"I have zero loyalties for him, zero."

The voice sounds like Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo's, and in comments to
the Lexington Herald Leader's Jack Brammer, a Mongiardo Senate campaign spokesman does not deny that it is, in fact, Mongiardo who was taped predicting that Beshear's administration is doomed for an Ernie Fletcher-like fall, that Beshear is drying up Mongiardo's fundraising and that Mongiardo is "this close to saying 'f*** it all.' I don't need this job. I don't need the U.S. Senate."

I hesitated posting the recording until I was convinced that it is Mongiardo on the recording. Thanks to the H-L's Jack Brammer and his ability to get reaction from the Mongiardo campaign and others, it appears that no one is denying that Mongiardo is the speaker on the tape, however, Mongiardo spokesman Kim Geveden tells Brammer the tape was "edited":

HERALD-LEADER: Mongiardo spokesman Kim Geveden said the audio tape was "edited" and that Mongiardo "strongly supports" Beshear.

"He supports him now and he supports him for reelection in 2011," Geveden said in a statement. "He believes Governor Beshear has provided strong leadership and a steady hand during some of the most difficult times in our Commonwealth's history.

Geveden declined to answer specific questions about the veracity of the tape, including when and where it might have been recorded.

The Jack Conway senate campaign told the Herald-Leader that Mongiardo "has a lot of explaining to do to the governor and the people."

Beshear spokesman Jay Blanton told the newspaper that "the Governor continues to strongly support Lt. Gov. Mongiardo's candidacy for the U.S. Senate." But Blanton declined to comment on the YouTube recording.

According to YouTube, the video was posted on Wednesday, September 23 by a new user "senrace2010," whose account was created on September 18.

I was not aware of the tape's existence until spotting it on PageOneKentucky Monday night. It helps explain the Mongiardo campaign releasing this statement of support from Beshear on Thursday, the day after the recording was posted on YouTube.com:

BESHEAR 'OFFERS HIGH PRAISE" FOR MONGIARDO

SAYS MONGIARDO'S EXPERTISE ON HEALTHCARE NEEDED IN SENATE

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INDEPENDENCE----Governor Steve Beshear "offered high praise" for Lt. Governor and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Mongiardo last night at a North Kentucky fundraiser for Mongiardo, according to the Kentucky Enquirer. (For story click here)

According to the Kentucky Enquirer, Beshear "praised Mongiardo's involvement in health care---particularly e-health technology efforts. "

"Daniel is ready to go and show some leadership in a place that needs some real leadership right now, and that's in the United States Senate," Beshear told the enthusiastic crowd. "If there was ever a time we needed that expertise in the U.S. Senate, it's right now."

Beshear credited Mongiardo with helping him win election as governor in 2007, saying, "He brought an energy to this ticket that was second-to-none...not only was he a good candidate, he's been a great lieutenant governor. He has demonstrated some real leadership in some very critical areas and on a lot of issues."

Beshear also praised Mongiardo's involvement in promoting adventure tourism with First Lady Jane Beshear.

Mongiardo, who has visited Northern Kentucky 42 times in the past 18 months, narrowly lost to Senator Jim Bunning in 2004. Mongiardo attributed his near-success in that race to a widespread grassroots effort. He said such an effort will play a key role in 2010.

"Look what we did five years ago: no one thought that we could win. And because of a grassroots-up organization that just sort of developed out there, we nearly completed the greatest political upset in Kentucky history," Mongiardo said. "My goal is to have the best (grassroots) organization we've ever had, so we can pass that off to the governor (in 2011)."