AG A SERIOUS JOB

Stumbo Qualified Candidate With Platform

Undoubtedly, Kentuckians would find some entertainment value in having
either Gatewood Galbraith or Jack Wood as attorney general.

Galbraith, the quixotic perennial candidate who runs as an independent
candidate this time, is a master quipster. Wood, the virtually unknown
Republican who recently has spent more time running a family flooring
business, has displayed a certain comic brashness during this campaign.

So, either one could be counted on to amuse and outrage the state's
citizens for the next four years if they were to win this election.

But stand-up comedy is not what we expect of the state's top law
enforcement officer. We expect an attorney general to be the state's chief
prosecutor and litigator, to ferret out corruption and to protect consumers
and the environment.

In this race, only one candidate is qualified and capable of fulfilling
those duties -- Greg Stumbo, the longtime Democratic House floor leader.

Stumbo carries some baggage into this campaign, most notably a lawsuit over
child support payments for a son he fathered out of wedlock.

But the other two candidates have their own baggage. Galbraith once
advocated legalizing marijuana and makes no secret of the fact that he
still smokes it for medicinal purposes. As a district judge in southern
Kentucky years ago, Wood twice had his pay suspended by the commission that
oversees judicial discipline.

What sets Stumbo apart is his lengthy record of public service and his
clear vision of what he wants to do as attorney general. His three
priorities are: taking the lead in tackling the drug abuse problem that
plagues the state; protecting Kentucky's most vulnerable citizens from such
things as consumer fraud and identity theft; and protecting the environment.

One way he proposes to address these priorities is by opening fully staffed
branch offices to make it easier for residents of regions of the state far
removed from Frankfort to avail themselves of the attorney general's services.

Neither Galbraith nor Wood have offered the voters the kind of detailed
platform that Stumbo has. That's why voters who prefer an attorney general
who takes a serious approach to the job instead of providing comic relief
have only one choice in this race. That choice is Greg Stumbo.