Tick, Tick, Tick...Boom!

U.S. Senate goes nuclear today. Harry Reid and Tom Daschle made this happen. Don't forget that.

Boy, Do We Need Judicial Reform

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, Reagan appointee and poster boy for term limits on the Court, is upset because he thinks the United States keeps it's criminals in prison too long.

At a speech Friday, he bemoaned the fact that U.S. sentences are eight times longer than those in Western Europe. (Yes, he really did. Here's the article.)

"We need to rethink the sentencing system," Justice Kennedy said Friday. "We have 180,000 prisoners in the California state system alone."

Great advice, Justice Kennedy. Let's just turn them loose in your neighborhood.

Did Fletcher Admin Stop Another Sandy Burglar?

Lost in the hubbub of the Transportation Cabinet hiring feeding frenzy is the fact that when Greg Stumbo sent two men to sneak into the Personnel office and take files, he lost a lot of credibility with objective observers.

Brings to mind Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger's efforts to stuff classified national security documents into his socks.

Howard Dean: Terrorist Sympathizer?

Mr. Open Mouth Insert Foot does it again.

North Carolina Congressman on KY Progress Radio

Tune in this Wednesday to 1340 WEKY AM 5:15 pm to 6:15 pm for my interview with Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), sponsor of the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act.

Passage of this bill would end the gag order placed on churches by the IRS.

Call in number is (877) 620-1340.

This is the bill that has David Hawpe all worked up at the Louisville Courier Journal and will cause many liberal heads to spin around before this year is over.

Say It Ain't So: Dems Insist Howard Dean Must Go!

The best thing to happen to the Republican party in many years has been the ascension of Howard Dean to the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. The least reported political story of the year is how Dean's zany comments and policy positions have helped mobilize Republicans and a surprising number of Democrats upset by their party's continued leftward lurch.

Dean's actions included the endorsement of Socialist Bernie Sanders as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Top officials at the Democratic Party of Kentucky, who spoke on condition of anonymity, have confirmed that the state party executive committee will be urged to join a coalition of state parties who will call for Dean's resignation in June.

"Dean makes it tough to stay a Democrat," said one elected Democrat legislator.

Do Your Tax Dollars Support Right Wing Churches?

On most good days, I am not going to agree with anything David Hawpe of the Louisville Courier Joural says.

Today is looking like a very good day.

Hawpe rips Rep. Anne Northup (R-KY) for co-sponsoring the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act (HR 235) to return free speech rights to churches. The reason liberals wouldn't want this is obvious. What may not be so clear is how vital this issue is to America's future and why those who stand for freedom in this case deserve active support.

Critics on the left say changing the restriction on free speech for churches -- the one that threatens to take away tax-exempt status of non-profits engaging in improper speech -- amounts to taxpayer subsidies of political speech. The institutions whose tactics refute this argument are the taxpayer supported Corporation of Public Broadcasting and the liberal teachers and textbook writers in the public schools. They would cry bloody murder if someone tried to infringe upon their freedoms in similar fashion.

The language in IRS 501 (c) (3) is vague and overreaching. Did you know that your minister could face IRS punishment for speaking out against abortion, pornography, or pedophilia? The cause of this mess, the 1954 Johnson Amendment, abridged free speech for non-profits with the threat of imposed taxation. The reason this injustice has been allowed to persist is nearly all of the victims are conservative Christians. In the discussion of judicial filibusters, many have asked what might happen when the pendulum swings the other way and a Republican legislative minority would face imposition of liberal court nominees. But that is the wrong question.

Only one church in the fifty years of Johnson Amendment speech restrictions has lost its tax-exempt status. A more pertinent question may be what if the pendulum swings leftward to the extent that we have IRS agents staking out our churches in search of comments against declining moral values and the people who champion further social ruin? Amoral fascist success here may lead to threats we can't even imagine now.

When Governor Fletcher was in Congress he co-sponsored an earlier version of this bill. Kentucky Congressmen Lewis and Whitfield have joined Rep. Northup on the current one.

Expect the liberal media to be all over this if they suspect it may get a hearing. I think this fight may well become the most important one yet this year.

