Pubdate: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) Copyright: 2003 Lexington Herald-Leader Contact: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240 Author: Bill Estep PERSONAL PROBLEMS SHOULDN'T COST VOTES, CANDIDATES CONTEND The three candidates for attorney general touted their plans for attacking the state's drug problem in an hour-long debate last night, and said problems they've had should not be issues in the race. Republican nominee Jack Wood of Louisville and Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer running as an independent, focused some harsh criticism on the Democrat candidate, longtime state Rep. Greg Stumbo of Prestonsburg, who has far more campaign money and wider name recognition. Stumbo avoided criticizing his opponents, but did say Galbraith might not support his plan to attack illegal drugs because it would probably catch some friends of Galbraith, who says he smokes marijuana to relieve emphysema and has a prescription for it from California. Galbraith, who once called for legalizing marijuana but does not now support legalizing recreational use, said he resented Stumbo's comment. Galbraith also defended what he called his constitutional right to smoke marijuana in the privacy of his home, comparing it to people in dry counties who have alcohol at home. "Isn't it refreshing to have some honesty out here in politics, folks?" Galbraith said during the debate, broadcast on Kentucky Educational Television. Stumbo said his plan to attack drugs includes creating a new Kentucky Bureau of Investigation within the state police, wider use of drug courts, efforts to strip drug traffickers of assets, and his personal involvement in prosecuting cases to highlight the problem. "I believe with all my heart we have to do something about the terrible drug problem in this state," Stumbo said. He proposed increasing the state's cigarette tax to pay for new investigators. Stumbo said that even if lawmakers won't increase that tax, he thinks they would support his funding requests because of his extensive contacts after 24 years in the House. Galbraith said police should prioritize their work to go after hard drugs such as methamphetamine. He said he thinks the state should seek $2 billion from pharmaceutical companies to expand education and treatment, rather than criminalizing addicts. Asked what would happen if the companies refuse, Galbraith said he guessed that another good idea would "die on the vine." Wood, a former district judge and assistant county prosecutor who switched from Democrat to Republican for the race, said he plans to attack drugs by funding more police officers and increasing education and treatment. He did not offer specifics on paying for that. Each of the candidates has some scars. Among them: Galbraith's marijuana use; a lawsuit against Stumbo claiming he reneged on a promise to pay support after fathering a child out of wedlock in 1988; and suspension of Wood's pay for conduct violations when he was a district judge in the early 1980s. Wood said he was the only candidate in the race with real experience as a prosecutor. He went after Stumbo, saying he neglected his child-support obligation, sought clemency for a murderer and had been part of a tarnished Democrat establishment in Frankfort. Stumbo, however, said he had never been in violation of an order to pay child support and began supporting the child at issue after tests showed he was the father. He said his record in public life is unblemished. Stumbo said he sought clemency for murderer Kevin Stanford because he was mistaken on the facts of the case, and later rescinded his recommendation. Galbraith, who has made attacking corruption a focus of his campaign, called his opponents "scala-wags." Stumbo is too partisan and Wood has shown "erratic and unstable behavior" in the past, Galbraith said. Stumbo didn't mention Galbraith by name, but said someone can't tout the use of an illegal drug and be the state's top cop. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin