Tuesday, March 02, 1999
Lucas faces tough audiences
Pundits, partisans hurl criticism
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE — Even 8-year-old Ray Holstein had some tough questions for freshman U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas on Monday.
Mr. Lucas, a Richwood Democrat elected in November as 4th District congressman, has been criticized by Republicans and newspaper editorials for not tackling enough tough issues during his first few weeks in office.
Mr. Lucas was at St. Paul School in Florence on Monday to read with a group of third-graders as part of Read Across America. But Ray, a third-grader from Union, wanted information on a more topical subject.
“Has Bill Clinton ever lied to you?” the child asked the congressman. He followed up later with another question, asking whether Mr. Lucas had ever met Monica Lewinsky.
Mr. Lucas, wearing a necktie depicting characters from the Dr. Seuss series of children's books, chuckled at both questions but answered no to each.
“I even get the hard questions from third-graders,” joked Mr. Lucas, who spoke to a class that included his grandson, Kenton, and B.J. Santiago, grandson of Shirley Meihaus, one of Mr. Lucas' aides.
Mr. Lucas' Washington office appears to have taken steps to muffle some of the congressman's critics and show reporters he has been working hard.
Newsrooms were hit last week with a flurry of faxes and press releases touting Mr. Lu cas' sponsorship and support of various pieces of legislation.
Last month, he came under fire after supporting a constitutional amendment to ban the burning of the American flag. Pundits and partisans jumped on him for coming up with feel-good legislation that had no substance.
He was dubbed a “cosmetic conservative” by some Republicans, who accused him of being a “me, too” politician by backing causes and issues close to the GOP, such as opposition to abortion, gun control and higher taxes.
Mr. Lucas argued that he believes in those causes and is representing what the district wants in a congressman.
“We're working hard and hitting our stride up in Washington,” Mr. Lucas said in an interview. “There's just so many issues to tackle and to be up on, we wanted to do our research and make sure we're doing work the people sent us up here to do before we started making too much noise.”
Over the last week, Mr. Lucas has:
• Introduced legislation that would prevent disabled adults from being forced into Medicaid managed-care plans. Federal law stipulates that while children are exempt from the taxpayer-funded Medicaid program, adults must join a Medicaid managed plan if they are disabled and receive gov ernment benefits.
Mr. Lucas said the disabled and their families should have a choice in their health care provider and not automatically be put into Medicaid managed care.
• Joined 120 members of Congress in writing House Speaker Dennis Hastert to lobby for using part of the federal budget surplus to shore up Medicare, which provides health benefits for the elderly.
• Gave his first floor speech in support of the Government Waste, Fraud and Error Reduction Act of 1999, legislation designed to improve the government's ability to collect debts.
The bill, which passed the House last week 419-1, would also allow a deadbeat parent's Social Security benefits to pay delinquent child support.
• Co-sponsored a bill that would remove Social Security from the federal budget so Social Security funds can no longer be used to “mask” deficits in the budget.
• Spoke out against the independent counsel statute and joined others, including Kentucky Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, in asking that Congress not renew the act used to prosecute Mr. Clinton and other Washington figures over the past 20 years.
Boone County Democratic Chairwoman Kristi Nelson said Mr. Lucas hasn't made a big splash because he does his homework before speaking out on an issue.
“You can't judge any freshman congressman within the first 30 days or so of taking office,” Ms. Nelson said. “We're just beginning to see what Ken Lucas is capable of, and we'll see more good things out of someone who will no doubt become a very progressive congressman.”
Damon Thayer of Grant County, Kentucky Republican Party vice chairman, said Mr. Lucas is trying to “establish conservative credentials” with the issues he is tackling. “Ken Lucas knows he lives in a Republican district, and he knows he is going to have a tough re-election battle next year.”
The party is trying to recruit a candidate to run against Mr. Lucas next year.
But at least one Republican has been impressed with Mr. Lucas. ""He's not doing a bad job at all,” said Fort Thomas attorney Jim Kidney, who ran unsuccessfully last year in the 4th District GOP primary. “Any congressman is going to have a hard time getting things done in their first term, but he's about as conservative a Democrat as I've ever seen, and I can't find anything he's done wrong so far.”
What does the latest road hog say about us?
Boy on bike critically injured by hit-skip truck
How can we stop drunken drivers?
Two Clermont drivers charged in deaths
How states punish drunken drivers
Health care plans ranked
Miami president's daughter eludes kidnappers
Professor sues Miami U to keep thong swimsuit
Concerns raised for Justin
Saving cats is her calling
Spaying and neutering services
Greater Tri-State Animal Rescue and Shelter Network
Aquarium nets sponsors to support largest exhibits
Voters face blitz on mayor-reform plan
How mayor's role would change
Blighted buildings tear at town
Ex-jailer denies he exposed himself
Forums let people weigh in on light rail
Hit-run driver gets three years
Jury out in minister's sex-abuse retrial
Public computer puts Middletown online
Voice-mail defense countered
Web site, hot line devoted to missing woman
Xavier resolves toilet paper revolt
4 in running for Butler bench
Car phones' role in wrecks queried
Edgewood huddles to stop jail
Grilling, wait nearly over for new police chief
Lawsuit claims cemetery lost remains
Loebs' legacy lifts Warren County
Lucas faces tough audiences
Newport water rates rise by a third
Paper plant accidents raise fears in Franklin
Pictoria Island plan to be shown
Restaurant tax hard to swallow
TRISTATE DIGEST
Turfway sale should close mid-month
