Published: November 09, 2007 06:48 am      

Beshear starts transition

FRANKFORT — Lt. Gov. Steve Pence, a Republican who was removed from his perch atop the state Justice Cabinet, will help Gov.-elect Steve Beshear with his incoming administration's transition to power.

Beshear, a Democrat who defeated Gov. Ernie Fletcher in this week's general election, also announced Thursday that his former campaign manager, Jim Cauley, and Larry Hayes, Louisville's deputy mayor, will have top roles in his administration.

"We are going to approach governing this state on the basis of trying to find the best people to help us regardless of their political affiliation," Beshear said at an afternoon press conference. "And, we're hitting the ground running and carrying out that promise to the people of this state."

Just two days after unseating Fletcher, Beshear has set about the task of implementing his new administration. Beshear gets sworn in as governor on Dec. 11, and has so far met with legislative leaders in the Kentucky General Assembly and is planning to meet with the state Board of Education on Friday.

Beshear, a former attorney general and lieutenant governor, has said he wants his cabinet in place by his inauguration. Cauley will be his chief of staff, while Hayes will work as the secretary of his executive cabinet. His general counsel will be Ellen Hesen, of Louisville.

On Thursday, Beshear also announced 10 other officials who will help lead his efforts to get a new administration up to speed on where Fletcher's team is leaving off. They are: Pence, Ed Holmes, of Lexington; Joetta Wickliffe, of Harrodsburg; Mark D. Guilfoyle, of northern Kentucky; Carol Palmore, of Frankfort; Eleanor Jordan, of Louisville; Donna Moore, of Lexington; Steve Nunn, of Glasgow; Helen Mountjoy of Owensboro; and state Sen. Ernesto Scorsone, of Lexington.

Some donated to Beshear's campaign: Holmes gave him $1,900, Wickliffe gave $2,000, Guilfoyle gave $2,000, Palmore and her husband gave a combined $1,000, Nunn gave $1,000, Moore and Scorsone each gave $250.

Nunn, like Pence, is a Republican.

Beshear said their jobs will be to work with current administration officials to determine upcoming deadlines and other pertinent information to keep state government flowing.

Pence was head of the Justice Cabinet after he and Fletcher took office in 2003. But, Fletcher forced Pence to resign that post after he decided not to seek re-election with the governor. He said he felt obliged to help Beshear with the transition.

"It's my obligation as lieutenant governor to say yes to that," Pence said. "Governor Fletcher himself said — rightfully so — that we all need to cooperate."







Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.