Pimping A National Conservative Blog

Erick Erickson is a Macon, Georgia attorney who publishes RedState.com. If you are looking for some perspective on how conservatives might wrest control of the Republican party from the political class, you will find it there.

Exhibit A:

The GOP has ceased to be a party of ideas. We have John Boehner playing to keep Jerry Lewis on the Appropriations Committee, despite his FBI investigation. He's added to the Appropriations Committee Ken Calvert, also under investigation.

We have Mitch McConnell and the GOP in the Senate caving on earmarks reform, funding bridges to no where, and backing down on judges. We have the White House doing cutesy policy maneuvers, kissing up to China for trade, and reminding people "We gave you John Roberts and Sam Alito and the stem cell veto so suck it up" whenever we point out that they're drifting leftward.

Another Reason To Not Trust Frankfort's "Big Ed"

Remember the mess caused by state officials trying to cram the scandalous Barbara Erwin down our throats as education commissioner?

Her crime spree is catching up to her in Illinois.

Raehl, who also sparked the earlier investigation this year, said she believes Gaffney tried to use his power as a public official to get extra sick days for former Superintendent Barbara Erwin so she could become vested in the state pension system.

Raehl cites an undated memo bearing Gaffney's signature along with a note to district officials, saying the board agreed to credit Erwin with 340 sick days as part of a contract agreement in 2004, when actually Erwin's sick day allotment was not approved and did not start accumulating until 2005.

"There was an attempt to get (Erwin) vested by Jim (Gaffney)," Raehl said. "It was a misuse and an attempted misuse of public funds."

Nice to see a little ranting and raving might have helped stop at least one Frankfort headache.

Kentucky's Real Constitutional Amendment of 2008

Casino gambling won't be on the ballot next year in Kentucky because it won't get past Sen. David Williams. It probably won't even get past Speaker Jody Richards.

But cutting government waste begins with shutting down the Treasurer's office.

What Part Of "Education Bureaucrats In Frankfort Are Screwing Up Our State" Don't You Understand?

It doesn't have to be this way.

Hot Ticket Next Thursday

The Keeneland Entertainment Center in Lexington will be the setting for next week's Interim Joint Appropriations and Revenue Committee meeting next week.

UK President Lee Todd will update members on the University of Kentucky's Top 20 Business Plan and Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry and World Equestrian Games 2010 President Jack Kelly will speak about the progress of the World Equestrian Games.

The meeting is set to start at 10:30.

Now This Is Tough

The Tax Foundation released its 2008 State Business Tax Climate Index yesterday, which shows Kentucky ranked #36 in the nation and our corporate tax index ranked #39.

Unfortunately, in 2004 Kentucky was ranked #30 overall with a corporate tax index of #22.

Readers may wonder why I would point something like this out when I am a Republican. My only answer to that is I support Republicans generally, but conservatives specifically. Not raising corporate taxes would be a great way to keep our state competitive for economic development.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Didn't "Save" America

Page One Kentucky had this video and comments that this is devastating for Ernie Fletcher. I'm not so sure it was.

What do you think?

Score One For Stan Lee

At the U.S. Supreme Court, no less.

Same-Sex Contribution Flap Is Sad

Liberal bloggers are red-hot mad because the Fletcher campaign dug up a Beshear contribution in which a man claimed his spouse is another man.

With so many more important issues that we could and should be discussing, it would be nice if we could just ignore this dust-up.

But, of course, we can't just ignore it. I wish the Fletcher campaign hadn't put this out as a press release. Whisper it to a blogger or two, maybe, but not an official campaign press release.

Sheesh...

They Won't Take Our Cell Phones Away Like This

Talking on a cell phone in the car is not a right Kentuckians will let slip away easily.

Especially not with a bill like this one.

Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Will Fletcher Lose To This Bozo?

The Beshear campaign is mailing out unsolicited "Support the troops, end the war" protest yard signs with requested Beshear/Mongiardo yard signs.

More Media

I will be on the Kruser and Krew radio program (590 AM WVLK) in Lexington this afternoon at 2 pm talking about pre-filed bill for the 2008 General Assembly.

You can listen online and you can call in on 859-253-5959.

Here Comes The Crisis

The actual "first Baby Boomer" will sign up for Social Security on Monday.

Ignoring the impending collapse of our nation's entitlement programs will then get a bit tougher.

Conservatives Of The Commonwealth, Unite!

The Kentucky Club for Growth will host a fundraiser Wednesday, October 24 with special guest Pat Toomey in Erlanger.

Toomey is the former Pennsylvania congressman who nearly toppled Sen. Arlen Specter in the 2004 GOP primary. He now heads the national Club for Growth.

The Club for Growth supports fiscally conservative candidates for public office.

Interested? Call 859-261-2582 for details.

How About Some Conservative Policies?

Never too early to start talking about tax cuts.

Google Search Follies

Noticed last week a google search for "Greg Stumbo Senate" brought up this Kentucky Progress post that speculated Stumbo was about to drop his bid to run against Sen. Mitch McConnell.

But now the top post for the same search brings up Stumbo's exploratory committee.

If he is sending money to Google, he must be serious...

Media Appearance

I will be on the Leland Conway show at 9:35 tomorrow morning on Lexington's WLAP 630 AM talking about the price-gouging lawsuit against Marathon Oil.

You can listen here.

"Big Ed" Fights Back Against School Choice

Caleb Brown skewers the Kentucky Department of Education for being difficult about fulfilling their legal responsibilities to our children.

If Lying To Taxpayers Were Football, U of L Would Be Back In Top 25

The University of Louisville claims that extending health insurance benefits to employees' roommates won't cost taxpayers any money because they make the roommate pay the premium.

We pledge that there will be no taxpayer dollars used for it," said university spokesman John Drees, who said employees were informed of the new plan Monday.

Despite the pledge though, the program is begging to become a magnet for sick, uninsurable people who would be delighted to wait a year and then pay premiums into the state-supported schools self insurance health plan.

After all, excessive losses to the plan simply get picked up by the taxpayers.

If you want more of state universities' gaming the system at your expense, Jack Conway is your man for Attorney General.

Bluegrass Policy Blog Goes Viral!

How about a link to a link of linked story on a national magazine's blog from little old me?