Democratic field crowds: Peppy Martin will run for Gov!

Chandler is out ... but Peppy Martin is in -- this time as a Democrat. Read it here. I guess, like many, Peppy was waiting to see what Congressman Ben Chandler would do.

Its official: Chandler is out.

Queling speculations about his run for Governor and confirming my earlier post here that he won't run, as well as another of my posts that he is facing enormous pressure to reconsider (from Crit Luallen Berenton Jones and others, as Chandler himself confirmed -- read his statement), U. S. Rep. Ben Chandler has finally made it official that he is not running. Read it here. Now as I posted earlier also, let the crying, hand-slapping, nail-bitting, back stabbing and the rough and tumble jockeying for position begin!

Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsac announces Prez bid.

Barely a day or two after Sen. Bill Frist decided the "season" wasn't right for a Presidential run, Iowa Gov., Tom Vilsac, announces his own own bid for the top job. The newspapers have already dubbed his campain "long shot", but then again they only can affect public opinion so much!

Iranian President calls us "Noble Americans". Flattery will get him NO WHERE!

In case you've missed the story, Iranian President, Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sent an open letter to President Bush earlier this year. Recently he sent another open letter to the American people. Read the letter here. I particularly love his opening salutation: "Noble Americans". He needs to know that flattery will get him NO WHERE.

Baker Commission likely to propose four options for Iraq.

Well placed sources are suggesting that the Baker Commission on Iraq will propose four options for Iraq: 1) Get out fast, but the risk is that Iran will step in to fill the void; 2) surge forward, by increasing troop strength - a move that should have taken place years ago but was rejected by "Rummy" and which may now be too late -, but it is opposed by Democrats and may curtail the ability of Iraqis to take over themselves; 3) train and retreat, which makes it possible to train Iraqi military and "push them out the door", as described by a top Baker Commission source, to take over their country from the U. S. (a face saving gesture); and, 4) dig in and hope for the best, which is self-explanatory. Which option Congress will accept and Bush will execute remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Bush administration is likely to continue to seek regional solutions to the crisis, as demonstrated by Bush's visit to Jordan and my analysis of Bob Gates' actions posted here below.

Fletcher bounces back in new poll, Harper announces bid and Chandler re-considers.

According to the new SurveyUSA poll, Gov. Fletcher's approval rating went up by 5% points from last month. The poll, which was conducted by WHAS-tv and WCPO-tv, show his highest approval comes from Males, 55+ years, Conservative and pro-life Republicans living in Western Kentucky (least are women, Democrats, 18+, pro-choice and living in North Central Kentucky). Is this, perhaps, a move on the part of Republicans to rally around their Governor?
In another related story, Billy Harper formally announces his campaign bid and my sources tell me that Chandler is facing (and could be bowing to) enormous pressure to re-consider a run.

Robert Gates refreshes the air on Iraq.

President Bush's nominee for Defense Secretary, former CIA Director Robert Gates, is already proving himself before his confirmation and disagreeing with his soon-to-be boss on many fronts. Read it here. I CANNOT wait for his confirmation hearings to begin -- I plan on watching the hearings. In my HUMBLE opinion, Bob Gates could turn out to be the James A. Baker 111, the former Srcretary of State, that I yearned for when Bush finally saw the light, yeilded to reason and did the "Rummy Shuffle".

Bill Frist: "season" is not right for Presidential bid.

The News media is reporting -- read a source here -- that Tennessee U. S. Senator Bill Frist, the outgoing Majority leader who was widely expected to run for the Presidency in 2008, has decided that this is not the Biblical season for him to do so. Dr. Frist announced that he will continue his overseas mission to provide free medical care for the poor and needy. Here is the announcement posted on his senate website. Notwithstanding, however, I conclude that Dr. Frist's change of mind came about for two reasons: 1) the mid term election results and its impact on Republican fortunes and, 2) a realization that it has become increasingly more difficult to be a righteous man in the political arena, hence his references to the Bible and God.

Grayson's proposals should be implemented!

Secretary of State, Trey Grayson, yesterday made two proposals to the Kentucky General Assembly's Task Force on Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs: 1) To require a paper trail of all votes, and, 2) to allow voters to cast ballots up to a month before Election Day. Both of these proposals are no-brainers and should be implemented immediately -- too late, though, to salvage the integrity of the past elections and improve the voter turnout. A few objectors, like Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins, who "[a]sked to slow the freight train [of these progressive ideas] down, [because] [w]e're getting this [voting] thing too complicated", need to be led away from the "train station" of progress.

President Bush's Middle East blunders.

I read an interesting article today which discusses President Bush's top 5 Middle East mistakes. Paraphrasing, here they are: 1). Bush ignored the Palestinians. Up until the week that Bill Clinton left office in January 2001, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were still trying to work out an ambitious end-of-conflict agreement. When Bush became president, he ended crucial American mediation, repudiated Arafat and backed Sharon, who proceeded to expand Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Arafat died, Hamas appeared, Arab anger flared and mischief-making by Syria escalated. 2). Bush invaded Iraq. After 9/11, Bush became convinced that Saddam Hussein was seeking nuclear weapons and represented a mortal threat to the West. He also came to believe that ousting Saddam would turn Iraq into a democracy that would become the model for the rest of the Arab world. Saddam turned out not to have nuclear weapons, Iraq turned out to be more prone to civil war than democracy, and of becoming a failed state from which terrorists run global operations. 3). Bush misjudged Iran. Just after Bush became president, Iranians re-elected moderate President Mohammed Khatami, who had reached out to the U.S. and called for a "dialogue of civilizations." Bush not only refused to extend the olive branch cautiously offered by the Clinton Administration, he declared Iran part of an "axis of evil." Khatami, replaced by hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, proceeded to promote Iran's nuclear ambitions and call for Israel to be wiped off the map. Despite Bush's tough talk against Iran, the Iraq war has dramatically expanded Iran's influence in the country and Iran's Lebanese ally, Hizballah, is poised to topple the U.S.-backed Lebanese government. 4). Bush hurt Israel. If protecting Israel had been a key goal of the Administration's policies, it is hard to see how now that Hamas has replaced Arafat. Moreover, Israel's plans to unilaterally redraw its borders and its messy engagement in Gaza also highlight the limits on the deterrent capacity of Israel's military advantages. The spreading instability in the region and the threat of a nuclear Iran are NOT in Israel's long-term interests. 5). Bush alienated Muslims. It was an honest misstep, but when Bush promised to wage a "crusade" against al-Qaeda after September 11th, he effectively equated his war on terrorism with an earlier Christian invasion of the Middle East that remains etched in the collective memory of Muslims. Since then, the Bush Administration's involvement in or perceived support of military campaigns against Iraqis, Palestinians and Lebanese heightened Muslim anger at the U.S. and undermined the political position of moderate, pro-American Arabs, including old U.S. allies like Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia — and, of course, King Abdullah II of Jordan, the host of Bush's Middle East visit this week.
And so it goes.

