Liberal Enough? Check!

Fresh off his brother's failed attempt to influence the New Orleans' mayoral race, Democracy For America's (formerly Dean For America) Jim Dean is touting Ned Lamont in his primary race against -- not liberal enough -- Senator Joe Lieberman. The same link shows the Deaniacs have raised more money for Socialist Bernie Sanders than for any other of their preferred candidates.

Keep up the good work, guys.

Carlson Bows Out

Her heart was in the right place, but Elaine Carlson could gain no traction in her bid to unseat Rep. Ben Chandler. She dropped out of the race this morning.

This is bad news for vulnerable Democrats across central Kentucky like Rep. Charlie Hoffman, Rep. Don Pasley, and Sen. Ed Worley.

Cato: Republicans Out of Gas

Whining about "high" gasoline prices seems to have fallen, mercifully, off the front pages and off talk radio. But the yammering from eager politicians continues unabated. Sadly, too much of it is coming from Republicans.

Focus on Big Education in Lexington Thursday

Have you ever considered that while we are all upset about Big Oil, the big dollars are really being siphoned off by Big Education?

Injecting a little competition into the public schools starts at the top. The death grip bureaucrats and teachers unions have on our schools costs us significantly more than gas prices that, while increasing, haven't even kept up with inflation. The public education situation is risking the future of our nation in a way that $3 a gallon gas can't even come close to.

A clash between those bureacrats and concerned parents is coming up fast. This Thursday evening, ABC's John Stossel will speak at the Marriott Griffin Gate. His presentation is titled "Stupid Schools: How The Government Monopoly Cheats Kids."

The union thugs will be outside screaming and yelling. So far, about 230 parents and concerned citizens have committed to attend.

Click here for details.

William Jefferson Raid: Who is Upset About This?

Just heard a radio report that the FBI raid on Rep. William Jefferson's office angered "House leaders." I can't find that element of the story in print yet, but I sure would be interested to know exactly which "leaders" didn't like the idea of authorities tracking down this criminal's activities.

National Dems: Where Did Our $45 Million Go?

They want to control your money, but the Democratic National Committee has blown through $45 million dollars marketing themselves this year and can't account for having accomplished anything.

None other than former Clintonista Paul Begala says that without any kind of coherent message, Democrats are merely making noise.

Gun Battle Coming Soon To Kentucky

After the confiscation of guns only from law-abiding citizens in New Orleans following Katrina, the National Rifle Association is pressing police chiefs and mayors across the nation to promise such a thing will never happen in their cities.

This could play a major role in the Lexington mayor's race. I can't imagine Teresa Isaac making such a promise. Jim Newberry, what say you?

How To Reform A GOP Tax And Spend Mess?

Ken Blackwell is running for Governor of Ohio. He is a conservative Republican and a very good candidate. The only problem is he is running to replace two-term Republican Governor Bob Taft.

Blackwell is running to reduce Ohio's high tax rates and cut back spending.

Interesting.

Crime in Russell County

Prayer.

There is hope for these kids!

I can't imagine where the ACLU finds a violation of anyone's constitutional rights in a high school graduation prayer, but this one is not going away. We've got football games coming up soon.

Call it the ACLU tax. When small towns or counties have to defend themselves against left-wing atheist attacks from the ACLU, the innocent people have to pay.

This underscores the need for conservative judges.

KY Supreme Court Ruling: Like Kissing Your Sister

I don't think we should be using the word "vindicated" with regard to anything that comes out of the merit hiring fiasco, much less yesterday's ruling that previously pardoned people can not now be indicted.

You want to talk vindication? Fine. Let's start talking about candidates who can oust the scandal-plagued Greg Stumbo as AG.

Tim Feeley should get the nod. The top law enforcement officer in the state needs to be someone who has broad bipartisan respect and the ability to rise above politics and rancid shenanigans and just do the job.

We need an Attorney General who we don't have to worry about what he is doing, who he is doing it with, and whether or not he gets "lost at sea."

Fahrenheit 40356

Mike Moore is mad at me.

No, not that Michael Moore, just the editor of the Jessamine Journal in Nicholasville. It seems he got a little upset over this post on Kentucky Progress.

Actually, he got more than just a little upset. He came completely unglued and wasted a lot of ink barking at me from the editorial page of today's Journal. Mr. Moore is new to town and doesn't know me very well. I'm just getting warmed up, so he should probably stay twisted up for quite a while. Can it be long before -- like his Hollywood namesake -- Mr. Moore starts following me around with a video camera?

Roll tape!

You Want Some Cheese To Go With That?

The Lexington Herald Leader Editorial Page starts off the day with a big glass of whine.

They are upset at Rep. Joe Barrows for depriving Democrat primary voters in the 56th of a vigorous primary to replace him.

Barrows conspired with fellow Dem Carl Rollins, a weak candidate, rather than admit his plans and encourage others to join the race.

I suspect they are mainly upset that Republican Kevin Locke will win the seat and make the 56th a key pick-up for the GOP.

Columnist Says Fletcher Is Finished

John David Dyche says Governor Fletcher should drop out of the 2007 election.

There is no way to deny Ernie's political fortunes have taken a huge hit in the last year. We've reached the point that Republican gains in the state House and Senate this fall can help Republicans without helping the Governor. That is a stark reality, if not an iron-clad case for scrambling for a new candidate at the top of the ticket. A more immediate priority -- and maybe even a better move -- should be filling out the ticket for the rest of the constitutional offices. If we have learned nothing else, we should know that holding the Attorney General's office is not only important, but might speed up the demise of the decaying Democratic Party in Kentucky. With any number of accomplished attorneys, the Republican party could put up a candidate to run rings around the baggage-laden Greg Stumbo. Then we could dare other elected officials to say how great Stumbo is in front of a camera. I'm betting there would be precious few takers.

A Republican AG could do more to clean up the Democrat bloodsport of merit system abuse than a Republican Governor ever could.

Auditor and Attorney General should be Republicans' top priorities for 2007. As a trade for Governor? Maybe, maybe not. But we can't reasonably deny that we should be having this conversation.

Another One Bites The Dust

Liberal extremist David Wilson won a recanvass of the Garrard County Judge Executive race this morning in the Democratic primary over incumbent E.J. Hasty.

That means Republican John Wilson is a shoo-in in November.

