Jim's Blurty

Subject:	Some of my best friends are Democrats ...
Time:	11:07 am.

It's probably as surprising to my Republican friends as it was this morning to Democrats to find content about the local Democratic party on The Nelson County Gazette. All of this came about after my wife and I attended the Nelson Dems' Jefferson-Jackson Dinner last Friday evening at Old Kentucky Home Country Club. The event was sponsored by the local Democratic women's club and the Democratic executive committee.

It was an enjoyable evening, and as you might expect I took a good bit of ribbing from those who knew my politics and party registration. The dinner, the first-ever Jefferson-Jackson Dinner for the local Democrats, was in my mind a must-attend political event.

I have been a big fan of the GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner events for years. The Lincoln dinners honor the legacy of our 16th president, but just as importantly, they are an opportunity for voters to meet candidates and elected officials face-to-face. As a political junkie and journalist, the Democrat event was a prime opportunity to find out what the Democratic primary candidates have to say.

OBSERVATIONS. The man who stole the show was Sen. Wendell Ford. As you might expect, an 84-year-old man who has spent much of his life in politics can still spin a great yarn with great timing and finesse. He also drove home some very good points with his observations about the political process.

His comments weren't totally partisan in nature. He was critical of how partisan politics has become, saying that the parties need to work together. He was critical of the media's role in giving voice to the increasingly partisan nature of politicians. He advocated a return to compassion in compromise, citing Henry Clay's definition of compromise as "negotiated hurt."

There's no doubt the man still has politics in his veins; his voice rose strong and loud when he hit his stride during his address. Age has not dimmed his passion, nor his love for Kentucky and his interest in improving our quality of life.

I took the opportunity to thank him for speaking. His grip was firm, his handshake strong as ever, his smile genuine and warm. After 35 years of public service, it was clear he was man who loved his work.

FORD'S BETTER IDEA. Sen. Ford's comments for bipartisan cooperation should first be implemented here in Nelson County. Nelson County Democrats, please take note.

The Nelson County GOP and a former Democratic executive committee member have repeatedly proposed a joint picnic involving both parties, a kind of mini Fancy Farm-type event. This event would be a gathering where both political parties could invite their candidates to come speak while everyone enjoyed a good Kentucky cookout.

And let's face it -- members of both parties are coworkers, friends and often relatives. Why not hold a family-friendly joint event where we can celebrate our common belief in a two-party political system and recognize that as friends and neighbors we can respect our differing points of view while working toward a common goal.

Local Republican leaders have supported having a combined political picnic with the county Democrats; its been the Democratic party leadership who have turned down the idea. Some Democrats apparently believe a joint event would give the county Republican party legitimacy by acknowledging it exists. Such arrogance flies in the face of everything Sen. Ford said in his comments at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

I call on the county Democratic party to embrace the spirit of bipartisanship that can allow us to improve the political process we all cherish, to respect our differences while we celebrate our common beliefs. As Sen. Ford said Friday, "Change is on everybody's mind today. With some good old-fashioned hard work and by doing the right thing, we'll that's just about the best change we can make today."

POLITICAL REVIEW. Bruce Lunsford was personable and had a good handshake. He worked the crowd at a steady pace, introducing himself but not pushing campaign stickers. In fact, I didn't see many candidates pushing campaign stickers or decals.

In his comments to the crowd, Lunsford was highlighting his early years and his life on a Northern Kentucky farm with his family of modest means. As the leading millionaire in the Democratic primary, he's trying to establish himself as the candidate who is in-touch with everyday life. And despite his party defection -- when he dropped his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor and later endorsed Republican Ernie Fletcher -- he pointed to his loyalty in his unsuccessful run for governor last year when he joined the other losing Democrats and publicly supported Gov. Steve Beshear.

From what I can gather, Lunsford's main Democratic competitor is Greg Fischer from Louisville. Fischer's young looks probably work against him. He seems to be a man with passion, and a man who has found success in business.

I spent some time Friday night talking with David L. Williams of Glasgow (who is not the state Senate president who hails from Burkesville). He and I had crossed paths some years ago during his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the state's 2nd Congressional seat. I was one of the journalists on the panel during his KET debate with fellow Democrat Pete Tabb.

Williams lost his voice box to cancer years ago, and he relies on a battery-powered electromechanical buzzer to speak. Understanding him if you aren't familiar with this sort of buzzer-powered speech takes very careful listening. The room acoustics and the lack of a PA system made hearing Williams' comments difficult Friday evening.

James Rice of Taylor County used a large hourglass to illustrate the rate at which our country is sliding deeper in debt. He admitted his campaign is low budget, but he pledged that "as long as there are issues, I'll continue to be involved."

Sen. David Boswell and Daviess County Judge-Executive both impressed me as credible candidates for Kentucky's 2nd District. Boswell has the longer resume and greater name recognition across the district. One of them will go on to face Sen. Brett Guthrie in the fall. Guthrie attended the local GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner in February.

From my hill overlooking Cox's Creek, the secret for Boswell's campaign will be to promote himself as a conservative Democrat. He's running in KY 2nd, not Jefferson County, so he's got to do a better job of making himself look both credible and conservative than did Mike Weaver two years ago.

If you look at some of the many bills that the General Assembly considered during this session, you'll find several that were sponsored by both Sen. Boswell and his GOP congressional opponent, Sen. Brett Guthrie.

Many liberal Democrats were critical of Weaver's conservative stance during his primary race; will this fall's General Election see two congressional candidates wrangling over which is most conservative? As one of my college professors used to tell me, "If you have two candidates who agree on everything, you have one candidate too many."

Either way, the race for the 2nd District will be the race to watch in November.

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