Sunday, November 07, 1999
Anti-Lucas radio spots embarrass GOP again
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Another election is over. Let's talk about the next one.
The GOP gang that can't shoot straight. Politics can be a lot like baseball. You need to swing, but it's bad to miss.
Well, Republicans in Washington have again swung and missed at U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas.
Last week a little-known group called Americans for Economic Growth ran radio spots in eastern Kentucky and other parts of the country that attacked some Democratic members of Congress over their stance on Social Security.
The ads placed on radio stations in West Virginia, which borders parts of Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, were clearly shots at Mr. Lucas.
Stories in the national press linked the group to House Republican Whip Tom Delay, a hard-nosed pol known for playing tough politics. The ads were strikingly similar to ones the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has been also been airing against Democrats.
Both sets of ads allege that liberals in Congress “want to use their voting cards to pick the Social Security lock box” and spend the money on big-government programs.
The Lucas camp in Washington went crazy because Mr. Lucas is one of the co-sponsors of the so-called lock box bill, legislation designed to safeguard Social Security funds from being used in general programs.
At least one station pulled the ads after Mr. Lucas and his staff com plained and provided documentation about the congressman's support for the bill.
This isn't the first time the GOP has been embarrassed after attacking Mr. Lucas with an inaccurate ad.
During the 1996 election, Channel 9 pulled an ad that was partially financed by the NRCC. Several inaccurate statements were made about Mr. Lucas's tenure as Boone County judge-executive, including false information that he used $18,000 in county money to purchase a car and then spent additional money on car washes and gas.
“I guess when the Republicans in Washington tell a lie, they tell a big lie,” Bob Doyle, Mr. Lucas's Washington political consultant, said.
It remains to be seen what kind of campaign Republican Don Bell is going to run against Mr. Lucas.
It's hard enough for a candidate outside Northern Kentucky to win the 4th District. Mr. Bell is from Oldham County near Louisville.
Mr. Lucas continues to haul in the dough. He raised $20,000 two weeks ago at a lawyer-heavy fund-raiser at the Erlanger home of Phil Taliaferro, one of the area's best known and well-connected attorneys. With a few more decent fund-raisers before next spring, Mr. Lucas will be approaching $1 million for his re-election fund.
Mr. Bell, meanwhile, is holding his first major fund-raiser today in LaGrange, the Oldham County seat. It might be fun to attend, though.
The featured entertainment is an Elvis impersonator.
When the checks come in, the talent, with quivering lip and deep voice, may respond, “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Early research. Why was Republican Craig Bohman, who plans to run for Covington city commission next year, hanging out at the Kenton County Clerk's office on election night and checking voter returns?
While he is a political junkie, Mr. Bohman said he had a reason for being at the courthouse.
“I want to get a list of the people who voted,” he said. “To come out in a election like this, when there are no local candidates on the ballot and the weather was miserable, they are hardcore voters.
“And they are the ones I want to get to next year because if they voted (Tuesday), they'll vote anytime.”
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 E-mail: crowleys@cinci.infi.net.