Seinfeld's "Kramer's" Jewishness disputed.

Well, the "Kramer" silliness continues. It turns out that before he exposed his REAL self at an L. A. Comedy club, he made anti-Semetic remarks. Now his Lawyer (handler/apologist?) claims he culdn't be anti-Semetic because he is Jewish. Problem? Well, he has NO Jewish blood and his Jewishness is dismissed as a ploy. In a fitting end to the story his handler says he's off to rehab. Hopefully, that will be the last we'll hear of him. Unless there are any more antics, I'll do my best to help keep it that way.

Hal Rogers' run is likely a "no go".

The talk of a possible run by Congressmsn Hal Rogers from many in Eastern Kentucky and beyond, and even from some who have "endorsed" his candidacy, may be just a "pipe dream". It appears that his District Administrator, Bob Mitchell, is meeting with Robbie Ruddolf, Gov. Fletcher's running mate. This, in my view, portends a "no go" for a run by Mr. Hal Rogers. Sorry to be a bearer of bad news for y'all.

Stumbo may turn merit files over to the Feds.

Ryan Alessi, in his blog Pol Watchers (link is on the bottom right), is reporting that AG Stumbo is mulling over turning over the merit system investigation files over to the U. S. Attorney's office for review of possible federal law violations. Questions: Is this what Stumbo is looking at? If so, what about qualified immunity for a state's Chief Executive?
More questions: Was this "let's turn it all over to the Feds" Stumbo's angle all along, or was he holding the "political trump card" just in case Gov. Fletcher filed for re-election -- is it merely a coincidence that Stumbo let his intentions be known just as the ink on the Gov.'s filing papers was barely dry?

Breaking news: Fletcher files for re-election.

I have just confirmed that Gov. Fletcher has filed papers for re-election. You read it here in print FIRST. So it's Fletcher in, Chandler out.

Aide: Chandler out as candidate.

It seems that Democratic Heir Apparent, Congressman Ben Chandler, is opting out of the Kentucky Governor's race. According to his aide, Chandler is to make the announcement today or tommorrow. Let the crying, high-fiving and cut troat jockeying for position (depending on which aisle you're standing on) commence. Stay tuned for more updates.

Lessons from 2006 national elections.

I ran into this excellent piece from USATODAY's Susan Page on the five (5) lessons discerned from the recent elections and I thought I'd share it with you. Here are the 5 lessons excerpted here:1) The center did not hold. In 1994, "the angry white men" gave Republicans a win. In 2006, "Republican rejectors", comprising about 15% of the electorate and "the least ideologican and partisan", gave the nod to Democrats. 2) Reaching out is hard to do. According to Ken Mehlman, outgoing Chairman of the RNC, "Republicans rel[ied] too much on white guys for our voters." This pretty much sums up this lesson. 3) It's not your father's US. This lesson suggests a shifting political geographical climate. "Democrats consolidated their hold on the Northeast so firmly that it now provides a greater building block for the Democrats than the South provides for the GOP," says Rhodes Cook, a non-partisan analyst who studies voting trends. This suggests also that Democrats may now be able to whistle past Dixie on their way to the White House. 4) "It's NOT the economy, stupid". This election was not about the robust economy. "Particularly in the nation's heartland, anxiety about slow-rising wages, outsourced jobs, imperiled pensions and the rising costs of health care and college tuition overwhelmed relatively good economic news on corporate earnings, productivity and employment." And, 5) Voters wanted change ... any change. Though 2006 voters voted for change, it was not clear what change. "There's a large turn against where we've been and no clarity about where we're going," says Robert Borosage of Campaign for America's Future. "Democrats basically ran as ... 'We're not them,' " says Rhodes Cook, editor of The Rhodes Cook Letter.
What's clear to me? the none-of-the-above category is the political force to be watched in 2008 and beyond, as Democratic voters are on the decline, Republicans stagnant and the ranks of independents swelling as we speak. So stay tuned. 2008 will be exciting in the political world as both parties learn to adjust to a new political reality.

Quotes for the week.

I hope to leave the November elections alone .. very soon, but until then here are quotes of the week:

1) "With an increasingly diverse population in the United States, we [Republicans] rely too much on white guys for our voters."
- Ken Mehlman, Outgoing Republican National Committee Chairman, on an Epiphany on the mid term elections.

2) "Senator Trent Lott [once ousted as a Senate leader due to accusations of racial insensitivity] won election... as Senate Minority Whip. [He] was disappointed to learn this doesn't mean he gets to whip minorities."
— Seth Myers, in a not-too-funny attempt at humor on a "Weekend Update" skit on Saturday Night Live.

3)(a) "It's worse than a civil war. In a civil war, you at least know which factions are fighting each other. We don't even know that anymore. It's so bloody confused."
— A senior Iraqi government official in an interview a few hours after a National Security Council spokesman, Gordon Johndroe, said that Iraq is not in a civil war.

3)(b) "I can say that Iraqi forces will be ready, fully ready, to...command its own forces, and I can tell you that by next June our forces will be ready."
— Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, making a statement that warms the hearts of many Americans concerned about the Iraqi war, in an interview with Charlie Gibson of ABC.

Seinfeld's "Kramer" unearth's the "I have Black friends" defense.

You know you have a possible racist on your hands when the person unearths (without being prompted) and uses the "I have Black friends" defense, or "my neighbor is Black" or "my best friend in high school was Black" or any of the other variations of the same theme, as defenses or excuses for their questioned conduct. So it is with "Kramer" as he claims he has Black friends. Read it here. Suspiciously, these same folks NEVER seem to remember any of the names of their Black friends, neighbors or classmates! To cap it all and as seems the politically correct thing to do these days, "Kramer", like the others who are caught "misbehaving", check themselves in for counseling. I wish him well, and hope he recovers and becomes a better person as a result of him revealing his REAL self.

KY Governor's race expected to heat up ... soon.

Ryan Alessi, in his "political notebook", expresses concern at the slow pace for 2007 Kentucky Governor's race, pointing out that "[n]ever before has a race for governor in Kentucky taken so long to get started". He observes that only Democrat Otis Hensley has filed and "[e]ven the incumbent, Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher, has been slow to get into campaign mode." But as one political observer pointed out, in the 2003 race, Fletcher/Bates ticket was the first to announce its candidacy on December 2nd. This was followed the next day by Chandler/Owen ticket, then two days later it was Richards/Miller's turn. Two weeks later on December 19th, it became Nunn/Heleringer's turn, while Jackson/Rudolph waited until January 6th to take its turn.
Hence, If 2003 is any indication for 2007, expect the race to start heating up before New Year's day.

Three civil wars foreseen in the Middle East.