Democrats have overplayed their hands on everything else during this Congress. Think about this: wouldn't it be enlightening to see what Howard Dean might say about allowing ministers to speak frankly about the issues plaguing our nation? The Democrats understand the threat free churches pose to their base of power. This is an issue worth making some noise over.

2006 Kentucky House Update

Quick question: what's the most important difference between Ernesto Scorsone and Kathy Stein?

Easy. Senator Scorsone is in the minority of the Kentucky Senate so he can do little to advance the liberal agenda. Rep. Stein, on the other hand, can work with her Democratic Party leaders to frustrate conservatives from all across the Commonwealth.

Both liberals have safe seats, but the Democrat advantage in the House was halved in 2004 to seven seats. And that is where things get interesting.

Central Kentucky saw eight Republican challengers face entrenched Democrat House members in the last election. All eight Republicans lost. There are several reasons why Republicans in and around Lexington should do much better next year, but we will get into that later.

For now, we have a new candidate to tell you about. Remember the name Michael Farmer.

Mr. Farmer will be taking on 79th district Rep. Susan Westrom. She was one of twelve Kentucky candidates endorsed by the nutty Dean for America organization last year.

In contrast, Mr. Farmer is a successful attorney, husband, and father of two. He seeks to bring conservative representation to Lexington's 79th district, particularly with regard to education, health care, and government spending issues. As a member of the new Republican majority in 2007, he will be able to support the principles that have been given short shrift by House Democrats for too many years.

Quality candidates like Mr. Farmer give us lots of reasons to be optimistic about the future of Kentucky. Much, much more about him in the months ahead.

Keeping Alligators Out Of The Pool

Congressman Ben Chandler is taking credit this morning for keeping the Blue Grass Army Depot open. Someone should tell him the Depot was not considered for the BRAC list.

"This proves what I've always known," Chandler boasted.

What's that, Congressman? That it is easier to take credit for events that were going to happen regardless of your actions or lack of action?

Despite the obvious lack of substance in this Chandler statement, expect the local mainstream media suck-ups to be all over it.

Ben Chandler Fantasy Baseball Update

Rep. Ben Chandler has done it again.

In a press release dated March 10, 2005 Chandler boasts the acquisition of $3.9 million in landscape and streetscape money for Wilmore, Kentucky in Jessamine county. There are just a few teeny tiny problems with this press release.

For starters, Chandler claims to be working with Sen. Mitch McConnell and Sen. Jim Bunning to "make sure these projects remain in the final legislation."

Right. There is no way that this "project" will be in the final legislation and Chandler has to know it. He just wants to be able to say that he tried to get money for central Kentucky but the Republicans wouldn't let him.

What happened was Chandler cooked this phony "project" up and put it into a highway spending bill. Doing this took about as much effort as the Congressman would use playing fantasy baseball on his office computer for a couple of hours. It will have about as much impact on the final highway bill.

Chandler claims to have "worked very closely with Harold Rainwater, the mayor of Wilmore" to obtain this funding. Again, he is playing fantasy baseball. Didn't happen. In fact, he even made up a quote and put Mayor Rainwater's name on it, in an effort to make Governor Ernie Fletcher look bad.

"We have wanted this for years," Rep. Chandler falsely quoted Mayor Rainwater as saying. As if former Rep. Fletcher turned a blind eye to the woeful lack of grass seed in his district during his time in Congress.

It is hard to say which is more ridiculous -- the idea that Wilmore's highest road priority is $3.9 million worth of landscaping at the entryway to Asbury Seminary or that Chandler thought he could get away with this silly scheme.

He should go back to obstructing Social Security reform.

Next Up, Dr. Dan: Did He or Didn't He?

Federal prosecutors searching the hollers of eastern Kentucky, may be taking a close look at Sen. Daniel Mongiardo (D-Hazard) and his 2000 campaign's vote hauling activities.

Mongiardo actually spent over $1000 more than Sen. Johnny Ray Turner did for the questionable campaign tactic in 2000. Sen. Turner has already been indicted for mail fraud and conspiracy.

