'Bruce the Goose' says he likes coal while taking help from those who seek to destroy it

The Sierra Club, one of Bruce Lunsford’s most liberal allies in Washington D.C. when it comes to energy policy, began running radio ads in Kentucky yesterday attacking Sen. Mitch McConnell, the same day Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, NV) said on national television that coal makes him “sick.”

“Here’s the question for Kentuckians: can Bruce Lunsford be trusted to support Kentucky coal, which helps drive our economy and keep our electricity rates low?  The answer is unequivocally no,” said McConnell campaign manager Justin Brasell.  “Lunsford would be taking orders from the Sierra Club and Sen. Harry Reid, who make no excuses for their hatred of coal.”

The Sierra Club / Harry Reid / Bruce Lunsford Alliance Against Kentucky Coal

Bruce Lunsford says he’s for clean coal yet welcomes the support of the Sierra Club, which opposes all forms of investment in clean and liquid coal technologies.

     -The Sierra Club opposes coal-to-liquid technology, while Kentucky is working on a CTL plant that will create thousands of jobs. 

     -Sierra Club: “Despite the industry's hype, there's no such thing as ‘clean coal.’" 

     -"There's no such thing as clean coal," said Bruce Nilles, who directs the Sierra Club's National Coal Campaign.

Bruce Lunsford was recruited in to the Senate race by Harry Reid, who says coal makes him “sick.” Would Lunsford stand up to Reid on investing in clean coal given his belief that Reid should beat people up in the hallway over policy differences?

     -Reid: “Coal makes us sick.”

     -Reid says focusing on coal is “shortsighted” and accuses the coal industry of acting like “Hitler.”

“This is more of ‘Bruce the Goose.’  He erroneously claims Sen. McConnell is influenced by campaign supporters and then tries to tell us he’s not influenced by his own supporters who wish to destroy Kentucky’s coal industry.  Once again, what’s good for ‘Bruce the Goose’ is good for the gander.  Bruce gives lip service to coal while his campaign is bolstered by those who hate coal.

“We call on Bruce Lunsford to repudiate ads from the Sierra Club and demand they stay out of the Kentucky Senate race.  Otherwise, he should really just be honest and tell Kentuckians he would be another solid vote for the ultra-liberal, anti-coal crowd,” Brasell said.

One of the most important duties a U.S. Senator has is to vote on the President’s Supreme Court nominees.  In fact, many Supreme Court-watchers expect the next President to appoint one or more new justices.

So it stands to reason that if you were running for U.S. Senate, you might be willing to tell voters your views on the Supreme Court, and the decisions it makes, right?

Our guess is that Bruce Lunsford has no interest in discussing the Supreme Court because he doesn’t want to tell Kentuckians that he’d be a lockstep vote for liberal justices who make law from the bench, and against justices who would strictly interpret the Constitution as written.

Mitch McConnell steadfastly supports federal judges at all levels who strictly interpret the Constitution as written and don’t substitute their judgment for that of the people.

Lunsford says, “I don’t tend to address Supreme Court opinions, you know?”

Yes, Bruce, we know. You don’t address much of anything.