Government Cheese Day in Kentucky

Today is the day that Kentucky Treasurer Jonathan Miller is supposed to return $13.7 million dollars in taxpayer funds to the state that he used to prop up his money-losing prepaid tuition KAPT scheme.

Miller and Attorney General Greg Stumbo took the money and ran to court earlier this year.

Though we probably didn't need any more reasons to not trust liberals with our money, we now have 13,700,000 more.

Miller's recent Government Cheese Tour, promoting his taking of your money, didn't get any media scrutiny and we expect this day to pass without MSM notice as well.

Happy Government Cheese Day!!

Buying Votes For Ten Dollars Each

While enemies of Governor Fletcher are speculating wildly and leaking voluminously, federal prosecutors are quietly going after real election fraud.

Could this be a sign of things to come in Kentucky?

Ask the folks at KDP Headquarters about voter fraud and you get a typical liberal response. They say the solution to the problem is more public transportation, which would only allow the vote-buying to take place completely off the books.

Kent Clark Wants To Take Your Property

Madison County Judge Executive Kent Clark, possibly still light-headed and confused from his drunken driving arrest, weighed in on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on municipal governments' ability to take private property and give it to political contributors:

"It's a good thing because I don't think that one family should be able to hold up something that would benefit the whole county," the Democrat politician said.

Kentucky Dems To Take The Booze Out of Politics?

The latest campaign finance reform craze in Washington a few years ago was mostly a Democratic Party/Big Media initiative. John McCain was the useful idiot Republican in the scheme, but liberal establishment types are the folks with the vested interest in limiting free speech under the banner of "getting the money out of politics." After the most expensive Presidential election in history last year, it is only a matter of time before the Harry Reid/Nancy Pelosi cabal start braying about the destructive influence of money again.

Until that happens, Jerry Lundergan and Dale Emmons have a BIG IDEA! After promoting on their website for weeks that a major announcement was on the way, they claim boldly to support ending the practice of vote hauling.

The wording in the press release is laughable. Stating that the system "fosters class warfare" and causes "character assassination of indigent and disabled Kentucky voters," The Brain Trust on Democrat Drive in Frankfort proposes the big fix: just make the traditional practice of vote hauling illegal.

The worst kept secret in the last century of Kentucky politics is that vote-buying politicians can find willing sellers and compensate them as "vote haulers" who are paid with a wink and a nod to drive poor unfortunate souls to the polls. Keeping up this charade is where the concern for the reputations of indigent and disabled Kentucky voters comes from.

What we have here again is the the difference between stated reasons and the real reason for proposing a change in the law. Just as campaign finance reform was simply a dressed-up "Incumbent Protection and Mainstream Media Empowerment Act," this clean up the election process effort is a well-orchestrated effort to deflect blame from the vote buying cases winding their way through the federal legal system right now. Missing in all this bluster from the KDP is the simple fact that vote hauling isn't the problem; vote buying is the problem. And vote buying has been illegal for a long time. The change they are proposing is simple window dressing. If you believe that they really want to eliminate voter fraud, you probably also believe there is no need to reform Social Security.

Nancy Pelosi Goes Howard Dean On Social Security

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi defended raiding the Social Security Trust Fund recently, saying “There is a surplus in Social Security, and under the law Social Security can lend that money to the government for other purposes with the idea and the requirement that that money be paid back to the Social Security Trust Fund with interest.”

She went on to claim that "the ‘with interest’ is part of the income to the Social Security Trust Fund which makes it solvent until 2052.”

Outside of San Francisco, most of the rest of us see the enormous tax increase coming to Rep. Pelosi's status quo approach.

Does Ben Chandler agree with this? Do you?

Liberals: Hug a Tree, Claim Two Plus Two Is Three

Still wondering why the left is so adamantly against Social Security reform? It's called rainforest algebra.

Democrats To Lose Big on Social Security

As basic math, retirement security, and common sense become killer wedge issues, 2006 is shaping up to be a very good year for Republicans. Don't see it? Maybe you should read this.

Chandler Votes to Keep Public Broadcasting Liberal

Congressional Democrats slipped an amendment into an appropriations bill yesterday that would have prohibited the administration from balancing out the liberal bias that overwhelms our taxpayer supported Public Broadcasting System.

Fortunately, Republican majority turned back the Keep Public Broadcasting Liberal Act of 2005 on a party line vote.

