Beshear To Attend National Convention

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Some Democratic officials from coal-producing states plan to boycott this year's national party convention because of discontent with President Obama's energy policies. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear said Friday he will support Obama as the party nominee at the national convention September 3rd through 6th in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kentucky Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson says that's a mistake. Robertson says elected officials will have to answer to whether they support Obama, a president who has declared war on coal, or Kentucky. Robertson says Obama's enforcement of stringent regulations is the reason for the Arch Coal layoffs, and Kentucky Democratic officials should follow the example of neighboring party colleagues, including Democratic West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, and skip the Democratic presidential convention in protest. State Democratic Party spokesman Matt Erwin says no one has informed Kentucky Democratic Party officials that he or she will bypass the party convention because of Obama. He says every Democratic delegate representing Kentucky will support the Democratic ticket, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.