Andy Beshear, Democrat candidate for Kentucky Attorney General has relied on his father’s name to raise millions for his first foray into politics. Perhaps part of relying on your dad for fundraising requires that you include him in your TV ad spots.
Fundraising comes easy when your Governor-father lends a hand. One corporate spokesperson stated, “when the governor asks you to help his son, that’s what you do, you help his son.”
One of Beshear’s first fundraisers was with lobbyist David Whitehouse who boasted of having contacts “at the highest level” of Kentucky government. That December 2013 fundraiser raised $20,800.
Such fundraising tactics have raised concern from liberal watchdog group Common Cause Kentucky. Common Cause Chairman Richard Beliles said that it is hard to see how Beshear can serve as the people’s lawyer, while receiving so much money from special interests.
In the same ad Beshear says, “I’ll stand up for Kentucky just like my dad. As Attorney General, I’ll fight the Obama administration’s threats to our coal industry.” His father doesn’t have a record of standing up to Obama, and in fact, attended Obama’s 2014 state of the union address as a guest of the President. In 2008, Governor Beshear “proudly” cast the Kentucky delegates’ votes for Barack Obama, and repeated his “proud” endorsement of the president in 2012.
Kentucky deserves better than political offspring raised to serve special interests.