Hillary Clinton's wide lead in Kentucky. On a conference call today, Obama superdelegate and Congressman John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) announced the launch of the Kentucky Leadership Committee, a forty-one member list of former and current elected officials supporting Obama's candidacy.

Yarmuth is joined on the committee by Congressman Ben Chandler (D-Versailles) - another Obama superdelegate - and former Congressmen Mike Ward (D-Louisville), Roman Mazzoli (D-Louisville), and Ken Lucas (D-Richwood).

Yarmuth noted the Committee could help sway Kentucky's three undecided superdelegates to Obama.

The Congressman also shrugged off suggestion that Hillary Clinton should quit the race following last night's primaries.

"I don't want her to drop out until May 21," said Yarmuth, pointing to the day after the Kentucky primary. "I think that it sustains interest in the campaign and sustains interest in our nomination...In my opinion, it does not hurt us if she stays in the race.