By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LEXINGTON - The Fourth Congressional District race turned personal Sunday night during a feisty debate televised across the state.

Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas and Republican challenger Geoff Davis - both of Boone County - traded barbs and charges over alleged resume padding and past business dealings.

The intensity of the debate is a likely indication that both camps need to pick up ground with undecided voters during the final full week of campaigning leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.

At times the exchanges were heated during the hourlong debate, broadcast live from Kentucky Education Television studios in Lexington. Also making one of his first campaign appearances was Libertarian candidate John Grote of Fort Wright, who by virtue of his position on the stage was literally caught in the middle of the other candidates as they frequently went at each other.

"As we go into this election, this is really about credibility," Mr. Lucas said. "It's a matter of Mr. Davis trying to tear down my credibility and my voting record, and we're trying to maintain our integrity.

"I don't know how Mr. Davis, who claims to have these Kentucky values, can sleep at night when he distorts my record the way he does," he said.

Mr. Davis said it is Mr. Lucas turning negative as the campaign winds down.

"What we need is a congressman who will provide leadership that can be trusted and depended upon for the long term and not engage in petty, personal attacks," Mr. Davis said of Mr. Lucas.

Repeating an accusation he first rolled out last week during a campaign swing through Gallatin County, Mr. Davis challenged Mr. Lucas' assertion that he served as fighter jet pilot during the 1950s.

The Davis camp has claimed Mr. Lucas - who did fly in the U.S. Air Force in the mid-1950s - is inflating his level of service in the military.

"I would appreciate it if you would clarify for the citizens of the 4th District whether you were a fighter pilot or not," Mr. Davis said.

Mr. Lucas, who has been angry that the charge has been made, defended his record, saying he flew a Lockheed Shooting Star fighter jet used in the Korean War era.

"I flew as a pilot 100 plus hours in the Lockheed Shooting Star aircraft, and I stand on my record and I resent the fact you try to muddy up my record in the military," Mr. Lucas said.

"What we need to be talking about, Mr. Davis, are issues that are important to the district - job development, the high cost of prescription drugs, the high cost of health care, education benefits. Those are things we should talk about instead of this trite stuff."

"What we see here," Mr. Davis responded, "is a waffle.

"The very aircraft that you say was a fighter jet was out of active fighter service at that time," he said. "Really what we need to do is to get the dialogue focused on the issues and really, this election is about leadership and integrity."

Mr. Lucas came back at Mr. Davis by accusing him of not paying Boone County taxes on his business, Capstone Inc., a business-consulting firm Mr. Davis owns and operates out of his home in Hebron.

"Could you explain to the voters why you didn't pay these taxes?" Mr. Lucas asked.

Mr. Davis called the charge a "petty personal attack."

"That's not an even an issue in the campaign. What really is an issue is the fact of representation in Washington D.C. dealing with leadership that is on both sides of the fence," Mr. Davis said, a reference to Mr. Lucas often abandoning his own party to vote with the GOP agenda, a move Republicans often charge is done for political expediency in the conservative Fourth District.

Following the debate, the Lucas campaign issued a press release accusing Mr. Davis of not paying Boone County business fees and taxes, including a net profits tax and an annual occupational fee.

Mr. Davis said he and his company paid every tax and fee required the county required. Some of the taxes Mr. Lucas mentioned did not apply to Mr. Davis' business because it is incorporated in Tennessee, not Kentucky.

Mr. Lucas then chided Mr. Davis for incorporating his business in Tennessee rather than Kentucky.

"Mr. Davis, you have said that you love Kentucky, but you don't seem to love Kentucky enough that you're willing to pay your fair share of state income taxes," Mr. Lucas charged. "You moved your company on paper to Tennessee.

"It shows a lot about your character," Mr. Lucas said. "I'll put my record on taxes and fiscal responsibility against yours anytime."

Mr. Davis admitted reincorporating his company in Tennessee 1995 because of the high cost of health care in Kentucky, a move he said was forced by legislation passed at the time by the Democratic-controlled administration and legislature in Frankfort.

"The reason I transferred by business (out of state) was when the so-called health reform that was brought about was going to so increase our health care premiums that we were not going to be able to provide full benefits" to employees, Mr. Davis said.

"I'm concerned about that," he said. "I believe that we have an obligation to take care of those who work with us, and produce wealth and profits for our communities. We made that decision ... and we have paid all of the taxes we are required to pay."

Mr. Lucas also took exception to how his record is being portrayed in Mr. Davis' campaign commercials, which claim Mr. Lucas voted eight times against President George W. Bush's tax cut before finally supporting it on the House floor.

"Each of these parliamentary votes was an expressed procedure to obstruct and ultimately kill or table that bill," Mr. Davis said. "Had (Mr. Lucas) been the deciding vote we would not have seen that legislation come through as it did."

Mr. Lucas said he voted for the tax cut, which provided a rebate to millions of taxpayers, and that Mr. Davis is distorting procedural and other votes that did not impact the final bill.

On the issue of potentially going to war with Iraq, Mr. Lucas and Mr. Davis support giving the president to authority to launch an attack while Mr. Grote urged more restraint and additional oversight from Congress. The candidates also were asked about profiling men of Middle Eastern descent as a security measure at airports and other places.

"I think profiling is all right in this particular case," Mr. Lucas said.

"I couldn't disagree more," Mr. Grote said.

Mr. Davis said he supports some profiling - not just on appearance or race, but on actions such as travel patterns or the past histories of individuals. "We need to ensure that our sure civil liberties are protected," he said.

Mr. Grote used the debate to introduce himself to the voters.

"I'm not a dynamic public speaker and I'm not a politician," Mr. Grote said. "I'm an average Kentucky citizen who want to see a change in the way government is run."

Mr. Grote espoused much of the Libertarian Party platform, including eliminating all taxes and ending "personal and corporate welfare" that is paid for by the government.

He also attempted to play the role of outsider for voters looking for a choice other than the traditional parties.

"There is not a choice between the Democrats and the Republicans," Mr. Grote said. "I sort of feel like (actor) Peter Finch in the movie Network, when he opened up the window and yelled, `I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore.'"

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com