Sea Change In Jessamine County

Yeah, it's just little old Jessamine county, but it is growing fast and quickly becoming a GOP county. Sammy Brown's decisive victory in the primary for Sheriff bodes well for a win this November against a weak Dem opponent. With County Attorney Brian Goettl unopposed, the make-up of the courthouse is changing. Wilmore is already very conservative and, while Sam Corman looks likely to regain his mayoral post, the city commission could be tough for him to deal with. Expect Chris Moore and Betty Black to win this fall. One more good commissioner and they will control city hall.

And the coming revival of the Lexington Water Takeover will invigorate conservatives in all the contiguous counties.

Failure To Skewer Rove Cracking Up AP Reporter

This is the most pathetic attempt to write a hit piece on Karl Rove or any other public figure I have ever seen from a "professional" reporter.

It's a good thing that, unlike bloggers, reporters like Deb "I can read Rove's mind" Riechmann have layers of editors to keep mindless drivel from making its way out into the public domain.

Election Night Surprise

Lexingtonians of all political stripes will be talking Wednesday about Tuesday night's election party at Fayette Republican HQ.

Anyone care to guess what the hot topic of conversation will be?

Richmond Register Jumps Into The Fray

Central Kentucky election officials are used to watching area voters show up at the polls with Lexington Herald-Leader endorsements in hand, ready to vote against the paper's recommendations.

The paper's predictable calls work like this: pick the weakest Republican candidate in the primary and pick the Democrat in the fall. Case in point: the Herald-Leader endorsed Steve Nunn just prior to his 3rd place finish for Governor in 2003. This year, they endorsed Albert Spencer, a good candidate and a very good man, who is nonetheless ill-equipped to handle the vicious, dirty campaigning tactics of Sen. Ed Worley.

For the first time, The Richmond Register today endorsed candidates for election. In stark contrast to the Herald Leader, they chose to support the stronger Republican candidate -- former Senator Barry Metcalf.

Interestingly, they also suggested voters bring a new Sheriff to town, replacing an incumbent. Also, they counsel keeping a popular and efficient county clerk.

Money Monday: Give A Little, Get A Lot

Today is a great day to donate $10, $20, $50, $100 or more to Kentucky Votes. They are the folks who sort through the muck to put General Assembly votes online. They are currently leading the fight to give the public greater access to committee votes. The futile resistance they are getting from hapless House Speaker Jody Richards won't stop them, but your donation will help.

Go here and give a little green. You will feel better when you do. I did.

Ben Chandler For Governor?

Ryan Alessi's Herald-Leader column this morning about the Governor's race mentioned Ben Chandler's name a dozen times.

Meanwhile, Chandler's comfort in his Congressional office might come back to bite him when he tries for another run at the Mansion.

Just last week he voted to raise your taxes, abort more babies, and cut missile defense spending.

Good thing he represents only the shrieking minority of Congress and doesn't speak for the people of Kentucky, don't you agree?

2006 Political Trump Card: Economy And Taxes

Click here for some perspective on the economy and taxes.

And yes, Ben Chandler voted again to raise your taxes. Too bad he is running unopposed this year.

Jessamine Countians For Jim Newberry

Lexington mayoral candidate Jim Newberry wants to add a sales tax onto purchases made in Fayette county.

As a resident of neighboring Jessamine county, I think that sounds great. Y'all come on down and make your purchases in Nicholasville!

Of course, I'm kidding. Lexington is the engine for the region and we don't need to see them take a hit like this. If you live in Lexington, do the right thing and vote for Bill Farmer.

"No Comment" Would Have Been A Lot Better

"We would prefer that the governor not appear and deprive Greg Stumbo the satisfaction of making the governor do a perp walk. That's unbecoming of the office of the governor. Especially for a measly misdemeanor," Fletcher spokesman Brett Hall said.

Andrew Horne Wades In Over His Head

Greg Stumbo is, uh, "stuck out on the sand bar overnight" again. This time, though, we know who he had with him.

Third district Congressional candidate Andrew Horne has joined AG Stumbo in an ill-advised attack on Secretary of State Trey Grayson.

Horne campaign volunteer Shawn Reilly is being used as a pawn by people who support voter fraud. This whole thing started when Grayson's office joined with South Carolina and Tennessee to compare voter registration databases and clear out people who were registered in more than one state. Reilly had moved from Kentucky to South Carolina. This move invalidated his Kentucky voter registration. It got a little tricky when he moved back to Kentucky. But what the Stumbo/Horne people don't want you to know is that this would not have prevented Reilly from voting in the May 16 Democrat primary. There are well-established procedures that would have quickly corrected the oversight. Interestingly, it is Reilly's own error in registering as a Republican that will keep him from voting for Horne or any other Democrat on Tuesday.

So when Stumbo spokeswoman Vicki Glass said "there are going to be a lot of Shawn Reillys out there," we must assume that she is talking about people who are trying to vote in the wrong primary and not about the silly lawsuit that has the AG and Horne all worked up now.

Incidentally, Stumbo and Horne were just about to start a joint press conference at the Jefferson county clerk's office when they were informed that doing so would be illegal electioneering.

Oops!

Today is Day 1092 of wishing Kentucky had elected Tim Feeley as Attorney General.

Newberry Strikes Back: "HillaryCare Not All Bad"

Mayoral hopeful Jim Newberry (Liberal #2) must be getting nervous. He has unleashed an attack ad on conservative candidate Bill Farmer.

In the ad, Newberry tries to spin his work in support of the health insurane mandates that destroyed Kentucky's individual insurance market twelve years ago.

For the record, the HillaryCare analogy really fits.

Conservative voters in Lexington really just have one choice this year.

Jessamine Newspaper Too Afraid To Print This

Jessamine County Sheriff's Captain Kevin Corman has quietly been shopping a plan to hand over the law enforcement duties of the Sheriff's office to the Nicholasville Police Department.

It isn't a new idea, but the fact that the Democrat nominee and heir apparent to Sheriff Joe Walker is discussing consolidation makes it worth asking about.

Interestingly, when questioned directly about his idea, Corman launched a distorted attack on the plan to spread citizen representation evenly across town with a Nicholasville City Council. He then denied that he wants all the salary that comes with election to the office but little of the responsibility that normally comes with the job.

