Jim (netwriter) wrote, @ 2006-07-06 11:46:00

Current mood:

chipper

Rep. Ron Lewis visit to Bardstown ...
All the stars and planets must have been in alignment yesterday, as luck was with me in my battle against Murphy's Law.

Whatever could have gone wrong Wednesday morning did, with the final problem before lunch showing up while I was driving to town. My cellphone buzzing in my shirt pocket while only minutes from town was truly a bad sign -- a plumbing emergency back home forced my illegal u-turn and threatened my chances to hear U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis speak at the Bardstown Rotary Club's lunch meeting.

In spite of the set-backs, the timing of my arrival at the Talbott Tavern -- with which I had little control over -- was perfect. I took a seat as outgoing Rotary Club president Matthew Hite prepared to start the short business meeting.

Judging from my past visits to the Bardstown Rotary meetings, this one seemed lightly attended. I'm not sure if it was due to summer vacations, the Fourth of July holiday or the political persuasion of the guest speaker. The tray of Rotary member name tags next to the door appeared to be nearly three-fourths full.

Guests at the Rotary meeting included state Sen. Dan Kelley and state Rep. David Floyd, who had the honor of introducing Lewis.

Notably absent was Kentucky Standard publisher Ron Filkins, who had stated in his column last week he planned to ask Lewis about the Congressman's recent mailing. Tom Isaac, PLG-TV 13 news director, told me that Filkins was out of town and unable to attend. Tom asked Lewis about the mailing and franking privileges, but Lewis' response was limited to comments about Filkins' column. Lewis didn't address the franking issue.

A reporter from The Wall Street Journal was traveling with Lewis, apparently to observe what issues 2nd District constituents have on their minds. The reporter asked if he could tag along to WBRT studios to listen in on "The Brooks & Ken Show." I agreed, and the group of us walked over to the studio. We were several minutes late and we joined Kenny Fogle as the show was in progress.

As the more liberal half of "Brooks & Ken," Kenny Fogle asked Lewis to respond to his questions on lots of issues -- tax cuts, the death tax and more. Lewis never batted an eye.

Several listeners called in, though there were likely fewer people listening because the impromptu show ran from 1-2 p.m. on Wednesday, which was outside its usual 11-Noon slot on Tuesday and Thursday. Lewis was unable to come to Bardstown for the radio program on its usual day and time. The program with Lewis was taped and broadcast this morning.

The partisan pundits who believe Lewis is in lockstep with President George W. Bush are clearly ignoring where Lewis stands on issues like immigration. Lewis said Wednesday that he supports reducing the U.S. troop levels in Iraq, and contends correctly that its time for the Iraqi government to take control of its own destiny.

In short, you come away with an impression that Lewis takes stands he believes in. And he's wise enough to keep a sense of humor about the partisan salvos fired his way.

Some Kentucky liberal blogs have been saying that Lewis' poll numbers must be in trouble due to the fact that Vice-President Dick Cheney is coming to campaign for Lewis in Owensboro on Monday, July 10th. There's still a lot of time between now and November, and in politics, even two weeks can be an eternity. But barring a major faux pas or a shift in public opinion, Lewis remains on track to keep his seat in Congress.

From the look of things from my hill overlooking Cox's Creek, if there's a groundswell of anti-Lewis opposition in the electorate, it's still out there on the very liberal fringes.



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