Lunsford Grows Desperate, Escalates Negative Campaign:
Latest negative attack is as ridiculous as it is false
LOUISVILLE, May 6, 2008 – Kim Geveden, Political Director for Greg Fischer’s U.S. Senate campaign blasted Lunsford’s Swift-Boat-Style attack yesterday saying. “Bruce Lunsford’s latest negative attack against Greg Fischer is as false as it its ridiculous and desperate. It looks like it could have been authored by Mitch McConnell.
“You know Lunsford is desperate when he reverts to his true Republican roots and takes a page from his 2003 playbook in which he spent $8 million falsely attacking Ben Chandler, only to quit, desert our Democratic Party, stand with Mitch McConnell and publicly endorse Ernie Fletcher,” Geveden said.
“Confronted with independent poll results showing Fischer gaining rapidly, Bruce Lunsford has abandoned his much touted “Integrity Pledge” and is once again falsely attacking an honorable Democrat in Greg Fischer, while desperately trying to stop the political hemorrhaging that threatens his ego and quest for the Democratic nomination.”
Yesterday, Lunsford accused Fischer of “hypocrisy” for “investing in the same companies” for which he criticized Lunsford. In a press release yesterday, Lunsford suggested Fischer owns stock in two of Lunsford’s companies.
Lunsford’s False Claim:
“Fischer has investments in the very companies (Ventas and Kindred Healthcare) he claims Bruce ran into the ground.”
Fischer Fact:
Fischer has no direct or indirect investment in Vencor, the company that Bruce Lunsford ran into the ground and bankrupted. Lunsford’s mismanagement of Vencor in the period leading up to its bankruptcy is well-documented and includes charges of patient abuse and falsely billing the federal government.
Fischer Fact:
Ventas and Kindred have absolutely nothing to do with Bruce Lunsford’s mismanagement of Vencor. Bruce Lunsford has absolutely no managing control over either Ventas or Kindred. Lunsford’s is attempting to use Kindred and Ventas as a smoke-screen to hide his appalling behavior as CEO of Vencor.
Fischer Fact:
Fischer holds no direct investment in Ventas or Kindred – The truth is, Fischer owns shares in two mutual investment funds – iShares Russell 1000 Growth Fund and iShares Russell 2000 Value Fund. Ventas and Kindred make up an extremely small fraction of the holdings of the two funds.
Fischer Fact:
Fischer owns 5,500 shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth Fund. At market close yesterday, the Ventas portion of Fischer’s investment in the fund was valued at $289.18.
Fischer Fact:
Fischer owns 1,300 shares of iShares Russell 2000 Value Fund. At market close yesterday, the Kindred portion of Fischer’s investment in the fund was valued at $113.47
While Bruce Lunsford continues spending his time and money waging a false, negative campaign, Fischer spent the day meeting grass-roots Democratic supporters in Western Kentucky. Greg Fischer will continue fighting for every-day working Kentuckians and speaking truth to power. After all, Greg Fischer got in this race to fight for working Kentuckians not to appease Party power-brokers in Washington, Geveden said.