Jordan's King Abdullah, an ally of the U. S. and the host of President Bush's proposed meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister, said today the problems in the Middle East go beyond the war in Iraq and that much of the region could soon become engulfed in violence."We could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands," he said, pointing to conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian/Israeli strife. "Therefore, it is time that we really take a strong step forward as part of the international community and make sure we avert the Middle East from a tremendous crisis that I fear, and I see could possibly happen in 2007," he said. Read the interview, or watch the video.
Let's all hope the Superpowers can prevent these "wars, wars and rumors of wars" from coming to fruition.

It is now clear: Iraq is "slip sliding away" to sectarian war.

Anyone who still believes that Iraq is NOT "slip sliding away" to sectarian civil war is deluding themselves. The Sunnis and Shiites are about to start real slaughter of one another, and it's probably too late for President Bush to "reach out, reach out and touch someone", as he's trying to do with his meeting of Iraqi Prime Minister in Jordan or any of the members of the "Axis of evil"-- like Iran -- to help broker Iraqi peace. Even Henry Kissinger, the Vietnam phobic foreign affairs "specialist" and unofficial Advisor to President Bush on Iraq, has got to STOP speaking only of our chances for an Iraqi military victory and face Iraqi civil war reality.

Quotes for the week.

A few events have taken place this week that suggest, just like last week, more than one quote for the week. From President Bush's first EVER visit to Vietnam to the insanity of Black Friday to the bizzare events surrounding the "spy who came in from the cold" being poisoned with radioactive material "from Russia with love" (I'm a BIG James Bond fan), so here go:

1) "It's not the first time, by the way, where people have showed up and expressed their opinion about my policies."
- President Bush, shrugging off protests -- not speaking about the U. S. elections -- that met him in Indonesia to meet with President Yudhoyono. He was on his way back from his first ever visit to Vietnam.

2) "My mom is at home, taking a nap. She thinks that my dad and I are nuts."
- Laurie Field, who was first in line with her dad at a Best Buy store in Little Rock, Ark., 16 hours before it opened.
And so do we, Laurie!

3) "You may succeed in silencing me but that silence comes at a price. You have shown yourself to be as barbaric and ruthless as your most hostile critics have claimed."
- Alexander Litvinenko, the former KGB spy who died after being poisoned, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating his death.

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL.

In 1863, when the country was embroiled in a devastating civil war, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the 4th Thursday in November as a day set aside for all to give thanks (Thanksgiving) to the Almighty for the countless and undeserved blessings he continues to bestow on us. More importantly, the Bible instructs us: "in all you do, give thanks." In the spirit of, and for the reason for, Thanksgiving and in obedience to the Bible (and also because it is the right and meek thing to do), this Blogger gives thanks to the Almighty for his tender mercies and boundless grace, and wishes EVERYONE (both friend and foe -- just in case I have ANY foe(s) out there!) a blessed day.

O. J. and "Kramer" and Thanksgiving.

Joel Pett's cartoon says it all!

Kentucky Supreme Court: No prison for statutory rape where accused married teen.

In another case, our state's highest court, in a 4-3 opinion authored by Justice McAnulty, reversed the conviction and sentence of a man for having sex with a teen who he had married. The opinion left intact the man's other convictions for sex acts committed against the teen before the marriage took place. Justice Wintersheimer dissented concluding that the the "marriage exemption" (my characterization) violates public policy. I guess the legislature will have to change the law, if that body thinks it violates our public policy.

Kentucky Supreme Court: Lethal Injection OK.

The Kentucky Supreme Court has upheld the state's method of executing condemned prisoners by lethal injection. Read it here. We can now expect the killing machine to be turned back on for those deserving of society's ultimate punishment for heinous crimes they committed against us.

"Kramer": Where was your white sheet outfit with the pointed hood?

Michael Richards, Kramer on Seinfeld, recently exposed his REAL self at an L. A. comedy club. The only question I have for him is: Where did you leave your white sheet outfit with the pointed hood that night -- at the meeting you left before coming to the club.?

Big court win for Bloggers!

I forgot to post this VERY important court victoryfor Bloggers. The California Supreme Court has ruled that Bloggers, not just ISPs and web sites providers, are immune from civil liabilty for posting defamatory statements authored by third parties. The Court ruled that those defamed have to seek redress by suing the original author(s) of the defaming statements. Read the Court's opinion here. Though the case is in California and the decision affects only that state, the Court's reasoning could persuade other courts to rule the same way for their jurisdictions. Somewhere down the road, though, the U. S. Supreme Court will have to weigh in on the issue, but until then, this news is about as big as it gets for Bloggers.

O. J. is a fool, Judith Regan and Ruppert Murdock are shameless opportunitists.

Whether or not you believe that O. J. Simpson Killed his ex-wife and Ron Goldman on that fateful night or was framed by a racist cop, you have to conclude that the man is a fool. Judith Regan and Ruppert Murdock, who were about to publish his near confessional, are the greediest and greatest profiteers since ... well, go ahead and fill in the blank. You get the picture.
Update: O. J. now says he was duped (he was told the book will be by a Ghost writer and not have his name attached to it) and the title of the book "if I did it ..." was not his idea. Read it here. That still makes him a fool -- maybe, a gullible one. The rest? Still greedy profiteers -- maybe shameless liars, too.
Update 2: O. J. says he was paid an advance for the book deal ($3+ million as some suggest) and he has already spent it. Read it here. Now if the publisher is unable to recover the money from the "juice", then I say he has moved several notches away from his "fool" and "gullible" designations.

Rangel's draft idea is full of hot air.

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), who is slated to be the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and who recently "dissed" every Mississippian by asking why anyone would want to live there, has (again) resurrected his idea for a military draft. It is unlikely to fly with members of his own party let alone with the Republican minority. As several news outlets have reported, leaders of his own party, including soon to be Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader John Boemer and Sen. Carl Levin, the incoming Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed forces Committee have rejected the idea. The New York Post, in its editorial entitled Rangel's perverse ploy, called Rangel's reasoning that "[t]here's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq . . . if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way" Nonsense on stilts, while pointing out that the same idea was previously rejected by the House 402-2 (with Rangel voting against his own idea!) The Post concluded its editorial by telling us to "count our blessings" because "[t]he more Rangel obsesses on the draft, the less time he'll have for all the tax hikes he's planning as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee". To read more, check out: Rejecting the draft, Rangel's aim off target, and Democratic Leaders reject draft idea.
Blessings or not, let's all resolve to cut the "stilts" off Rangel's "nonsense".

Merit Grand Jury report: a compilation of political attack ads snippets.

