US Senate

The campaign of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) today pounced on the news that the Sierra Club was running radio ads critical of its candidate in Kentucky.

Deeming that the ads show opponent Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) "welcomes the support" of the pro-environment organization, McConnell's campaign argued Lunsford shared the position on coal of both the Sierra Club and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

"Here's the question for Kentuckians: can Bruce Lunsford be trusted to support Kentucky coal, which helps drive our economy and keep our electricity rates low? The answer is unequivocally no," said McConnell campaign manager Justin Brasell in a press release dispatched today. "Lunsford would be taking orders from the Sierra Club and Sen. Harry Reid, who make no excuses for their hatred of coal."

The Sierra Club has a history of opposing coal power, labeling the energy source prominent throughout Kentucky as "dirty coal."

Termed the "Switch and drill" platform, Libertarian Senate candidate and former actor Sonny Landham released an energy plan today centering on decreasing demand for oil from member states of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries [OPEC] by allowing more domestic drilling and encouraging the use of hydrogen as a fuel.

"The market for oil is not a free market," reads Landham's platform. "It is dominated by an economic cartel - OPEC...The very purpose of an economic cartel is to control prices."

Landham's platform - penned jointly with one-time 4th Congressional District Republican candidate Roger Thoney - argues expanding domestic drilling while pushing alternatives to oil will force the hand of OPEC states.

"This would greatly decrease the demand for oil from OPEC countries, forcing them to lower their prices or increasing production, in order to do the same," read a statement from Landham's campaign.

A proponent of expanded drilling in both the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, incumbent U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) trotted out a unique defense while speaking to a meeting of Lexington area business and civic leaders.

"As you all probably know in Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana and Texas, they think oil rigs are pretty," McConnell said, according to Lexington television station WTVQ.

Those states - all with borders touching the Gulf of Mexico - are most likely to be home to offshore oil exploration, should a federal moratorium on the practice be lifted.

Lifting that ban is a principle plank of many Republicans' plans to lower gas prices this campaign season.

At the Commerce Lexington Public Affairs Luncheon on Tuesday, McConnell called gas prices the most important issue of the election season. The four-term incumbent said he supports allowing states to decide on drilling off their shores - an option currently barred by the moratorium.

LOUISVILLE -- This week, Kentucky's U.S. Senate race featured a slew of press release assaults from the campaign of incumbent U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) targeting opponent Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville).

McConnell's campaign has focused in on Lunsford for what they call "hypocrisy," due to the Democrat's investment in a private equity fund with some holdings in oil and oil-related businesses.

"The fact is he is profiting from the very policies he criticizes and Kentuckians are tired of his double standard," said Justin Brasell, McConnell's campaign manager, in a release.

Lunsford, however, rejected McConnell's assertion, saying he had little control over his investments in the hedge fund.

"That's the McConnell deception. He knows that when you invest in mutual funds for a period of time it's really like investing in a blind trust," Lunsford said on Thursday. "There's no control by me in where those investments go.

A new poll from Rasmussen Reports shows incumbent Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) with a seven point lead over his opponent, businessman Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville). The results are a significant change from the late-May poll by the same firm showing Lunsford up five points - a poll derided as "bogus" by the McConnell camp.

The survey of 500 "likely" voters in Kentucky shows McConnell up 48 to 41 percent over McConnell just over a month after Rasmussen gave Lunsford a 49 to 44 percent lead.

The margin of error on the newest poll is plus or minus 4.5 percent.

LOUISVILLE -- Arguing against the speculation of many pundits, Kentucky state AFL-CIO president Bill Londrigan told PolitickerKY.com the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), is connecting with many in the Bluegrass State -- including members of his labor coalition.

Rejecting the notion that Obama would struggle with white, working-class voters in the state because of his race, Londrigan said AFL-CIO membership was "a lot more likely to vote for Obama" as he "represents real change, no matter what color he is."

"People are writing off the electorate, but a lot of people are supporting Obama," Londrigan said.

Obama's opponent in Kentucky's May 20 Democratic primary, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) won the state by more than 35 points. Londrigan, however, pointed to Obama's successes as evidence of the Illinois senator's potential in the state.

U.S. Senator Jim Bunning (R-Southgate) has joined with Senator Jim Demint (R-South Carolina) to push for a vote to send controversial housing legislation back to committee.

In a statement released this afternoon, Demint re-iterated concerns that mortgage companies - and Countrywide Financial, in particular - could benefit extensively from the current incarnation of the housing bill.

"There have been very serious concerns raised about actions taken by Countrywide and we need to know what they stand to gain from this bill," said Senator DeMint in a statement dispatched jointly by the two Senators. "The Banking Committee needs to conduct a full investigation and make public the amounts that individual lenders will receive from this massive bill."

For the second time in the young campaign season, the campaign of four-term U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) has released internal polling data showing a large lead on the heels of public polling painting a dimmer picture for the incumbent.

The new internal numbers put McConnell in the same position as figures released from the campaign on May 27, with the Senate Majority Leader holding a 50 to 39 percent lead over Democratic nominee Bruce Lunsford, of Louisville.

The McConnell campaign also said their numbers show a 54 percent favorability rating for their candidate.

U.S. Rep John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) at a Friday press conference in Louisville: Politicker photo

LOUISVILLE - After presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.), lost the Commonwealth's Democratic primary by 35 points to Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), there was necessarily some concern among Kentucky Democrats that a November ticket headed by Obama could potentially have a negative impact on down-ballot races.

U.S. Rep John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) -two of the candidates in those lower-office battles - today addressed the potential "coattails" effect that could, theoretically, throw more votes to Republican candidates for Congress, should Obama's campaign fail to gain traction in the state.

"Barack is going to win a huge majority in this community and a couple of other places in this state," said Yarmuth at a press conference today in Louisville.

Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) speaks at Friday's press conference: Politicker photo

LOUISVILLE - Some of the higher-profile Democrats from the Louisville area appeared in their hometown today to voice their support of Democratic U.S. Senate nominee and Louisville businessman, Bruce Lunsford. For a press conference in downtown's Jefferson Square Park, Lunsford was joined by Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, U.S. Rep John Yarmuth - of Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District - and Attorney General Jack Conway.

Each voiced their endorsement of Lunsford in his bid to unseat four-term incumbent Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville), the Minority Leader in the Senate.

"I want to speak out in regard to his vision. This is a man that I believe sees what is right for the United States and what is right for the commonwealth of Kentucky, first and foremost," said Abramson, the city's long-time mayor. "In my judgement, Bruce Lunsford has the background, the experience and the energy to be able bring about a supportive change that is necessary for the future of America."