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Sunday, September 18, 2005
 
KY GOP Ignores Gov


Governor Fletcher and State GOP Chairman Brock

Last Wednesday, embattled Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher fired nine top-ranked members of his administration for involvement in the Merit System scandal, including Deputy Chief of Staff and former Kenton County Judge-Executive Dick Murgatroyd, and asked the Executive Committee of the state GOP to “ask for the resignation of the current chair" Darrell Brock, Jr., former Fletcher Local Development Head.
Last evening, in a mid term political shocker for Fletcher, during a 30-minute GOP executive meeting in Frankfort, party leaders ignored the Governor’s request.
According to the Associated Press:

Jefferson County GOP Chairman Jack Richardson IV, a member of the executive committee, said Fletcher did not submit a formal request for Brock's resignation…"I haven't received any formal notice that the governor has asked to remove anybody," Richardson said…Shirley West-Bennett, an executive committee member…said she was "very happy" with Brock…While she supports Fletcher "100 percent right now" it was uncertain whether that would extend beyond the governor's current term…"It's too far away," she said.

This stunning news and reversal of fortunes for Fletcher, who, along with his mentor Senator Mitch McConnell, once harbored desires for our nation’s highest offices, was reinforced by this portion of a Louisville Courier-Journal report:

An aide to Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Lawrence Cox of Louisville, serves on the committee and left quickly after the meeting without commenting. A McConnell spokesperson did not return repeated calls seeking comment.

Democratic opinions, gathered from AP and LC-J reports, were not so coy:

"The Republican ship is still running wild out in the ocean," state Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Lundergan said. "It has no direction and it has no leadership."

State Sen. Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort, said it…was a "slap in the face" for the executive committee to ignore Fletcher. "Politically, he is through. And if he doesn't know it by now, he doesn't read the tea leaves very well”.

Former U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford said it showed the GOP in Kentucky was "disintegrating."

Images: Conservative Voice, WKYT
- posted by Sean @ 1:01 PM
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