Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s efforts to land the No. 2 spot on the national Democratic presidential ticket drew ridicule from prominent Republicans during the Bluegrass State’s premiere political event on Saturday.
Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer lampooned the governor for trying to “reinvent his image from a wimpy choir boy to a liberal attack dog.” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell fired his own zingers at Beshear during the political speeches at the annual Fancy Farm picnic in western Kentucky.
Beshear, who proved to be an effective counterpuncher in prior years at the picnic, wasn’t on hand to defend himself. Instead, he was among a half-dozen Democrats being interviewed this weekend by Vice President Kamala Harris as she closes in on choosing a running mate.
Her interview list also includes Govs. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tim Walz of Minnesota, as well as Sen. 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 deliberations.
The suspense over whether Beshear will be asked to join the ticket has dominated headlines in Kentucky. On Saturday, Republicans got in their word as they dominated the stage at the picnic grounds.
“The leader of the (Kentucky) Democratic Party, the governor, I hear is spending the weekend with Vice President Harris. I’d a lot rather be with you guys,” McConnell told the picnic crowd, which by tradition was divided between boisterous supporters for Republicans and Democrats.
McConnell said Democrats had chosen an even worse presidential nominee than Biden.
“At least Biden poses as a moderate,” the senator said. “Vice President Harris doesn’t try to be anything but a San Francisco liberal.”
At a GOP breakfast on Saturday, McConnell said: “Who would have thought that most of the drama in the last month would have been on the Democratic side, but it has been.” After President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign last month, Democrats quickly coalesced around Harris.
Poking fun at Beshear’s praise of Harris, McConnell said it was “no surprise for a guy used to having jobs served up 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 for attorney general and twice for governor. The McConnell-Beshear rivalry dates back to the 1990s when McConnell defeated Steve Beshear in a Senate race.
McConnell promoted Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump by name twice during his picnic speech, saying his return to the White House would “bring our economy roaring back.” McConnell endorsed Trump in March, a remarkable turnaround from the onetime critic who blamed the then-president for “disgraceful” acts in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Comer, chairman of the powerful House Oversight Committee, was even more biting with jabs at Beshear on Saturday. Noting that Beshear was applying for a new job, Comer said: “He wants to be vice president so bad that when Kamala Harris asked him what his pronouns were, Andy replied ‘pretty and please.’”
Democrats chalked it up as another round of futile attacks on the popular governor.
“They don’t work because families know Andy and they know he is genuine, compassionate and he shows up over and over again to deliver for Kentuckians,” 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 challenging Comer in the November election, said she wanted to continue Beshear’s work.
“It is time to bring back more jobs to the district, support our farmers, revitalize our small towns and protect a woman’s right to make her own health care choices,” she said.
Political speaking is as much a tradition as the barbecue at the Fancy Farm picnic, and it’s become a right of passage for candidates seeking statewide office. As usual, the crowd of Republicans and Democrats tried to outdo the other with chants putting down the opposition.
With no statewide office on the ballot this year, the biggest contest is over a proposal constitutional amendment. If the ballot measure is ratified by voters, the state’s GOP-dominated legislature could then decide whether to steer public funds to private or charter school education. Beshear is a leading opponent of the proposal, having said that “public dollars should only go to public schools, period.”
