Echoing the earlier sentiments of Senator Mitch McConnell, the top Republicans in Kentucky touted their favored candidates and issues while ripping into Democrats during speeches at the 4th District Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner on Saturday.

U.S. Senator Jim Bunning, 4th District Congressman Geoff Davis, and Kentucky’s Secretary of State Trey Grayson followed McConnell at the podium in Hebron. Each told the crowd of over 400 that re-electing McConnell – the state’s Senior U.S. Senator - was a priority.

“Mitch McConnell is more than just a firewall, but a bulwark between a tide of very, very bad things for this country,” said Davis. “We need Senator McConnell. He has spent a lifetime dedicating himself to service.”

Grayson said McConnell’s “re-election is not just important for Kentucky, but for the country. Folks from all around this country are going to come to Kentucky and come gunning for him. We need to do whatever we can in the 4th District to deliver a large margin to send a message to General Pelosi and General Reid that they are no longer wanted, and that Senator McConnell needs to get re-elected.”

Attendee and KY-2 candidate State Senator Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) also garnered attention from the podium, as he prepares to battle for an open seat targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

“I’ve got a surprise for the Kentucky Democratic Party: not only is [Guthrie] going to win, but he is going to carry a whole boatload of State House seats with him,” remarked Davis.

Grayson also was praised heavily by the other speakers. Senator Bunning acknowledged Grayson’s 2007 win was unexpected to him. He said he placed a dinner bet with McConnell that Grayson would not be successful if that year’s Republican Gubernatorial nominee, Ernie Fletcher, lost by more than 150,000 votes. Grayson won despite Fletcher’s landslide loss.

Bunning said Grayson’s win went a way towards “proving people will vote for good people no matter what party they are running under.”

Grayson’s own remarks focused mostly on the administration of the man who defeated Fletcher in 2007 – Democrat Steve Beshear. Grayson offered a “report card” to Beshear for his first few months in office.

The Secretary of State allocated Beshear a “Gentleman’s C+” in the “subject” of history. The mark was a passing one, Grayson said, because of Beshear’s appointments to cabinet and judicial positions in the state.

“If you search through Kentucky’s history books, you’ll find entries for many of them,” remarked Grayson.

Grayson also gave the Governor a second “Gentleman’s C” in “communications” for what he suggested was one instance of consensus.

“In a session marked by disagreements, legislators from both chambers and both parties actually agree on one thing: Governor Beshear has been a “miserable failure,” said Grayson.

Two F’s were also awarded in “economics” – due to Beshear’s proposed tax hikes – and “civics.”

“He doesn’t understand that it is the Legislative Branch that makes laws, and that a Governor can’t just wave his hand, and wave his wand, and make things happen anymore,” said Grayson.

“The bad news is that we are stuck with him for 3 more years,” he concluded. “The good news is that in 2011, we’ll have a chance to do something about it.”

At this remark, an audience member shouted “Grayson for Governor,” which earned little reaction from the Secretary of State. Grayson is seen as a favored prospect among Republicans to seek higher-office in the near future. He also off-handedly addressed speculation he would be the candidate to succeed Bunning, should he leave office at the end of his term in 2010.

Of Bunning in the Senate, Grayson said “He can stay there as long as he wants.”

The “junior” Senator’s earlier remarks to the crowd touched on policy in the “war on terror.” Similar to McConnell, Bunning argued for a continued offensive.

“The people we are fighting against now are worse than Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, and we don’t know where they live, half of them,” said Bunning. “But they want to kill you, your children, and your grandchildren. So we better fight them where we are right now.”

Congressman Davis also addressed American foreign policy, but tied his discussion into an experience he claimed to have with Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama.

“I did a closed, highly-classified national security simulation with the erstwhile future president,” said Davis. “I’m going to tell you something – that boy’s finger does not need to be on the button.”

Davis said Obama “could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country.”

In closing, Davis told the crowd he had a message for Democrats about the 2008 election.

“I’m going to be hunting come this November, all the way down the ticket,” said Davis. “And I want that message gun-barrel straight.”