National Media Features Forgy

We're talking national press, baby! The Capitol Hill (where McConnell spends all his time anyway, when he's not in Louisville) newspaper Roll Call printed a story (subscription required) talking about how Mitch picked the wrong horse in the Governor's race and now will pay the price.

The gubernatorial primary fight between Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) and former Rep. Anne Northup (R-Ky.) will be decided by voters next week, and hardly an eye on Capitol Hill will blink.

But there could be significant ramifications for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) back home, as the party he built and continues to lead moves to heal the wounds from the Fletcher-Northup fight...

But the widely held perception in Bluegrass political circles is that McConnell actively encouraged primary challengers to the embattled Fletcher, a former Member of Congress who was indicted last year on misdemeanor charges of politicizing civil service jobs.

This man undermined Kentucky's conservatives and thought he could push our Governor aside. So many are too quick to forget that it was Larry Forgy, not Mitch McConnell, who resurrected the Republican Party in Kentucky when he came within 2 points of taking the Governor's Mansion. Now he's back!

Larry Forgy, a Republican activist who has lost several bids for statewide office, warned that McConnell's support of Fletcher, if he is the nominee, would be imperative to repairing the damage done among party loyalists.

"This race, in my judgement, is going to show that the emperor has no clothes," Forgy said.

"There are an awful lot of Republicans who resent his role in this," he added. "And if he doesn't get extremely active on behalf of Gov. Fletcher in Louisville ... there are going to be a lot of people who are going to remember that in 2008 - Republican activists who are more Fletcher people than McConnell people."