Kentucky Dems to Hang With Howard

Insiders report that tomorrow's Democratic Party State Central Committee meeting will NOT have the votes to repudiate DNC Chair Howard Dean and his wacky policy positions and actions such as supporting an admitted Socialist for the U.S. Senate and expressing his hatred for people who don't think like he does.

Disgusted Democrats are encouraged to contact your local Republican party. The Grand Old Party needs you and appreciates your values. Have a great weekend.

What's the Biggest Issue Facing Kentucky?

I think the biggest national issue is the war on terror. Entitlement reform is an important second. The feeding frenzy over the merit hiring in state government is taking up a lot of space in Kentucky, but what should we be doing to move the state forward that we are not?

We have a serious debate about Medicaid looming on the horizon. The key to that problem, which I think is our state's biggest, is increasing co-payments for recipients. We just have to lower our costs here. What do you think?

Kentucky Progress Radio

Please tune in to WEKY 1340 AM in Richmond, WIRV 1550 AM in Irvine, and WKXO 1500 AM in Berea this afternoon 5:15 to 6:15 pm.

We'll be talking about Medicaid reform, Social Security reform, the KAPT "Government Cheese" Tour, and more.

See you then.

Cheaper By the Dozen?

Far left wing website Daily Chaos is running a straw poll of favored Dem nominees for President in 2008. So far, No Frickin' Clue and Other are giving Wesley Clark a run for his money.

Interesting to read some of the comments about Hillary Clinton.

Not Dead Yet: Social Security Proposal Tuesday

Despite Democrat obstruction against Social Security reform, expect a new proposal tomorrow that turns the surplus in the Social Security Trust Fund into personal accounts.

The downside is the funds would only be invested in Treasury securities. Call it the best you can get with 45 Democrats in the Senate. In filibuster math that is six too many.

Another Serious Issue That Is Over Liberals' Heads

David Hawpe is at it again, turning what should be a very important debate into a full-scale partisan attack.

The Louisville C-J columnist took all of his allotted space in Sunday's paper to rip Rep. Anne Northup for her role in funding cuts for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

Let me say that I appreciate KET's programming for kids. My little boys love several of their shows and they seem to have a somewhat positive impact. But the marketplace is changing and CPB needs to change as well.

The educational industrial complex that we have built up (of which CPB is a part) badly needs reform. Technology has become much more efficient, yet much of our government's approach to education has struggled to adequately integrate these efficiencies into the system of helping our kids learn. Try a google search for home schooling resources sometime. It will blow your mind to see what is available. While we have made a big deal out of $1500 from every GM car purchase going to employee health costs, we don't give so much thought to how many of our tax dollars are going to fund bloated education bureaucracies without benefit to our children. We are spending more on computers in schools -- and all their related expenses -- while showing little gain for the increase in expenditures.

Four years ago, we got my then-four year old son a reading program for $400 that made him cry every time we pulled it out. We now have another four year old who is learning to read with two $9 DVD's that he loves to watch. That's what technology is supposed to do: provide better production from fewer resources. That process works; it just needs to be more widely applied in how our government's educational processes function.

Our discussion needs to start here, but we can't really expect more than Hawpe's fanciful demolition of Republicans when attempting to discuss this or any other type of reform with opponents on the left. Better then, perhaps, to ram changes down their throats and dismiss their complaints of indigestion as simple eructation.

Look it up. And then thank a teacher -- and a system of free enterprise that will be allowed to work its magic through the creative destruction process coming to CPB. May it be applied to other areas of public education as well.

Ralph Nader Pulls A Happy Chandler...

... and gets a pass from Al Sharpton because, well, socialists need to stick together.

Kentucky Democrats' Ideas on Display

Here.

WHAS Finds 85 People Who Don't Like Fletcher

When is a poll not really a poll?

When a "poll" asks questions in such a way as to get a certain answer or if the number of people questioned is too small to draw any conclusions, it isn't really a poll.

WHAS TV ran as a story on the air (and on the net) that 38% of Kentuckians thought Governor Ernie Fletcher should resign office because AG Greg Stumbo is investigating his administration's approach to the merit system.

Pretty sensational numbers, right? Well, not so fast.

The alert staff at Kentucky Progress called the WHAS studio to question some red flags that were evident in the reporting of the "poll."

