Conway seizes an opportunity

About the last thing we need right now is Attorney General Jack Conway lecturing us via press release about "swine flu" scammers.



Reminds me of last fall when Conway, Gov. Beshear, and friends were busy accusing gasoline retailers of sex crimes.

Conway is clearly still struggling to keep up with Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo's ridiculous attention-seeking spree.

National Day of Prayer in Louisville

I'm headed to Louisville for a National Day of Prayer event. Check back for updates later today.

UPDATE: Here is my speech.

"The key function of human wisdom is the ability to see things as they really are. Though we live in times of difficulty and trials and disagreements, my Bible tells me this this is the very purpose of our mortal sojourn, not a temporary circumstance for us to wait out before we act."

"All our pains are growing pains and so we must embrace them and learn from them. We live in a nation conceived in liberty and raised up in freedom. Though we may as Americans and as Kentuckians dispute among ourselves the shapes that liberty and freedom shall take we must persist in inviting the proper spirit to dwell within us as we sharpen the fine points of our public policy and the status of our shared destiny."

"We may among ourselves see differently the nature of prayer and prayers but let us not confuse their purpose -- which is personal growth. We may among ourselves see differently some of the doctrines and details pertaining to the hearer of our prayers, but let us not mistake the attitude we must embrace for our prayers to have and give to us true, unconquerable, and divine power."

"That attitude, of course, is an attitude of gratitude. We can hardly expect to be blessed with greater blessings if we are not sufficiently grateful for the blessings we already have. Indeed, we will lose the freedoms we possess if we take them for granted."

"Expecting a great battle in our time and wearing an armor of gratitude and optimism will prepare us well for the victory that lies ahead."

U.S. Senate primary opponents in Lexington

Possible U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul will be in Lexington Saturday morning for a Republican party breakfast at the Hilton Suites. Cost is $10 at the door.

Secretary of State Trey Grayson will speak to the Women Republicans of Central Kentucky lunch meeting on Wednesday, May 13. Reservations can be made here.

Kentucky Post falls into Steve Beshear vortex

This afternoon when Gov. Steve Beshear put out a bogus press release stating falsely that Kentucky has the 5th most competitive economy in the nation, it was just a matter of time before a hapless media outlet got sucked in. (Debunking here.)

Enter the nearly-dead Kentucky Post:

No word on why it took a whole hour and a half to copy the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development press release word-for-word and post it to their web site. It will be interesting to see how others handle this.

Change a policy, fix a school building

The Kentucky Opportunity Coalition pointed out Wednesday that repealing the state's expensive Davis Bacon requirements would save enough money repairing two schools in Adair County to completely repair another school in Kenton County.

This is a heck of a time for our politicians to be clinging to taxpayer-funded political payoffs to labor unions.

Now THIS is what the tea parties are about

Here and here.

Everyone likes a food fight...

Fox News Channel will be in Louisville on Saturday night for the state GOP Lincoln dinner featuring Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Jim Bunning, and Secretary of State Trey Grayson.

"Practically giving 'em away!"

This is what happens when your federal government gets in the car business: flimflam money deals that sound great but benefit only the scam artist.

All we need now is President Obama on tv commercials telling us he must be going crazy and slapping the hoods of the cars before he takes us in the back room, takes our money, and gives some of it back with a flourish.

And while he is doing this, Kentuckians have to hope Japan doesn't go after its own companies with business interests in other countries and put the Toyota plant in Georgetown at risk. But then Japan surely wouldn't be that stupid.

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.