Unlike some Democratic officials, Stumbo not afraid to voice support for Obama

MAYFIELD – House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Stumbo, wasn’t shy about his support for the president Saturday, telling supporters at the annual Graves County Democratic Breakfast that he’s voting for President Barack Obama and Kentuckians should do the same.

Republicans pounced on that almost immediately. Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said to Stumbo in his Fancy Farm speech four hours later that House Democratic candidates will “appreciate you being here for the president.” And House Republican Leader Jeff Hoover of Jamestown told Pure Politics he expected to use Stumbo’s statements in mailers and ads against Democratic House candidates in order to link them to the president, who is unpopular in some quarters of Kentucky.

Stumbo told the 200 Democratic supporters at the breakfast at Mayfield High School: “When you count up the success that President Obama’s had and you can count up some of the problems that we could see with Mitt Romney and some of his flawed economic policies, I think the choice is clear. I’m not ashamed to say that I’m going to vote for Barack Obama if I live to November 6. I’m going to vote for the man who believes in reestablishing the middle class of America.”

Later, Stumbo had the same general message for those in attendance at the Fancy Farm Picnic.

The Graves County breakfast is held annually on the morning of the Fancy Farm Picnic.