The response from WHAS to this questioning was to amend its story to say that only 224 Kentuckians were asked "What should happen to the governor now?"

Why would they poll 224 people and then report it as news? Well, the claim is that 500 people were called and asked if they were familiar with the investigation. The original reporting claimed that 45% said they were familiar. Interestingly, the original reporting also claimed that 59% of the 500 said the hiring practices were corrupt. So how was it, we wondered, that more people had an opinion than had a familiarity? We wondered what "information" was given by pollsters that might explain this discrepancy. That is when the story changed to indicate that only those respondents who claimed an awareness of the investigation were asked follow up questions. That would be 224 people. So which is it: was this merely a push poll to create a story, or are we really being asked to draw conclusions about a straw poll of 224 people?

The far left is already getting worked up about this. Sure hate to rain on that parade.

It's the Lack of Ideas, Stupid

Democrats can arrest all the elected Republicans in Frankfort if they want to, but they really need to take care of this.

No, Mr. Stumbo, They Are Talking About You

Women often claim to fall for men who make them laugh. Greg Stumbo has established a reputation as a pretty reckless funnyman on the No Tell Motel circuit. But Stumbo's recent attempts to turn his merit hiring investigation into a display of his wit are in desperate need of some rhetorical Viagra.

Stumbo chuckled when he ducked a question about his political motivations by saying that Doug Doerting wasn't running for governor. Now he is sending out subordinates to deflect criticism of inaccuracies in his indictments by acting as if the Administration is impugning "twelve ordinary citizens" on the grand jury.

On the Radio

I'll be on the radio this afternoon 5:15 to 6:15 pm (WEKY 1340 AM) talking about the merit system case, the Government Cheese tour, and the 2006 local elections.

Hey You! Over Here! GOVERNMENT CHEESE!

State Treasurer Jonathan Miller(D-GC) kicked off his "Save My KAPT" effort last night. Also known as the Government Cheese Tour, Miller's series of campaign stops this month seek to find support for using taxpayer dollars to prop up the mounting unfunded liability in his prepaid tuition ponzi scheme.

Bad idea and, unfortunately, no links to news articles available. Is the media going to let this waste of our most precious resource (money) go unscrutinized?

Merit Hiring Indictment Puzzling

The indictments handed down today seem to revolve around the ability to read a calendar. Mike Duncan claims he was fired after his six month probation ended and that the firing was motivated by his support for Ben Chandler. Louisville Courier Journal reporter Mark Pitsch reported without attribution on May 27 that Duncan was fired one month short of the six month point.

The indictment states that the probation period had ended. Vicki Glass, Greg Stumbo's spokeswoman, said "The indictments speak for themselves."

But they don't if they are based on false information, right?

New Dogs and Old Tricks

President Bush's push for an Ownership Society to empower the individual has frustrated and angered his opponents.

Now, it seems, they have an answer: Communism.

In this article the author promotes, as a progressive new strategy, government ownership of land and business. Read the article. It is happening already right under our noses. The idea is as bad as socialized medicine and the threat to society is as bad or worse. But we will be hearing more about this.

Trouble in Paradise

Shouldn't Frankfort Democratic Party officials be walking Cheshire Cat Grins with the Kentucky media printing all their press releases on the state government hiring probe?

But it isn't so.

Ben Chandler's campaign manager found one Dem who isn't piling on fast enough and he is hot on Bruce Lunsford's trail.

Mark Nickolas even rips KDP communications director Dale Emmons for calling Chandler a "crybaby," and urges Emmons to make Lunsford jump on the bandwagon, suggesting that if he doesn't he is a liar.

Nickolas goes on to wax eloquently about sodomy and teen sex, conjures up a secret meeting with Louie Nunn (who predicts that Fletcher will be as bad as Patton, of course), and calls the Jessamine Journal a "conservative weekly" and the Danville Advocate Messenger the most biased newspaper in the state on his new web site.

His site is complete with links to way-far left bomb throwers Daily Kos and Eschaton.

Beautiful.

GOP Congressman Goes Squishy On War

Recently we extolled the virtues of Rep. Walter Jones' Restoration of Free Speech Rights for Houses of Worship bill on this site. Now that he is calling for surrender on one of the two main foreign fronts in the War on Terror, we have to question the wisdom of associating with him at all.

Rep. Jones totally missed the point of what we are doing in Iraq when he said "This is what I believe is the right thing to do for our military first; and secondly, I think we are doing everything we can do in Iraq to give them an opportunity to have a democracy, to defend themselves." The fact is that we are helping Iraq to develop freedom for our own benefit and the safety of our own people. If the war was some kind of altruistic exercise, I would agree with Rep. Jones. But this kind of talk only serves to embolden our enemies, both foreign and domestic. It is shocking that people in greater numbers seem to be forgetting what the terrorists are capable of doing to us.

We've come to expect Democrats to grouse about the war effort, but a North Carolina Republican?

KDP on WHAS: SOS!

Kentucky Democratic Party Communications Director Dale Emmons was on Louisville radio this morning complaining about Democrats' inability to get out their "message."

In one particularly funny bit, Emmons blamed the loss of 4th district Dem Nick Clooney on the "Republican attack machine" rather than on Clooney's far-left views and public meltdowns late in the campaign that actually cost him the election.

Emmons also claimed that 2006 would be a better year for Democrats because of the county elections "where Democrats always win big."

Except for 2002, Dale. The trend isn't your friend.

More important than the Republican Attack Machine in 2006 will be the behavior of Frankfort's House Democrats in the 2006 General Assembly. We expect another year of whiny, watered-down Republican Lite to be the real reason for the next round of we-can't-get-our-message-out-ism.

What We Are Up Against: Waste, Fraud, and Abuse In Frankfort

Buried in a very basic "Dog Bites Man" story about how a buy-here pay-here dealer overcharges customers for cars is a little paragraph that says a lot about what is going on in Frankfort. Here it is:

In addition to the lawsuit, the Kentucky State Police are continuing to investigate allegations that the former head of the attorney general's Louisville consumer office, Bob Winlock, went easy on Byrider in exchange for favorable deals on cars he bought and sold at the dealership. Winlock initially denied any wrongdoing in an interview last year and later declined to comment.

Winlock was an "investigator" in Ben Chandler's AG office who was getting incredibly sweet deals on cars from JD Byrider when he was supposed to be investigating the dealer. KSP has the records and Stumbo has known about this at least since he took office. Talk about your "smoking gun." But why should we expect Kentucky's attorney general to put the wraps on a clear cut case of fraud and abuse in Chandler's AG office when he has access to all those Republican emails to fish through?

Clearly, we can't.

MSM Changes Tune On State Hiring Flap?

This looks to me like the Louisville CJ is sending the signal that there is nothing here to get worked up about.

Enemies of the governor will be very upset if they think their supporters in the news media are breaking up the feeding frenzy.

Ben Chandler: "Howard Dean is a ______"

Kentucky's lone Democrat Congressman has been conspicuously absent from the discussion about the outlandish behavior of DNC Chair Howard Dean.

In recent weeks, Dean has endorsed a Socialist for the United States Senate and expressed more than once his disdain for conservatives, Christians, and people who aren't just like him.

Chandler has been fighting his own demons. While calling for massive tax increases to prop up Social Security, Chandler's refusal to discuss realistic entitlement reform is indicative of the problem that Congressional Democrats face when they try to talk to the folks back home: as a whole we aren't far left enough for the coastal liberal elites who host all the parties in Washington D.C.

So which is it Mr. Chandler? Is Howard Dean your kind of guy or not?

Reminder: Saturday June 25 is the day Kentucky Democrats will decide to join a coalition of southern Dem state parties who plan to ask Dean to resign.

You Won't Read About This In The Paper Yet

Charges are on the way "soon" in the 2000 vote buying scandal.

On the receiving end this time: Greg Stumbo.

Stop The Presses! Greg Stumbo Takes A Break From Partisan Witch Hunt To Support John Roach For Supreme Court!

Governor Ernie Fletcher took the highly unusual step today of appointing a conservative to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Oh the shame!

Fletcher could easily have made the liberal editorial boards happy by appointing one of their judges instead. If only Ben Chandler had been elected governor, we could have gotten a nice lefty.

Think about that for a minute.

And the best part is those letters of support for Roach's appointment from Stumbo and Democrat former Secretary of State John Y. Brown III.

I'm almost looking forward to the fits of rage about this...

Friday's Felon: Me?

Amid all this gubmint job hubbub in Kentucky, I remember now that I lobbied for a friend to get a job in the Finance and Administration cabinet.