(Note to reader: skeptical newspaper columnists love it when targets answer a direct question with dodges and unrelated political attacks. Kind of like waving a bloody shirt in front of a charging bull.)

Captain Corman might want to get better at answering questions before this fall, but an analysis of his years on the Sheriff's department suggests he lacks the experience necessary to really benefit public safety. All this might explain somewhat why four Republican candidates signed up for the chance to run against him.

After many years of picking Jessamine county's elected officials in the May primaries, registered Democrats eager for a law enforcement upgrade will have to wait to see who Republicans vote for in Tuesday's election.

Fortunately for all of us, three of the four candidates running in the Republican primary have some qualifications that suggest preparation for the job. But limited media coverage of the race has relegated what is easily 2006's most important countywide contest to a yard sign counting competition. That is a shame.

The job of primary voters is to choose their party's best chance to get elected in the November election. That charge would best be met this year by voting for Deputy Sammy Brown.

The Democrat nominee is a political appointee to the position of Captain. As Jessamine county growth brings more law enforcement challenges to the area, the time for partisan favoritism is past. Nevertheless, the fall campaign will be fierce -- and probably will get nasty. The most important base to cover is to nominate someone who knows the needs of the department. As a current Deputy, Brown can best fill the bill. This basic fact should keep voters focussed when the mud starts flying.

Deputy Brown earned the 2002 National Deputy of the Year Award. He won the award for keeping his cool on the morning of November 13, 2001 when all hell broke loose in Jessamine county.

Deputy Brown was serving a warrant with two other officers when the man they were pursuing opened fire with an M-1 carbine rifle at close range. Brown was hit with three shots and Deputy Billy Ray Walls and Captain Chuck Morgan were killed. Deputy Brown stopped the shooter and struggled to get to his car to radio for help.

At the time, Brown was only thirty years old and had been on the job a grand total of five months. He had already been awarded three letters of commendation.

Deputy Brown says that his first actions as Sheriff would be to put more officers on the street and to pursue grant money available to the department. The Sheriff's department already has the money for three additional deputies but, in an act of sheer political gamesmanship, Corman is promising jobs for after the election rather than filling them now. Poor recordkeeping in the Jessamine county department explains our inability to gain grants, a staple in well-run departments.

Jessamine county Republicans would do very well to vote for Sammy Brown on Tuesday. In a low turnout off-year election, every vote will count. And in this race, we can't afford for your voice to go unheard.

FairTax Kentucky On The Move

If the United States repeals federal income taxes and replaces them with retail sales taxes, the resulting economic boom will cause many states to consider the same approach.

The obvious problems that would result from inconsistent comprehensive reform on a state-to-state basis suggests that all states will want to move together on this. Several states have begun studying how this would work. Today, Kentucky joined them.

Details are forthcoming.

Cegelka Goes Negative

Just saw the first negative ad in the Larry Roberts/Bill Cegelka County Attorney race in Fayette County. Cegelka plays an audio tape of Roberts calling early-morning female joggers "dumb" and has Roberts saying homosexuality is "not a victimless crime at all." The climax was a printed quote from Roberts explaining that black criminals are more likely to get caught because they are more noticeable.

Wow, hot stuff!

And Roberts is running ads prominently featuring Democrat Senate candidate James Keller.

Looks like Fayette isn't going to get much a County Attorney upgrade.

Update: The Dems are going CRAZY about this race. Funny.

Still Courting The Convict Vote

Fresh off a failed attempt to re-enfranchise convicted felons, Kentucky Democrats are cooking up a plan to push for conjugal visits in prisons.

Now that all Democrats are conservative Bible-thumpers, I can't wait to see which one has to sponsor this one.

Tweaking The Energy Crisis

Former Congressman John Kasich suggests eliminating most of the federal gas tax and letting states replace it and take care of their own roads, while the feds maintain the interstates.

The main benefit of this is wiping out a lot of the pork sweepstakes that inspire so many Congressional press releases.

Another little goody he doesn't mention is that this would take the sting out of the federal mandate to keep state drinking ages up to 21, as that is currently tied to receiving federal highway dollars. I am assuming several states would take the opportunity to lower the drinking age back down to 18.

I think if we could do this in conjunction with a required significant loss of driving privileges for first time drunk drivers I would be okay with it.

"Some of My Best Friends Are Diverse"

Classic quote from Madison County Clerk candidate David Johnson:

“I believe in a diversity society,” Johnson said. “As for reaching out to the community, looking for diverse people, today I was campaigning in a pretty good subdivision, and I seen [sic] some diverse people, and there are diverse people throughout Madison County.”

I got the story from kynews.org.

Million Moron March?

Wonder why next week's Network of Spiritual Progressives march on Washington D.C. hasn't gotten much media attention yet.

Democrats' notion that all will be well at the ballot box will be fine if they can just out-Godspeak Republicans would actually be kind of fun to watch. The show will be May 17-20.

Ky Democrat Prediction of Resurgence Premature

Don't look now, but the same Democrats who crowed earlier in the year they were going to take over the Kentucky Senate now seem to be pinning all their hopes on their one candidate who seems to have any life in him at all. The really bad news for them is the one candidate is convicted felon Carroll Hubbard who is running for Sen. Bob Leeper's 2nd district seat.

A stealth campaign by former Senator Barry Metcalf against Democrat Leader Sen. Ed Worley is shaping up to be the big story of this fall election season.

More Government Reform: Disband SEC

The Securities And Exchange Commission could be eliminated without hurting public confidence in our financial markets. The internet makes all the relevant information readily available to individuals, the SEC is swamped and terribly inefficient at enforcement, and yet the fact that investors drop their guard because they have the illusion of SEC oversight leaves us ripe for victimization by corporate criminals. Corporate income tax elimination on the way to instituting the FairTax would also make corporate financial records easier to decipher because convoluted "tax planning" would no longer be necessary.

Herald Leader Kiss of Death for Isaac, Newberry

Lexington's mayoral race got a nice jolt this morning with the Lexington Herald Leader's endorsement of Mayor Teresa Isaac and Jim Newberry.

Conservative voters now know to vote for Councilman Bill Farmer. They should have already known that, but I'm sure the Farmer camp appreciates the help. By endorsing both liberals in what is really a three way race, the paper now hands Farmer a 250 word opportunity to make his case. And, for good measure, they will likely print a picture of their two favorites on their election day list of endorsements.

