Beshear: GOP speakers put politics ahead of fighting virus

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Republican leaders had a duty to promote COVID-19 vaccinations at Kentucky's marquee political event, and their failure to do so showed they put “politics above the very lives of our people,” Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday.

GOP speakers at the Fancy Farm picnic last Saturday lambasted Beshear for his now-lifted restrictions on businesses and gatherings to combat the virus. Two Republicans who are expected to compete for Beshear's job in 2023 accused the governor of infringing on individual liberties.

Such arguments “give people excuses” not to do their part and get vaccinated, Beshear told The Associated Press. All the Republican speakers had to do was “take one minute away from their personal ambition” and promote the shots, he said.

The non-election year speeches came as Kentucky faces a surge in COVID-19 cases, leading to increased hospitalizations and concerns the death toll will spike. Beshear on Monday faulted the Republican speakers for what they didn't say at Fancy Farm.

“Anyone with a microphone, having an opportunity to speak to a statewide or regional audience, had an absolute duty to encourage vaccinations,” the governor said. “And the failure to do so continues to show putting politics above the very lives of our people.”

The speeches at the western Kentucky picnic aired on Kentucky Educational Television. The event is considered a rite of passage for statewide officeholders, who typically face jeers and cheers from a politically divided crowd, but not this year.

Beshear, who intends to seek a second term in 2023, skipped the picnic, ceding the stage to GOP officeholders and turning it into a Republican rally. Speakers included state Auditor Mike Harmon, who has announced his run for governor, and Agriculture Commissioner...