BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE -- Democrat Ken Lucas does not plan to attend tonight's 4th District televised debate with Republican Gex "Jay" Williams.
Rather than debating with Mr. Williams on KET statewide television in Lexington, Ky., Mr. Lucas will meet with a Greenup police union in pursuit of its endorsement, said John Lapp, Mr. Lucas' campaign manager.
Mr. Williams will still appear on the program, which begins at 8 p.m. on Channel 54 and InterMedia cable channel 6. But instead of debating, he will take questions for 30 minutes from a panel of reporters.
Mr. Lapp informed KET on Wednesday that Mr. Lucas wouldn't be participating in the debate, which the public television station began organizing in July.
That brought a pointed response from the Williams camp.
"How can voters expect candidates who won't stand up on their own during their campaign to stand up for us in Washington?" said Craig Hendricks, Mr. Williams' campaign manager.
"The fact of the matter is it's time for Ken Lucas to stop hiding behind press releases and negative, untrue smear tactics and stand on his own two feet. The voters of this district deserve no less," he said.
Mr. Lapp said Mr. Lucas is not hiding from Mr. Williams, noting the two are to appear together at a breakfast today before insurance underwriters in Crestview Hills.
Mr. Lucas also plans to attend debates and forums with Mr. Williams on Saturday at Northern Kentucky University, Tuesday in Ashland before the American Association of Retired Persons, or AARP, and Wednesday in Shelbyville before the Shelbyville Farm Bureau. And it was Mr. Williams who recently missed a forum that Mr. Lucas attended at St. Walburg Monastery at Villa Madonna Academy in Villa Hills, Mr. Lapp said.
"Mr. Williams has a lot of nerve," Mr. Lapp said. "If anyone should stand up, it's Gex Williams who must stand up, look voters in the eye and come clean about his shady land deal and other ethics complaints pending against him."
The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission is investigating complaints that Mr. Williams illegally benefited in a $60,000 land sale to a supporter and that he made campaign phone calls from his Statehouse office, a violation of state law.
Mr. Williams has denied wrongdoing in both matters.
Mr. Lucas has also missed or refused to attend some debates and joint appearances, including one before The Cincinnati Enquirer's editorial board. He also would not take a challenge from Mr. Williams to debate in all 22 counties in the 4th District.
In other campaign news:
Mr. Lucas was endorsed by U.S. Term Limits, an advocacy group that tries to get members of Congress and candidates to sign pledges to serve just three terms in the U.S. House.
Mr. Williams received the endorsement of the Kenton County Police Department's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 44.
