The fallout...

This is saddening. Truly it is. This is what you come to expect from someone like a Steve Henry or a Bruce Lunsford. But I don't like how Steve Beshear is being brought into this mess. I come from the good government wing of the Democratic Party within the commonwealth. Now, while I have previously endorsed [and still endorse] Jonathan Miller for Governor, Beshear would be my number 2 choice, and then he's followed by Richards. It's saddening that some of these campaigns are taking almost direct verbatim from other campaign platforms, especially without proper attribution.

Take a look at this comparison chart in the Courier-Journal.

Jim Davis vs. Bruce Lunsford plans
Davis: Florida has failed to give our children the tools they need to succeed and the care they need to thrive.
Lunsford: Kentucky has failed to give them the tools they need to succeed and the care they need to thrive.

Davis: Davis will continue his focus on improving the lives of children and developing the whole child. Davis believes that early investment in a child's life sets a strong framework for success.
Lunsford: The Lunsford-Stumbo Administration will focus on developing the whole child. We must prepare our children for the future and early investment in a child's life sets a strong framework for success.

Davis: The first years of a child's learning are vitally important and provide the foundation for academic success. ... Investing in quality Pre-K and early learning opportunities is an important component of improving outcomes in K-12 education.
Lunsford: The first years of a child's learning are vitally important and provide the foundation for academic success. ... Investing in quality pre-K and early learning opportunities is a vital component of improving outcomes in K-12 education.

That's only a few of them.

On to Beshear...

Chet Culver vs. Steve Beshear plans

Culver: "As Governor, I will challenge the private sector and encourage the development of new power sources, fuels and clean coal technologies by developing new laws and regulations that encourage innovation and the production and sale of home grown fuels."
Beshear: "As Governor, I will challenge the private sector and encourage the development of new renewable power sources, alternative fuels and clean coal technologies by developing new laws and regulations that spur innovation and the production and sale of home grown fuels."

Culver: Many of Iowa's laws and regulations were developed at a time when encouraging a diverse, robust and home grown energy industry was not a concern because of cheap supplies of foreign oil. Today's a new day in which Iowa must fight for its energy independence using home grown products, resources and ingenuity. I believe that now is the time to modernize state laws and regulation on electric utilities and alternative fuels to encourage innovation and investment in Iowa and attract the construction and manufacturing jobs that will equip and supply these industries in the future.
Beshear: Many of Kentucky's energy laws and regulations were developed at a time when encouraging a diverse, robust and home grown energy industry was not a concern because of inexpensive supplies of domestic and foreign oil. Today, Kentucky should be fighting for its energy independence using home grown crops, products, resources and ingenuity. Now is the time to modernize state laws and regulation on electric utilities and alternative fuels to encourage innovation and investment in Kentucky.

Credit Mark Nickolas at Bluegrass Report for unearthing all of this.