This should help give Lexington voters a conservative choice for mayor in November. After all, the Herald Leader endorsed Jim Gray four years ago. On the strength of that plug, he dropped to third and out of the race. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same happen to Newberry, who has tried to be on both sides of the water condemnation issue and seems to have very few real plans for office.

D.C. Dems Contract To Raise Taxes, Seriously

The Washington Post reports Nancy Pelosi and friends are measuring for drapes in majority leadership offices already.

That's the good news. The great news is they are coming clean on some of their policy initiatives for the first week of their return to power.

They want to require corresponding tax increases for any government increase in spending. Since everyone knows the government spends more money each year, that means they want to not only roll back all the Bush tax cuts, they want annual tax increases as far as the eye can see.

Once again, frustrating Republican "leaders" will get to skate because Democrats are worse.

Beautiful.

Bad Democrat: Stumbo Misses Chance To Preen

What is the world coming to when ten states sue the Bush adminstration of something as critical to the Union as gas mileage requirements for SUV's and Kentucky's leaky chief prosecutor doesn't make Kentucky one of them?

Was he out "running late for a vote" with Patrick Kennedy or something?

Fresh, New Ideas From KY Democrats

Finally! Well, really it is just more of the same. Go here and see for yourself.

Stumbo Sues Trey Grayson For Doing His Job

Last month, Secretary of State Trey Grayson announced his office found thousands of Kentucky voters who had subsequently registered to vote in other states.

Grayson reasonably purged these multiple-state voters from Kentucky's voter rolls, in a strong effort to eliminate voter fraud.

So now we learn that scandal-plagued Attorney General Greg Stumbo has sued to put 8105 such voters back on Kentucky's rolls.

Stumbo has clearly bitten off more than he can chew.

Whining Versus Acting Like An American

If you ever talk to an elderly person about what life was like during the Great Depression, try asking if America could survive a real, prolonged downturn now.

The answer is "not a chance."

We are having Congressional hearings because gas is $3 a gallon. I suppose that next year when the price reaches $4 we will have to bring in UN peacekeepers.

This really is a good time to ask ourselves what it means when we think of ourselves as Americans. Are we just a bunch of fat, drunk, stupid, helpless automatons who can't think beyond "there oughta be a law" when everything doesn't go perfectly? What happened to the pioneers who risked life and limb to build this nation from nothing? Well, the truth is there are plenty of them left, but no one with those heroic attributes that makes America great would ever dream of running to elected officials because commodity price fluctuations turned against them in such a small way.

Those who sit around waiting for some kind of official guidance for surviving "high" gas prices would doubtless fall on the floor kicking, screaming, and turning purple if someone were to suggest shutting off the cable television.

That got me thinking about how what we really need is a small dose of perspective on gas prices. Seriously, if you eat out at restaurants -- ever -- your complaints about gas prices are merely about lifestyle, not survival. In fact, if you eat junk food or drink soft drinks, smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, run up credit card balances, or buy new automobiles, the white hot anger about prices at the pump should be embarrassing. The fact that too many Americans aren't embarrassed by this skewed perspective says a lot about how lost we are. That such a minor hit to our lavish lifestyles would be met with ranting and raving rather than belt-tightening or, at the very least, a little shift in spending priorities, is startling and sad.

Rep. Kennedy: I'm Not Drunk, I'm Drugged

Another Kennedy, another car, another scandal.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy insists he wasn't drunk when he crashed his car. He says he was on Ambien.

If you have ever taken Ambien for sleeplessness, you know it is good stuff. But driving isn't a very good idea. Kennedy said at the scene he was late for a vote. If he has been voting on Ambien, that would explain a lot.

Happy Cinco De Mayo

Today is the day Mexicans celebrate kicking the French invaders out of Mexico. Seems like they had a pretty good solution to illegal immigration back in 1862.

Government To The Rescue; Everybody Run!

Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives stayed stuck on stupid by almost unanimously passing a measure to prevent "gouging" at the gas pump.

There is nothing beneficial for the public in such a bill. It allows legislators to go home and say they are trying to do something about "high" gas prices, but that is all.

This isn't a partisan thing, either. The entire Kentucky delegation voted for this.

What a waste.

KY's Top Dem Plays Hand On Gas Prices

Now this is a partisan witch hunt.

Gas Prices and The Economy

It's more fun to blame the evil oil companies, but here is more common sense on gas prices.

Prevent Defense = More Touchdowns

Mexico is about to legalize possession of heroin, cocaine, and other drugs. They hope this allows them to spend less time going after recreational users and more on going after dealers. Sounds like the old prevent defense in football which never seemed to work.

This is another great reason to put up a wall along the border with Mexico.

Dems' Mixed Message On Energy

King For A Day: What Would You Do?

Everyone seems to be upset with all that is going on in Washington D.C. these days. Six months out from the midterm elections, what would be your #1 issue if you were in charge?

For me, there isn't a close second. Fair Tax is it. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have all the Democrats locked up against it. All the more reason for Republicans to take a good look.

Ever Wonder How The World Sees Our Oil "Crisis?"

Here is an interesting perspective on the American bellyaching over gas prices, courtesy of an Englishman.

Barrows Out, AG Denies Job Talks

Rep. Joe Barrows (D-Versailles), sponsor of the doomed casino gambling bill in this year's General Assembly session, has withdrawn from what was going to be an uphill re-election campaign.

Despite widespread rumors to the contrary, AG spokeswoman Vicki Glass denied that Barrows is about to take a position in the Attorney General's office.

Republican Kevin Locke faces weak Democrat opposition for the 56th district seat this November.

WTVQ Jumps The Shark On AKAL Security

Lexington's WTVQ ran a Sunday night news story about a new "foreign ownership" scandal.

It is a totally bogus story, and if WTVQ has any journalistic scruples at all they will drop it and hang their heads in shame. I expect, however, they will run this Monday with much fanfare.

AKAL Security is a New Mexico company that provides security services for a long list of companies and the federal government, including the federal courthouse in Lexington, the Bluegrass Army Depot in Richmond, and Fort Campbell.

Their great crime seems to be that the company is owned by the Sikh Dharma Church. You know, the turban-wearing evil Indians. (No doubt it is a George Bush conspiracy.) Mistaking these people for terrorists is way beyond moronic.