Callers the day the Merit Grand Jury released its report wanted to know what I thought about Gov. Fletcher's response that the report was "a savvy litany of political sound bites". I opined, without offering any comments on the "merits" of the merit investigation, that the Gov. made the appropriate response considering the circumstances, particularly the contents of the report itself. I was convinced the report read like a compilation of political attack ad snippets. The two largest newspapers in the Commonwealth, however, reacted disapprovingly of the Gov.'s choice of words. The Louisville Courier-Journal pronounced him "Guilty and guilty" , its Columnist, Bob Hill, accused him of "stupidity" and the Lexington Herald-Leader found him "dissing" citizens. Surprisingly enough, Larry Dale Keeling, a columnist and Blogger for the Herald-Leader, in his recent column entitled, Campaign-ad fodder point head, which was published a day or so after I spoke with the callers, lends GREAT credence to my humble opinion. You can read the column for yourself, but here are excerpts: ... [t]he language of the report should spice up some ads in those future races. Imagine the effect of a spot that talks of "a widespread and coordinated plan to violate merit hiring laws ... formulated at the highest level of state government and approved by Governor Fletcher. ... Those who got in the way of the plan were fired or moved." Follow that ad up with others quoting the report about "a systematic abuse of the merit system," "the 'Hit List' ... was hand delivered to Governor Fletcher," "the evidence establishes that Governor Fletcher was aware of and approved the firing" and a "systematically and meticulously planned ... misuse of state resources and personnel." Then, clinch the deal with an ad using the line in the report that throws Fletcher's 2003 words back at him: "We view this as waste, fraud and abuse of the highest order." With material such as this available for the taking (no money wasted on opposition research), you would expect Democratic gubernatorial wannabes would be begging for the chance to show an elephant just what kind of kick a donkey can have.
Makes one wonder who authored the Grand Jury's report -- the Grand Jurors themselves or Gov. Fletcher's opponent(s)?

Are Democrats serious about cleaning up Congress?

... Well not if you believe the Liberal New York Times newspaper. According to the paper, in a move that seems as strangely familiar as Nick Anderson's cartoon above, Democrats are not serious at all as they consider their mission of winning Congress (with doubts of effective governance, at least on issues of ethics) the Democratic version of "Mission acomplished". They are Split on How Far to Go With Ethics Law. It is a shame that barely a week had gone by, after Democrats won the majority in Congress with their House Leader, Nancy Pelosi, promising us “the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history”, that they are all ready to break the promise. Many of their leaders are already balking at the idea of making major changes needed to reform Congress. Some of these Democrats are even brazen enough to suggest that real ethical problems were because of Republicans and not the current ethics rules, while concluding that the election had alleviated the need for additional regulations -- as if they did not hear the voters. Oh well. I must confess that I did not expect this political amnesia to set in so soon for Democrats before they officially take over in January, but then again ... .

Too many candidates could trigger run-off primary elections.

With everyone and their kin announcing that they plan on running for Kentucky Governor in 2007, a little known provision in state law could trigger a run-off election -- if none of the Gubernatorial slates receives 40% or more of the votes cast in the primary. The law, KRS 118.245 (3), provides: A slate of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor that receives the highest number of its party's votes but which number is less than forty percent (40%) of the votes cast for all slates of candidates of that party, shall be required to participate in a runoff primary with the slate of candidates of the same party receiving the second highest number of votes.
And you thought the drama was just over speculating on who will run and on what slate!

Liberals can quote the Bible, and in public, too!

The Courier-Journal in its editorial today castigates Gov. Fletcher as a result of the events of this week surrounding the merit system Grand Jury report. In doing so, they quote the bible, surprising many of you, and shocking the rest, who thought Liberals didn't qoute the Bible in public. Here is the article, and here are the excerpts: In [Fletcher's] inaugural address, he borrowed from Philippians 4:8, promising, "If we light our way with whatever is true; whatever is honest, just and pure; whatever is lovely, and of good report, and do so not only in sentiment but in fact, then we will see our hopes fulfilled." But this week the Franklin County grand jury rendered the judgment of Daniel 5:27 -- "Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting."

Quotes for the week.

This is a special week for the "quotes for the week". This week is the week after the elections that Republicans want to forget and Democrats brag about. As such, I shall have three quotes for this week to reflect the elections and one for this week's events. Here we go:

1) "If the president had replaced Rumsfeld two weeks ago, the Republicans would still control the Senate and they would probably have 10 more House members. ”
— Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker of the House, angered over the GOP loss of a Congressional majority.

2) “All Republicans need to look in the mirror and figure out how we can do better.” — Ken Mehlman, outgoing chairman of the Republican National Committee, at a lunch with reporters.

3) Jon Stewart: "What was the plan? What did it for the Democrats?"
Howard Dean: "Well, we were helped, of course, by the President."
— Howard Dean, the Democratic National Committee chairman, in a post-midterm election interview with Jon Stewart.

4) "The sooner we can move it forward the sooner we can get rid of Rumsfeld.”
— Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic leader, on confirming former CIA Director Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense.

This week Intel Corp. announced it had released the Double Core Duo2 computer chips and Sun Microsystems, Inc., a computer programming company, announced that it was making available to the public its source codes for its Java programming so that outsiders can fix bugs and improve on it. Considering what computers have done, and continue to do, for us, it is only fitting that I pick this quote as the quote for the week. This IS serious, folks:

5) "The wife loves it. I wouldn't love it. What do you punch — little buttons and things?”
— Larry King, on the Internet.
And that's all, folks!

Berenton Jones is running, Steve Pence still mum.

The field of candidates for Kentucky's Governor is increasing and the usual suspects are lining up. The best place to catch these folks is at KACO (Kentuckty Association of County Officials) conference in Louisville where they'll all be shaking hands and kissing babies. There, Jones confirmed he's running, and acknowledged he met with Jack Conway; Stumbo reiterated he is not running for Governor; Steve Henry showed up (and bashed Jones' administration as Kentucky's worst - OUCH); Lt. governor Steve Pence kept mum, while Rep. Lonnie Napier (who says Billy Harper has no chance in 2007, though Harper says he's in for good) and Sen. Dan Seum say they are mulling over the race (even though it is obvious to me they are positioning themselves to be on someone else's Lt. Governor spot). U. S. Reps. Hal Rodgers and Anne Northup were no shows (had to be in Wahington) so don't count them out yet for not showing up!
Update: Interestingly State Treasurer, Johnathan Miller, says that he is “seriously considering” running for governor, but if “a strong consensus candidate” for governor emerges he will consider running for attorney general. Read it here. It looks like Greg Stumbo may draw competition from his own party!

Mike Duncan is the new RNC Chair. Thank God.

For a while now we have been bombarded with bad news about Republicans. Well the well deserved good news is that Inez banker, and one of the most able, most personable and smartest people you'll ever meet, Mike Duncan has been selected as the new Republican National Committee Chairman. So I did not speak lightly when I thanked God for his selection. You can read the Herald-Leader's story on Mike. There will be a reception for Mike at the Senator McConnell Building (the Republican Party of Kentucky Hqtrs.) in Frankfort, on December 2, after the Semi-Annual Republican State Central Committee Meeting at 11:00 a. m. (EST). EVERYONE is encouraged and urged to attend to congratulate a very fine man for a very fine and deserving appointment.

House Republicans opt to "stay the course", keep Boehner and Blunt.

