Shining More Light On Frankfort

The Bluegrass Institute is pushing the legislature to post committee votes online and the legislature is pushing back.

Showdown tomorrow in Frankfort. Here are details.

Yarmuth Stooge Unmasked

Robert Kahne admits to being a liberal. He proudly states that he hates all Republicans and dreams of killing them all. He says "I wish we could have a liberal inquisition and do like the Spanish, where we would go up to people and say 'are you a Republican?' and if they said yes, we would kill them. With swords, of course. Guns would be illegal."

Mr. Kahne sounds like he needs professional help. But he was providing valuable assistance to the John Yarmuth for Congress campaign when, as a Yarmuth intern, he attempted to infiltrate the Anne Northup campaign as a spy, steal her materials, and -- if he could sneak in a weapon -- who knows what else?

While Congresswoman Northup is used to all kinds of craziness from her hapless string of past opponents, it looks like the latest one plans to sink to the lowest of lows. Northup's campaign had this to say.

Yarmuth hasn't worked up an apology yet. Don't hold your breath. If this is the sort of thing we get from Yarmuth now, just imagine how he will crack up when he realizes he can't kill enough Republicans (or sensible Democrats) to win his race.

Update: The Herald Leader has picked up the story and it looks like the Yarmuth campaign is going to throw young Robert overboard and claim they didn't know anything about it. Right...

Might As Well Drop An F-Bomb Here

The main frustration with the Fletcher administration has always been about communication.

Today's Ryan Alessi column sums it up all too well:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Cave insists the governor's troubles with getting out his message have less to do with the internal communications strategy than with "a biased press."

"We have not been able to communicate effectively through the print media because I think it's no secret that the print media does not like this administration," Cave said, although he declined to list any specifics.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
What, not even one? When you complain to a reporter that he isn't giving attention to your accomplishments and then --when asked point-blank -- can't tick off three or four immediately just to drive your point home, you should realize what the problem is.

Might as well have dropped an F-Bomb.

Best Sizing Up Of Merit Hiring Mess

This guy really nails it.

Welcome DOJ Readers!

Senator Ed Worley's problems continue to mount. Someone in Washington D.C. on a U.S. Department of Justice computer yesterday wound up reading this post on Kentucky Progress via a Google search for "Ed Worley."

Try it here. Fun!

A Fletcher Revival?

Well, clearly I was wrong when I said last week Governor Fletcher was going to drop out of the 2007 race very soon. He spoke forcefully this morning to Republicans in Louisville and clearly is not leaving the scene without a BIG push. I had surmised that encouragement from above would get it done before the June 7 arraignment. Witnesses were split on whether or not the move to add Robbie Rudolph would ultimately help him win re-election, but no doubt remains about his plans to fight on through next year.

The next thing to happen is the court case on the merit hiring thing. Governor Fletcher didn't sound like a man who is about to go plead guilty to make it all go away. (Not that that would work at this point, anyway.) Concerns were voiced about today's new enthusiasm being too little and too late. Time will tell, but I don't think we have heard the last of the ugliness with Steve Pence.

Now the focus (with regard to the Governor's race) has to be on Congress. Democrat hopefullness aside, the Republicans might lose seats but can't realistically be expected to lose the majority in the House. Even if the D's get close, Chandler is still in the minority and, I think, becomes slightly more likely to jump into the 2007 race. Hal Rogers also becomes significantly more likely to stay put, leaving Governor Fletcher a clear shot through May. Chandler has a little pink in his voting record, which could be a real liability for him in trying to move up. If Ernie can revamp his image sufficiently, the current conventional wisdom that Chandler would win in a walk notwithstanding, Ben may even become dissuaded from running.

Even a damaged Fletcher beats anyone else on the Dem side next year.

What You Can Do About Prices

Americans spend a lot of time talking about the price of things like gasoline, food, clothing, and education. We also spend a lot of time and energy concerned with the price of money (namely, interest rates), but we think of it as something we have even less control over than the commodities we can't live without.

I have an idea for you.

There is one thing Americans can do to take back some measure of control over our interest rates. We simply must support the FairTax. Doing so would cause our interest rates to decline by as much as one-third.

