Secret Service: Where The Service Is Secret!

White House. LOL.

Larry Webster On Political Gridlock Im Washington, DC.

Everyone is always asking how gridlock got started and who started it, so I thought I would just go ahead and tell you. 

It all started when a bunch of Republican elders got together before the election of George W. Bush and decided that, instead of reaching out and trying to draw in voters who were moderates or Democrats, that they would try to solidify and expand their base of conservatives and win the presidency that way. 

Prior to that, both parties tried to reach out. In 1999, the Republicans decided not to, and the first thing they did was to nominate Dick Cheney as the vice president, because he appealed to their base: rich warmongers.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/09/28/3451723/larry-webster-on-kys-willie-horton.html?sp=/99/349/#storylink=cpy

The selection of Cheney was the second-worst mistake ever made, with the election of "W" being the worst.

Well, the grand new plan worked in 2000, when Bush beat Gore by about six votes. So, from that time on, for that strategy to succeed, the Republicans had to do two things, one of which was to cater to their conservative base by doing such thoughtful things as giving the rich a big tax cut while we were fighting a stupid $2 trillion war on a credit card and taking the risk out of investing. By that I mean that we privatized the benefits of owning stock, but made the public pay if investments went wrong. 

The other thing they did was to try to make the country fail if a Democrat was in, something Sen. Mitch McConnell announced with great pride. Doing this included filibustering every single nomination, every single spending bill and every single idea of the Democratic president, even the ideas Republicans used to promote, such as a carbon tax, which used to be their tar baby.

Gridlock was aided by an Australian media magnate whose loyalty was not to the country, but to his pocket, and whose talking heads so abused the president as to convince half or more of the country that he was a Muslim socialist.

After a season of gridlock, Republicans now hope to take such control of government that things will move quickly, backwards. Aided and abetted by the Supreme Court, which turned elections into auctions, McConnell, one of the original architects of the strategy, now turns the president his side has made unpopular into Willie Horton. He suggests that Obama and Senate hopeful Alison Lundergan Grimes are in cahoots to stop coal, when there has been more coal mined under Obama than anyone else, and to stop guns, when there has been more guns sold the last six years than probably were sold during the last 25 previous presidencies.

But along came the junior senator from Texas and Kentucky, Rand Paul, and starts going back to the old ways, trying to reach out to minorities and wondering in public about the war on drugs. Is this possible?

I'll bet when they look up the surveillance film of that guy climbing the fence to the White House they will find him standing on the back of a diminutive senator from Alabama and Kentucky.

Reach Larry Webster at websterlawrencer@bellsouth.net.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/09/28/3451723/larry-webster-on-kys-willie-horton.html?sp=/99/349/#storylin

Climate Change Is For Real, Folks!

Secret Service.

In America, We Need To Do Away With Rogue Cops. Yes, We Do. Watch One Of The #Roguecops In Action. They Are Worse Than Isis. #Isis!

More From The NFL.

In Case You Missed Barack Obama's Address To United Nations Assembly, Like I Did, Watch It Here Below.

In Case You Missed It: Scotland Voted Itself Against Independence From UK! LOL.

My Child.

CONgress!

So What Makes You Think Baqrack Obama Cannot Handle Isis!?

How The NFL Signals Penalties!

NFL!

But Hilary Clinton Is Still Thinking About Running For President. Wink.

Hilary Clinton Visits Iowa. LOL.

Meanwhile In Kentucky's Senate Race, Alison Lundergan Grimes Gets Needed Advice On ?her Race Against Mitch McConnell. LOL.

College Athletics: So, What's Wrong With The Current "Indentured Servitude"?!

I Wholeheartedly Agree With Bowling Green Editorial On Bowling Green, Kentucky, Officer's Use Of Excessive Force.

BGPD officer should lose job

Police brutality has no place in our community. Those who break the law are guaranteed rights when they are arrested and booked

Those rights should be respected and adhered to by all law enforcement officers at all times.

In our opinion, excessive force was used by Bowling Green Police Sgt. Donitka Kay when she arrested Christy Faye Gammon for disorderly conduct on the night of April 26.

