GOP Group's Ad Criticizes Beshear on LGBT Support

An outside political group is running a radio ad criticizing Governor Steve Beshear for once earning support from LGBT rights groups and for protecting state employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation.The ad was paid for by the Restoring America Campaign Committee, which is also running television ads blasting Beshear on a number of issues and promoting GOP candidate David Williams."Williams believes marriage is a sacred covenant between one man and one woman," says the ad. "Governor Beshear received the support of gay and lesbian rights organizations and has created special protections for gay and lesbian state employees.""We're disgusted by the ads but aren't surprised Senator Williams's cohorts would employ such hate-mongering tactics in a difficult, uninspired and uphill campaign for the Senate President," says Fairness Campaign director Chris Hartman.The committee's donor list hasn't yet been published, and filings with the state list two men from Ohio and one from New York as officers. A call to Williams's campaign was not returned, but a campaign spokesman previously told the Courier-Journal he knew nothing about the Restoring America ads.The Fairness Campaign endorsed Beshear's first bid for governor, but has not yet endorsed a candidate in this year's elections. Hartman says Beshear and independent Gatewood Galbraith are the only candidates for governor to answer a survey on LGBT issues."Certainly there are Republicans, Democrats, independents, libertarians, Green Party [members] and more who are all members of the Fairness Campaign's Political Action Committee," says Hartman. "So it certainly seems shortsighted for the Senator not to seek votes in every area."The campaign's endorsements are expected next week.