House Republicans, still reeling from their defeat at the hands of Democrats, have opted to "stay the course" in their pick of their leadership team for the next Congress. They have elected Rep. John Boehner of Ohio as their Minority Leader to replace Dennis Hastert, who declined to run for the position, and Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri as Minority Whip, No. 2 position in House Republican heirachy. In effect, the two elected leaders moved one spot higher in their new posts. The House Republicans effectively rejected calls for new blood, new faces and new direction for the party by choosing as they have. The future will determine if their decision is a wise one or one to haunt them.

Political reality for Kentucky Democrats in 2007.

The Courier-Journal does an excellent analysis of the political reality facing Kentucky Democrats in the 2007 Governor's race. In the piece entitled, weak and weaker, the editorial writers confirm that the party is confronted with "a crisis of conscience and a test of judgment". Here is an excerpt: ... Kentucky Democrats ... could embrace the easy alternative of a Greg Stumbo or Steve Henry candidacy. That would only require ignoring Attorney General Stumbo's dubious personal history or looking past Dr. Henry's do-nothing record as lieutenant governor and his blame-shifting in moments of career crisis. Or Democrats could line up behind the Ghost of Elections Past, former Gov. Brereton Jones, thus making things equally easy for Republican opposition researchers. Whatever else he is, Mr. Jones is not the next great thing in Kentucky politics. In fact, he wasn't even the last great thing. The Democrats who ultimately make such choices should do what's right, smart and good for the state by coming together behind candidates for governor and lieutenant governor who offer a fresh start and new leadership. The options are narrowing. U.S. Rep Ben Chandler, D-6th District, could serve as an appealing nominee, but he's curled up in the U.S. Capitol like a contented Cheshire cat and doesn't want to move. Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson and Auditor Crit Luallen have bitterly disappointed supporters by opting out. The happiest man in Kentucky must be Gov. Ernie Fletcher. Only recently given up for doomed by many in his own party, he now may get another chance to run against the same Democratic legacy he defeated last time. The Democrats could turn out to be easier to beat than gallstones. ... This is not just a party issue. ... Kentucky needs the best leadership it can find, not the least the parties can manage.
Amen to that.

What is wrong with John Murtha? Read on!

Rep. John Murtha is Nancy Pelosi's choice to be her Deputy in the U. S. House of Representatives. So what is wrong about that you ask? Well, remember Pelosi and the Democrats promised an ethical Congress after they won last week. The choice of Murtha seems to call that promise into question. Ruth Marcus, a Washington post Editorial staff writer, has a compelling story on this issue entitled Murtha: Unfit for leadership. Here are excerpts: The videotape is grainy, dark and devastating. The congressman and the FBI undercover agents -- the congressman thinks they represent an Arab sheik willing to pay $50,000 to get immigration papers -- are talking business in the living room of a secretly wired Washington townhouse. Two other congressmen in on the deal "do expect to be taken care of," the lawmaker says. But for the time being -- and he says repeatedly that he might change his mind and take money down the road -- he'd rather trade his help for investment in his district, maybe a hefty deposit in the bank of a political supporter who's done him favors. "I'm not interested -- at this point," he says of the dangled bribe. "You know, we do business for a while, maybe I'll be interested, maybe I won't, you know."
Read the piece to reach your own conclusion. No one can accuse the Washington Post of participating in a right wing conspiracy, particularly when the facts are so compelling. Still not convinced? Watch the video. So much for a new ethical beginning in the peoples' House.
Update: House Democrats listen and rebuff Pelosi and her choice of John Murtha as her no. 2, opting instead for Rep. Steny "money man" Hoyer of Pensylvania. It sounds as if the House Democrats will choose to do the right thing, in some respects, even if it means rebuffing their leadership. A civic lesson for Republicans for the future and hope for all of us in the new Congress.

Merit Grand Jury issues (yawn) report.

The merit Grand Jury has issued its long awaited report . Read it here. The report, which breaks no new ground and doesn't tell us what we already do not know, concludes that Gov. Ernie Fletcher and members of his administration enacted a “widespread and coordinated plan to violate merit hiring laws,”. Gov. Fletcher, through his spokesperson, stated that "[g]iven that the prosecutors have dropped all charges, the document reads more like a savvy litany of political soundbites rather than a legal document of purported evidence". For the rest of us, (yawn).

Jack Abramoff is "off" to prison (pun intended).

A week after the voters sent a resonating message to both political parties and Abramoff(ed) many in Congress, the central figure in the corruption scandal, Jack Abramoff (remember him? He was the one shown on T. V. wearing a fitting "godfather attire" of black trenchcoat, black boots and black cowboy (?) hat while leaving court), got sent "off" to prison today - a symbolic fitting end to public corruption, perhaps? Let's all hope we are "off" to a new era of an ethical Congress. (Yes, all puns are intended).

McConnell is top Senate GOP man; Lott wins no. 2 spot.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, (R-KY) was today elected Senate GOP Minority (would have been Majority, if GOP had controlled the Senate) Leader and Sen. Trent Lott, (R-MS) was elected to the 2nd top spot as Whip. Read it here. We congratulate both men for their deserving elections. GOPers trust the two will serve them very well.

Darrell Brock, RPK Chair, is here to stay.

Contrary to any rumors you may have heard, particularly on the Bluegrassreport blog site, I have just confirmed from Mr. Brock himself that talk of his impending departure are premature at best and at worst the opposition's wishful thinking.

Dem. field narrows as Abramson, Luallen decline bids.

Louisville Mayor, Jerry Abramson, has announced he won't run for Governor as Crit Luallen is expected to announce she will run for Auditor instead. This narrows the Democratic field of gubernatorial candidates. We will wait to see who, other than Steve Henry and Otis Hemsley, walks up to the "batting plate". In another development that is hoped was a Freudian slip, Mark Herbert refers to Crit as Crypt. Update: In announcing her decision not to seek the Democratic nod for Governor, Mrs. Luallen "... urge[d] the voters of Kentucky to support leaders who will do what is right for our state ... [and] ... demand the competence, integrity and vision from the candidates for Governor that will be necessary to address these issues and move us forward as a state". Can anyone disagree?

Will Democrats deliver? Here's are 10 places to start.