During the incident, Kay had Gammon handcuffed and punched her “multiple times” in the head with a closed fist after Gammon spit at her and it landed on her uniform. Gammon claimed she was pregnant at the time of the arrest when Kay had her handcuffed on the ground. 

A police employee hearing Tuesday before the Bowling Green City Commission lasted into the night to determine if Kay would be fired or retained. Kay faced civil charges of fourth-degree assault, unjustified use of physical force, as well as several violations of Bowling Green Police Department policy. Kay’s attorney, Alan Simpson, didn’t dispute that Kay hit Gammon but said hitting her was a last resort. Simpson also said Gammon used a racial epithet to refer to Kay, who is black. He also said Gammon was “wild” at the time of her arrest. He also argued that Gammon was kicking and trying to injure Kay.

None of the arguments Simpson raised during this hearing justify punching a handcuffed prisoner in our judgment.

Bowling Green attorney Wesley Milliken, who represented the police department, described the situation best when he said: “It’s police brutality. You can’t beat a prisoner who’s handcuffed on the ground whether she spits on you or not.”

Milliken also said that even after Kay called for medical assistance, she sent EMS services away from the scene without treating Gammon. 

However, Simpson argued that Kay had assumed Gammon refused treatment while Kay was otherwise occupied at the scene.

In a situation such as this where a prisoner is struck “multiple times” by a police officer, that officer shouldn’t assume anything. It was her job to see that the prisoner got proper medical care, not to assume that she did.

Kay didn’t do this and Milliken argued that Kay falsely reported this.

Simpson also argued that everyone who was watching the hearing, including inmates, would conclude that it’s OK to fight a police officer because they really can’t defend themselves completely.

This was a scare tactic by Simpson and is simply not true. Police have many tools and techniques they can use that follow police policy when trying to arrest and subdue a suspect, and that doesn’t involve punching them while handcuffed. If one reviews daily police reports as this newspaper does, there hasn’t been a case in recent memory where an officer punched a handcuffed suspect “multiple times.”

One would have thought this would have been an open and shut civil case before the Bowling Green City Commission. Sadly, it wasn’t.

Commissioners Bill Waltrip, Melinda Hill and Joe Denning voted to not fire Kay. Only Mayor Bruce Wilkerson and Commissioner Rick Williams dissented. Wilkerson voted against the not guilty decision on all charges and Williams joined him in his dissent on the charges involving unnecessary use of force and violation of police policies involving unsatisfactory performance, use of force and special transport of an injured prisoner.

What part of unnecessary use of force did these three commissioners not understand?

Bowling Green Police Chief Doug Hawkins said after reviewing the information gathered in the internal investigation, he determined that policy and state law had been violated and that termination was the appropriate action. Hawkins described Gammon as a “passive threat” and said that the woman handcuffed and seated or lying on the ground was “equivalent” to a 5-year-old throwing a tantrum. He also said as the arresting officer, Kay had a responsibility to ensure that Gammon received medical attention.

Hawkins, Wilkerson and Williams got it right. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the other three commissioners.

Milliken also gets it. He rightfully argued before the commission that no one likes to be spit on, but police officers are held to a higher standard than the average citizen and they have to hold themselves to that standard. He also said they can’t lose their patience and punch a handcuffed prisoner.

It’s quite obvious Kay lost her temper and, in our opinion, used excessive force by punching Gammon while handcuffed.

The ruling by the majority of this commission that found Kay not guilty is insulting to members of the Bowling Green Police Department who perform a difficult job in a professional manner.

This sets a very bad precedent.

What also raises some red flags about this vote is that two of the commissioners who voted not to fire Kay are former police officers. Wilkerson obviously put aside his former profession in reaching a decision, but it could be argued that Waltrip and Denning were in fact looking out for one of their own.

Had this case been tried in a court of law, Waltrip and Denning as well as Wilkerson wouldn’t have been picked for a jury trial because of their background in law enforcement.

It could be argued that there was an inherent conflict here.

We’re not saying Gammon is an angel. She appeared to be arrested for cause, but she didn’t deserve to be punched “multiple times” while handcuffed.

Although this hearing is over and Kay was retained, the final chapter on this unnecessary matter is still not resolved as the Federal Bureau of Investigations is on the case. Only time will tell what they will or will not do.

