Sunday, February 13, 2000
Lucas lauded by Republican pundits
Rated 3rd most conservative Dem
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Here's an item about U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas that will make Republicans — and even some Democrats — choke on their eggs this morning.
Three independent surveys recently released in Washington have rated the Democratic congressman as one of the most conservative members of Congress.
Mr. Lucas was elected two years ago with lots of Republican votes and money.
With his voting record, Mr. Lucas takes the bat out of the hands of his biggest critics. They can't beat on him when he's voting like one of them.
National Journal, a publisher of political magazines, newsletters and books, ran a survey of congressional voting records and surmised that Mr. Lucas “is more conservative than 85 percent of the entire U.S. Congress on social issues alone.”
The American Conservative Union, which bills itself as “the nation's oldest conservative lobbying organization,” has ranked Mr. Lucas the third most conservative Democrat on Capitol Hill.
Finally, Congressional Quarterly, a Washington political publication, has ranked Mr. Lucas No. 4 among House Democrats “bucking the national leadership.”
Then there's this quote from Kentucky Republican Party Chairwoman Ellen Williams on why it was so difficult for the GOP to recruit a stronger candidate to run against Mr. Lucas.
“Most voters here recognize that Ken Lucas is basically a Republican, from the standpoint of how he votes,” she recently told Roll Call, another Washington publication.
Contrary Garry
Some Kenton County Dems are hacked off at county attorney Garry Edmondson for hiring Republican John Middleton as one of his assistants.
Members of the county's Democratic executive committee think Mr. Edmondson — a Fort Wright Democrat — made the move because he is either getting ready to switch parties and become a Republican, or he is trying to get in good with the GOP.
Mr. Edmondson is going to face a tough re-election campaign in two years from Republican Eric Deters, an unabashed self-promoter who enjoys hounding and jabbing Mr. Edmondson at every opportunity.
Mr. Edmondson has considered switching parties. He's about as conservative as you can be and never has marched to the tune of Democratic politics, nor has he had much time or nice things to say about the Democratic executive committee.
In other words, if the executive committee is mad, Mr. Edmondson could care less.
Still, it is interesting to ponder his motives in hiring Mr. Middleton, the son of former Judge-executive Clyde Middleton, who had to leave office under the cloud of a construction bidding scandal but who is still be loved by many of the county's GOP leaders and activists.
Some Democrats speculate Mr. Edmondson hired the younger Mr. Middleton to make points with the Republican establishment. Mr. Edmondson has denied having any political motives in hiring Mr. Middleton.
The move could help Mr. Edmondson politically when it's time to run against Mr. Deters in either a general election or a GOP primary.
Mr. Deters and the elder Mr. Middleton had a huge political falling out a few years ago, when Mr. Deters was running the county's Republican Party. Because of that spat, a lot of Republicans and Middleton supporters would love to see Mr. Deters beaten like a bongo by Mr. Edmondson.
It is not unprecedented for Mr. Edmondson to hire a Republican. Also on his staff is Steve Kramer, a Villa Hills council member and the GOP candidate in this year's Kenton County Circuit Court race.
Mr. Middleton is caught in the middle. He is a capable attorney, well-qualified to work in the county prosecutor's office.
But he also loves politics, sits on the Kenton County Republican Executive Committee and could help Mr. Edmondson in his bid to hold off the challenge from Mr. Deters.
Playing nice
Leave it to Kenton County Democrat Jimmy Williams to bring together some pols from the opposite sides of the aisles.
Mr. Williams, the former Kenton County surveyor and Democratic Party activist who describes himself as mildly retarded, was the featured guest of a party at the Covington home of Democrat Bernie Moorman.
Mr. Moorman — a Democrat running for mayor — threw the bash for Mr. Williams, who was recently named to the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky's Americans with Disabilities Act Advisory council.
Among those attending on the GOP side were state Sen. Jack Westwood of Erlanger, who Mr. Moorman nearly ran against this year; Kenton County Sheriff Chuck Korzenborn; and county jailer Terry Carl.
Representing the Dems were county commonwealth attorney Don Buring, state Rep. Tom Kerr, party leader Mabel Ballinger and the aforementioned Mr. Edmondson.
There weren't even any fights. At least none we heard about.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for The Kentucky Enquirer. His column appears Thursdays and Sundays. He can be reached at 606-578-5581, or 502-875-7526 in Frankfort, or by e-mail at crowleys@cinci.infi.net.
