By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - Kentucky Attorney General Ben Chandler rarely gives a political speech without mentioning his famous "granddaddy," the state's former two-term governor and U.S. Senator A.B. "Happy" Chandler.

During a Nov. 22 talk to Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce members, Mr. Chandler relayed an anecdote about when his grandfather - was commissioner of Major League Baseball in the 1940s. To be closer to home, the grandson said, Happy Chandler moved baseball's league office to the Carew Tower in downtown Cincinnati.

"He positioned his desk in such a way that it was aimed right at Northern Kentucky so he could have a clear and unobstructed view of the Promised Land," Ben Chandler said.

As he campaigns for the Democrats' 2003 gubernatorial nomination, Mr. Chandler will undoubtedly continue to invoke his grandfather's name, which even Republicans admit is an asset, particularly among older voters.

CHANDLER FILE

Name: A.B. "Ben" Chandler. Age: 45. Chandler Hometown: Woodford County. Family: Wife, Jennifer; three children, Lucie, Albert IV and Branham; grandson of two-term Kentucky governor, Kentucky senator and former baseball commissioner A.B. "Happy" Chandler. Current position: Kentucky attorney general (2nd term). Political party: Democrat. Education: bachelor's degree in history and law degree, University of Kentucky. Past experience: Kentucky State Auditor; Private law practice: Brown, Todd, Heyburn (Lexington); Reeves & Graddy (Versailles). Accomplishments: Established prescription drug-tracking database; established state "No Call" telemarketing list; investigated corruption in legislative ranks in Frankfort; conducting two investigations of current Kentucky governor, Paul Patton; won passage of legislation that requires violent offenders to serve 85 percent of their prison sentences.

But if the Nov. 22 speech is any indication, the two-term attorney general will build a gubernatorial campaign around his own independence while serving in Frankfort.

"It is the duty of the attorney general to be independent, to independently protect and serve the people of this commonwealth," Mr. Chandler said during his speech.

Mr. Chandler described some of the battles his office fought, "on behalf of the people of this state against what I call some Goliaths, or an assortment of different powerful politicians and giant corporations."

Those battles include:

Investigating the current sex and influence peddling scandal involving Gov. Paul Patton and the allegations against him made by western Kentucky businesswoman Tina Conner.

Mr. Patton has admitted an affair but has denied charges he used his office to first favor and then retaliate against her businesses after she ended their relationship.

Investigating the 1995 gubernatorial election and charges that Mr. Patton and the Democrats skirted campaign finance laws. The investigation resulted in the indictment of two Patton campaign workers. Given that Mr. Patton and Mr. Chandler are both Democrats, Mr. Chandler called the investigation "the ultimate act of independence."

"And I've got the political enemies to prove it," he said.

Bringing criminal charges against a corporation that eventually pleaded guilty to neglecting and abusing patients. The company paid a $1.2 million fine, which Mr. Chandler called the largest criminal penalty for neglect ever paid by a nursing home in American history.

Investigating and eventually bringing charges against legislative aide Kent Downey, who had been accused of hiring prostitutes and nude dancers as temporary secretaries in the State Capitol building. Mr. Downey eventually pleaded guilty to charges of promoting prostitution and illegal gambling in conjunction with golf junkets he arranged. Legislators were on some of those junkets.

Pushing through legislation that allows Kentucky residents to prevent most telemarketers from calling their homes.

The bill faced early opposition from some lawmakers in the midst of heavy lobbying by the telemarketing industry and it actually took Mr. Chandler four years to win legislative passage of the bill.

But since July, when the bill went into affect, nearly 2 million Kentuckians have contacted the attorney general's office and placed their names on "no call" lists. That's about half of the state's 4.1 million residents.

"Without independence," Mr. Chandler said, "who would fight these battles on behalf of the people?"

Edgewood lawyer Mark Guilfoyle, a Democratic Party strategist who heard Mr. Chandler's speech, said the attorney general's accomplishments "are a very impressive litany of success he has had representing the little guy in Kentucky."

Though no polling has been done, at least publicly, of the Democrats' gubernatorial candidates most party activists and officials see Mr. Chandler as the front-runner in a race that is also likely to include Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, House Speaker Jody Richards and businessman Charlie Owen of Louisville, a millionaire willing to bankroll his own campaign.

The view is shared by many Republicans, among them Park Hills lawyer Trey Grayson, a member of the Kenton County Republican Executive Committee.

"Ben Chandler is a strong candidate who by all accounts has done a good job in office," said Mr. Grayson, who supports the Republican seen by many as the GOP gubernatorial front-runner, Lexington Congressman Ernie Fletcher.

"He's good guy, he's got a great name and he does seem to be interested in running for the right reasons," he said.

But Mr. Chandler's well-publicized clashes with and investigations of legislators and Mr. Patton may not be such a strong political asset.

Mr. Chandler may have engaged in so many fights with Democrats that he may have alienated his party, which could hurt him in a primary.

"He may have a hard time bringing Democrats together on his behalf," Mr. Grayson said.

Campbell County Democratic Party Chairman Terry Mann, a former legislator, disagrees and said taking on the power structure in Frankfort - be in the legislature or the governor - is not going to be an election year detriment.

"You have to frame a campaign the best way you can," Mr. Mann said. "Most people, even Democrats who may not have agreed with everything Ben Chandler has done, will understand that a candidate has to position himself to win the election."

Some who heard Mr. Chandler's speech gave him high marks for his record but said he needs to work on developing a platform with more specifics.

For instance, Mr. Chandler said he is "not interested" in raising taxes to help Kentucky rectify what looks to be a budget deficit of as much as $500 million. Instead, Mr. Chandler said, "we're just going to have to find creative ways to make the government work properly."

"That's not going to fly," said a chamber of commerce board member. "The budget deficit is a serious situation, and people want to hear solutions, not political rhetoric."

Mr. Chandler, despite winning three statewide races - two for attorney general and one for auditor - is not "battle-tested," said Kentucky GOP Vice Chairman Damon Thayer.

And with what looks to be a contentious Democratic primary looming and a vigorous Republican challenge in next year's general election, Mr. Chandler is looking at not one but potentially two difficult and costly races, Mr. Thayer said.

"He's never really been pushed or challenged in a political race," Mr. Thayer said. "But if he does win the nomination, and a lot of people on our side believe he will, then he is in for a tough race from (Republicans). We feel this is our best shot to in the governor's race in a long, long time and we're going to run hard no matter who we are up against."

E-mail Patrick Crowley at pcrowley@enquirer.com