Monday, May 9, 2011

Conway Campaigns Against Mitch

Jack Conway has sent out a new email blast to raise funds, entitled "Say No To Mitch!"

Apparently Conway cannot recall the name of his Republican opponent for Attorney General -- Todd P'Pool -- and has decided to run against Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, instead. P'Pool's name is not even named in Conway's email.

To be sure, Conway has a big advantage over P'Pool in terms of name recognition, and Conway is walking a tightrope to implicitly attack P'Pool without adding to the challenger's name ID.

So Conway has chosen to ignore P'Pool altogether and go after McConnell. The Moveon.org crowd has always despised McConnell; by tying P'Pool to McConnell, Conway tosses a little red meat to left.

For independents and conservative Democrats who have reelected McConnell over and over, however, Conway has just sent a reminder that the most important Republican in the country backs P'Pool. It's an endorsement of which P'Pool is justly proud. And it's an endorsement that signals Republicans that P'Pool deserves our enthusiastic support. Conway whines in his email that "Mitch McConnell headlined a fundraiser for my opponent last week where he raised thousands of dollars from special interests."

While P'Pool was proud to stand with McConnell, Gov. Steve Beshear snubbed President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden when they went to thank the troops at Fort Campbell; Beshear went to Oaks. Come to think of it, where was Jack Conway on Oaks Day?

Conway's email also makes an appeal to class warfare. Lots of rhetoric about big corporations and special interests. That strategy likewise backfires. As P'Pool has reminded voters across the Commonwealth, the Obama administration intends to put the coal industry out of business -- and is attempting to do so by undemocratic regulations where it lacks to the votes in Congress. P'Pool (whose ancestors worked the coal mines) will fight to protect this industry that not only employs so many Kentuckians but keeps our energy rates competitive, an important factor for companies considering relocating here.


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