BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE -- U.S. Reps. Scotty Baesler and Jim Bunning made moves Tuesday to shore up their campaigns in this fall's U.S. Senate race in Kentucky.
Mr. Baesler, a three-term House member from Lexington, met with fund-raising committees, labor leaders and Democratic Party officials as he visited Louisville, Lexington and Boone County with Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, a possible presidential contender in 2000.
And Mr. Bunning, a Southgate Republican who has served six terms in the House, announced that a key member of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's staff will run his campaign.
Lexington native Kyle Simmons will take a leave of absence as Mr. McConnell's chief of staff in Washington to serve as campaign coordinator on the Bunning campaign.
Mr. Simmons managed Mr. McConnell's landslide win in Kentucky over Democrat Steve Beshear in 1996. He will run day-to-day operations of the campaign as well as handle duties as spokesman.
Mr. Bunning said Mr. Simmons will also work closely with campaign chairman Mike Duncan, an Inez, Ky., banker and a state and national Republican Party operative who has temporarily moved to Northern Kentucky to work on the Bunning campaign, and campaign manager Debbie McKinney, a longtime Bunning legislative and political aide from Taylor Mill.
"Kyle's unique brand of political skills and campaign savvy will prove very helpful to my campaign," Mr. Bunning said in a statement. "I appreciate Mitch loaning him to me, and I'm glad he's joining my team for the stretch drive."
Mr. McConnell is chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, a Washington-based political organization that works to elect Republicans to Congress.
In addition to lending Mr. Bunning staff members, Mr. McConnell also helped raise $60,000 for Mr. Bunning at a Saturday night fund-raiser in Fort Thomas that 225 people attended, Mr. Bunning said.
Mr. Kerrey, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said he came to Kentucky on Tuesday to help lay the groundwork for Mr. Baesler's fund-raising effort.
Mr. Bunning has about $1.4 million in the bank. Mr. Baesler spent all of his campaign money in winning the May 26 primary over Lt. Gov. Steve Henry and Louisville millionaire businessman Charlie Owen, who both have pledged to campaign for Mr. Baesler.
The Baesler campaign was talking money Tuesday night during a private dinner in Florence. Mr. Baesler and Mr. Kerrey met with the campaign's Northern Kentucky finance committee, a group that includes Boone County businessmen Richard Crist and R.C. Durr and Covington attorney Barbara Bonar.
"I'm not worried about the money," Mr. Baesler said, adding it would take $2.5 million to $3 million to run an effective race. "I'll have the money to get my message out."
Mr. Kerrey's committee can give Mr. Baesler $360,000 in campaign money, the same amount by federal law that Mr. McConnell can contribute to Mr. Bunning.
The Nebraska senator said the race will be about issues. "There is a clear difference between the two men," Mr. Kerrey said.
"My strongest belief is that people of Kentucky will see . . . that (Mr. Baesler's) vote to raise the minimum wage and expand the earned income tax credit is a good way to help people who are willing to work get off welfare.
"When Rep. Bunning votes the opposite way, he is voting against what most people in Kentucky . . . want their laws to be," Mr. Kerrey said.
Mr. Kerrey also pointed out that Mr. Bunning voted against President Clinton's 1994 crime bill that brought Community Oriented Policing, or COPS programs, to many urban areas and against the Family Medical Leave Act, which allows workers to take uncompensated time off to deal with family illness.
Mr. Baesler voted for both of those bills, Mr. Kerrey said.
While in Lexington and Louisville, Mr. Kerrey and Mr. Baesler met with about 50 labor union leaders and held press conferences with, among others, Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, former Kentucky Gov. Ned Breathitt, Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, State Sen. Ernesto Scorsone -- the Democratic nominee for Mr. Baesler's 6th District congressional seat -- and U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford of Kentucky.
Mr. Baesler and Mr. Bunning are running for the seat Mr. Ford, an Owensboro Democrat, is leaving this year after four terms.
