Wednesday, May 17, 2000
Pols love a good fight
Righteous indignation on display
This always happens around election time.
The Kentucky primary is next week and one candidate accuses another of using the power of a political position to win favor with voters.
U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, the Southgate Republican, claims Gov. Paul Patton, a Democrat from Pikeville, took credit for doling out money to cities without giving kudos to the federal government, which provided most of the dough.
Last week, Mr. Patton's office announced $7 million in grants to 24 cities, including Newport, Dayton and Falmouth.
Mr. Bunning isn't saying that the local cities don't deserve the cash. He just thinks Mr. Patton is trying to grab all the glory.
“The bulk of the funds announced by the governor are paid out of receipts from the federal gas tax, which Congress has sent back for local use,” Mr. Bunning said in a statement.
“The governor has announced these grants, making no mention that over 70 percent of the money has actually been sent from Washington.”
Mr. Bunning went on to say that Mr. Patton snubbed some cities while making sure his hometown of Pikeville landed $675,000 and Dawson Springs got $365,000.
The latter got under Mr. Bunning's skin because it is the hometown of Democrat Steve Beshear, a former lieutenant governor who ran for the U.S. Senate against Republican Mitch McConnell four years ago.
Mr. Bunning called the maneuvering “suspicious.”
Remember, Mr. Bunning and Mr. Patton aren't on the ballot next week. Or next year.
Remember also that these two have been going at it for the last couple of years, even though they probably won't run against each other until 2004 at the earliest. That's when Mr. Bunning is up for re-election and Mr. Patton said he may run against him.
So get used to it. These two love to jab.
“Jim Bunning never backed down from anybody when he was pitching professional baseball,” Rick Robinson, the Fort Mitchell lawyer who worked as a Capitol Hill aide for Mr. Bunning, once told me.
“He sure isn't going to back down from a political fight. Ever.”
Or let one die.
Take Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Bunning “blasted” — and that's from his own press release — Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan for raising interest rates.
So, political enemies of Jim Bunning, get out your shields and your swords and prepare to do battle.
The senator is on a roll.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for The Kentucky Enquirer. He can be reached at 578-5581, or by e-mail at crowleys@cinci.infi.net.