Here is an interesting piece from Johnathan Turley, a Professor of Public Interest Law and a USATODAY Contributing Columnist, that summarizes what the Democrats in Congress have to accomplish in view of voters' message to clean up corruption. Here are excerpts: In her first statement after the Democratic takeover of the House, the presumptive new speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, pledged that her party would create “the most honest, the most open and the most ethical Congress in history.” History, however, should give citizens pause before they celebrate the dawn of a new day. Pelosi's promise is eerily similar to the vows of her two predecessors. Notably, in this election, Democrats took back the seats that they lost in 1994 when Newt Gingrich, who became speaker, led a Republican takeover based in part on his promise to create the most ethical Congress in history. Yet, ethics quickly gave way to earmarks, and Gingrich left the House in scandal. We heard the same words from Dennis Hastert in 1999, when he became speaker. During Hastert's speakership, the leadership actually loosened ethics rules and prevented some bipartisan reforms from coming to the House floor. Hastert even engineered the removal of GOP members from the ethics committee who had voted to admonish former majority leader Tom DeLay for his misconduct — before DeLay resigned under indictment. This history explains why lobbyists on K Street are not packing moving boxes in anticipation of an outbreak of good government. After all, these same Democrats remained silent for many years in the face of corrupt practices, often engaging in the very conduct that would now have to be prohibited. ... To-do list: If Pelosi is serious about “draining the swamp,” here are 10 practices that would have to end: Free vacations. Prohibit travel for members and their family and staff paid by outside groups, including not-for-profit organizations. Playing the market. Bar members from legislating in areas where they have financial interests by closing a loophole in the definition of “outside income,” which excludes investments and stocks. Better yet, require the use of blind trusts by members (already used by executive and judicial officers). Quid pro quo deals. End the practice of receiving windfall private deals from partners, who then receive generous government contracts. Require recusal from any matter in which a business partner has a direct financial interest. Self-policing. Create an independent office of ethics in which non-members investigate and rule on allegations of unethical conduct. Misuse of campaign funds. Prohibit the use of such funds for any purpose other than direct campaign costs for the original recipient, barring the transfer of funds to other candidates. Family lobbyists. Bar members from any official contact with family members who are employed as lobbyists and require recusal from any committee with jurisdiction over issues on which a spouse or a child is a lobbyist. Enact an ethics principle that expressly condemns the employment of spouses or children as lobbyists as harmful to the institution. Family businesses. Strengthen nepotism rules, including a ban on the hiring of spouses and family as campaign staff or contractors. Gifts. Change the scope of prohibited gifts to include the use of private jets by members and catered food for members or staff. Also require the valuation of gifts by an independent ethics committee. Club privileges. End all special access to the floor and other areas for former members that allows them free access as lobbyists. Earmarks. The primary currency for corrupt practices and pork barrel projects remains earmarks — special pet projects inserted into budgets outside of the usual competitive bidding and appropriations processes. Democrats have proposed changes but not the most obvious: Ban earmarks.
Believing in Pelosi's promise is the ultimate victory of hope over experience. Indeed, Democratic proposals still fall short of a true cleaning as opposed to a quick dust and polish in the “first 100 hours.” Yet, if she implements these 10 reforms, Pelosi can prove that it is possible for reformed sinners to sin no more.
Sounds like good advise to me, don't you?

New CNN/Gallup poll favor McCain/Guliani and Clinton/Obama match-ups.

New and latest CNN/Gallup poll results favor a match up between the ticket of Republican candidates Sen. John McCain and "Rudy" Guliani and Democratic candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barak Obama. This is the match-up I envisioned and expect to see come to fruition. You may read the poll results here. Also according to the poll results, the Democratics are now preferred to the Republicans -- no surprise there considering the results of the congressional mid term elections. A consolation prize for Republicans? Well ... the two Democratic leaders, Nancy Pelosi (soon to be Speaker of the House) and Harry Reid (Senate Majority Leader) are less liked than President Bush, though this is probably attributable more to the fact that Pelosi and Reid are largely unknown to many who responded to the polls -- see the high percentage of poll participants who had no clue who they were. Note: Refer to last week's quote for the week about Democracy and you'll understand.

CONvicted CEOs sell assets to pay legal bills.

Click here to read about CONvicted CEOs being forced to sell their ill-gotten gains, mega mansions and expensive toys after their CONvictions for defrauding their companies. There is a GOD!

"Rudy" Guliana joins McCain in presidential hunt ...

... but is Rudy TOO liberal (he is pro abortion and pro gay rights) for the ultra Conservative GOP primary voters? And will a messy made-for-tabloids divorce from television star Donna Hanover and his relationship with paramour Judith Nathan also make it difficult to run, just as those issues (together with a prostate cancer scare) also made his campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton difficult, thereby forcing him to drop out of that senate race?

A fitting tribute for a King.

Today the Martin Luther King memorial is dedicated on the Washington mall near where Dr. King gave us his "I have a dream" speech. I was one of those that contributed money to the building of the memorial and I feel honored and proud to have done so. As President Bush so aptly recognized, the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial will give the slain civil rights leader "his rightful place among the great Americans honored on the National Mall". ... "Today we see only these open acres, but we know that when the work is done, the King memorial will be a fitting tribute". A fitting tribute, indeed.

Sanitized excuse for voting for the white guy.

I love the funny, satirical and matter-of-fact honest look at politics from Larry Webster, an Attorney from Eastern Kentucky and a Contributing Columnist for the Herald leader. This week's column is no different. Observe closely how Larry recognizes that sexist and racist attitudes still play important roles in voter's decisions of who gets elected in the southwest, to wit: Sen. Allen's "macaca" moment and the GOP's Tennessee ad that presented a sanitized excuse for Tennessee "mountain folks" and others to vote for the white guy, out of fear of a Black wanting to "miscegenate" with a white woman. These are the problems facing Blacks (and people who appear to be foreign born) wanting to run for public office; racists try to capitalize on whites' fears by giving white voters a "sanitized excuse for voting for the white guy" and against the Black guy. And that is not funny at all.

Prophesy fulfilled?

Shaye Raybold: a young lady's campaign.

Shaye Raybold, a Bowling Green native who managed Jim Newberry's improbable campaign for Lexington Mayor, is the subject of this glowing article. Read it. It goes to show how young people can make a significant difference and how believing in one's cause can matter.

We thank our Veterans.

On this the occasion of Veterans Day, we thank and salute our Veterans for all of their sacrifices to protect us, our country and our Constitution. And we Semper Fi our Marines on the dedication of the Marine museum.

Sen. John McCain forms exploratory Committee. Will the Maverick show up?

Yesterday, I mentioned that Iowa Governor announced he was running for President in 2008. I stated in the post that no Republican had stepped forward yet to be the party's flag bearer. Well, today it is reported Sen. John McCain will announce that he has formed exploratory committee for a possible (and most likely, a certain) 2008 presidential race. I have always been a John McCain fan, until he recently started shedding his maverick image for a politician's stripes. If the REAL John McCain (who I voted for in the presidential primary) will stand up and return to his maverick roots -- where he is quick to speak the truth, such as chastising his Republican coleagues that "we came to Washington to change government, and government changed us [and] we departed rather tragically from our conservative principles" -- he will do very, very well. And, if the REAL John McCain will deliver the party and sincerely promise that he and the party will "return to a time when the party was known for careful stewardship of tax dollars, less government, less regulation, lower taxes, a strong defense, as well as community and family values", as he described the principles of the REAL and GENUINE Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan, then he can count on my vote and campaign support -- no matter how little my support may appear to be.