Actually, the New York Times had this story almost two years ago. So the WTVQ expose was cute, with its ominous Indian music and its eager investigative reporter knocking on office doors, but it was horrible, lazy journalism.

Stupid Republicans Prop Up Bad Liberal Arguments

The liberal Louisville Courier Journal rarely carries a strong point on its editorial page through to a conclusion. Today is no exception, but pitiful Republican pandering from Capitol Hill gives them every opportunity.

The topic is gas prices and the opportunity comes in the form of a GOP proposal to send out $100 checks to make people feel better about gas prices. Stupid. Then Republicans joined in the call for a soak the rich oil companies tax on profits. One might think that after so many failed soak the rich plans in the past, no one would still be holding out hope for one to not drench the middle class.

The CJ editorial concludes with the requisite call for increased taxes to fund government study of alternative fuels that the oil companies are already doing. Then they jump on ANWR again. They finish by charging political leaders with not leading.

To the extent Congressional Republicans side with Dems in an overly adversarial role against the energy companies, they give left-wing journalists the opportunity they seek to score points against a vital engine of the U.S. economy.

"Vermont Says No To War"

It is despicable that "tens of thousands" of protesters took to the streets in New York City today to demand an end to the war.

The guy holding the "Vermont Says No To War" sign should leave his cozy spot in Manhattan and take his complaint to the people who actually started the war. And no, I'm not talking about Bush and Cheney.

The movie "Pearl Harbor" was on tonight. It's noteworthy that the FDR administration which was full of real live communists and socialists was able to put foolishness aside when the need to "awaken the sleeping giant" slapped them in the face. That so many in today's Democratic Party and their loyal soldiers in the mainstream media prefer to play politics and march in the streets for "peace" hasn't escaped the notice of those who might otherwise be disaffected Republican voters in November.

Who Is This Guy, An Illegal Alien?

We all know there is no penalty for breaking our nation's immigration laws. Now we see that Kentucky criminals who scalp event tickets need not worry about the alleged illegality of their activities either.

Copy Cat Vandals Caught

Less than three weeks after Abortion Sally was caught pillaging the NKU campus, two copy cat vandals struck Lawrence County High School.

Yesterday, they were caught as well. Fortunately for them, they couldn't afford a nitwit liberal defense attorney like Abortion Sally hired to spin mayhem as free speech.

Stupid kids, but at least they didn't out themselves as pro-abortion fanatics.

Day of Shame: Jane Fonda Visits Lexington, KY

Saturday morning loads of liberals will be bussed in to red states like Kentucky for a door-to-door complain-athon. And Jane Fonda will be in town to sell her book to war protesters at Lexington Center.

It is a big day for the Kentucky Democratic Party. I wonder which one excites them more, Hillary Clinton or Jane Fonda?

Hyperventilating Over Gas Prices?

Here is a little sanity from Thomas Sowell.

Not that sanity will help the people clamoring for a windfall profits tax to "get" the oil companies. As Sowell points out, taxing windfall profits without making corresponding allowances for windfall losses will cause damage to the oil industry we really can't afford.

Ben Sticks It To The Taxpayer

House Democrats have voted three times in the last month to kill the extension of the Bush tax cuts.

Fortunately, they failed all three times.

Predictably, Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Versailles) voted (today for the third time) to increase your taxes with his liberal buddies.

Sheesh!

"Abortion Sally" Charged With Theft

NKU professor Sally Jacobsen has been charged with vandalizing and stealing part of a pro-life display on the college's campus.

Her nitwit attorney's quote in this AP story suggests Sally is in for rough sailing when she goes in front of the judge. Margo Grubbs is the attorney's name.

"The intent was just an expression of freedom of speech," Grubbs said. "She saw harm coming from it, and she was just expressing her attitude toward the harm."

Even in your upside-down worldview, Ms. Grubbs, stealing and destroying personal property is a lot worse than a peaceful demonstration against killing babies.

Real Reform For Frankfort

Simple. Let's phase out legislative pensions.

(Expletive Deleted)

The arena deal tar baby in Louisville gets worse and worse. Should have seen this coming.

Liberal Takeover of South Lexington Sputtering

Democrat Senate candidate James Keller is floundering in his effort to bring a liberal voice to South Lexington.

His campaign finance report will show that he has donated $5000 of his total balance of $7400. Senator Alice Forgy Kerr, a conservative Republican, reports a balance of $50,659.59.

Maybe the busloads of left-wing canvassers coming in to Lexington this Saturday can cheer Keller up a little.

Get your money out now, Jim.

Politicians For Polar Bears

Kentuckians who might be a little disappointed by the small cuts to Kentucky's budget have to be warpath-bound by House Speaker Jody Richards' latest bid to become Minority Floor Leader.

"I will emphasize in the future never to let that happen again," Richards said of the cuts. "We have a moral obligation to put all these projects back."

I guess the Louisville-bound polar bears can take solace in that, as they wait for their $6 million appropriation to get rescued in January.

Budget Mess

The projects cut from the state budget tonight will reinstated next year. Unfortunately, we are still over two billion dollars in the hole and show no signs of fixing our overspending problem or our long-term shortfall in the state employee pension fund.

Damn...

The Best Disinfectant Is KyVotes.Org

Frankfort insiders freaked out last year when the Bluegrass Institute asked for General Assembly floor votes to be published online. When they saw the train bearing down on them, they jumped on board and www.kentuckyvotes.org had a strong presence in the state this session.

Well, now the freak out is over BIPPS' request for committee votes. We expect a similar outcome, when the whining and complaining runs its course.

If you are interested in helping expose the inner workings of official Frankfort, you will want to attend a special lunch in Frankfort this Thursday.

See you there!

Bloody Monday: D.C. Dems Rear Flank Exposed

Nancy Pelosi might need to take a break from picking out drapes for her House Speaker's office.

Read this.

On Politics and Gas Prices

Hastert and Frist are decrying Exxon CEO Lee Raymond's compensation package, claiming that too many Americans can't buy groceries and put gas in their cars.

I don't like paying $3 for a gallon of gas either, but this mindless rhetoric from top Republicans is just ridiculous. We don't need Congressional hearings into gas prices and pay for oil execs. We need leaders who can take a break from the pandering long enough to pursue real domestic issues like entitlement and tax reform. Screaming about gas prices doesn't solve anything except make politicians feel better.