But thankfully, we are fortunate to have a fine police department in Bowling Green. The majority of the officers are respectful, follow policies to the letter and look out for the safety of our citizens.

This editorial is not a condemnation of them because we admire and respect the very tough and dangerous jobs they perform on a daily basis. But this is a condemnation on Kay. She abused her powers by her actions, and in our opinion should have been terminated Tuesday from her job.

#NFL Takes A Stand Against Violence!

Government Regulators!

Why Do We Seek Lethal Injection Drugs When We Can Feed "The Doomed" American Diet?! LOL.

Did You Miss #BarackObama's Speech Last Night On #Isis (Or #Isil As He Called It)? I Did Too, So Let's Watch It Here.

We Must Never Forget 9/11!

Dick Cheney!

We Need Climate Change!

NFL Baltimore Raven's Ray Rice Pummeled His Ex-Girlfriend/Now Wife, Gets Suspended And His Contract Voided. He Belongs In Prison, Though! Watch Video.

2015 Kentucky Could Get Real Interesting If Alison Lundergan Grimes (And Matt Bevin) Get In!

2015 governor's race gets more interesting
By JOHN DAVID DYCHE

One thing is certain about the race for Kentucky governor next year. It is wide open.
Former Louisville metro councilman and mayoral candidate Hal Heiner had to be encouraged by two recent polls. One, issued by his campaign in late July, put him in a virtual tie with the other declared candidate, Agriculture Commissioner James Comer.

 Another, from early August by Public Policy Polling, had Heiner in front of Comer 28 percent to 22 percent in a head-to-head match-up. Half the respondents were undecided, however.

Perhaps that poll’s most surprising result was that over two-thirds of likely primary voters were “not sure” whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Comer (69 percent) and Heiner (67 percent).

This had to be a bit discouraging to Comer, who got over half million votes for his post in 2011 and has traveled the state often since then promoting the cause of Kentucky farmers and, indirectly, his gubernatorial candidacy.

Comer professes unconcern and says voters will have a more positive reaction when his name is connected to his office and an even more positive reaction when it is linked to his success in cleaning up the mess left by his now imprisoned predecessor, Richie Farmer. Still, Heiner, who has invested $4 million of his personal wealth into his campaign, appears better positioned than many expected at this point.

Despite these numbers, it is hard to imagine Comer is not the leader among local GOP activists and officials critical to a successful primary campaign. But Heiner is working extremely hard to make inroads among those influential members of the nominating electorate, and some doors are opening to him courtesy of powerful others Comer has crossed.

Matt Bevin is the wild card. The rich Louisvillian whom Mitch McConnell easily dispatched in this year’s Republican U.S. Senate campaign fared best of all in the Public Policy Polling results.
Bevin had the highest favorability rating among the GOP (31 percent) and was the leader with 25 percent in a four-way primary against Comer’s 20 percent, Heiner’s 18 percent, and yet another affluent resident of the state’s biggest city, former ambassador to Latvia and fundraiser extraordinaire Cathy Bailey, who clocked in with a surprisingly strong 11 percent, despite a favorability rating of only 5 percent.

In the indispensable insider newsletter Kentucky Roll Call, Lowell Reese, one of Kentucky’s canniest political observers, said Bevin told him that in the Senate bid “he received double the number of votes needed to win the ’15 GOP primary for governor.” Reese left their discussion with the impression that Bevin is “itching to run.”

McConnell made mincemeat out of Bevin by exposing his multiple embarrassing inconsistencies and misstatements, but Bevin also suffered from self-inflicted wounds like the infamous cock-fighting fiasco. He obviously harbors hard feelings, but if he hopes to become governor, he had better undergo a political transfusion to purge that bad blood and make peace with McConnell and the party establishment.

Comer has repeatedly said that the next governor would not be a millionaire from Louisville, which also includes the only declared Democratic candidate, Attorney General Jack Conway. But Comer could confront three of them in the primary, although a Bailey candidacy seems increasingly unlikely.
Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott of Pikeville is also apparently considering the race. He would face formidable challenges in finding a credible running mate, raising enough money and transcending the image of a regional candidate, but cannot be completely discounted.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, it is hard to find a Democrat who is sincerely happy with the prospect of Conway as the party’s 2015 standard bearer, even though the PPP poll put him ahead of each Republican. With better candidates like former auditor Crit Luallen and current auditor Adam Edelen having bowed out, however, the pickings are slim.