Bush's worst nightmare.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, (the presumptive) Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives (on your left, figuratively and literarily) shaking hands with President Bush (on your right, and yes, figuratively and literarily)!

Are election reactions Republican depression or Democratic wishful thinking?

Charles Krauthammer, Columnist with The Wasington Post cautions that we not read too much into the election results of last Tuesday. Read it here. Here are excerpts: How serious is the "thumpin' " the Republicans took on Tuesday? Losing one house is significant but hardly historic. Losing both houses, however, is defeat of a different order of magnitude, the equivalent in a parliamentary system of a vote of no confidence. ... But the great Democratic wave of 2006 is nothing remotely like the great structural change some are trumpeting. ... This is not realignment. As has been the case for decades, American politics continues to be fought between the 40-yard lines. ... In this election, the Democrats carried the ball from their own 45-yard line to the Republican 45-yard line. ... The fact that the Democrats crossed midfield does not make this election a great anti-conservative swing. ... The result is that both parties have moved to the right. The Republicans have shed the last vestiges of their centrist past, the Rockefeller Republican. And the Democrats have widened their tent to bring in a new crop of blue-dog conservatives. ... What happened on Tuesday? The electorate threw the bums out in disgust with corruption and in deep dissatisfaction with current Iraq policy. Reading much more into this election is a symptom of either Republican depression or Democratic wishful thinking.

Quote for the week.

Starting today, I shall post a quote for the week. As is practicable, I shall try to match the quote with the week's current event. So here's the quote for the week:

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."
~ Sir Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of England during World War 2.

Nancy Pelosi: House Speaker in waiting.

Nancy Pelosi, the next Speaker of the U. S. House, is about to be the most powerful woman in the United States. She will become second in line to be President. She is, unfortunately, an unknown commodity. Two Washington Post Columnists give us a clue. Read it here.

RNC Chair, Ken Mehlman, to leave post.

Republican National Committee Chair, Ken Mehlman, will leave his post when his term expires in January. The question is: Is he leaving on his own accord or is he the "sacrificial lamb" being "tossed under the bus" because of the less-than-steller election performance of the Republican Party? And if so, does he bear the sole blame or does he share the blame with others who are Faux GOPers, otherwise known as RINOS?

Black L. A. fire fighter wins $2.7 million award for being fed dog food.

A Black Los Angeles fire fighter, who was fed dog food by his coleagues with the supervisor's knowledge, has won a $2.7 million settlement from the city. This begs the question: When will we learn to love one another as we would love ourselves?

Presidential election kicks off.

The 2008 Presidential elections kicked off today with the announcement by Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa that he is running for the office. Read Vilsack. The Democrats are definitely bouyed by yesterday's political turn of events which gave them control of the U. S. Congress. One can expect to see many more Democrats declaring their intenmtions to also run. No word yet on which Republicans will step forward to carry the party's banner in 2008.

We mourn the passing of CBS' Ed Bradley.

Today CBS' 60 minutes correspondent, Ed Bradley, passed away from leukemia at the age of 65. We mourn his passing. May his soul rest in peace.

*** George Will: Political 'market' worked. ***

George Will, the Columnist of the Wahington Post fame, has a wonderful look on the events of election night disaster for Republicans. Read political 'market' place. Here are excerpts: At least Republicans now know where "the bridge to nowhere" leads: to the political wilderness. But there are three reasons for conservatives to temper their despondency. First, Republicans were punished not for pursuing but for forgetting conservatism. Second, they admire market rationality, and the political market has worked. Third, on various important fronts, conservatism continued its advance Tuesday. ... Of course, the election-turning issue was not that $223 million bridge in Alaska, or even the vice of which it is emblematic -- incontinent spending by a Republican-controlled Congress trying to purchase permanent power. Crass spending (the farm and highway bills, the nearly eightfold increase in the number of earmarks since 1994) and other pandering (e.g., the Terri Schiavo intervention) has intensified as Republicans' memories of why they originally sought power have faded. But Republicans sank beneath the weight of Iraq, the lesson of which is patent: Wars of choice should be won swiftly rather than lost protractedly. ... The Iraq War, like the Alaska bridge, pungently proclaims how Republicans earned their rebuke. They are guilty of apostasy from conservative principles at home (frugality, limited government) and embrace of anti-conservative principles abroad (nation-building grandiosity pursued incompetently). ... The country remains receptive to conservatism. That doctrine -- were it to become constraining on, rather than merely avowed by, congressional Republicans -- can be their bridge back from the wilderness.

Double whammy for Republicans as Democrats control Congress!

In case you missed it, the Democrats now control the House and also the Senate by 51 - 49. It is time for Republicans to figure out who they REALLY are and when they do to please let the rest of us know, because we certainly do not know anymore!

*** Belatedly, Bush does "Rummy Shuffle". ***

As all of my readers, from the Conservativeedge to this and other blog sites, know, I have been advocating the replacement of our Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. I truly believe Iraq quagmire would not be so if someone other than "Rummy" was at the helm. A few days back, I welcomed U. S. Rep. Anne Northup's call to remove "Rummy' and I invited her to "join and do the 'Rummy Shuffle'". Two days ago, the publishers of the Army Times, Navy Times, etc., made the same calls for Rummy's ouster. It finally took the Republican devastation that took place at the polls yesterday (largely because of the voters' angst about Iraq) to get the President to stop being so stone deaf. The President at a news conference this morning reported that Rumsfeld is leaving, though belatedly (why did it have to take the voters to send that message to Bush and for him to listen?). He is to be replaced by Robert Gates, Former National Security Adviser to Bush's father (who incidently warned his son about "Rummy", but was also ignored). You can read it here. I do not know how Robert Gates will work out -- my preference would be for James Baker, Former Secretary of State for Bush, Sr., and a former Chief of Staff for Ronald Reagan -- but, at this point, anyone, yes anyone, except "Rummy", will do!
Now, if only we can find a way to nudge Dick Chaney into retirement. !!

Bush weilding unbridled and unchecked executive power?

I ususally do NOT agree with Bruce Fein. In fact, I disagreed with his analysis that Kentucky needs to do away with electing judges. View my thoughts in "archives for October". His recent analysis concluding that the Executive branch under Bush is weilding unbridled and unchecked power, and that Congress is slow to excersise its legislative oversight function in our seperated government, cannot be validly disputed. You can read it here and reach your own conclusion.

Let the devil take care of its own.

Lord knows I never delight in anyone's demise, so this post shouldn't be seen as such. The post merely recognizes that sometimes the devil has to be allowed to sort it all out and take care of its own. So Sam Bowers, the coward from Mississippi, is where he belongs and very soon so will Saddam, the Butcher from Bagdad. Do you need any better reason to try and avoid hell?

Sen. Mitch McConnell responds.