I didn't write a letter and don't recall emailing anyone's blackberry about it, but I did it.

There. I feel much better now.

I'm ready to pay for my crime.

Thumbs Up For Larry Forgy

If anyone knows about Democrat dirty tricks, it's Larry Forgy. Mr. Forgy had the special experience of practicing law in Kentucky with a Democrat Governor nipping at his posterior for eight years.

So now, Mr. Forgy is suing in federal court to shut down Greg Stumbo's far-reaching merit system investigation.

The AP reports "Forgy went to federal court to challenge the state law because his experience in state courts in Kentucky has been unsatisfactory."

That would be an understatement. Nice job, Larry.

Harry Reid Obstructs Senate, Blames Republicans For Sluggishness

After years of dragging President Bush's judicial nominees through the verbal muck of Democrats' filibustering, Harry Reid stretches beyond all reason for a partisan attack:

"We've spent endless hours, endless days, too many weeks debating radical judges and Republican attempts to abuse power," Reid spun.

Thanks, Senator. But do you have any real ideas? How about entitlement reform? Taxes?

Silence is often considered golden, but Democrat obstinance and obstruction in the face of real problems isn't a very impressive platform from which to ask for a return to power.

Which Way Will They Go?

Kentucky's Democratic Party State Executive Committee is supposed to meet June 25 at Jenny Wiley State Park in Prestonsburg. This is the meeting at which the party will decide whether to follow Howard Dean to the far left or to become Republican Lite.

You may recall we started reporting on this developing story three weeks ago.

Democrat Sour Grapes In Montgomery County

Brenda Murphy is one angry Democrat.

Murphy ran for Montgomery County PVA last year and lost. Now she is suing the lady who beat her and Kentucky's Finance and Administration Cabinet for $4 million.

She is also dragging Governor Fletcher into the case. Interestingly, she didn't think to object to her firing until May 24, six months after losing the election and in the middle of AG Greg Stumbo's investigation into state hiring practices.

There is a lot more to the story (some of it is here), and we can probably expect more of these things to pop up. Before this is over, Stumbo will have spent his whole term chasing down disgruntled Dems looking to get even rather than actually doing his job.

That's a shame.

Kentucky Progress Radio

We will be talking about Jonathan Miller's Government Cheese Tour, Harry Moberly's illegal fundraising, Greg Stumbo's waste, a new liberal poll and more this afternoon at 5:15 to 6:15 on WEKY 1340 AM.

KY Sierra Club: Save The Environment By Soaking the "Rich"

Kentucky's tree huggers have more to worry about than predicting (again) the imminent end of the world's oil supply. In a front page article for their June newsletter, the Cumberland Sierra Club wades into the Social Security debate with some carefully measured analysis and suggestions. Their prescription: raise taxes already so we can get back to the important work of complaining about the environment.

They even offer political cover for Democrats using a little Berkeleyspeak: "But courageous lawmakers could frame the debate in the appropriate context and become heroes."

Thanks guys. No, really. Don't ever change.

Hillary Screams Like Dean

It must be Democrat primary 2008 time already.

Hillary smears and attacks Republicans for attempting to "further their own agenda" at a fundraiser in New York. I'm sure she would prefer that we enact her socialist utopia for her. No doubt Hillary would like us if we only nationalized health care and taxed our way to prosperity for all.

Read this. Particularly hilarious was the part where she attacks the media for not being tough on Bush.

WFA: Jonathan Miller's Government Cheese Tour

Kentucky's state Treasurer Jonathan Miller is taking the hugely expensive marketing campaign for his moribund KAPT program on the road this month. Starting in Lexington on June 14, Miller will make a series of "town hall meetings" to dredge up support for more taxpayer spending to rescue what was once considered the crowning achievement of his political life.

Miller's prepaid tuition ponzi scheme (also known as KAPT) came under fire after pulling $13.7 million last December from the Commonwealth's General Fund. Finance and Administration Cabinet officials, already facing runaway Medicaid expenses and other real problems requiring real money, were doubtless relieved when the General Assembly ordered Miller to return the taxpayers' millions by June 30, 2005.