Also no word yet on whether investigators combing the mountains have plans to scour the street corners of west Louisville looking for recipients of vote-enticing fast food coupons.

Democrats: Our SSI Plans Are In Our Pants

Male substance abusers hoping to register clean on drug tests can order a fake penis complete with urine to avoid detection of their nefarious activity.

Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats seem to be hiding any ideas they may have behind vacant stares and unconvincing denials just as busted addicts often do.

Maybe someone should check their pants.

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Thanks to Doug Petch for the heads up on the, uh, device.

Attorney General Inaction on Vote Fraud Disturbing

Buying votes is illegal in Kentucky, right? Then why must year 2000 election vote buyers be charged with federal mail fraud?

Someone should ask Ben Chandler and Greg Stumbo, Attorneys General since 1996, who would, under different circumstances, prosecute vote fraud in Kentucky. The Feds can only prosecute federal law and they can't force Kentucky's AG to act.

Some people have asked why Sen. Ray Jones hasn't been charged yet. Could he be cooperating with prosecutors? That should make things pretty hot this summer. The five year statute of limitations means these cases need to move fast.

Don't expect much on this from Kentucky's big media outlets until Republicans start getting implicated. Unfortunately, that shouldn't be too long in coming.

Do Nothing Chandler Persists

A quick check of press releases from Ben Chandler's Congressional site shows that new media contact Jennifer Spalding is earning her keep making Rep. Chandler look busy.

She has her work cut out for her.

Today's (5/10/2005) press releases are month-old stories in which Chandler takes credit for Sen. Mitch McConnell's efforts to obtain funding for the Bluegrass Army Depot and then hands out a couple of flags on a campaign stop.

UPDATE: 5/12/05-- The month-old press releases with the current date have been pulled down. Now what are they going to do?

Herald Leader Columnist: Keep Feeding Brain Dead KAPT

The propaganda campaign to keep the money-losing KAPT program going continues with a column in the Herald Leader by KAPT former executive director Rachel Belin.

There is little new in this column. Belin does state that if mean old Republicans like David Williams and Robbie Rudolph would just keep pouring money in, "many thousands more could benefit."

Right.

That reminds me of the episode of The Lucy Show when Lucy started canning jelly at home to sell for additional income. When Ricky pointed out that she was losing money on every jar, she exclaimed "We can just make it up on volume!"

While the brainiacs running KAPT strive to "make it up on volume," taxpayers remain on the hook for their continued losses. Funny how program supporters don't mention all the other states who started pre-paid tuition plans before Kentucky and have had the good sense to shut their programs down in the face of losses as far as the eye can see.

KAPT is just another government ponzi scheme that sounded better than it has turned out to be. Stemming the tide of red ink is the only responsible thing to do.

Ask the people in Ohio.

I found an interesting quote from an actuarial consultant named Richard Kaye who works with several state plans. Way back in 2002, he said "You are not talking about an immediate cash-flow problem, but you are talking about a long-term deficit. It's sort of like Social Security."

Herald Leader: Raise Taxes Or Die

Grab your tin foil hats, folks. The Lexington Herald Leader is waxing eloquent about Social Security again.

The headline offered some hope: Social Security reality check. Could the left be coming around on actually discussing entitlement reform like adults? But, alas, it wasn't so. The editorial uses way too many words to suggest again that raising taxes for the 18th time will somehow do a more thorough job of repairing the system this time.

It's noteworthy that the last four paragraphs of their editorial could have almost been written by someone serious about the problem. Judge for yourself:
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There isn't a perfect plan, but it is time to craft a workable one so we can move on to other problems.
Medicare is in much more dire straits, and the deficit is spinning out of control. Social Security, for all the bombast these past many months, is an easy fix compared to those.
Of course, we could just flip the channel and ignore Social Security, Medicare and the deficit.
It worked for the Romans. The rulers offered free shows at the Coliseum, and a grateful public, eager to be entertained, filled the seats. It kept everyone distracted -- until the empire collapsed.
----------------------------------

But their proposal included eliminating the cap on earnings subject to the Social Security tax. This enormous income tax increase would hit businesses who employ the dreaded high income earners very hard. And even the far left knows what that means. Those taxes are passed along to consumers, hitting the lowest earners the hardest.