A few posts ago, I asked the question whether or not the Herald - Leader was going to do a similar story about any other Federal Legislator, Other than Sen. Mitch McConnell, or whether their expose was political. Well, we never heard from the Herald - Leader, but the Senator has responded. Here is the response. I will not excerpt the response here, but invite you to read it and judge the expose for yourself in light of the Senator's appropriate response.

Why you should vote tomorrow ...

... For Republicans ... and for Democrats.

Faux Republicans create the party's woes.

Henry Riekert, a contributing columnist for the Lexington Herald - Leader, must have been reading my blog post regarding the morphing of the Republican Party into the party of the Dixiecrats. This morning he wrote an interesting column opining that the control of the Republican Party and the nation is in the hands of Faux Republicans. You may not agree totally with some of his opinion which appears anti-Republican, as I did not, but he is right on the money on the others as excerpted here: The irony is that the clowns the conservatives are electing aren't even Republicans. Real Republicans are fiscally conservative and wouldn't point to a quarter-trillion dollar deficit -- down from $425 billion -- as proof that their economic policies are working. Bush did that recently. That takes chutzpa. Real Republicans believe in conserving the environment, but Faux Republicans are lopping off the tops of Kentucky's mountains and obliterating streams and communities to maintain the production of coal, the burning of which exacerbates the global warming that is already unleashing catastrophe on the planet. Real Republicans believe that government should mind its own business; Republican impostors have eviscerated the Bill of Rights, spied on citizens, ... and legalized torture. Real Republicans believe in limited government. Faux Republicans believe in limiting all but that part of government that indulges corporate America and the wealthy. The GOP paper tigers stood by and watched North Korea go nuclear. They've allowed military housing to deteriorate into slums and sliced Veterans Affairs hospitals' budgets. They gutted the Geneva Conventions, thus endangering future POWs. Then there was that hurricane. And all the while they've engaged in and covered up the sleaziest of behaviors to maintain their grip on power. Maybe the Republican Party has changed and truly reflects the inner soul of the conservative voter. Maybe that's why so many Republican politicians act like morons. Winston Churchill said Americans could always be counted on to do the right thing -- but not until first exploring every other conceivable possibility.
The solution to the party's problems, in my humble opinion, is simple: For Real Republicans (of the Abraham Lincoln/Ronald Reagan types), "doing the right thing" means "exploring the conceivable possibility" of wrestling the soul and control of the party from the Faux Republicans. There are no other alternative solutions.

Haggard and Clinton: Two peas in a pod?

Update on Haggard - gate: After my posting yesterday, Ted Haggard admitted to buying meth but not using it. (Ring a bell? President Clinton also smoked weed, but did not inhale). Today, Tall tale teller Ted was dismissed (or forced to resign, depending on which source is telling it) for "sexual immorality", even though he told the world that he did not have sex with his gay prostitute accuser. (Ring another bell? You got that right: President Clinton also told the world he did not have sex with "that woman, Monica Lewinsky", before acknowleging perjury on the issue)!

Haggard-gate: Exposing hypocrisy or political smear.

By now most of you have read or heard about Ted Haggard, the President of the National Association of Evangelicals. A self-described prostitute named Mike Jones has accused Ted Haggard of paying him for gay sex and drugs over the past three years. Now we learn that Ted Haggard has resigned his position and admitted to some indiscretions (we do not know what those are, yet), while Mike Jones admitted that he was motivated by a desire to expose hypocrisy and to influence Tuesday's election. Yes, Colorado voters, as you guessed, are considering a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as "a union of one man and one woman." Was Jones merely exposing hypocrisy or was he motivated more by political smear? You be the judge. As for Haggard, though ALL have fallen short of the glory, he needs help fast and badly -- if Jones is speaking the truth. Want to read more, start here.

Group urges auto. restoration of felons' voting rights.

The league of women voters wants kentucky to approve a constitutional amendment automatically restoring the voting rights of felons who have completed their sentences. Read the story here. Here are excerpts: “We believe voting is the most fundamental expression of citizenship,” Teena Halbig, president of the Kentucky League, said Thursday during a press conference in the state Capitol rotunda.The Kentucky constitution imposes a lifetime voting ban on ex-felons. Two other states — Virginia and Florida — impose such bans, she said. The only way to get voting rights restored is by gubernatorial pardon. There are now 186,348 Kentuckians who can’t vote because of a felony conviction, according to a new report the League released Thursday. That gives Kentucky the 6th highest rate among the states of voter disenfranchisement, the report says. Kentucky is first in disenfranchisement of African Americans, it says.
Whether or not one is tough on crime, a questioned needs to be asked and answered: What risks do felons, other than those convicted of violating our election laws, pose to the electoral process that it is fundermental that we deny them their rights to vote -- especially in view of the fact that we are continuosly looking for ways to encourage greater participation of the electorate?

When it rains, it pours or a Liberal conspiracy?

Enough said.

Western Kentucky University leapfrogs to Div. 1A football.

Western Kentucky University Board of Regents just voted, 7-2-2, to move to Division !-A in football. Read it here. This is music to the ears of many football fans out there who want to see the school "play ball with the big boys". The rest will view it as a sad day for Western Kentucky University football program.

"Slim" was a great police officer. We mourn his passing.

In case if you haven't heard, the city of Bowling Green lost a police officer in the line of duty -- the city's first ever. Read it here. "Slim" as most people knew him by, was 34 years old when he was shot to death responding to a call of a man armed with knives. While the investigation is continuing, we know that his assailant was an illegal alien (touching off another round of debate concerning our porous borders and Congress' ineptitude on immigration control). I knew "Slim" very well. He was a very conscientous and personable police officer who took great pride in his work and was loved by many. He will be greatly missed by so many, including me and my family. American Bank and Trust is accepting donations to aid his young wife and very young children. Won't you please help out?

Gov. Schwarznegger gets strangled by special interests.

When Gov. Swarznegger ran for office a few years back, he castigated politics and politicians for being strangled by special interests. Now having raised $113 million from special interest groups for his re-election campaign, (read the story here) one wonders who is strangling whom?

Kerry's comments reveal his elitist side. Update: The troops respond.

Sen. John Kerry has been taken to task for saying that people who do not do well in school get stuck in Iraq. Read it here. Whether or not these comments reveal anything else, they reveal to me the spoken thoughts of a man who has grown accustomed to elitism and who believe, like most like him, that wars are to be fought by the lower economic social class members -- of which Kerry no longer views himslef a member, since he married into money after his return from Vietnam. Our brave and fine men and women in uniform deserve better spoken words.
Update: The picture above is the troops' response to Kerry.

Term limits are NOT the cure. Voting is.

Carl Thomas, a conservative columnist, and Bob Bickel, a liberal columnist are arguing in their latest piece: Sickness: Incumbency; The cure: Term limits, that term limits present a cure for the sickness of incumbency. I, of course, disagree with their conclusion. For me, the BEST cure for any political ailment is an informed voter with a burning desire to excercise their God-given constitutional right to vote, and to do so wisely.