BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT MITCHELL -- Gov. Paul Patton, largely recognized as the state's leading Democrat, has begun helping Scotty Baesler's U.S. Senate campaign to raise money.
Mr. Patton was in Washington this week and joined Mr. Baesler in making fund-raising phone calls at Democratic National Headquarters. Mr. Baesler, a three-term congressman from Lexington, is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Bunning of Southgate for the U.S. Senate seat Democrat Wendell Ford is vacating this year.
The governor, who has aggressively -- but not always successfully -- helped Democratic candidates in Kentucky, also pledged to hold a fund-raiser for Mr. Baesler next month and stump for him when his schedule allows.
"It's very important that we maintain a Democratic senator for Kentucky," Mr. Patton said in a phone interview Friday from his State Capitol office.
"I'll do all I can for Scotty this year because I really think in this race money is going to make the difference," the governor said.
"If Scotty has enough money to get his message out, he'll win by 10 percent. There's no question about that," Mr. Patton said.
But Mr. Baesler is basically starting from scratch in the general election, having spent most of his campaign money in winning a tough Democratic primary against Louisville businessman Charlie Owen and Lt. Gov. Steve Henry.
Mr. Bunning, meanwhile, had to spend little money in easily defeating little-known state Sen. Barry Metcalf of Richmond. He has $1.4 million in the bank.
Even though Mr. Bunning is in better financial shape than Mr. Baesler, Mr. Patton said he would have expected the Republican to have more money at this point.
"Bunning's strength is the perception he can raise a lot of money, but (his fund raising) is not that outstanding," Mr. Patton said.
Mr. Bunning has said he will raise $4 million to $5 million for the race.
"He won't get to $5 million if he hasn't raised $3 million yet," Mr. Patton said.
Mike Duncan, Mr. Bunning's campaign chairman, said he would expect "the Democratic incumbent governor to support the Democratic Senate candidate."
"I really hope Gov. Patton has as much success as he has had with campaigns he has supported in the past," said Mr. Duncan, hinting at Mr. Patton's spotty record of electing Democrats to statehouse and congressional seats.
Mr. Patton has helped some Democrats get elected, but he also threw his support behind candidates such as former state senators Joe Meyer of Covington and Kelsey Friend of Pikeville, who lost high-profile races in 1996.
But the Baesler camp said they are pleased with Mr. Patton's help.
"The governor is going to help us raise money and will appear with us and for us in some parts of the state as we get into the campaign," said Bob Wiseman, Mr. Baesler's campaign manager.
Mr. Patton said he also intends to help Democrat Ken Lucas, the Boone County judge-executive running against Republican State Sen. Gex "Jay" Williams of Verona in the 4th District congressional race in Northern Kentucky.
And Mr. Patton said he will attend a state Democratic Party fund-raiser planned for Northern Kentucky later this summer. The last such event, held two years ago at Turfway Park, raised more than $200,000 in the largest political fund-raiser ever held in Northern Kentucky.
