April 18, 2007
Campaign plans of Lunsford, Beshear mirror out-of-state candidates

FRANKFORT — Campaign material published by two Democratic candidates for governor closely mirrors that of two gubernatorial candidates in other states.

Portions of a “Blueprint for Change” mailed to 200,000 Kentuckians last week by the gubernatorial campaign of Bruce Lunsford are worded similarly to the 2006 platform of unsuccessful Florida Democratic nominee for governor Jim Davis.

Also, the language in an energy plan pushed by Steve Beshear resembles that of Chet Culver, a Democrat elected governor of Iowa last year.

Both the Lunsford and Beshear campaigns acknowledged yesterday that they had used language pulled from the Web sites of the out-of-state campaigns, but said it was not plagiarism.

“We just took some stock language from it and applied it to Kentucky,” said Adam Bozzi, press secretary for Lunsford.

Beshear’s campaign manager, Jim Cauley, said the campaign saw Culver’s plan for energy online “and we liked it.”

“A good idea is a good idea,” he said.

Bozzi noted that a major part of the 23-page Lunsford plan involves providing health care coverage for all Kentuckians. “The Davis plan did not address that,” Bozzi said.

The Lunsford plan does use language that is similar to Davis’ on a number of other issues.

For example, a position paper on Davis’ Web site lays out this plan for Florida’s children: “The first years of a child’s learning are vitally important and provide the foundation for academic success. As governor, Davis will invest in a quality Pre-K program and expand early childhood education learning opportunities ... Investing in quality Pre-K and early learning opportunities is an important component of improving outcomes in K-12 education.”

The Lunsford-Stumbo blueprint says: “The first years of a child’s learning are vitally important and provide the foundation for academic success. That means we must give every child in Kentucky the opportunity to attend pre-kindergarten ... Investing in quality Pre-K and early learning opportunities is a vital component of improving outcomes in K-12 education.”

Portions of the energy policies of Beshear and Culver also match closely.

For example, Culver’s plan says: “As Governor, I will challenge the private sector and encourage the development of new power sources, fuels and clean coal technologies by developing new laws and regulations that encourage innovation and the production and sale of home grown fuels.”

The Beshear plan states: “As Governor, I will challenge the private sector and encourage the development of new renewable power sources, alternative fuels and clean coal technologies by developing new laws and regulations that spur innovation and the production and sale of home grown fuels.”

In explaining the similar wording in Lunsford’s “Blueprint for Change,” Bozzi said Tait Sye, Lunsford’s communications director, was on Davis’ campaign staff last year.

“Tait was one of the primary people who wrote the Lunsford-Stumbo blueprint,” Bozzi said. “We looked at ideas throughout the country. Jim Davis had a lot of good ideas and we wanted to emulate them.”

Bozzi also noted that Lunsford has often stated on the campaign trail that 16 other states have a Children’s Kitchen Cabinet to focus on improving the lives of children and families. That idea also was in the Davis plan.

“We don’t have to come up with all new ideas,” Bozzi said. “We have to come up with ideas that we think Kentucky needs and Bruce Lunsford has the ability to make them work in Kentucky.”

Lunsford, a Louisville businessman, and Beshear, a Lexington lawyer and former lieutenant governor, are two of seven candidates in the May 22 Democratic primary election.

- Jack Brammer and John Stamper