But Miller and AG Greg "Smoking Gun" Stumbo took the money and ran -- to court. Miller has already spent millions of taxpayer dollars marketing (and subsequently propping up) KAPT -- complete with his name and picture on all the materials. Earlier this year, an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in the General Assembly agreed to slow his gravy train down by recouping the $13.7 million (House Democrats killed the commonsense effort to stop future losses altogether).

The matter is currently before Franklin Circuit Court Judge Roger Crittenden where, of course, anything can happen. And you know the liberal media is for anything that would cause tax increases, so expect lots of fawning coverage and angry Dean Scream editorials.

Many of us voted for change in Frankfort in 2003 and have seen precious little of it. We must demand that Miller be forced to end this waste, fraud, and abuse immediately. And then we need legislation to discontinue the office of State Treasurer once and for all. We can call it the Jonathan "Government Cheese" Miller Act of 2006 and spend his outlandish salary on things that might more positively affect the Commonwealth.

Dead Democrats Caught Voting In Washington State

Read the story here. I doubt you will see much about this in the MSM, but the story isn't going away and is certainly likely to unearth a few more buried secrets.

UPDATE: Expecting a court decision on the WA Governor's race Monday. If the judge invalidates the very suspicious "victory" of Democrat Christine Gregoire, she will be booted out of office and a new election will be held. Monday's decision won't be final, though. The state Supreme Court has already cleared room on its docket to hear the appeal of this Al Gore repeat that "ended" when they found enough votes for the Dem.

Papers Go Ballistic For Arbitrary Judicial Activism

Slinging mud and calling a lady names like "discredited nag" are nothing new to the Lexington Herald Leader and Louisville Courier Journal, who call on Republicans to end their effort to seat election winner Dana Seum Stephenson to represent the 37th district in the state Senate.

What is new, which went unreported in all the newspaper coverage, is that the as-yet-undecided contest between Stephenson and Virginia Woodward is now only about one thing: the ability of the state Senate to make internal decisions. The Senate's definition of "residency" no longer matters in this case. It's an interesting side issue, but the crux of the matter is now whether the courts have jurisdiction over internal Senate decisions.

They don't, and the Supreme Court is likely to agree. Liberal editorial writers are certainly free to advise Senators to give up this fight, but unless we want legislators going to court over their committee assignments and meeting start times (and no one should want that), we should support the decision to seat Dana Seum Stephenson and move on to more important issues.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woodward?

The Kentucky Senate's 37th district constitutional conundrum appears to have the Lexington Herald Leader and Louisville Courier Journal all twisted up in their hopes to install more liberal Democrats in Frankfort.

Both papers today jump on a Franklin Circuit Court ruling that keeps open the question of who will serve the 37th Senate district -- Dana Seum Stephenson or Virginia Woodward.

The Senate voted to seat Stephenson because she won the election. Now Judge Graham is calling that decision "arbitrary." This is the key issue. Whether the decision of the Senate was arbitrary or whether the Court's calling it that is a violation of separation of powers should get the case to the Kentucky Supreme Court. Interestingly, Woodward's due process claims could possibly shift the case to federal courts should she lose before the Kentucky Supreme Court.

I doubt that Kentucky's Supreme Court is going to decide against the Senate on this issue. To do so would open up the legislature to excessive judicial control. Judges would only have to claim that a decision they didn't like was "arbitrary." While that would certainly be a liberal dream come true, the Supreme Court should be slow to go there. We expect more angry editorials about mean old David Williams and his iron fist. Funny.

"Smoking Gun" Stumbo To Give Up AG?

A top KDP official said that AG Greg Stumbo looks like a definite go for the Democratic Party's 2007 gubernatorial primary. No word on whether Doug Doerting will be his running mate, but we wouldn't be surprised to hear that he has been promised a good job.

KDP Strategy 2006

Kentucky Democrats will soon be chanting one number: 96,000. That is the number of senior citizens in Kentucky they want to believe will become poverty stricken in the event of Social Security reform. Expect that number to get lots of media coverage.

Also lots of talk about reframing issues. A Berkeley professor has put out a video that talks about how to use language to change perception without actually changing positions. This will, activists hope, allow the party's candidates to support tax increases in the name of "investment," shutting down the active defense against terrorism -- never mentioning the term "national security" by turning the discussion to "economic security" -- and pushing nationalized health care as "health security."

In other words, the Democrats are going hard to the left. Their next step will be to cast Jesus as a Marxist by co-opting the Beattitudes. Good news.