To understand why, it is helpful to view interest rates from the proper perspective. Interest rates are nothing more than the price we pay to purchase money. That is what we do when we take a mortgage, a car loan, or plunk down a credit card. When we do these things we obligate ourselves to pay back the borrowed money and pay interest as well. That interest "price" pays the financial institution's profit and overhead, which, of course, includes its federal income taxes. When the FairTax is implemented, there will be no more federal income tax. So banks will be able to make the same profit on approximately one-third less revenue. In the hyper-competitive financial services industry, that means prices are coming down.

So if were looking for one more reason to support the FairTax, here is one: lower interest rates. Spread the word.

Eighteen Months

Problems have a great way of focusing the mind. Well the Governor's Administration has problems.

It is time to focus on what can be accomplished in the next 18 months.

You want a positive legacy? Focus on education.

The fact is that waste, fraud, and abuse have been reduced during the Fletcher administration. Bringing in the World Equestrian Games for 2010 will prove to be a great coup as well. But it has all been trashed by bad (no, make that horrible) public relations.

Kentucky public schools would benefit from injecting some form of school choice into the process of educating our children. This administration may not be the one to pull it off, but it is time for this idea and the home team needs a little help.

US House To Kill Amnesty Bill?

The Washington Times reports House conservatives can kill the U.S. Senate's immigration bill for Constitutional reasons. All bills that raise revenue to the federal government -- as the Senate bill does -- must originate in the House.

Bill Frist says the bill can be added on to a bill the House already passed and then sent on to the conference committee.

Don't Fire Pence, Fire Brett Hall!

I worked my tail off as Jessamine county co-chair of Fletcher Pence to help get Ernie Fletcher elected Governor in 2003. So now, in the last days of the Fletcher administration, I sure would like to see the focus removed from politics and on to moving the state forward. Some of that has happened, but not nearly enough to balance out the bad stuff.

And Brett Hall, the Governor's spokesman, just makes it so much worse when he handles a bad question classlessly: "F**k no, he's not going to resign." For the record, Hall was talking about the Governor of Kentucky. And yes, I will take Larry Dale Keeling's word for it. I don't like his politics, but he gets quotes right and Hall has done this kind of thing before.

Next Headline: "Fletcher Not Running In 2007"

The announcement is coming within one week.

Herald Leader Staffer Caught Shilling Condemnation Disguised As A Squirrel

Check out a website called Lexington Mayor's Race 2006 in which a newspaper staff writer is caught writing nastygrams against Kentucky/American Water Company.

Abuse of government condemnation power will be the biggest issue in Lexington again this year.

Thought of The Day

The answer to almost everything is persistence. Pushing on in a worthwhile pursuit while facing resistance usually leads to some measure of success. The corollary to this is the answer to everything else is indifference. If a failure causes dejection and prevents future effort, all is lost.

His Cow Gone, Reid Closes Barn Door

Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) has been in the news recently for accepting free boxing tickets while "considering" legislation affecting his benefactors. Now, he says he deserves an ethical mulligan.

It is interesting that the U.S. Senate Democrat leader is acting badly with unsavory characters. Here in Kentucky, Sen. Ed "Snake Eyes" Worley -- the state's Senate Democrat leader -- is doing the same thing.

Burying The Lead: Pence Versus Fletcher in '07

The Courier Journal asked LG Steve Pence if he supported Ernie Fletcher's re-election bid in 2007 and Pence said he was "going to focus on the elections coming up in 2006." If you go to the link above it is in the last sentence.

Pence put the focus on the 2007 races himself when he said he wouldn't be running with Governor Fletcher, and put the Governor in a box when he added that he isn't going to resign his post and intends to serve out his term. So we will have an LG who isn't running and a candidate for LG who is running with the incumbent Governor.

Republicans frustrated over the problems surrounding the Fletcher administration will soon be asked to take sides.

Vanity: Media Appearance Today

I'll be on the Sue Wylie Show this morning talking about Steve Pence. Tune in to 590 AM at 10:00.

How Much Govt Gridlock Do We Want?

Everytime we turn around, another article is being written about Democrats taking over the Congress in November. Meanwhile, Republican Governor -- and presidential hopeful -- Mitt Romney of Massachusetts has gotten his controversial health insurance plan passed through a state legislature controlled by Democrats.

