Kentucky Senate Campaign Mixes Race And Oil

Earlier this month Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell squared off with Democrat Bruce Lunsford at the 128th Fancy Farm picnic in Fancy Farm, Kentucky, not far from the western edge of the state. The Fancy Farm picnic is traditionally the site of raucous political debate and this year was no different. McConnell and Lunsford are locked in a heated campaign that is closer than many would have predicted and has focused almost entirely on the price of oil. At the picnic a group of hecklers that reportedly included Republican staffers, wore false beards and robes and carried signs that said "Arab Sheiks for Bruce Lunsford." In phony Middle Eastern-accented English they chanted "thanks Bruce," a line from McConnell campaign ads that place the blame for high gas prices on Lunsford's support for gas taxes and his opposition to domestic oil drilling. The staffers played the cultural stereotype to the hilt. In a video of the event, they call out, "Bruce, Bruce, I just want to thank you for all my money. Thank you Bruce. You do good. Feed many wives."

Republican McConnell at the opening to his remarks was also heckled at the Picnic. "Ditch Mitch" read many of the signs hoisted overhead. "These liberals," McConnell began in response to boos and cat calls, "they like high gas prices."

He later centered his remarks around the Obama campaign phrase "yes we can."

"I say, yes we can find more energy . . .[America] needs to find more [energy] and use less.... Democrats just need to get out of the way and let us go to work and when they do that, we'll say yes we can." Throughout the talk, the staffers in the sheik costumes paraded through the crowd.

Earlier in the year, prominent Kentucky Democrats made news for equivocating on the matter of whether or not Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Obama was tied to terrorists. Email campaigns sustained rumors in the state that Obama is Muslim. In light of the cultural and race-based misunderstandings coloring the campaigns, some believed McConnell should be asked to denounce the stunt of the GOP staffers.

Comments

[Durango]

Unbelievable.

The Republicans were in charge of the government for at least 6 years. Absolute control of the House Senate, Presdient and Courts.

If they wanted offshore drilling why didn't they do it?

But most important, the escalation in the price of oil came on their watch. And is directly attributable to the stupidity in Iraq.

The Republicans OWN the price of Oil.

Pottery Barn Rule. They broke it, they own it.

[Roxanna]

I sure hope Mitch McConnell, who is called the "Bag man" because he always gravitates to where the money is......IS DEFEATED AT THE POLLS.

[GeneBob]

okay, I just have to ask: will Kentucky voters buy this crap?

Don't they recognize a Road Apple when they see one? This is horse country, after all.

[Sciguy]

I wish Lunsford would have an ad with people SERIOUSLY saying "Thanks, Mr Lunsford!" for that 22-cent per gallon tax he helped institute. They could say things like "I like having the nice, smooth roads that the gas tax helps pay for" and "I appreciate the roadway lighting that the tax helps pay for" and "Twenty-two cents isn't much to pay for pothole removal!" and things like that.

[Gidster]

2030 is the outside estimate on Alaskan oil made gasoline hitting the pumps!
Just more Republican BS.
Repeat the lie until it replaces the truth.

[GoCards1978]

Mitch McConnell is the sorriest excuse of a University of Louisville grad I've ever seen - this is just another in a long line of examples. BTW I'm a U of L alum, too (A & S, 1978).

[lisakaz2]

How funny. McC------ has more to do with it than his opponent. How does the gas tax double the price of a gallon? Did it go up? How is cozying up to Boooo$hie not making nice with the sheiks.

To quote T Boone Pickens: this is an emergency we cannot drill our way out of. Sheesh.

[yareallygotmegoin]

Why does the "equivocating" point to a Tennessee story instead of Kentucky? If it was KY politicians who made the remark, then shouldn't that be what is referenced? I'm from Kentucky and I don't remember anyone "equivocating".