A scheduled Washington, D.C., fundraiser for state Sen. David Boswell’s 2nd Congressional District campaign is the latest point of contention in a race drawing more and more attention in recent weeks. The Republican Party of Kentucky targeted this evening’s event -- which is headlined by U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) -- as evidence that the Owensboro Democrat is taking funds from the “extreme left-wing” of his party.

“David Boswell raised so little money in Kentucky that he’s been forced to turn to Nancy Pelosi’s closest friends to bail him out. There is no doubt where his loyalty would be in Congress,” Steve Robertson, chairman of the state GOP, said in a statement released Thursday.

After initial fundraising struggles, Boswell’s bid against state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) was recently added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red-to-Blue list, as a race in a Republican-held district targeted for pick-up. Races on that list often enjoy fundraising help from around the nation.

[img_assist|nid=1637|title=An invitation to tonight's event|desc=|link=none|align=middle|width=391|height=507]

The move to the list drew flack from Guthrie’s camp, which claimed Boswell’s inclusion meant he would be taking money from “liberal” sources. The RPK’s effort of today is the latest to group Boswell with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and others typically regarded by Republican critics as “liberal.”

“David Boswell is already keeping the most liberal company you can keep in Washington, D.C.,” continued Robertson. “Voters should be advised that leadership in Washington matters, and Boswell supports a stark liberal agenda when he aligns himself with Nancy Pelosi and her closest friends.”

The RPK also included information on Miller – the fundraiser’s co-headliner – such as his favorable ratings from “liberal groups” such as the ACLU and abortion-rights groups, while noting the Californian was out of favor with the National Rifle Association.

Several Republican efforts thus far have tried to pin the “liberal” label on Boswell – an effort to paint Boswell out of touch with the arguably “conservative” 2nd district. That effort will be a complicated one, as Boswell has garnered endorsements from groups considered “conservative” in past campaigns, including the National Rifle Assocation and Kentucky Right-to-Life.
Boswell’s camp, meanwhile, shrugged off the charges this afternoon.

“Senator David Boswell is running a campaign for Congress based on issues and ideas that will fix the category four storm impact of Bush and Cheney on the economy,” said Mark Riddle, Boswell’s strategist and spokesman.

“Those who hang around with Dick Cheney shouldn’t cast stones,” added Riddle, referencing a fundraiser for Guthrie headlined by the current vice president.

Riddle added a jab about the district’s history, referencing incumbent U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis’ (R-Cecilia) special election win to seize the district in May 1994 -- a win some say foreshadowed the major Republican gains that came in November of that year.

“The 2nd district is the place where the so-called ‘Republican Revolution’ started in 1994, and it’s the place it will end on November 4,” Riddle said.