By Associated Press
Frankfort, KY – Posturing has already begun between Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who is seeking re-election, and Republican Senate President David Williams, who wants the state's top job for himself.
The gubernatorial matchup had given the upcoming legislative session the feel of a political showdown with Williams taking shots at Beshear weeks ahead of the Tuesday start date.
Beshear challenged Williams to put his gubernatorial aspirations on hold until the legislative sessions ends in late March.
"There's plenty of time to run the governor's race after the session is over with," Beshear told reporters in a year-end interview. "The taxpayers are going to pay the legislature to come to town in January to do the people's work. They are not going to want to pay for just a bunch of partisan bickering."
Williams dismissed Beshear's challenge, telling reporters that the first-term governor won't honor the challenge himself.
"I will submit to you that three years ago this governor came here as a newly elected governor with the intention of running for governor again," Williams said. "He spent the entire first three years of his term as governor trying to fulfill at least one campaign promise that he made, and that was that he would change control of the state Senate from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. ... We're going to try during the next year to change control of the governor's mansion. There is no difference."
To try to loosen the GOP's hold on the state Senate, Beshear appointed two Republicans to high-paying government jobs.
Beshear appointed Senate Republican Floor Leader Dan Kelly as a judge and Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee Chairman Charlie Borders as a member of the Kentucky Public Service Commission, opening up their legislative seats.
The intent was to replace them in the legislature with Democrats in subsequent special elections. Democrats won Border's seat, but Republicans were able to keep Kelly's.
Beshear's push to loosen the GOP's grip created enmity with Williams, who has raised the intensity of his criticism, calling Beshear "a caretaker" governor who has "put off the tough decision that a governor is called on to make in these kinds of economic times."
Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, a tea party candidate seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination, said he doesn't have high expectations for the legislation session.
"What Williams and Beshear will get out of the 2011 session is pension credits and face-time on TV playing partisan games," Moffett said. "What Kentuckians will get is more debt and no resolution to our most pressing problems."