Still can't imagine how the Democrats on Capitol Hill would respond to real media scrutiny about their hard line against allowing taxpayer choice and ownership rights of Social Security.

It is shameful how their rhetoric staggers perilously close to the factual only to meander back into the dark recesses of the obstructionist's cave. They seem to understand that Social Security is one of the easier problems to handle and must properly be dispensed with so more pressing trials may be confronted. Tax increases, most of us know, won't get us past step one. And the only snake-oil solution is the do-nothing approach Democrats cling so fearfully to. But they are right to be afraid. If personal accounts pass, voters will face inescapable evidence that partisan Democrats are a gangrene appendage on the body politic.

Sunday Politics: Religion Anyone?

If the situation were reversed and a liberal minister in a blue state was booting out members who supported President Bush, it wouldn't make a ripple in the national media. But one Baptist pastor in North Carolina boots out nine members who supported John Kerry, and you will surely see and hear all about it this next week.

I'm a little surprised that a small 100-member church would actually vote nearly 10% of the membership out because of their political beliefs, but it is certainly their right to do so.

One red flag pops up in the story when the reporter mentions that "many more members have reportedly left the church in protest" but he couldn't find any to interview. With all the over-the-top hate speech we hear from Kerry/Dean folks these days, I'm a little skeptical that there would be much of a protest from remaining members.

Of course the displaced liberals have hired an attorney. Could probably have saved themselves a few bucks by starting with a call to the ACLU.

Senator Harry Reid Abuses Truth

When Harry Reid opens his mouth to talk, Truth cringes, staggers, falls, and ultimately resigns itself to the coming death blow.

News of Reid calling President Bush a "loser" has been circulating since an article appeared yesterday in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Such rhetoric should come as no surprise now, as the man who replaced the obnoxious Tom Daschle with promises to work with the President and Republicans in the Senate has long since proved himself a hopeless obstructionist.

Frankly, I'm more bothered by his claim in the story that the President is "driving the country into bankruptcy" -- referring to the budget deficit, the story adds helpfully.

In the fourty years prior to 2000, budget deficits as a percentage of GDP have exceeded the average of the Bush budget years (2002-2004) sixteen times. The high-water mark of 2004 was exceeded ten times during the same period. In other words, the world may be coming to an end, as Democrats suggest for everything but their entitlement programs, but it isn't because the budget deficits are driving us to bankruptcy. In the early and mid-1980's, at the beginning of the longest economic boom our country has ever seen, we had persistent federal budget deficits significantly higher than we have now.

Allowing President Bush to make progress in the war on terror, entitlement reform, and tax reform would present political risks to elected Democrats and their useful idiots that they aren't brave enough to face honorably.

Outlawing Vote Hauling Won't Stop Fraud

Previously convicted of voter fraud in another case, Ross Harris and Loren Glenn Turner join Sen. Johnny Ray Turner under indictment for mail fraud and conspiracy for Sen. Turner's 2000 primary victory.

The Lexington Herald-Leader's solution to this, predictably, is to suggest outlawing vote hauling.

I strongly disagree.

The well-established pattern of skullduggery in Kentucky elections isn't going away because someone makes a law any more than criminalizing adultery would stop that brand of cheating. Just as Clinton changed the definition of terms to justify his lurid behavior, unscrupulous politicians would merely set up "advisory committees" to encourage voter "loyalty."

Just as with gun violence or corporate malfeasance, we don't need more laws.

We just need continued enforcement and greater scrutiny of questionable campaign tactics by society's watchdogs.

Al Gore: Let's Encourage Him, Keep Him Talking!

Al Gore is getting a Lifetime Achievement Award for inventing the Internet. Take a look at some of the other "winners" like BBC and The New York Times for news and www.worldcitizenguide.com for "activism" and you have an idea of where these folks are coming from.

Overcome with emotion and egged on by the crowd, Al Gore didn't tear up and exclaim, "You BELIEVED me, you really believed me!!!"

But this stuff couldn't be much funnier even if he did.