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Week filled with unusual activity: 2nd District campaign escapes summer doldrums
(Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, KY) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 4--The summer months are typically a slow time for many political campaigns as candidates recover from the spring primary season and steel themselves for the busy times awaiting them in the fall.
But this week, the race in Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District has seen a level of activity normally reserved for when the weather turns cooler and political advertisements fill the airwaves.
New polling results, campaign staffing changes and allegations of misconduct all popped up this week in the race between state senators David Boswell, a Sorgho Democrat, and Brett Guthrie, a Bowling Green Republican.
The two are competing for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis, a Cecilia Republican, who decided earlier this year not to seek re-election.
On Tuesday, the first media-commissioned polling numbers in the race put Boswell and Guthrie in a statistical dead heat for the open seat before either camp has geared up its media campaigns.
The poll, conducted by Survey USA for WHAS 11 in Louisville, put Boswell ahead of Guthrie by a three-point margin -- 47 percent to 44 percent. But the survey of 900 adults in the district had a margin of error of 4.3 points, making the two candidates essentially even.
The poll showed 9 percent of those surveyed as undecided, which Guthrie campaign manager Brian Smith said made the polling results "laughable."
"Quite frankly, Survey USA is unreliable and meaningless," Smith said. "I just can't believe that in June before either campaign's even been advertising that only 9 percent's undecided."
Survey USA, a national public opinion polling firm based in New Jersey, has been criticized by some for its survey methodology of using recorded questions asked over the phone but has been largely accurate in predicting many Kentucky races in recent years.
The poll results came the day after Guthrie campaign consultants Scott Jennings and Jan van Lohuizen sent a memo to supporters and members of the media debunking polling results that might come out in the near future.
"We anticipate that media outlets will sponsor and release polling in the near future," the June 30 memo stated. "Take these with a grain of salt as well."
Smith said Wednesday that the comments in the memo weren't made in anticipation of the SurveyUSA poll specifically.
"We just assumed that media polling was going to happen," Smith said. "I didn't have any advance knowledge that it was going to come out or what it was going to be."
The same day the poll results were released, the Republican Party of Kentucky questioned whether Boswell is using money from his state Senate campaign committee account to fund his congressional run.
In a press release, the Republican Party noted a $100 contribution from Rep. Susan Westrom's campaign committee to a "Re-Elect David Boswell" committee at a May 1 fundraiser, which could run afoul of state campaign finance laws.
State Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson used that contribution to question whether Boswell is spending money from his state Senate account on his congressional campaign.
"I think there's a question to be answered here," Robertson said.
Boswell said this week he never held a May 1 fundraiser, hasn't received contributions to his state Senate campaign committee in recent months and has not -- and would not -- use money sent to that committee to fund his congressional run, which is illegal.
Boswell said he doesn't have a record of the contribution from Westrom's campaign fund, but if it had been made, it would be returned.
Westrom, a Lexington Democrat, could not be reached this week for comment.
"That's just another of their dastardly campaign tactics to draw attention to themselves," Boswell said of the press release. "I certainly have not used any money out of there to further my congressional race."
This week also saw additions to Boswell's campaign staff, as former state Revenue Commissioner Bill Cox agreed to come on board as a consultant.
Cox was with state government until Monday, when he resigned "to pursue other opportunities," according to a release from Gov. Steve Beshear's office.
Boswell said Wednesday that Cox is a long-time friend of more than three decades who has served previously as mayor of Madisonville, in the state House and in the administration of President Jimmy Carter.
Cox advised Boswell during his primary run against Daviess County Judge-Executive Reid Haire, and Boswell said he had talked to him several times about taking on a more active role.
"I've inferred to him all along that I'd like him to play a key role," Boswell said. "Right now, we're talking on a voluntary capacity, and I don't know how it's going to translate. I welcome his support. I welcome his political genius."
Boswell has also revamped his Web site, but the transition has not been without its hitches.
His former domain name -- www.davidboswell2008.com -- remains owned by the company that produced the site, campaignsecrets.com.
Arrangements were made to redirect visitors from the old site to the new one at www.davidboswellforkentucky.com, but those didn't go into place until Thursday, said Pat Bosley, a Boswell supporter who is handling the Web site transition.
"It should have been seamless," Bosley said.
Prior to Thursday, visitors saw an advertisement for campaignsecrets.com and the services they provide for Republican candidates looking to establish a Web presence or run a campaign.
A pop-up offer that appeared on the site's home page stated "Tell other Republicans about us -- but not any Democrats!"
Both addresses now direct visitors to Boswell's revamped Web site, Bosley said.
To see more of the Messenger-Inquirer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.messenger-inquirer.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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