Obama murders school choice hope

You read that right. Now watch this.

What is Kristine Lafoe saying?

With the Fayette jail inmate abuse trial one month away, attorneys for defendant Kristine Lafoe have been working overtime hunting down potential witnesses to interview. Multiple sources report she has agreed to a deal with federal authorities limiting her prison time in exchange for testimony against others.

Meanwhile her husband, Officer Darren Lafoe, still employed by the jail, is feeling the wrath of those who don't want anyone talking.

Cutting through the crap in Kentucky

Did the Courier Journal on Sunday really whine and complain because some of us have had enough of their touchy-feely nonsense in our public schools?

From the Sunday CJ editorial page:

"What's likely to result is a narrower, lazier effort at accountability, with weak but expedient "program review" substituted for effective testing in some important parts of the curriculum. Certainly the emphasis that has been placed on writing portfolios will be diminished, if not lost, unless eventually salvaged by those who create a replacement for the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS). And, worst of all, the Kentucky Education Reform Act's original and longtime opponents now will be free to impose on the state the kind of inexpensive, off-the-shelf nationally normed testing they prefer — testing that gets at low-level knowledge and skills, in limited disciplines."

"It's the long-awaited opening for those who prefer the kind of accountability attached to the federal No Child Left Behind law, which, as Jefferson County teacher spokesman Brent McKim complained last year, "fails to address the needs of the whole child, and reduces the guiding purpose of education from the development of effective and contributing citizens to an unending quest for higher scores on tests that cannot assess what we value most in a democratic society — things like critical and creative thinking, problem solving, effective and persuasive communication, cooperation, perseverance, caring, respect and appreciation for diversity.""

Yes, I believe they did. Fortunately, more of us are catching on to their game.

Resolution of Kentucky's CATS testing mess should serve as encouragement to those of us who still believe we can turn things around in America.

Rand Paul weighs in again

Potential U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul just said the following:

"Some politicians travel to Washington, DC to ask permission to run for office or recieve some regal blessing. I will travel to Teresa's Restaurant at 509 Gordon Ave Bowling Green this Thursday at 7am to ask Kentuckians what they're concerned about."

On Friday, Paul will speak in Paducah at the Downtown Gazebo at 4pm about preserving liberty in the era of big government.

Paul will also be in Lexington next Saturday for a discussion about Republicans and taxes.

Obama goal: destroy private industry

Ready for Round Two?

Wanna bet on sin taxes again?

Can we all agree that saving the state with sin taxes hikes is a horrible idea? Perhaps not. But that is mainly because those who still think they are a great idea just won't pay attention to the facts.

The experience of some other states might help.

And when Kentucky's state revenue numbers come out on Monday, May 11, the first month of the new, higher, cigarette tax rate should convince us all how dumb it is to gamble on bad tax policy. Unfortunately for us, we've already lost the bet.

"Can I run my Ipod on switchgrass?"

One competitive advantage Kentucky has had for decades has been low energy prices. At the rate we are going, soon all we will have left will be Mint Juleps and fast horses.

And we'll be riding the horses to school and work.

A job-killing, consumer suffocating energy tax hike Dems slipped into the recent Obama budget, in addition to efforts to destroy coal mining, and plans to tax exhaling should leave no doubt as to where we are headed.

Rep. John Yarmuth and Rep. Ben Chandler have supported every bit of this. Remember that.

Road trip

I'll be in Elizabethtown this morning speaking to the Rotary Club. Meanwhile, please check out a new blog -- Kentucky 912.

Grab your wallet alert

Gov. Steve Beshear on Thursday urged Kentuckians to "put aside the labels of Democrat and Republican and the historical rivalry between the executive branch and the legislative branch."

You know what that means.

Beshear suggested possible overspending in fiscal 2010 of up to $1 billion.

He continued:

"To solve this projected shortfall, we will have to do so again. I'm confident that we will. Working together, we must - and we will - search for creative solutions, make tough decisions and demonstrate firm resolve. Now is the time, once again, for Kentucky's leaders to come together for the good of this state."

Wouldn't it have been easier to just say "it's time to soak taxpayers again since we know Senate Republicans will go along with the plan?"

Biden gaffes, lies about planes and subways

Vice President Joe Biden started off his day on The Today Show telling America he would stay off airplanes and out of the subways because of the swine flu. His press secretary then quickly lied about what he said, hoping you wouldn't notice.

Biden said:

"I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. It's not that it's going to Mexico, it's that you're in a confined aircraft. When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft. That's me. I would not be at this point if I, if they, had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway."

Minutes later, an email labeled "Statement from Vice President Biden's Spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander" arrived:

"The advice he is giving family members is the same advice the Administration is giving to all Americans: that they should avoid unnecessary air travel to and from Mexico. If they are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways."

These people know we have the internet, right?

