Dan and Steve Against the World

Kentucky's newest political couple is homophobe and coal industry shill Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo, and DINO/cowardly waste of oxygen Governor Steve Beshear, who just endorsed Mongiardo for the 2010 U.S. Senate race.

Page One notes this was released at 4 p.m. on a Friday, right in the middle of the firing of UK basketball coach Billy Gillespie and while Louisville is preparing for an NCAA tournament game. That might mean Beshear feels obligated to give Mongiardo superficial lip-service support, but won't go out of his way to raise money or campaign for him.

I hope that's it, because I have a hard time believing that Beshear would stand with Dr. Dan against Attorney General Jack Conway and the entire Democratic political establishment plus every progressive Democratic voter in the state. Or alternatively, that this endorsement would cause Conway to abandon his Senate race plans.

Fortunately, a statement from Democratic political operative Mark Riddle appears to support the damn-with-faint-support theory:

"People will have to decide for themselves whether a tepid statement honoring a long-standing political commitment, done on a Friday afternoon while the Governor is out-of-town is indeed newsworthy,” Riddle said. “Most expected the Governor would have to say something on his running mate’s behalf. However, in a larger sense, many Democratic leaders believe their party should have a choice in selecting the nominee who can best lead our Commonwealth into the future, and Attorney General Conway is seriously considering this race for the U.S. Senate."

But here's some Political Paranoia for your weekend consideration:

What if THIS is the reason repug Senate President David Williams had an inexplicable change of heart and let the state senate approve tax increases on tobacco and alcohol? Beshear helping Mongiardo win the Democratic primary for Senate is how he pays Williams back. Mongiardo is worse than a weak U.S. Senate candidate - he might be the only Democrat in the state who could lose to Jim Bunning next year. And Mongiardo would probably lose to another republican rumored to be interested in the race: one David Williams.

Fasten your seat belts, sports fans. As Media Czech said: IT. IS. ON.

Cross-posted at They Gave Us A Republic ....