This guy agrees. He is no Bush fan, but he quotes internal Democrat memos encouraging their candidates to do campaign appearances at gas stations. Don't suggest any solutions, they say, just complain and rail against all things GOP.

The truth is the best thing we can do to lower prices is to drive less. Americans are showing some willingness and ability to do this, but not much. The obvious corollary to this supply/demand problem is that gas prices aren't too high. Yet. But it is political silly season, so don't expect much intelligent discourse on this very soon.

Setting The Bar Low Enough For Bad Republicans

More Democrat plans are unveiled. Here.

And next Saturday the Deaniacs will be going door to door in your neighborhood.

We Need Communist Free Radio In Kentucky

Jane Fonda is coming to Lexington April 29. That should be enough of a problem. More troublesome (for any of you anti-communists out there) is that she seems to have some friends here.

To be more specific, she has some friends here who hold FCC licenses and might be a little troubled by an effort to protest the renewal of said licenses.

Are you following me so far?

OK, here's the deal: LM Communications' 96.1 FM and Eastern Kentucky University's campus radio station WEKU are sponsors for Jane Fonda's invasion of the Bluegrass.

Here is the site.

You know what to do, don't you?

Try going here. Might also be a good idea to let these people know about it. And an earful for these guys is definitely in order.

Newberry: Insert Political BS Here

Lexington Mayoral hopeful Jim Newberry's tv commercials are full of a lot of the same platitudes he has built his campaign on. Watching his most recent pitch, though, I was struck by his promise to end the bickering and political infighting.

How the heck is he going to do that?

Incidentally, Councilman Bill Farmer's ads are on the air.

Good timing.

Democrats To Tell Us What They Really Think?

I spoke yesterday to a conference of the Kentucky Association of Government Communicators. Mark Nickolas of Bluegrass Report joined me in a presentation about blogging.

At one point, Mark said Democrats need to develop the same kind of message discipline Republicans have had.

I would like to see that. Democrats in Washington are pushing hard for tax increases and surrendering against terrorists. They should certainly do a better job of getting that word out.

Conservatism: The Answer To Immigration Trouble

Human Events has an interesting article about immigration. It isn't a new idea, but the point is a good one that conservatives need to be pounding on: economies run on conservative principles work better than those run on the liberal/socialist model.

It should be clear that if Mexico had an economy like ours, their people wouldn't need to risk life and limb fleeing to America for a chance at a better life. We are enabling their liberal inner child, really. So if we start treating the lawbreakers like lawbreakers (felon sounds about right) and going after employers who hire illegals, we should clear them out pretty quickly. The spread of socialism in central America will slow when the countries that adopt those policies are forced to pay their own price. Right now, we pay the price and it is getting too expensive.

Hillary Squeezed Out of Liberal Convention

Hillary Clinton's move to the Left for 2008 has been frustrated mightily as Kentucky Progress has learned that the Daily Kos annual convention will feature her opponent Mark Warner and not her.

Getting a picture of Gov. Warner with liberal flamethrower Markos Moulitsas will be a big help for '08. But for now, just imagining Hillary, rejected by her own, seething and throwing lamps makes today a good day.

Worley No-Shows Pro-Lifers

Sen. Ed Worley (D-Richmond) has done little to endear himself to Christians in 2006.

Despite the trail of fraud scandals plaguing the Senate Democrat Leader, Madison County Right to Life organizers invited him to a forum they held last night. Worley accepted the invite.

Then he didn't show. (free registration required)

The money quote of the evening from the Register story: "Worley has been weakened, Metcalf said. “since I lost to him four years ago by only 1,700 votes. He creates limited liability companies to hide nefarious business deals. He has used his positions as Richmond city manager and then as state senator to increase his own wealth and further his own ambition.”

Another Good Idea From Michigan

Outsourcing benefits public schools there.

Pro-Abortion Ignorance, Arrogance At NKU

A tenured professor at NKU has been exposed as a vandal and a blithering idiot this past week, in an event involving abortion/sanctity of life, freedom of speech, and and separation of church and state issues in the days before the most important Christian holiday of the year.

And the Lexington Herald Leader or the Louisville Courier-Journal couldn't muster much curiosity about the debacle.

It took a student publication to expose a picture of the professor participating in the melee she denied participating in. And, of course, bloggers to help get the word out.

Flattery Earns A Plug

Yes, this site flatters me beyond all reason, so I guess you could say I am just paying it back. It's neat to see someone covering only the Lexington Mayoral Race, though.

The author is a UK Economics professor with a no-nonsense view of this very important race.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-KY6)?

Fair Tax supporters will be interested to know that Congressman Ben Chandler would join as a co-sponsor of the Fair Tax Bill, but Nancy Pelosi won't let him.

Don't believe me? That's fine. Ask him why he won't support scrapping our federal tax code.

Terrorist Website: Impeach Bush, Please

This should tell the Democrats something.

Al Jazeera is doing a poll on its English language website asking if readers think President Bush should be impeached. Not surprisingly, by a three-to-one margin, terrorists and their English-speaking sympathizers say "yes."

Think about this...

Watching Kentucky lawmakers slap each other on the back for borrowing and spending Kentucky into oblivion is a lot like watching the actors on the tv commercial smile and say "I LIKE it that Wellbutrin has a low risk of sexual side affects!"

Paging Doctor Dan...

By now Rep. Harry Moberly is recuperating from his heart attack. Good. May he recover fully.

One funny thing though. Media outlets reported breathlessly all day today that when Moberly fell ill, Sen. Dan Mongiardo was quickly on the scene. My only thought when WVLK-AM in Lexington was reporting on "Doctor Senator Mongiardo" and his heroics was that it was a good thing he didn't do anything to hurt Harry. You see, Dr. Mongiardo doesn't carry medical malpractice insurance. Would have been fun to watch the liberal lawyers jump on that one.

There Oughta Be a Constitutional Amendment

Seems like we might save ourselves a lot of trouble catering to illegals in our hospitals and health clinics, public schools, and courtrooms if we changed the wording of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to benefit "citizens or documented visitors" rather than just "persons."

Welfare For Politicians, Take Two

Congressman Ben Chandler spoke to students at Eastern Kentucky University yesterday. He told them he has a plan to limit the influence of lobbyists in Congress.

His plan is nothing more than welfare for politicians.