The most likely alternative is current U.S. Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes. With multiple recent polls putting her 4 or more points behind McConnell and no prospect for reversal on the horizon, it increasingly appears that she could be available come November.

It would be grueling to transition immediately into another statewide campaign, but she would have an organization in place. Democrats also owe her some gratitude because she was the only one with the guts to sign up for the political suicide mission of taking on McConnell.

Grimes is still stiff but has gotten better on the stump. Conway is not exactly a natural on the campaign trail. Grimes would have the advantage against him of not being from Louisville, which has a lousy record when it comes to gubernatorial candidacies, and her having lost a Senate race would not be a liability against Conway since he also has, to Rand Paul by a big 12 percent.

So look for subtle signs of Grimes shifting her sights from her deteriorating Senate bid to a developing gubernatorial one. It would be the smartest tactical move she has made so far.

(The Public Policy Polling data and report are available at: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2014/08/mcconnell-leading-in-re-election-bid.html).

— John David Dyche is a Louisville attorney and a political commentator for WDRB.com. His email is jddyche@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @jddyche.

Editor's comment: might Matt Bevin run again? Well, check this out here.

Celebrity Naked Pictures Leaked!

Watch President Barack Obama With Chuck Todd On CBS' "Meet The Press". Enjoy.

Informed Public About #Isis!

Funny!

Democracy For Sale: Ex-Virginia Governor, Bob McDonald, Found Guilty Of Public Corruption. Great! In #Nigeria, The Corrupt Politician Is Elevated In Society!! Watch Video.

watch after verdict video:

R.I.P, Joan Rivers.

Great News: Justice Department To Investigate #ferguson Police Department. They Should Also Check Out Police In The Area Of Raleigh/Durham!

Back To #Ferguson!

We Mourn The Passing Of Joan Rivers. R.I.P. .

joan rivers through the years:

#Isis Wants To Attack #America? No Need!

#Ferguson: When Whites Just Don’t Get It!

When Whites Just Don’t Get It

After Ferguson, Race Deserves More Attention, Not Less

MANY white Americans say they are fed up with the coverage of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. A plurality of whites in a recent Pew survey said that the issue of race is getting more attention than it deserves.

Bill O’Reilly of Fox News reflected that weariness, saying: “All you hear is grievance, grievance, grievance, money, money, money.”

Indeed, a 2011 study by scholars at Harvard and Tufts found that whites, on average, believed that anti-white racism was a bigger problem than anti-black racism.

Yes, you read that right!

So let me push back at what I see as smug white delusion. Here are a few reasons race relations deserve more attention, not less:

• The net worth of the average black household in the United States is $6,314, compared with $110,500 for the average white household, according to 2011 census data. The gap has worsened in the last decade, and the United States now has a greater wealth gap by race than South Africa did during apartheid. (Whites in America on average own almost 18 times as much as blacks; in South Africa in 1970, the ratio was about 15 times.)

• The black-white income gap is roughly 40 percent greater today than it was in 1967.

• A black boy born today in the United States has a life expectancy five years shorter than that of a white boy.

• Black students are significantly less likely to attend schools offering advanced math and science courses than white students. They are three times as likely to be suspended and expelled, setting them up for educational failure.

• Because of the catastrophic experiment in mass incarceration, black men in their 20s without a high school diploma are more likely to be incarcerated today than employed, according to a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research. Nearly 70 percent of middle-aged black men who never graduated from high school have been imprisoned.

All these constitute not a black problem or a white problem, but an American problem. When so much talent is underemployed and overincarcerated, the entire country suffers.

Some straight people have gradually changed their attitudes toward gays after realizing that their friends — or children — were gay. Researchers have found that male judges are more sympathetic to women’s rights when they have daughters. Yet because of the de facto segregation of America, whites are unlikely to have many black friends: A study from the Public Religion Research Institute suggests that in a network of 100 friends, a white person, on average, has one black friend.

