Bitter U.S. House battle in Kentucky horse country

By John Whitesides/Reuters

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Reuters) - In the heart of Bluegrass country, where thoroughbreds and tobacco reign, voters are feeling a bit bruised and confused by the bitter congressional battle between Scotty Baesler and incumbent Ernie Fletcher.

For months, residents of central Kentucky have been subjected to waves of attack ads ripping the two candidates in what has become one of the tightest and nastiest races in the battle for control of the House.

Democrat Baesler and Republican Fletcher have traded jabs on health care, prescription drug coverage and gun control, but saved their heaviest blows for personal questions about each other's truthfulness and effectiveness.

"It's the most negative campaign I've ever seen," said Paul Blanchard, head of Eastern Kentucky University's Center of Kentucky History and Politics and a 30-year veteran of local political wars.

"There is a lot of dissatisfaction among voters about the tone of the campaign," he said. "If either of them turned positive they might win going away. But it's risky."

The high-stakes battle in Kentucky's 6th District, crucial to Republican hopes of retaining a seven-seat House majority, matches two political veterans with voting records that can be attacked and record-smashing amounts of money to spend.

Baesler, a tobacco farm owner with a law degree, is a former Lexington mayor and University of Kentucky basketball player who left the seat in 1998 for a losing Senate run. Fletcher is a family doctor who lost to Baesler by 12 points in 1996 but won the job when Baesler left two years later.

FLOOD OF NEGATIVE ADS

Their rematch has prompted a barrage of mostly negative television and radio advertising by the candidates, state and national party committees and outside interest groups.

The anti-Fletcher ads accuse him of kowtowing to special interests on health care, prescription drugs and tobacco, calling him "Three-Card Ernie" over footage of a three-card monte con game before crowing that "we're on to his game."

The anti-Baesler ads question his effectiveness, reminding voters that Baesler "gave up the job; Ernie Fletcher is doing the job." Republicans also brought back footage of a wild 1998 Baesler speech that was used against him in his Senate race and makes Baesler look, in his own words, "like a crazy man."

The relentless bickering has taken its toll on voters.

"The race is just so nasty you cannot tell what anybody really thinks," said Connie Sullivan, a clerk in a Lexington deli. "It's very confusing. They talk about what's wrong with the other person, but nobody actually says what they stand for."

Added Sung Han, a sales clerk in a Lexington jewelry store: "They seem to blame each other a lot."

Both national House campaign committees have had to pull ads for possible inaccuracies. Baesler said an August flap over Democratic ads that Fletcher charged were untrue put him in an early hole in polls.

"Republicans came in smartly and spent a whole lot of money calling me a liar," Baesler said, taking a break from making fund-raising calls in his downtown Lexington office. "It did hurt me. No question about it."

National Republicans pulled their own ad earlier this week at Fletcher's request after its charge that Baesler took donations from "big insurance" interests was disputed.

VOTERS TURNED OFF

Both candidates realize voters have been turned off by the constant bickering, but they can't seem to help themselves.

"You reach a point where people get dulled to the whole thing and stop listening to the attacks," acknowledged Fletcher, who said Baesler started it and he was forced to respond. "We played hardball too, but you have to."

Blanchard said voter disgust could dampen turnout in the 6th District, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2-to-1 but voters have shown little party allegiance.

It could even boost support for Reform Party candidate Gatewood Galbraith, a former Democrat who draws strong support from gun enthusiasts.

The 19-county district is home to Kentucky's most famous lifestyle symbols, from the thoroughbred farms that produce Kentucky Derby champions to rolling tobacco fields and the whiskey that drew its name from Bourbon County.

Combined fund-raising by the two candidates surpassed the Kentucky congressional record of $2.5 million by mid-summer and sailed past $3.4 million with a month to go in the campaign.

That figure does not include more than $1 million spent by state and national parties as well as outside groups such as the National Rifle Association, Handgun Control and Citizens for Better Medicare, which represents drug companies.

Baesler has not shied away from social issues that often sink other southern Democrats, supporting abortion rights and gun control measures. The latter stand drew criticism in radio and billboard ads by Charlton Heston and the NRA.

Baesler has focused on Fletcher's refusal to support a bipartisan health care reform bill and plans to provide prescription drug benefits under Medicare, saying Fletcher is beholden to drug and insurance companies.

"If they leave Congress with nothing accomplished on health care, which they are going to, then it's going to be something that is easy to translate to people, it defines the differences between us," Baesler said.

But Fletcher, who says he did more in one congressional term than Baesler did in three, said Baesler's criticism is misplaced. "You've got a lawyer running against a family physician -- he's playing on my court," he said.

Pulling out a popular metaphor in the capital of horse racing, Fletcher said the contest was too close to call. "We're down the stretch and it's a race to the wire," he said.

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