Published: October 08, 2008 03:36 pm            

Financial crisis reshaping Senate race

McConnell's lead over Lunsford in polls almost gone

FRANKFORT — Investors, home owners, blue collar workers and business people – they’re all uneasy about the financial crisis.

So are political incumbents on the ballot. One example is Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race where incumbent Republican Mitch McConnell’s comfortable lead in polls over Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford has almost disappeared.

Lunsford, whose strategy thus far had even some of his supporters scratching their heads, this week began airing an ad criticizing the emergency rescue package Congress passed to stabilize credit and banking systems.

The ad opens talking about the “$700 billion bailout for Wall Street. How did we get into this mess? Career politicians like Mitch McConnell.” It says McConnell, who voted for the measure, got campaign contributions from Wall Street firms and voted to deregulate the financial industry.

McConnell quickly responded through an e-mailed press release. He says the legislation “isn’t about a bailout of Wall Street, it’s a buy-in, so we can turn our economy around.”

His campaign manager, Justin Brasell, tried to turn the issue around on Lunsford.

“It is the height of arrogance for someone who has made a fortune playing the Wall Street game to now say that he does not like the system,” said Brasell. “Worse yet is that Bruce can’t even offer an opinion about how we should work to help Kentucky’s families navigate these difficult times.”

Lunsford won’t say how he would’ve voted. He says the real issue is what produced the problem and how to turn the economy around.

His spokesman, Cary Stemle, said it’s difficult for Lunsford to say how he’d vote on a bill on which he had no influence and hadn’t been part of the debate.

McConnell two weeks ago tried to beat Lunsford to the punch, running an ad which began: “Bruce Lunsford got rich the Wall Street way.” He sent supporters a detailed explanation of why he voted for the plan to shore up the nation’s credit and financial systems.

But the bad financial news won’t go away, making it more difficult for McConnell to define the race and his opponent, though he hasn’t stopped trying.

Saturday at a Republican rally in Glasgow, McConnell responded to a Lunsford theme that McConnell’s 24 years in the Senate are enough and hinting Lunsford, a wealthy entrepreneur, doesn’t share voters’ concerns.

“My opponent says (the race) is about the last 24 years,” McConnell told the crowd. “Well, while I’ve spent the last 24 years helping you, he’s spent the last 24 years helping himself.”

That’s a major theme of McConnell’s – his seniority and powerful position as Republican Leader in the Senate give him enormous influence which he uses to direct federal dollars to Kentucky. He often compares the $500 million in federal aid he secured last year for Kentucky with the $16 million secured by freshman Democrat Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

He tells voters Kentucky will pay a price in the form of fewer federal dollars if he’s not re-elected.

Stemle said Lunsford can be effective, even as a freshman. Lunsford points to Virginia Democratic freshman Jim Webb who was mentioned as a potential vice presidential candidate.

“(Webb) has had a pretty significant impact in the Senate in a short period of time,” Stemle said. “Bruce looks at that and says if you have something meaningful to say, you can be an effective Senator.”

Lunsford blames Republican policies for increasing the national debt and emphasizes his financial success while reminding voters of his modest upbringing. But he’s concentrating his message on the country’s financial woes.

“The economy is the number one issue,” he says.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. He can be reached by e-mail at rellis@cnhi.com.

        

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