That’s unfortunate, because friends open our eyes. I was shaken after a well-known black woman told me about looking out her front window and seeing that police officers had her teenage son down on the ground after he had stepped out of their upscale house because they thought he was a prowler. “Thank God he didn’t run,” she said.

One black friend tells me that he freaked out when his white fiancée purchased an item in a store and promptly threw the receipt away. “What are you doing?” he protested to her. He is a highly successful and well-educated professional but would never dream of tossing a receipt for fear of being accused of shoplifting.

Some readers will protest that the stereotype is rooted in reality: Young black men are disproportionately likely to be criminals.

That’s true — and complicated. “There’s nothing more painful to me,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson once said, “than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery — then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.”

All this should be part of the national conversation on race, as well, and prompt a drive to help young black men end up in jobs and stable families rather than in crime or jail. We have policies with a robust record of creating opportunity: home visitation programs like Nurse-Family Partnership; early education initiatives like Educare and Head Start; programs for troubled adolescents like Youth Villages; anti-gang and anti-crime initiatives like Becoming a Man; efforts to prevent teen pregnancies like the Carrera curriculum; job training like Career Academies; and job incentives like the earned-income tax credit.

The best escalator to opportunity may be education, but that escalator is broken for black boys growing up in neighborhoods with broken schools. We fail those boys before they fail us.

So a starting point is for those of us in white America to wipe away any self-satisfaction about racial progress. Yes, the progress is real, but so are the challenges. The gaps demand a wrenching, soul-searching excavation of our national soul, and the first step is to acknowledge that the central race challenge in America today is not the suffering of whites.

Check out the author here.

#BarackObama: "We Shall Underwhelm"!

By A Slim Margin, Poll Results Show Voters Want Republicans To Control Kentucky's House Of Representatives.

Bluegrass Poll: Kentucky voters split on which political party should lead the state House

File: See the detailed poll results for right-to-work law, miminum wage and control of House
As Republicans try to take over the state House for the first time since 1921, a new poll shows Kentucky voters split on on the question of which political party should run the law-making chamber in Frankfort.

Forty-five percent of registered voters think Republicans would do a better job in controlling the state House, while 44 percent side with Democrats, the latest Bluegrass Poll shows. Eleven percent were not sure.

The Bluegrass Poll, sponsored by the Herald-Leader and WKYT-TV in Lexington and The Courier-Journal and WHAS-TV in Louisville, was conducted Aug. 25 to 27 by SurveyUSA with 647 registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, said the poll's results reflected "what we are hearing across the commonwealth, which is if we ever want to move Kentucky forward and bring more jobs and more opportunity to our people, a change in leadership in the House of Representatives is sorely needed and long overdue."

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said the poll question lacked credibility.

"It's like asking people what they think of Washington," he said. "They'll tell you they don't like it. But ask them if they like their congressman, and most of them say they do.

"Good gracious, I even like Hal Rogers," hesaid of the Somerset Republican who represents the 5th Congressional District in Eastern and Southern Kentucky.

A more important question, said Stumbo, would be who leads specific House races.

"From the polling I've seen on them, I'm more than confident that we can hold on in the House and maybe even increase our majority," he said.

Scott Lasley, a political science professor at Western Kentucky University who is an active Republican, said he was "a little bit surprised" that the poll did not show even more Kentuckians backing Republicans to control the House.

"I would argue that Kentucky is a red state even though voter registration records show more Democrats than Republicans," he said. (Registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans 1.67 million to 1.21 million in Kentucky."

"Voter registration is a poor measure of party identification," Lasley said. "Kentucky has been becoming more Republican in politics, and I think that will continue."

Lasley said he thought Republicans would be the majority party in the House now if former Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher did not get involved in a hiring scandal, which led to losing his 2007 re-election bid to Democrat Steve Beshear.

Democrats now hold a 54-46 advantage in the state House, but Republicans have been gaining ground. Twenty years ago, Democrats held a 71-29 advantage.

All 100 House seats are on the ballot this fall, but only 53 are contested.

A Republican takeover of the House probably would mean issues the GOP has backed for decades would become law considering Republicans have controlled the Senate since 2000.

Issues of prime interest to Republicans that have been blocked in the House range from right-to-work, in which workers may take jobs without joining unions, to tougher abortion bills.

