Thursday, February 04, 1999
Moorman may make another run
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Well, the governor's race won't really be a race, there's a Democratic primary for state treasurer (oh boy) and nobody is taking on any of the local judges.
Think it will be a quiet political year in Northern Kentucky?
Think again.
What Bernie wants. For the first time in 25 years, Bernie Moorman isn't holding elected office. The Covington Democrat lost his Kenton County Commissioner seat in November to Republican Dan Humpert.
But don't think for a minute the soft-spoken yet politically hardened Mr. Moorman is biding his time down by the river in his spectacular Amos Shinkle Townhouse bed and breakfast.
For one, he's been hosting meetings with other Dems interested in trying to reinvigorate the moribund Kenton County Democratic Party.
But what's really juicy is that Mr. Moorman is pondering another run for office, possibly going for mayor of Covington or the state Senate seat held by Republican Jack Westwood of Erlanger.
“I'm not ruling anything out,” Mr. Moorman said.
“It's nice to be out of office and to take a break, but I enjoy public office very much and I still want to make a contribution.”
Mr. Moorman, who served as Covington mayor in the early 1980s, said he'll make a decision in the next several months.
A man without a party? Former Kenton County Commissioner Steve Arlinghaus, a Villa Hills Democrat, has been angling forever to switch parties.
Two years ago Mr. Arlinghaus was on the verge of switching to the GOP, even going so far as to schedule a press conference before backing out at the last minute.
He was spotted on last summer's fair and festival circuit wearing a shirt promoting the Republican candidate and eventual winner of the Kenton County judge-executive race, Dick Murgatroyd.
And during last year's election Mr. Arlinghaus went to Kenton County Republican Party leaders with a deal where they would back him instead of his opponent, Republican Adam Koenig. Mr. Arlinghaus would then become a Republican after the race.
Thanks, but no thanks, the GOP said, and Mr. Koenig won the seat.
But it was also Mr. Arlinghaus who started asking questions about a possible conflict of interest involving newly elected Kenton County Surveyor Jim Shumate, the Republican who beat Democratic incumbent Jimmy Williams in November.
Mr. Arlinghaus wanted to know about last fall, when Mr. Shumate's employer, David E. Estes Engineering Inc., did some engineering work for Kenton County involving planning of the new county jail.
The questions raised by Mr. Arlinghaus delayed Mr. Shumate from taking office, prompted an inquiry by the county's ethics commission and embarrassed the GOP.
Needless to say the folks down at GOP headquarters in Fort Wright aren't real thrilled with the inquisitive Mr. Arlinghaus. And his attempts at defecting from the Democratic Party probably haven't endeared him to the Dems.
If Mr. Arlinghaus does try to get back into politics, he could find it difficult to warm up to either side.
Peppy gets petty. The Republicans' Don Quixoteesque gubernatorial campaign got off to a laughable, or maybe sad, start last week when GOP hopeful Peppy Martin blew into town.
Ms. Martin of Hart County visited the Kenton County Republican Party open house at GOP headquarters in Fort Wright.
Some of the party leaders in attendance said Peppy didn't do a bad job when it came to talking issues, but then she went off on Gov. Paul Patton, calling him an “s.o.b” and “a jerk” among other names.
Smooth. Note to Peppy: Name-calling may not be the best way to be taken seriously as a political candidate.
They have to come from somewhere. Kenton County District Judge Frank Trusty dropped by the Republican open house — presumably not to hear Peppy trash talk — and had this comment about the crowd:
“I've never seen so many former Democrats in my life.”
This judge-executive stuff is easy. Fort Thomas Republican Steve Pendery has to be enjoying his first few weeks of his dual role as Campbell County judge-executive and chairman of the Tri-County Economic Development Corp.
Last week Mr. Pendery helped announce plans by the French company LaFarge to build a $94 million dry wall plant in Silver Grove. And Tuesday he was the MC when the Cincinnati Riverhawks pro soccer team held a press conference to tout its move to Wilder.
“Is it always this easy?” he joked.
But Mr. Pendery, the former Fort Thomas mayor, seems to be warming to his new office without getting a big head.
During the LaFarge announcement, he gave plenty of kudos to the guy he beat in November, former judge-executive Ken Paul. It was Mr. Paul and others who really made LaFarge happen.
Mr. Pendery was also smooth and polished during the Riverhawks press conference. During the early days of his judge-executive campaign he wasn't the world's greatest orator.
He was especially composed toward the end of the press conference when a Wilder city official showed some incredibly poor timing and complained for not knowing about the Riverhawks until the morning of the press conference.
Rather than passing the blame, turning red or fighting back, Mr. Pendery calmly explained that Tri-ED accepted the responsibility for not notifying the city.
Peppy could learn something from Mr. Pendery.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for The Kentucky Enquirer. His column appears Thursdays and Sundays. He can be reached at 578-5581, or 502-875-7526 in Frankfort, or by e-mail at crowleys@cinci.infi.net.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for the Enquirer. He can be reached at 578-5581, or (502) 875-7526 in Frankfort.
CROWLEY ARCHIVE