Things could scarcly get any worse for Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher than they are right now. He himself has been indicted for abusing the states hiring system, and has been roundly criticized for issuing blanket pardons to anybody else in his administration who might be indicted. As of now, a number of sealed indictments have been issued, and quite a few of Fletchers cabinet and administrative staff have resigned under a cloud of suspicion. Now, Liutenant Governor Steve Pence has announced that he would not seek re-election as Lieutenant Governor in 2007 as Ernie Fletchers running mate.
This was discussed between Pence and Fletcher beforehand, and evidently Fletcher was fine with this. But what came next has sent the entire state ito a tailspin. Pence has said he will not as of now support Fletcher for re-election, and is himself leaving his options open.
In response to this, Fletcher personally asked Pence to resign. But Pence has as of now refused to do so. As he explains, the people own the offices towhich they are all elected, the public servants are merely temporary occupants of the offices. He had been elected to serve four terms, and he intends to fulfill his entire term.
Flethcer for his part has said, both personally and through spokespersons, that it would be best for the state if Pence resigns, that his administration is in need of a team player, which Pence no longer is.
I personally find it curious that Pence, a former prosecutor noted for targeting polticial corruption, has made no comments about the on-going state hiring scandal, only it seems obvious that this is the genesis of the problem.
So is he planning on running for governor? I don’t know, but I am guessing , he probably will not, and will possibly opt for a run at a U.S. House of Representatives seat, or may be looking ahead for a potential primary run against Senator Jim Bunning. Of course, the thing about it is, if things get any worse for Fletcher, or he fails to resove thecurrent issues with which he is afflicted, Pence, a right wing Christian conservative, may be the state Republican Partys only saving grace in the coming election. He might indeed be the only possible alternative to Fletcher as far as the Repubican Party keeping the governors seat. It’s hard to imagine Fletcher winning re-election at this stage of the game.
On the other hand, a primary battle between Fletcher and his Lieutenant Governor is likely to split the Republican Party wide open. Yet, in a poll conducted yesterday by WLEX Lexington, an NBC local affiliate, those who thought Pence should remain in his office totaled 79%. Those who though he should resign totaled a mere 17 %. Only four percent of respondents were undecided or unsure.
Pence is playing with a strong hand, while Fletcher is hemorhaging. You are tempted to ask, how could Pence not remain, not run against Fletcher in the 2007 Republican primaries. It would certainly draw a lot of attention, as would the following general election. In fact, this might, if it comes to pass, be one of those odd times where a primary election drawsmore interest than the genral election. Sort of puts you in mind of the old days of pro football, when the NFC championship was all but guaranteed to be a better game than the Super Bowl.
Pence has to pay it by ear, of course. On the one hand, he could alienate a lot of the Republican Party power brokers, both on the state and national levels. On the other hand, if he plays his cards right, this might be his one best shot at national stature, and eventual office.
On the other hand, I've always said that the alliance within the Republican Party between the corporatists and religous right was at best a marriage of convenience, at worse a marriage made in hell, and might well result one day in anything from an amicable seperation, at least on the surface, to a full fledged heated divorce. What is going on in Kentucky might well be the first symptoms of this rupture.
