Why is Beshear limiting his public appearances? What is he hiding? Two possible explanations. He is so arrogant he thinks he has the election in the bag or he is tired from an illness of some type. If he has an illness he has a public duty to report this to the voters of Kentucky.

He is supposed to surface at Centre for the debate Sunday night. Someone should ask him.

Beshear isn't limiting his appearances, Anonymous. Ernest's team just wants you to think he is. The soon-to-be-ex-Gov had better take in a lot of those prayer breakfasts ... maybe they'll pray that the Lord won't strike him down for all the half-truths and outright lies he's told during this campaign.

You R's will try anything, won't you? Pitiful, desperate, lying losers. There's nothing wrong with Beshear; you're the ones with the illness.

Teach your children well
This week we've seen played out the lesson our children are watching. For all of the pre-fight bluster and Ali type rhetoric that has come before, this week two men, Ernie Fletcher and his challenger, stepped into the ring.

Conditioning is measured by their achievments in public office. Strength is measured by their fundraising. Home field advantage is measured by voter registration.

And as they compete the press serves as our officiating staff. Historically partisan, as evidenced by some of their names, but elevated to positions of unbiased judges (by pulling on their own bootstraps) the press has assumed the role of "the guardians of unassailable fairness".

And yet take a look.

Two polls came out this week favoring Governor Fletcher. Could they be criticized? Of course. But were they even mentioned? Barely.

Two polls came out this week favoring his challenger. They received advance notice and headline treatment. Could they be criticized? Of course.

Three years of headlines, articles, editorials and commentary calling for the tucked tail resignation if not outright impeachment of the Governor monopolized the pages and airwaves, driven by those who had the ear of the press. In the end, Mark Hebert broke it all down. One case, one employment decision in four years that could be attributed to political motivations is all there was to the frenzy.

One case? The same number of political hiring decisions currently attributed to the State Treasurer and Chairman of the Democrat Party?

One case? One case of an assisatant attorney general essentially getting bribed to go easy on a company he was sworn to regulate?

One case? One case of the attorney general being a dead beat dad

One case? One case of an assistant attorney general charged with a DUI.

One case? One candidate for Governor who looked the other way when his Governor's husband was extorting money from state contractors after years of practice doing the same (looking the other way) as attorney general himself?

Which one case did you hear about?

The record is clear.

I know that Ernie Fletcher's record of achievement for the Commonwealth of Kentucky as a doctor, a state representative, a Congressman and certainly as Governor is far superior to that of his opponent.

I know that his character is admirable. And I know that his vision is clear, his principles intact and his resolve unrelenting.

I have very serious questions about his opponent's prior connections with criminals, government corruption right under his nose and his priorities when it came to using the money out of Kentucky Central to build his own wealth at the expense of our senior citizens.

But the biggest problem I have is with the lesson this election could end up teaching our children.

In every contest there will be infractions. Some like the inadvertent blow to the helmet of a quarterback. Others like the intentional effort to break his neck.

When the officiating staff can't, or won't, call the difference, depending on which team is the one being accused, how can we reassuringly teach our children that we truly live in a nation where equality and justice prevail?

You tell me.

8:13, want some ice for that kool aid?

Herald Leader Poll is not good for Beshear. He is now trailing in two of the age demographic groups. The momentum is with Fletcher.

Steve is not sick, he is just resting, cause he knows that the Republicans are done for!! He is getting ready to CELEBRATE A NEW KENTUCKY

The media seems to be meeting their goal (to take us back to the "good ole boy" system), but obviously they are not doing what the majority of voters think is their job. They are not giving us all of the facts. Unless you call giving all the bad facts about Fletcher, and all the good facts about Beshear, giving us all the facts????? The sad thing is, people that only get their information from the public media will know this.
Ky, please wisen up. Check out kypolitics.org or conservativeedge.com. If you can't do the internet thing, have your kids do it for you. I assure you that you haven't gotten all of the facts, and the fine people of Ky, and our children, will be the ones to pay the price. Nurse/Teacher

Holy crap. The lies of this man (Ernest) know no bounds. If he can't get good information out of his campaign staff about his opponent, how can he get good inf... oh, wait, he didn't get good information out of the folks in his administration. I guess that's why he's going to lose.

Well, there's that and everything else he's done over the past four years that pretty much left our fair Commonwealth spinning its wheels.

Anonymous, if people want a good laugh, let 'em check out the two sites you mentioned.

As for me, I'll be preparing to cast my ballot for Steve Beshear and Dr. Dan Mongiardo. I'd advise you, if you really and truly care about Kentucky and its future, to do likewise.

For the past four years the right wing nut Fletcherites have not let the truth get in the way - why would they start now - the world is "as they see it" they are in such denial - now trying to blame their loss on national issues - is is all about them and their lies, ineptness and arrogance that has plagued our Commonwealth for the past four years - pack your self righteous, holier than thou suitcases and get out of town!

The Republican Base is as energized as I have seen it in a long time in the rural areas of the state. I have been all over south central kentucky the last few weeks. Fletcher has been good not only for Louisville but for the rural areas of the state.

Beshear isn't going to win the election; it's just that Fletcher is going to lose it.

MArk, you are without a doubt the smartest political reporter around, but your crowd estimate was 200???
Try every bit of 450. One of the problems was somebody decided to start the event 20 minutes EARLY, while the crowd was still coming in.

Mark,
I did a very thorough head count last night during Beshear's actual speech, there were at least 500 people at that time who had come to see Beshear.

I am a Democrat who voted for Fletcher 4 years ago and will proudly do so again! I have been closely monitoring education in Ky for many years and more has been done during this administration than ever before. I am also really ashamed to be called a "Democrat" anymore! What this party has done to a great governor is unforgiveable or do you prefer the fiasco of the past administrations?