After the state urged Bell County High School to stop its traditional prayer after football games, Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams blamed Governor Steve Beshear, as reported in the Lexington Herald-Leader:
"It is a travesty that Gov. Beshear will not stand up for freedom of religion in Kentucky, and instead sides with an organization called 'Freedom From Religion Foundation,' " Williams said. "As governor, I will stand up against out-of-state liberal organizations who want to stomp on our freedom to voluntarily pray in public places."
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Beshear's director of communications, Kerri Richardson, said Williams "should know that the Department of Education is an independent department that does not answer to the governor."
Louisville Courier-Journal political columnist Joe Gerth writes Monday that Williams hasn't moved to close the gap in the race, and suggests that a big loss could sap Williams' power as Kentucky Senate President:
.... the big question is whether the tightening of the contest will be enough for Williams to make it a race and potentially pull ahead.
Or, at this point, is Williams’ best hope to pull close enough to Beshear that he doesn’t look politically weak?
Kentucky legislators have not been forgiving in recent years when their leaders have sought higher office and lost badly.
Meanwhile the Kentucky Democratic Party had some fun on GOP lieutenant governor candidate Richie Farmer's birthday last week, paying for a hotel room similar to what Farmer used while attending the Sweet Sixteen boys basketball tournament in Lexington. Farmer, the Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner, said that the hotel costs were justified because of the long hours he was working at the tournament to promote the Kentucky Proud agriculture program.
Finally, indepedent candidate Gatewood Galbraith continues his crusade against the Beshear administration's use of personal service contracts, which he says are used as a quid-pro-quo for campaign contributions:
