Ron Lewis

State Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) speaks in Elizabethtown: Politicker photo

ELIZABETHTOWN -- A luncheon sponsored by the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Chamber of Commerce was the second of three joint appearances today for the two candidates in Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District race. State Sens. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) and David Boswell (D-Owensboro) both took the podium for around seven minutes and  made their case to the hundred-plus in attendance at the Pritchard Community Center in Elizabethtown.

The candidates hammered on their developed themes, with Boswell pushing his "America First" slogan and highlighting his years of experience in government and Guthrie pointing to his own government service and time in the private sector.

The Republican and the Democrat appeared to get along well on-stage, joking prior to their speeches, and they largely did not reference each other during their respective speeches. Guthrie, who has been the target of attack ads from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in recent weeks, did offer a defense from the DCCC's charges that his family company exported work to Mexico.

The Republican candidate repeated his assertion that his Bowling Green-based company, Trace Die Cast, did not ship work south of the border, but only sold products to a customer with a factory based there.

"If we don't change the culture in Washington D.C., these partisan attacks are not going to stop in the future," said Guthrie of the ads.

A second effort to pass the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 in the U.S. House found just one change among the Kentucky delegation from the roll call from the first effort earlier this week.

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) was the only Kentuckian in the House to change his vote from the Monday roll call, when the bailout package failed before the House.

Today, the revised version or the Senate’s marked-up bailout bill, 263 votes to 171. Kentucky's delegation voted as follows:

Both candidates for the open seat race in Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District are confirmted to meet for a debate this evening to be broadcast live on statewide television.

State Senators Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) and David Boswell (D-Owensboro) will debate tonight at 8pm ET on Kentucky Education Television for the second in that network's series of candidate forums.

The two have appeared jointly already this election season, meeting at an agricultural forum sponsored by the Hardin County Farm Bureau.

Along with the news that its candidate was added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red-to-Blue list, State Sen. David Boswell's (D-Owensboro) campaign team announced it was expanding to incorporate some veterans of Kentucky and national politics.

Boswell was added to the DCCC's Red-to-Blue list as a candidate in a Republican-held district targeted for Democratic takeover. Boswell is facing state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) for the 2nd Congressional District, which is open following the retirement of U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia).

"Senator Boswell is running a real grassroots campaign focusing on changing our country, and his message is catching fire throughout the district," said Mark Riddle, chief strategist for Boswell, in a statement released today "Senator Boswell was chosen for the DCCC's Red to Blue program because his vision of putting America first is resonating all over the Commonwealth."

Retiring U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia) finally endorsed state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) as his successor for the 2nd Congressional District seat. Lewis, who has held the seat since 1994, said in a statement that it's important to "[make] sure we have a voice for conservative values representing us in Congress."

Lewis probably understands the importance of winning this particular election and the power of incumbency better than most. His successor, U.S. Rep. William H. Natcher (D), served in the House for 41 years and set a record by casting 18,401 consecutive votes.

U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia), left, and 2nd Congressional District candidate Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green): Campaign photo

The campaign of state Senator Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) says they now have the endorsement of current 2nd Congressional District incumbent Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia), following a joint appearance by the two at an event in Hardinsburg.

"This good man is going to Washington, and he's going to do a great job. This really is the most important election in my lifetime, and Brett Guthrie is a big key to making sure we have a voice for conservative values representing us in Congress," Lewis said, according to a statement from the Guthrie campaign.

On the January 29 candidate filing deadline this year, Lewis surprisingly announced he would retire after fourteen years representing the 2nd District in Congress, despite assurances to national Republicans that he would seek re-election.

His announcement was timed in an effort to ensure Daniel London, his chief of staff, would be the only Republican on the ballot. The Republican National Campaign Committee reportedly had prepared Guthrie for that very scenario, however, and the Bowling Green Republican filed his candidacy papers with literally minutes to spare.

Two weeks after the deadline passed, it seemed Guthrie and London would be pitted against each other in a Republican primary, but Lewis apologized to his constituents for his "poor judgment," while London withdrew from the race.

Thus, Lewis' endorsement of Guthrie for his seat carries some significance beyond that of a retiring incumbent endorsing his party's candidate to succeed him.

State Sen. David BoswellAfter being omitted from two rounds of television ad buys by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign of state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro) is finally rallying some national attention for their efforts in the 2nd Congressional District race.

According to campaign advisor Jim Cole, a fundraiser hosted by former governor and U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford (D-Owensboro) and U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) is in the works for Boswell.

Ford currently holds the record as Kentucky's longest serving U.S. senator, having held that office for four terms until his retirement in 1998, while Hoyer packs his own fundraising punch as the second-ranking U.S. House Democrat.

Boswell is aiming to end a fourteen-year Republican hold on the 2nd District, which is open after current incumbent U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia) announced his retirement in January.

U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in Inez, KY earlier this year: Politicker photo

The campaign of presumptive Republican presidential nominee and U.S. Sen. John McCain announced its first organizational moves in the state this afternoon, naming state Senate President David Williams (R-Burkesville) as Kentucky campaign chair.

A 22-year veteran of the state Senate, Williams has served as that body's president since 2000. He also unsuccessfully sought to unseat then-incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford in 1996.

"John McCain is a leader who Kentuckians can believe in. John McCain will protect our country, grow our economy, reform our government and improve America's energy security," said Williams in a statement dispatched by the McCain campaign. "We believe voters in Kentucky have a choice this November between John McCain, who will lead this nation forward, and Barack Obama who will take our country backward with his failed policies of the past. John McCain has always put our country's interest before his own; I am confident he will continue to do so as president."

The sudden closure of the Executive Inn of Owensboro means possibly difficult economic times for the western Kentucky city, but will also come as bad news for state Senator David Boswell (D-Sorgho), who was employed as sales and marketing director at the facility.

The hotel announced its closure abruptly on Friday afternoon - so abruptly that a representative from Boswell's campaign was not aware of the change when contacted for for comment.

"I didn't have an inkling about that," said Jim Cole, current campaign manager for Boswell's bid for the 2nd Congressional District seat left open by the retirement of U.S Rep Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia).

Both Cole and Boswell are currently out of the state for brief vacations. Cole indicated he would likely contact Boswell to inform him of the closure, if the Senator did not already know.

On the brighter side of things for the campaign, a selection of strategists are being locked in for the race, which is likely to be a high-profile one, given its targeting by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as a potential pick-up.

The race for the 2nd Congressional District in Kentucky is targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as a potential pick-up, after the seat was left open by the retirement of incumbent Republican Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia). State Senator David Boswell (D-Sorgho) seized his party's nomination for the 2nd on May 20, and now is working to raise funds and assemble a team to face a well-supported opponent in fellow state Senator Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green).David Boswell (D-Sorgho) at the Owensboro International BBQ Festival Political Forum

"We have a dual focus," said Boswell's campaign spokesperson, Jim Cole. "We are fundraising and working on getting the team we want to use for the fall election. We are adding some people and hope to be done by next week."