BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
While we wait to watch Bill Clinton squirm in his videotaped testimony, let's see who's wiggling around the political scene.
Notice me, please
In case you hadn't noticed, this is the busiest year in Kentucky political history. For the first time candidates for federal, statehouse, county, city and school board offices are sharing a very crowded Nov. 3 ballot.
With so many pols going after so many offices, the candidates are scrambling to get notice from the voters, stories from the media and money from a pool of campaign contributors that is only so big. So innovation and hard work are going into getting a mention in the paper, a check from a donor or a favorable reception from a potential voter.
In some campaigns it has come down to a case of blood, sweat or jeers.
Two candidates literally bled for their causes. Terry Rasche, a Woodlawn Republican running for Campbell County Commission, and Covington City Commission candidate J.T. Spence sponsored blood drives to attract some attention, voters and, of course, blood for the Hoxworth Blood Center.
Most candidates, at least the ones who are really hustling, walk neighborhoods and knock on doors. When the resident isn't home, or hiding in the kitchen, some politicians leave handwritten notes, which is a very nice, personal touch. Among those that do are Campbell County statehouse candidate Jim Daley, a Cold Spring Democrat, and Campbell County coroner candidate Dr. Mark Schweitzer, a Republican from Fort Thomas.
There are few, if any, candidates who have been more aggressive in issuing policy statements and proposals than Boone County Democrat Ken Lucas, running in the 4th District Congressional race.
But Mr. Lucas has also hounded and attacked his opponent, Gex "Jay" Williams, a Verona Republican. The effort has resulted in lots of negative stories about Mr. Williams.
One way to get a voters' attention is to hand out stuff, like the football schedules and buckets -- "I've got a bucket full of reasons to vote for me" -- that Campbell County Judge-executive Ken Paul gives out on the stump.
His Democratic colleague on the county fiscal court, Commissioner Roland Vories, has all kinds of goodies, from ball caps to UK garbage cans.
And it seems everybody has at least one of these to shove into voters' hands: refrigerator magnets, emery boards, slick literature, stickers, notepads, pens and high school sports schedules.
Another challenge is trying to get donors to not just write a check, but to attend campaign fund-raisers.
Some fund-raiser hosts go all out with the best booze and wine, fancy hors d'oeuvres served by men and women wearing crisp white shirts and dark black pants, elegant but not too loud background music and lots of small groups in hushed, quiet conversations. Those are usually thrown by Republicans, and they can be fun or they can be a stuffy, snobby bust.
Some fund-raisers feature cold beer, lots of bourbon, bratwursts and hot dogs, loud conversation, louder music, a heated argument or two and eventually some bad but enjoyable dancing. Needless to say, those are usually Democratic affairs.
Then there are in-betweens: A good party at a GOP event in a half-million-dollar house; or a boring Democratic function where the atmosphere is as stale as the bowls of potato chips scattered across cafeteria tables at some aging school hall where the lights are always too dark or too bright.
Other than bringing out a big name like Charlton Heston, Newt Gingrich or Bob Dole -- all of whom have or will come into Northern Kentucky for political fund-raisers this election season -- there are no guarantees that anything will work in garnering attention from the public and the media.
But they're out there trying.
Rick Robinson and Jim Kidney lost May's GOP Congressional primary to Gex "Jay" Williams, but they haven't lost their party spirit. Mr. Robinson introduced Mr. Dole at two Williams fund-raisers last week, delivering a passionate, funny speech in the process. And Mr. Kidney attended one of the events and has pledged to help secure votes in his native Campbell County.
The Campbell County Republican Party held a fund-raiser, rally and auction last week at Thomasville in Dayton.
Former county Judge-executive and Alexandria Mayor candidate Lloyd Rogers donated a copy of independent counsel Ken Starr's sexually explicit report on the affair between President Clinton and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
"I paid $10 for it," Mr. Rogers said, "and it went for $26 at the auction."
Surely it wasn't Shirley
Anybody catch Larry King's call-in talk show on CNN last Thursday night?
The topic was, what else, the Clinton - Lewinsky affair. Mr. King took a call from Fort Mitchell, Ky., with the woman on the line -- who defended the president -- sounding a lot like Kenton County Democratic Chairwoman Shirley Huelsmann.
"It wasn't me," she said Friday morning. "It must have sounded like me because I got some calls about it, but we were watching a movie at the time."
If it wasn't she, then who was it? Call in and let us know. There aren't a whole of Clinton defenders in Northern Kentucky.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for the Enquirer. He can be reached at 578-5581, or (502) 875-7526 in Frankfort.
CROWLEY ARCHIVE