Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s efforts to secure the second spot on the Democratic national presidential ticket drew ridicule from prominent Republicans during the Bluegrass State’s most vital political event on Saturday.
Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer derided the governor for trying to “transform his image from a wimpy choirboy to a liberal attack dog.” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell fired off his own scathing remarks against Beshear during policy speeches at the annual picnic at Fancy Farm in western Kentucky.
Beshear, who has proven to be an effective counterpuncher at the picnic in previous years, was not present to defend himself. Instead, he was one of a half-dozen Democrats interviewed by Vice President Kamala Harris this weekend as she nears selecting a running mate.
Also on her interview list are governors JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tim Walz of Minnesota, as well as Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, according to two people with knowledge of Harris’ selection process. The people were granted anonymity to discuss private campaign considerations.
Suspense over whether Beshear will be asked to join the ballot dominated headlines in Kentucky. On Saturday, Republicans made their word known as they dominated the stage at the picnic grounds.
“The chairman of the (Kentucky) Democratic Party, the governor, I understand, is spending the weekend with Vice President Harris. I would much rather be with you,” McConnell told the picnic crowd, which was traditionally split between vociferous Republican and Democratic supporters.
McConnell said Democrats had chosen an even worse presidential candidate than Biden.
“At least Biden is portraying himself as a moderate,” the senator said. “Vice President Harris is not trying to be anything other than a liberal from San Francisco.”
At a GOP breakfast on Saturday, McConnell said, “Who would have thought that most of the drama over the last month would be on the Democratic side, but it was.” After President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign last month, Democrats quickly coalesced around Harris.
McConnell mocked Beshear’s praise for Harris, saying it was “no surprise for a man who is used to having jobs handed to him on a silver platter.” Beshear, the son of former two-term Gov. Steve Beshear, has won three tough elections in ruby-red Kentucky – once as attorney general and twice as governor. The rivalry between McConnell and Beshear dates back to the 1990s, when McConnell defeated Steve Beshear in a Senate election.
McConnell referred to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by name twice during his picnic speech, saying his return to the White House would “get our economy back on track.” McConnell endorsed Trump in March, a notable reversal from the one-time critic who had blamed the then-president for “disgraceful” actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Comer, chairman of the powerful House Oversight Committee, was even more scathing in his dig at Beshear on Saturday. Noting that Beshear is running for a modern job, Comer said, “He wants to be vice president so badly that when Kamala Harris asked Andy what his pronouns were, he said, ‘Please and please.'”
Democrats called this another round of futile attacks on the popular governor.
“They don’t work because the families know Andy and know that he is sincere, compassionate and shows up time and time again to care for the people of Kentucky,” Jonathan Levin, a spokesman for the Kentucky Democratic Party, said in a statement.
One of the few Democrats on the Fancy Farm stage defended the governor. Erin Marshall, who is running against Comer in the November election, said she wants to continue Beshear’s work.
“It’s time to bring more jobs back to the county, support our farmers, revitalize our small towns and protect women’s right to make their own health care decisions,” she said.
Giving political speeches is as classic as the barbecue at the Fancy Farm picnic and has become a rite of passage for candidates seeking statewide office. As usual, the crowd of Republicans and Democrats tried to outdo each other with chants that disparaged the opposition.
With no statewide office on the ballot this year, the biggest fight centers on a proposed constitutional amendment. If the proposal is approved by voters, the state’s GOP-dominated legislature could decide whether public money should go to private or charter school education. Beshear is one of the proposal’s leading opponents, having stated that “public money should only go to public schools, period.”