The Richmond Register reported: "Public financing of congressional campaigns would be the best way to limit the influence of lobbyists in Congress, Chandler said."

Wow. Very deep.

Three Words: Line Item Veto

I hear too many people making too many good points about the lack of difference between Republicans and Democrats.

Governor Fletcher has a great opportunity to show that a distinct difference still exists.

The folks at the Bluegrass Institute are leading the charge again, urging readers to send the Governor a pen to strike offensive spending from the state budget.

My favorite, by far, is the $50 million bonded to buy computers for schools. Let them use a pencil and a piece of paper for just one more year and you will be able to buy the same computers for about $30-$40 million. There is no more misused tool in our schools than the computers. Better still, keep the $50 million out of it, concentrate more on teaching kids to think, and then computer "literacy" will be a snap when one is needed for more than word processing or playing games.

The New Political Slur

Senator Dan Mongiardo sank to a new low yesterday. Liberals have apparently gotten tired of calling Republicans "Hitler." Now they are invoking the the specter of Benito Mussolini.

Blaming Senate President David Williams for Mongiardo's own failure to read a bill that was coming up for a vote, Mongiardo whined: "We don't have leadership; we have dictatorship. My grandparents came here from Italy to flee fascism."

This guy is a little light in his loafers to be running for Governor. And no, I'm not talking about his questionable "dating" habits.

Normalizing Homosexuality, Kentucky Version

A dog biting a man is not news. Neither should it be newsworthy when a private, Southern Baptist college that prohibits sex outside of marriage and homosexuality kicks out a homosexual student. That didn't stop the Lexington Herald-Leader from putting this story on its front page.

Again, unfortunately, the homosexual lobby is demanding special rights. Their rabid supporters in the MSM are only too happy to help. People who practice homosexuality can freely attend lots of colleges in Kentucky. They just can't go to University of the Cumberlands. If they really wanted to be treated like everyone else, they would see that school as just like Midway College. Men can't go there.

But no. They won't be happy until homosexuals are celebrated everywhere and rules apply to them nowhere.

A Warning For Immigrants?

This is interesting.

Maybe we should put together a DVD and distribute it around Mexico. We could explain to them that using a hospital emergency room as a family doctor, sucking up welfare dollars, and otherwise leeching off our taxpayers will not be tolerated in the United States of America.

Wait a minute... Are we holding Mexican illegals to a higher standard than we do our own citizens? If we would only clamp down on the citizen-bloodsuckers who won't take jobs here in America, maybe we wouldn't have to worry about getting and keeping enough Mexicans to do the work "Americans just won't do."

No matter where you stand on immigration, you have to know that if the illegals keep taking lessons from the leftist protest groups they are going to set off a war they will surely lose.

Ben Chandler's Faith-Based Plea

And they say we are crazy for suggesting humans didn't evolve from lizards and monkeys.

Rep. Ben Chandler declared in a newspaper column that global warming is no longer theory, but is now "an unsettling reality."

The following sentence from Chandler's essay is a stark example of the vacuousness of the radical international enviro-left:

Whether or not you believe recent weather patterns are a result of global warming, there is no doubt that future generations will be drastically impacted by climate change.

In other words, "Even if you are too stupid to understand that George Bush and his oil buddies are causing global warming, you will still be swept up in a hurricane, parched in a drought, or die some other kind of horrible death at the hands of our global warming bugaboo."

Schism on Left: WaPo Off Leak "Scandal" Train

This will make them blow a gasket for sure.

A Cautionary Tale About Runaway Courts

Courts Flunk the Civics Test
By ROSS SANDLER and DAVID SCHOENBROD
April 8, 2006 ;

On March 23, a New York appellate court ordered the state legislature to provide an additional $4.7 billion for operating the New York City schools, plus another $9.2 billion for construction. These are immense sums, even in the Empire State . The advocacy group that brought the suit, Campaign for Fiscal Equity, declared the court's decision would "get real action" because the legislature must "come up with a solution now, right now." This was good spin, but it's not true.

Contrary to a widespread misconception, courts have no power to force a state legislature to appropriate money; nevertheless the ersatz order, coming as it did in the final days of the state's budget process, could tilt the legislators towards more spending. This is apparently what is happening in Albany , where, in a partial tip of their hats to the court, legislators authorized $11.2 billion in new debt to pay for school construction in New York City .

And what was pulled off in Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Inc. v. New York seems to be part of a pattern. Last July in Kansas a similarly timed judicial decision prodded its state legislature to pony up a hefty increase in school funding. This year Texas is under a June 1 deadline to change the source of school funding. Before the scam spreads further, it's time to lay it bare.

In New York , the courts found that the government is violating a state constitutional clause that the legislature "shall provide for the maintenance and support of a system of free common schools, wherein all the children of the state may be educated." The Kansas case was to enforce a similar clause. That most children in New York City and elsewhere in the state are not getting much of an education is not the question. What to do about it is.

Plausible suggestions include freeing the schools from rigid union contracts and bureaucratic procedures that make it all but impossible to fire incompetent teachers, reward good ones and remove disruptive students from the classroom. Other potential solutions include more charter schools and vouchers. One strand of thinking relates school failure to cultural norms rather than lack of money. In New York City , spending per pupil is among the highest in the nation, $13,400, and the educational results among the worst. The plaintiffs chose, however, to focus on the solution -- more money -- that delights teacher union allies. The courts played along.

Most people assume that the legislature must cough up the cash because courts have the power of contempt, which allows them to punish those who disobey their orders. In the school case, however, the courts can't punish anyone. State legislators are not defendants in this case, and even if they were, they can't be punished because they are immune from suit. The state's treasury is immune because the court lacks authority to appropriate more funds and can't fine the state for the legislature's unwillingness to do so. The remaining defendants are officials, including Gov. George Pataki. They can't be held in contempt for failing to produce the money because they are powerless under the state constitution to spend money the legislature has not appropriated.

Longstanding impediments to coercing legislators and governors have never stopped courts from nullifying statutes that violate constitutional rights by, for example, segregating schools, or suppressing free speech. But courts rightly have a tougher time when they want to exercise the legislature's power of the purse.