Al Crabb of Lexington, a poll respondent who agreed to a follow-up interview with the Herald-Leader, said Democrats should remain in control of the state House.

"I'm worried about the direction this state is going in, becoming more red," said the retired University of Kentucky English faculty member.

Garen Reece, an information technologist in Laurel County, said no political party that has President Barack Obama as a member should run the state House. He also said he thought Republicans could do a better job in creating higher-paid jobs.

"I don't agree with Barack Obama, Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi, and nearly anyone in their party," Reece said.

The poll shows 49 percent of men and 41 percent of women in the state think Republicans would do a better job leading the House, compared to 42 percent of men and 46 percent of women who back Democrats.

The GOP preference increases with age.

Thirty-six percent of poll respondents ages 18 to 34 go with the Republicans, while 44 percent in that age range back Democrats. For respondents 65 and older, 50 percent endorsed the GOP, while 46 percent chose Democrats.

The difference in preference is more stark among whites and blacks. Forty-seven percent of whites sided with Republicans, while only 13 percent of blacks picked the GOP.

Only 7 percent of Democrats voiced support for a Republican takeover, but 16 percent of Republicans said they would be fine with Democrats in charge.

The poll showed 60 percent of respondents who make $80,000 or more a year favored Republican control, while 51 percent with incomes of $40,000 or less went with the Democrats.

Geographically, Republicans were strongest in the eastern and western ends of the state. Fifty-two percent of respondents from Eastern Kentucky embraced Republicans and 37 percent chose Democrats. In Western Kentucky, 50 percent of the respondents selected Republicans and 42 percent preferred Democrats.

In the Louisville area and north-central Kentucky, which includes Lexington, more people wanted Democrats rather than Republicans to run the House — 48 percent to 39 percent in the Louisville area and 46 percent to 42 percent in north-central Kentucky.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/08/31/3405807_bluegrass-poll-kentucky-voters.html?sp=/99/322/&rh=1#storylink=cpy

Mitch McConnell Etends Lead Over Alison Lundergan Grimes. As I Have Consistently Forecast: Mitch McConnell Is Poised To Be Senate Majority Leader.

Bluegrass Poll: Gaining momentum, McConnell holds 4-point advantage over Grimes

The re-election campaign of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has gained momentum in the last month, propelled by huge leads over Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes in Western and Eastern Kentucky and among men, according to a new Bluegrass Poll.

With less than 10 weeks until Election Day, the poll of 569 likely voters shows McConnell with a 4-point lead over Grimes, up from a 2 point margin a month ago. McConnell now leads Grimes 46 percent to 42 percent, with Libertarian candidate David Patterson at 5 percent.

(Read the Full poll results).

McConnell's showing is his best to date in the Bluegrass Poll, but the race remains well within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. In addition, 8 percent of respondents remain undecided, and the number of people with a negative view of the senator remains high.

The poll, sponsored by the Herald-Leader and WKYT-TV in Lexington and the Courier-Journal and WHAS-TV in Louisville, was conducted by SurveyUSA on landline telephones and cell phones from Aug. 25-27.

The survey was conducted before McConnell's campaign manager, Jesse Benton, resigned abruptly Friday evening as a growing scandal related to Benton's time as political director for former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign threatened to envelop McConnell. Much of the poll also was conducted before a liberal-leaning publication published a secret recording Tuesday night of McConnell vowing to block votes on raising the minimum wage and other issues as he spoke privately with major Republican donors.

McConnell's popularity remains underwater statewide, with 36 percent of respondents holding a favorable view of him, compared to 46 percent unfavorable.

But his popularity spikes in the western and eastern parts of the state, where he has conducted bus tours in recent weeks to blame President Barack Obama for steep job losses in the coal industry.

In Western Kentucky, his favorable rating is 52 percent, compared to 33 percent unfavorable. In Eastern Kentucky, he is viewed favorably by 42 percent of respondents and unfavorably by 39 percent.

As such, McConnell's biggest leads over Grimes come from those regions. McConnell leads 55 percent to 32 percent in the west and 59 percent to 32 percent in the east.

Terrell Skinner of Russellville, a poll respondent who agreed to a follow-up interview with the Herald-Leader, said he is backing McConnell because of the senator's opposition to President Barack Obama's administration.

