BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SHELBYVILLE, Ky. -- Ken Lucas leaned against a brittle, brown bale of burley tobacco stacked in the Big Shelby Tobacco Warehouse and took a swipe at President Clinton.
"Bill Clinton disappointed me with his attempts at trying to regulate tobacco as a drug. And he let this people down," Mr. Lucas said, gesturing with his arm to a group of three Shelby County tobacco farmers standing nearby.
"And he didn't invite the tobacco farmer to the table when the tobacco settlement was being worked out. That's not what we need in Washington. We need somebody who will support the tobacco farmer and protect their interests, their livelihood."
Mr. Lucas, former Boone County judge-executive and 4th District Democratic congressional candidate, was raised on a Grant County tobacco farm. He came to this tobacco-dependent town Tuesday to talk tough about the state's No. 1 cash crop.
In less than a week, the voters of the 22-county 4th District choose between the Mr. Lucas and Republican Gex "Jay" Williams, a state senator from Boone County.
Mr. Lucas came to Shelbyville, the Shelby County seat about 80 miles southwest of Cincinnati, with U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford, the Democrat and former governor who is retiring this year after four terms in the Senate.
Mr. Ford was helping Mr. Lucas stump among a group of about 40 farmers who came to the cavernous warehouse to hear the pols talk about tobacco.
"We need people in Congress who are going to work with people to get things done in for Kentucky and for the tobacco farmer," said Mr. Ford, long recognized as a defender of tobacco in Washington.
"And Ken Lucas will be that kind of politician. He'll work for you."
Farmer Eddie Mathis, a school board member and the chairman of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, said the county's economy relies on the money tobacco generates.
"I don't like what (Mr.) Clinton has tried to do to tobacco," said Mr. Mathis, who raised 45,000 pounds of burley tobacco this year. "And that's the way a lot of people, especially the farmers, feel about it."
Because of Mr. Clinton's tobacco policy, some Democrats may not vote that way next week, Mr. Mathis said.
Mr. Williams may also get a boost from U.S. Rep. Jim Bunning, R-Southgate, who is running for Mr. Ford's Senate seat against U.S. Rep. Scotty Baesler, D-Lexington.
"Bunning's got awfully long coattails in this county," admitted Democratic state Rep. Marshall Long of Shelbyville, who is running for the state senate.
"But I think the Democrats are coming on. Ken Lucas has been here a lot, and Baesler seems to really be picking up some steam. Any kind of late surge from the Democrats will probably have a big impact," Mr. Long said.
Mr. Lucas' campaign against Mr. Williams, in which the Republican has been hammered for a series of ethical problems, may have struck a chord with some voters here.
"I'm not sure people trust Gex Williams," Mr. Mathis said. "He seems to be in trouble quite a bit."
Mr. Williams has said most of the problems raised by the Lucas campaign are election year ploys.
And he said in a statement he will also work to protect the interests of the tobacco farmer.
"I do not favor increasing tobacco excise taxes that are regressive and hurt Kentucky's growers and rural communities," Mr. Williams said. "I will work for policies that preserve the viability and stability for family tobacco farms and rural communities dependent upon tobacco production and revenue."
The 4th District race continues to draw a lot of national attention. With Mr. Lucas on Tuesday were reporters from the Houston Chronicle, USA Today and the British Broadcasting Corp.
Grower John Bradshaw, 58, of Shelby County said he came to the tobacco warehouse Tuesday "to hear what they had to say about tobacco."
"I wished they would have talked more about tobacco. I heard a lot of promises. Hope (Mr. Lucas) keeps them if he gets to Washington."