There are, to be sure, cases where courts have indirectly pressured legislators to spend more. The leading one was in New Jersey , in 1976. After the state Supreme Court found that the state had violated a constitutional requirement that all school districts have equal per-pupil funding -- and the legislature failed to give more money to the poorer districts -- the court ordered state officials to close all the schools until the legislature equalized spending. Faced with that prospect the legislature passed an income tax to raise the extra money.

The New Jersey court argued that its job was to vindicate the constitutional right to equal spending and, if the legislature would not achieve that result by increasing spending, the court would get it done by reducing spending for everyone to zero. The argument has a certain cold logic, but it's a nonstarter in New York and Kansas , where the right being enforced is to a sound basic education.

If a New York court closed the schools, it would be the judges who violated the state constitutional right, by denying any education to all students. That would undercut the only leg the court has to stand on, the rule of law. Nonetheless, when the Kansas court raised the question of whether it should close the schools, the threat was enough to pry some money from the legislature.

New York 's high court made a grave mistake when the judges transferred the power to decide what is a sound basic education from the legislators to themselves. Assuming it is too late to admit its error, the court should stick to issuing a declaratory judgment that the state does not deliver a constitutionally adequate education rather than ordering the legislature to do anything. This, as it happens, is precisely the position urged by both Gov. Pataki as defendant, and his counsel, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

The coercive force behind such a declaratory judgment would come from all those who want to improve the schools, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who demanded and got responsibility for the city's schools, and the voters of the state, for whom there is no more important issue.

When courts claim that they have power to make legislatures spend more to vindicate a constitutional right to basic education, they tamper with a basic tenet of our democracy -- no taxation without representation. Voters are entitled to hold political officials accountable for the taxes they levy, the money they spend, and the education they produce. When judges pretend that legislators are their marionettes, the legislators can escape accountability, but only if the voters are fooled. They shouldn't be.

Messrs. Sandler and Schoenbrod are professors at New York Law School and authors of "Democracy by Decree: What Happens When Courts Run Government" (Yale University Press, 2003).

Courier Journal Goes Daily Kos

The Courier Journal editorial board has a deep-seated dislike for Republicans, but sometimes they veer from political rhetoric to visceral hatred.

Today is one of those days.

That is the only rational explanation for them joining in the extreme "Bush is and Evil Leaker" parade usually reserved for the extreme left on the blogosphere.

Compare this and this.

There is a big difference between leaking classified information and divulging non-classified information. If this is the best they can come up with now, it is not hard to expect that by November most people will decide that empty rhetoric isn't worth the risk of putting them back in charge. Unfortunately for us all, deceptive practices like this from the left make it easier for bad politicians in the GOP to skate by knowing the public holds little real hope in a liberal alternative.

Don't Just Do Something, Protest!

If we keep expanding our government entitlements, we could wind up like France. Today, their future generations are learning that mass protests to avoid work are more profitable than actually working.

Bad News For Teachers Union, Good News For Us

School choice is working in Washington D.C.

National GOP Like Kentucky Dems?

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney earned Kentucky Kudos on Monday with a good teacher pay plan.

Today, he gets the opposite for his compulsory health insurance plan and another very dubious political move.

Supporters point to requirements for drivers to carry car insurance, but that is a weak analogy. The government doesn't spend taxpayer dollars buying car insurance for low-income people. The law requires them to stay off the road and offenders face jail time if they drive without insurance. Romney's socialized medicine deal expands the entitlement mentality further up the income scale. Some people complain about pay increases putting them into higher tax brackets, but that is only a marginal increase. Under Romney's plan, upwardly mobile workers would find increasing incomes causing a tangible loss to their government health insurance subsidy.

Do we really want entitlement disincentives to plague the middle class just as the old "War on Poverty" has crushed the poor for decades? I suppose if we really wanted to follow this track we could provide government car insurance and subsidies for car purchases and sliding-scale prices for gasoline and car repairs based on income. Hey, where's my leather seat subsidy?!

Anyway, as 2008 draws ever closer, national Republicans wanting to keep the GOP in the White House face the same problem as Kentucky Democrats who want their party to regain the Governor's Mansion. No candidate.

It Just Gets Worse For Worley

As Senator Ed Worley(D-Richmond) prepares for an April 19 hearing on the ethics complaint regarding his hidden business interests, he faces even more bad news.

One of his companies, Highland Centre LLC, has over $11,000 in delinquent property taxes owed to Madison county, according to the Richmond Register. The Madison county clerk's office confirmed the delinquency and plans a sale of the tax liens.

Terrorists Find Another Downing Street Memo

Al-jazeera is at it again. How long will it be before the American Left picks up this story?

I'd say by this weekend we will be hearing in the MSM how attacking Iraq made the terrorists mad at us and caused the subway bombings in London.

Once again, the Bush administration is stuck between those who want to surrender the war and those who want to turn the Middle East into a sea of glass. It is a shame when protecting America's interests responsibly is the minority position.

The Bio-terror Lab That Could Have Been

When Hal Rogers was putting together a Kentucky-Tennessee coalition to bring the federal bio-terror laboratory to Somerset, where the heck was Ben Chandler?

Lexington is a much better fit, with the University, the educated workforce, and the infrastructure needs already in place. I'm all for southern Kentucky getting this and it will be a great boon to the state, but it would be nice if central Kentucky had an alert Congressional representative as well.

And yes, it is sour grapes. It is also an I-told-you-so.

It's Another Isolated Incident!

As Tom DeLay steps down, we are reminded that Republican officeholders under ethical clouds usually step down (Newt Gingrich, Robert Livingston, Tom DeLay) and Democrats usually cling to power as if their lives depended on it (Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Johnny Ray Turner, Ed Worley).

The point is that all the Democrat tv commercials already in the can for running every race against Tom DeLay just lost their sting.

Stumbo Runs Aground

Does anyone doubt there is more to this story?

Seems interesting that the AP reports he went out last night looking for fishing locations, but wasn't reported missing until 9 AM today. Has his family grown accustomed to Stumbo's all-night excursions not ending until the middle of the next morning? Also, don't most people carry a cell phone in case of a "boat accident?"

The Pinellas county Sheriff's Office says that charges will not likely be filed against Stumbo in the incident.

Hey, A Republican With An Education Plan!

Gov. Mitt Romney deserves major points for taking on the education establishment in Massachusetts.

The top teachers union thug in his state calls Romney's plan to bring sanity to the teacher pay issue "inequitable, divisive, and ineffective."

In English, that means it is good.