Of course, that is not at all what he said. It's probably always a good idea to keep Biden off television and away from microphones, especially now. There is no perfect way for the government to handle something like this current swine flu scare, but Biden just makes it worse. Scientists are working on treatments and the rest of us should be stocking up on food and firearms in case everyone is forced inside for an extended period.

KY Senate losing one tax increase fighter

One of only six Kentucky state Senators to keep his promise earlier this year to oppose tax increases announced today he will not seek re-election in 2010.

Sen. Gary Tapp endorsed Shelby County's Paul Hornback to take his place in the Senate. Tapp ranked #5 in the Kentucky Club for Growth's fiscal responsibility ranking of state Senators.

Given the Senate's dismal record in the 2009 General Assembly, we can't afford to lose anyone else who can keep his word.

Educrats spin, Herald Leader bites

The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence put out a press release Tuesday as part of their continued effort to divert attention from their years-long effort to promote the discredited CATS testing program despite the facts.

"It will be similar to scoring the state department has used for years,” said Bob Sexton, the Prichard Committee’s executive director.

We know, Bob. That's precisely why the legislature voted unanimously just last month to stop wasting valuable time and money on CATS. Why are you wasting our time and your donors' money on the same silliness now?

Incidentally, the Lexington Herald Leader appears to have taken this stunt seriously. Funny.


The Bluegrass Institute's education analyst Richard Innes offered some much-needed perspective:

"Because the CATS’ aim was clearly faulty, legislators decided to relieve our teachers from its burden as much as possible while we develop a better set of education standards and a new test. That way, teachers can start to benefit right away from the latest developments in instructional research."

"But, facts never stopped die-hard CATS fans before. Now, those CATS fans would continue the myth and continue aiming our teachers in the wrong direction."

Some "Tea Party" perspective

For all the reckless borrowing and spending, broken campaign promises, tax increases, and promises of more to come, President Barack Obama still has a 52% approval rating in Kentucky, according to SurveyUSA. Despite providing an extra year of the same and more, Gov. Steve Beshear is still at 47%.

The effort to foment appropriate disgust for the policies and tactics of these two politicians and then turn it into action clearly has a long way to go.

Beshear following Mongiardo/Conway

Senate candidates Dan Mongiardo and Jack Conway have been sending out silly attention-seeking press releases for a while.

With today's announcement of $5 million to bail out Covington's housing market, Gov. Steve Beshear is pulling the same stunt. Again.



It would be great if they could take a timeout from all the crass politicking to reverse course on some of Beshear's broken campaign promises, or seriously address the pension problem, or to stop expanding ridiculous entitlement programs.

Which Senator will you support now?

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) said Tuesday he is going to officially leave the GOP. Now Sen. Mitch McConnell can stop giving him money and start helping, uh, members of his own caucus.

By the way, Sen. Jim Bunning weighed in:

"I am disappointed, but not surprised, by Senator Specter’s self-serving decision to switch parties at a time when his vote is so important to maintaining some balance of power here in Washington. The Senate Republican leadership’s coddling of Senator Specter shows just how far the Republican party has lost its way. Now is the time to stand for the core conservative values of less government and more freedom. Senator Specter has never been a reliable voice for the conservative values that Republicans like myself have spent our lives fighting for and I look forward to seeing him defeated in 2010 ."

Jack, be more nimble!

Just spotted: Attorney General Jack Conway sneaking around with indicted former Gov. Paul Patton chief of staff Andrew "Skipper" Martin at Heine Brothers Coffee on Chenoweth Lane in Louisville.

Martin escaped prosecution for helping Patton break campaign finance laws when Patton pardoned him in June of 2003.

Can't imagine what he was helping U.S. Senate candidate Conway cook up, can you?

Hopey changey update for Kentucky

President Barack Obama just sent out an email with a map showing the number of jobs "created or saved" by federal overspending on his watch.

Congrats Kentucky! Dear Leader says you have 48,000 extra jobs because of him.

Government "job creation" has been dubious for a long time, but we are really taking it to a whole new level.

Bunning: you'll be surprised

Sen. Jim Bunning said Tuesday morning his fundraising is going much better now than it did earlier in the year, but he didn't give specifics.

"I’ll quantify that on July 15 and you’ll be pleasantly surprised," Bunning said.

He also said he doesn't expect a primary challenge from Kentucky Senate President David Williams. Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Bowling Green physician Rand Paul have both expressed an interest in the race but have said they will not run against Bunning.

Round and round and round she goes...

As Frankfort's schemers work behind the scenes on some kind of tax reform, they can look at neighboring Tennessee like Missouri and Ohio have and consider eliminating income taxes. Or they can look at Illinois.

Gov. Pat Quinn wants to raise income taxes 50 percent.

Kentucky has to do something right after the disastrous 2009 legislative session of tax hikes and raids and spending sprees. Seriously. Eliminate the income tax now.

The old game of borrow and spend, replaced by the new game of tax, raid, and spend can't be allowed to continue. Tell your legislators to get their heads on straight and do what is best for Kentucky for a change.