Monday, March 17, 2008
Pike County Officials Invite Presidential Candidate To Speak
With primary elections on the horizon in Kentucky and neighboring West Virginia, Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford sent a formal invitation this week to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Rutherford invited Clinton, who is attempting to gain momentum from primary victories in delegate-rich Texas and Ohio, to speak during the Kentucky/ West Virginia Coalfields Rally to be held at the East Kentucky Expo Center. No exact dates for that rally have yet been set.
“The southern coalfields are democratic,” Rutherford said. “With primaries in both Kentucky and West Virginia coming up, it seems appropriate to invite Senator Clinton to speak here since we are 20 minutes from the West Virginia line.”
Rutherford said the event, if Clinton’s campaign accepts the offer, would also give local leaders a chance to highlight the many positive attributes Pike County offers the rest of the nation.
“It’s an opportunity also to showcase our great energy resources here in Pike County,” continued Rutherford. “We are Kentucky’s top coal provider, producing as much tonnage as some states who call themselves coal producers. We are home to more than 5,000 natural gas wells – as much as a county in Oklahoma or Texas – and we are the top county in the commonwealth coal production.”
Rutherford added that in addition to the fact that primaries were coming up, it was also a viable venue for Clinton to campaign because Pike County was the perfect example of “rural America,” a blue-collar section of the nation that has served the former First Lady well for voter loyalty.
Kentucky’s primary election will be held on May 20. West Virginia is set for May 13.
And the invitation has local Democratic leaders, as well as city leaders buzzing about the possibility, as well.
“Having just been informed that we may have the opportunity to have Hillary Clinton visit our county, I’ll say that I’m delighted to think we could get someone of that stature to come to Pike County,” said Clayton Little, Chairman of the Pike County Democratic Party.
Lorraine Lowe, President of the Pike County Democratic Woman’s Club, the largest club of its kind in the state with well over 400 members, also expressed a great deal of excitement about the possible stop in Pikeville.
“As a women in politics, I would be very excited to have a female presidential candidate visit Pike County,” Lowe said.
Clinton supporter Jerry Lundergan, former chair of the State Democratic Party and, prior to that, a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, has offered his full support in seeing plans to bring Senator Clinton to Pikeville result in success.
“We’re going to work with you to bring Hillary Clinton to the East Kentucky Expo Center for the Kentucky/ West Virginia Coalfields Rally,” Lundergan told Rutherford this week.
Steve St. John, Director of the East Kentucky Expo Center, has spoken with Judge Rutherford about early stage arrangements and feels encouraged on a couple levels to possibly play host to the former First Lady.
“I think this would be great exposure for the facility, not to mention the economic impact it would most likely bring,” St. John said.
Clinton’s campaign notified Pike County organizers late last week, thanking them for the invitation and saying a response could be expected in approximately two weeks.
Rutherford invited Clinton, who is attempting to gain momentum from primary victories in delegate-rich Texas and Ohio, to speak during the Kentucky/ West Virginia Coalfields Rally to be held at the East Kentucky Expo Center. No exact dates for that rally have yet been set.
“The southern coalfields are democratic,” Rutherford said. “With primaries in both Kentucky and West Virginia coming up, it seems appropriate to invite Senator Clinton to speak here since we are 20 minutes from the West Virginia line.”
Rutherford said the event, if Clinton’s campaign accepts the offer, would also give local leaders a chance to highlight the many positive attributes Pike County offers the rest of the nation.
“It’s an opportunity also to showcase our great energy resources here in Pike County,” continued Rutherford. “We are Kentucky’s top coal provider, producing as much tonnage as some states who call themselves coal producers. We are home to more than 5,000 natural gas wells – as much as a county in Oklahoma or Texas – and we are the top county in the commonwealth coal production.”
Rutherford added that in addition to the fact that primaries were coming up, it was also a viable venue for Clinton to campaign because Pike County was the perfect example of “rural America,” a blue-collar section of the nation that has served the former First Lady well for voter loyalty.
Kentucky’s primary election will be held on May 20. West Virginia is set for May 13.
And the invitation has local Democratic leaders, as well as city leaders buzzing about the possibility, as well.
“Having just been informed that we may have the opportunity to have Hillary Clinton visit our county, I’ll say that I’m delighted to think we could get someone of that stature to come to Pike County,” said Clayton Little, Chairman of the Pike County Democratic Party.
Lorraine Lowe, President of the Pike County Democratic Woman’s Club, the largest club of its kind in the state with well over 400 members, also expressed a great deal of excitement about the possible stop in Pikeville.
“As a women in politics, I would be very excited to have a female presidential candidate visit Pike County,” Lowe said.
Clinton supporter Jerry Lundergan, former chair of the State Democratic Party and, prior to that, a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, has offered his full support in seeing plans to bring Senator Clinton to Pikeville result in success.
“We’re going to work with you to bring Hillary Clinton to the East Kentucky Expo Center for the Kentucky/ West Virginia Coalfields Rally,” Lundergan told Rutherford this week.
Steve St. John, Director of the East Kentucky Expo Center, has spoken with Judge Rutherford about early stage arrangements and feels encouraged on a couple levels to possibly play host to the former First Lady.
“I think this would be great exposure for the facility, not to mention the economic impact it would most likely bring,” St. John said.
Clinton’s campaign notified Pike County organizers late last week, thanking them for the invitation and saying a response could be expected in approximately two weeks.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 9:19 PM 
