Tuesday, August 31, 1999
Louisville man heads Gore's Ky. campaign
Owen stands by Tenn. 'neighbor'
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Louisville businessman Charlie Owen, a Democrat who has run twice for the state's 3rd District U.S. House seat, will serve as chairman of Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign in Kentucky.
Mr. Owen, 60, who made millions in real estate development and cable television investments, was recruited for the nonpaid position by Mr. Gore's campaign vice chairmen in Kentucky — Gov. Paul Patton and former Democratic U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford of Louisville.
“Al Gore is one of the most informed, active and experienced vice presidents we have ever had in this country,” Mr. Owen said. “He has a great vision for this country, and has given very detailed plans with respect to the complex prob lems of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and education.”
While regional vice chairs for the campaign have been named in Lexington, Louisville, western Kentucky and eastern Kentucky, no one has been announced for Northern Kentucky.
Mr. Owen said a local chairman will be named in about two weeks.
“I think Northern Kentucky has much to teach the rest of Kentucky,” Mr. Owen said Monday. “It's an area of growth with a great "can do' attitude that will be well-represented in the Gore campaign.”
While Mr. Gore and President Clinton carried Kentucky in 1992 and 1996, the state has voted Republican in most recent federal elections. Only one Democrat — U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas of Boone County — serves in the state's eight-member congressional delegation.
But Mr. Gore, challenged by former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, may do well in Kentucky because of the Clinton administration's record.
“We've never had an economic expansion last as long, and our country has never been in much better shape than it is today,” Mr. Owen said. “You have to give some credit to the president and vice president for their economic policies.
“The party of fiscal responsibility is the Democratic Party,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Louisville Republican, said Republicans in Congress agree with Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore that $2 trillion of the projected surplus should be used to pay down the national debt while shoring up Social Security and Medicare.
But the Republicans think almost $800 billion of the surplus should be used for a tax cut. Mr. Clinton, who has pushed for smaller “targeted” tax cuts, has promised to veto the GOP-backed tax cut of $792 billion.
“We are awash in your money in Washington,” Mr. McConnell said last week during a campaign fund-raiser in Villa Hills. “So we believe some of that money should be returned to you.
“We will have a sufficient debt reduction, but when Bill Clinton says he wants to invest your money, that means he wants to spend it,” said Mr. McConnell, who is chairing GOP front-runner George W. Bush's Kentucky campaign.
Mr. Owen admitted Mr. Gore could also run into problems in Kentucky with the Clinton administration's record on tobacco, a stance that includes trying to have tobacco regulated as a drug, promoting lawsuits against the tobacco industry and trying to reduce tobac co consumption.
“The vice president has taken on the tobacco companies and their advertising toward young people,” Mr. Owen said. “But I think we can also expect Al Gore to protect the farmer and not injure farming communities.”
Mr. Owen said Mr. Gore favors the existing price support program for tobacco, which keeps prices relatively high.
And Mr. Owen said he will talk to the vice president about a federal program to steer jobs and investment to communities that rely on tobacco money for a strong economy.
“He's a neighbor,” Mr. Owen said. “He's from Tennessee, and he understands the needs of Kentucky and will stand by us in the future.”
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