Lunsford defends his record: 'I think I should be able to respond'

In a brief interview with PolitickerKY.com on Thursday, Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford defended himself and his business record from mounting criticism from the campaign of his principal opponent, Greg Fischer.

"With the exception of maybe a traffic ticket, I am not someone who has ever done anything that I can look back on that should in any way, shape, or form inhibit me from having an opportunity in public service," said Lunsford.

Fischer has targeted Lunsford by frequently referring to Vencor, the nursing home chain founded by Lunsford that was subject to claims of "failure of care" and Medicare and Medicaid overbilling as well as charges of patient abuse. Vencor ultimately agreed to a $104.5 million settlement pertaining to the "failure of care" and "overbilling" charges, though the Lunsford campaign is careful to argue no wrongdoing was ever agreed to by Vencor as part of that agreement.

"I built a big company - a huge company. You can't control 62,000 people," said Lunsford, referring to Vencor. "I'll put my record up - it's pretty open since I ran a public company, versus this ‘open record' that Greg talks about. The truth of the matter is I know his company has had issues, too."

"But...I want to talk about the things that count in this country, the things that made it great," Lunsford continued. "I don't want to talk about that nickel-and-dime stuff."

Fischer is currently CEO of the Dant Clayton Corporation, a company that manufactures stadium seating. He also founded SerVend, a vending company that was sold in 1997.

Lunsford continued by saying his business record is something he is proud of.

"My background - I'll put it up against anybody," said Lunsford. "I think I could realistically say - and one of the things that is difficult for me to do as a politician is to brag - that I have started more jobs in the state of Kentucky in both the public sector and the private sector than anybody else living in Kentucky today. If there is one, I don't know who that is."

The frontrunning candidate, according to recent polls, Lunsford has been the subject of attack ads and a website created by the Fischer camp concerning Vencor and Lunsford's history of providing some political and financial support to Republicans.

"I think it's unfortunate that the one candidate who has spent a lot of money has spent a lot tearing me down," said Lunsford. "I don't think that's good for politics in general, I don't think that's good for Democrats in the state."

Last week, however, the Lunsford campaign fired back. Press releases and emails from the campaign were dispatched accusing Fischer of "hypocrisy" on two counts: first for three donations Fischer made to Republican candidates and second for Fischer's investment in mutual funds with some holdings in Vencor's successor companies.

Fischer's campaign denounced the charges, claiming Fischer never directly invested in the Vencor companies. The Fischer campaign has also argued that Lunsford has given more support to Republicans in the past, noting his 2003 endorsement of GOP gubernatorial candidate Ernie Fletcher.

Lunsford said that he thought his campaign's response to Fischer's attacks was justified.

"All I care about is when someone says the ‘truth' about somebody and it's an untruth - that is a classical example of hypocrisy," said Lunsford. "When somebody puts there record up against mine and then highlights things that are taken out of context or are somewhat insignificant in my broad based record, I think I should be able to respond to that."

"I particularly take offense at it when it's someone who really hasn't been vetted in the public eye like I have all these years that does it in what I consider a hypocritical fashion," said Lunsford.