Even as it becomes increasingly likely that Democrats' "culture of corruption" campaign theme will backfire (Rep. William Jefferson and Sen. Harry Reid), the question of how such a schism in Washington would work persists. (Despite the de facto Senate Democrat majority giving us clear guidance that it won't pan out very well.) Further, if Romney's big-government health care plan can be used as a guide -- and I think it can -- the GOP would be well-advised to stick with an admittedly uninspiring "Democrats would be worse" theme this fall. The alternative clearly involves conservative/liberal hybrid governing that gives us losers like the Medicare prescription drug benefit, No Child Left Behind, and RomneyCare (or, as in Kentucky, Tax Modernization).

While executives like President Bush and Governor Romney get to claim credit for working with political opponents, Americans are left to wonder if we might all be better off if our political figures weren't getting along so well.

Democrats have struggled with the "obstructionist" label, even while celebrating their obstruction of Social Security reform last year. Despite their dubious triumph against Social Security continuing to cost us many billions of dollars, might their tactics prove useful for conservatives should Democrats gain seats?

Probably would. Some hard-core conservatives want to see it happen in order to "send a message" to middle of the road Republicans. While that approach is commonly credited with giving us Reagan, the stakes in the War on Terror are just too high for a full retreat now. What is missed too often is the race between the two parties to see which one will self-destruct first. Liberal versus conservative members of both parties are playing tug-o-war. Those who manage not to lose their grip on the rope first will determine much of our nation's future.

We Told You To Learn English!

Markos Moulitsas Was Right About Ports Deal

When liberal blogger Markos Moulitsas spoke to Democrats in Louisville back on May 10, he said a lot of the usual things about conservative people that would surprise no one. But he nailed it when he pointed out the one thing that has really damaged President Bush and Republicans.

The Dubai Ports Deal.

Now I am not one of those who might suggest a liberal takeover of Congress this November. It is more accurate to say that it already happened -- the de facto Democrat majority in the US Senate serves as Exhibit One. And we have the 50-49 vote in favor of giving illegal aliens Social Security benefits to give us a list of names.

Nevertheless, Pesident Bush blew it big time when he caved on the Ports Deal. In fact, if he had taken the time to explain why Dubai was no threat then, he would have some credibility with conservatives as he now tries to pave the way for illegal Mexicans to gain citizenship.

I know that isn't what Kos meant, but Republicans aren't going to worry too much about how the far left plans to vote. We already know. Politically speaking, Republicans have only to demonstrate that Democrats are a worse alternative. That is -- still -- a pretty low bar to hurdle.

Immigration is going to tie up Congress for a while, but Republicans would do well to get back to real tax reform and entitlement reform. Allowing Democrats to cast themselves as the party hoping to sustain the status quo on these issues would be a help right before the elections.

Ed Worley, Gambling Man

Found an old radio ad from 2002 in which Sen. Ed Worley says "Senator Ed Worley is against gambling."

He still says he is against gambling, when he is in his conservative district.

But he told the Louisville Courier-Journal "he would work to convince the public that Kentucky is losing 'millions and millions' of dollars to Indiana's gambling boats -- money that could be used for schools and services."

He told Cincinnati.com: "We danced around it now for years and years," said Senate Democratic leader Ed Worley of Richmond. "It's time. Unquestionably there is $450 million lying on the table. This is an option the people of Kentucky ought to have as opposed to having their taxes raised," said Worley, who favors racinos and casinos.

And Bloodhorse.com: "To maintain state government at the level we're spending, the answer is expanded gaming," Worley said. "Our forefathers feel the legislature should be made up of all kinds of people in Kentucky. The difficulty in that is getting legislation through with that diverse of a group. It isn't always political, but a level of understanding."
Worley said educating people and reaching out to those in all walks of life is contagious. "It effects politics in all ways," he said. "Keep spending your money to educate people and this will all work out in time."

Worley is undoubtedly trying to pull in the Big Gambling money to his campaign and that might work. But what will the people of Madison, Lincoln, and Rockcastle counties say when they learn he is trying to sell them down the river for the fool's gold of casino gambling?

Given his other scandals, lies, and deceit, don't bet on them keeping him around.