Lunsford calls McConnell the ‘poster boy of old Washington politics’ in Murray

MURRAY -- In a well-received speech in front of 300 western Kentucky Democrats, U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) said unseating his opponent should be a principle goal of those pushing for "change" in the federal government - a concern he aligned with both presidential candidates.

"If you want to change the culture in Washington, what better message can you send than to remove the biggest obstacle from changing the culture - to send Mitch McConnell packing," said Lunsford. "He is the quintessential poster boy of the old Washington politics."

"Change" is a principle buzzword this election cycle given its central usage by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and Senator, Barack Obama (D-Ill.). "Change" is also a staple term in Lunsford's rhetorical lexicon, yet at the Purchase Area Jefferson-Jackson dinner Lunsford did not attribute it solely to the man atop the Democratic ticket.

"There may be a lot Barack Obama and John McCain disagree on," said Lunsford. "One thing I have found that they both agree on is that both of them believe that we need to change the Washington culture."

The seemingly bi-partisan appeal by Lunsford in western Kentucky may connect with some Democrats hesitant to support Obama. The Illinois Senator fared poorly in the area in both the May 20 primary against Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) - losing the west's 1st Congressional District by nearly fifty points - and in recent public polling against presumptive Republican nominee and Senator, John McCain, of Arizona. A SurveyUSA poll released in mid-June showed Obama down 18 points to McCain in western Kentucky.

Calling himself a "Kennedy Democrat" after acknowledging old campaign posters of both Robert and John Kennedy on the walls of the meeting room at Murray State University, Lunsford briefly hit upon gas prices, the national debt, and the nation's health care system during his remarks.

Of the latter, the Louisville businessman said "If we don't change it now, in ten years it will be the same type of problem that we have now with our gas prices."

Lunsford also re-iterated his belief that expanded domestic oil drilling - a prized proposal of his opponent, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) - would not lower gas prices substantially.

"We are so addicted to oil that today we consume over 25 percent of the world's production and produce only 3 percent," said Lunsford. "All the drilling we could possibly do cannot offset that deficit. We have got to get away from oil as our only source of energy."