"He's the number one thorn in the Democrats' side in Washington, and that's a good thing," Skinner said.

Meanwhile, the percentage of voters who have an opinion about Grimes continues to grow, but their views are split: 38 percent favorable and 37 percent unfavorable.

Grimes leads 45 percent to 38 percent in the Louisville area, and she holds a 49 percent to 40 percent lead in north-central Kentucky, which includes Lexington. In the west and east, however, more voters appear to be accepting McConnell's accusations that she will be a rubber stamp for Obama.

In Western Kentucky, her favorable rating dips to 32 percent, compared to 40 percent unfavorable. Voters are split evenly at 37 percent in Eastern Kentucky.

Poll respondent Jerri McClure of Jamestown is among those who see Grimes in a positive light, accepting her argument that McConnell, who is seeking his sixth term, has been in Washington too long.

"I'm tired of the old boys bureaucracy," McClure said. "Communities like Jamestown, it's just stagnated. It needs to have some fresh blood, and we need to get motivated for a new time. It's time for senators to stop lining their pockets."

Despite Grimes' efforts to target female voters, McConnell continues to poll equally well with them — 45 percent chose Grimes, and 44 percent chose McConnell.

Among men, Grimes faces a 10-point deficit: 48 percent to 38 percent.

Grimes also is losing a quarter of support from her own party, with 25 percent of Democrats saying they will vote for McConnell.

The senator, who squared off against Louisville businessman Matt Bevin in a contentious May primary, continues to see Republicans returning to the fold, locking up 79 percent of Republican respondents. That's up from 72 percent in last month's Bluegrass Poll.

By comparison, Grimes was the choice of only 67 percent of Democrats.

Taken on the whole, the poll suggests McConnell has successfully capitalized on Kentucky's disdain for Obama, who has a 29 percent favorable and 57 percent unfavorable rating. Talk of Obama and his administration's coal policies dominated the spring and summer phases of the race.

When asked which candidate would "most effectively fight for Kentucky's coal interests," respondents gave McConnell a 2-to-1 advantage over Grimes, 44 percent to 22 percent. In the coal-producing parts of the state, those margins are even wider, with 51 percent of respondents in the west and east giving the nod to McConnell.

About one in four registered voters said they believe "there is no war on coal." But in Eastern Kentucky, where more than 7,000 coal jobs have been lost in recent years, only 12 percent of respondents said there is no war on coal.

Stephen Voss, a professor of political science at the University of Kentucky, said the poll reflects voters returning to the way they have voted in the past, and that "the events of the last month have reminded them of why they're usually on one side or the other, and they're snapping back to their usual preferences."

"Conservative voters are returning to the fold, increasingly expressing an intention to support McConnell, and while Grimes pulls in comparable support among the small number of liberals, she has not convinced moderates to break her way in the lopsided fashion needed to counterbalance a large Republican base," Voss said.

As Grimes attempts to erase McConnell's edge, she has employed the right surrogate. Former President Bill Clinton, who joined Grimes for rallies in Lexington and Hazard this month, is viewed favorably by 53 percent and unfavorably by 23 percent.

But on a host of issues polled, McConnell has the upper hand over Grimes.

On the question of who voters trust more on issues of foreign policy, McConnell leads Grimes 43 percent to 28 percent. On immigration, McConnell leads 40 percent to 32 percent.

And on the economy, which voters in the last Bluegrass Poll said was their top issue by a landslide, McConnell leads Grimes 40 percent to 38 percent, again with massive margins in the eastern and western parts of the state.

Despite watching an 11-point lead among women evaporate since February, Grimes holds an enormous edge over McConnell on the question of who voters trust more to improve the lives of women. Only 31 percent of respondents answered McConnell, compared to 51 percent for Grimes.

Overall, Voss said, the unfolding campaign is largely having the effect of "reminding conservatives why they prefer a Republican and liberals why they prefer a Democrat." That has allowed McConnell to maintain or improve his position despite his popularity ratings getting no better.

"If anything, more people see him in an unfavorable light than they did a month ago," Voss said. "But with the contentious Republican primary fading in the rear-view mirror, the conservatives who used to help drive those bad numbers are now getting on board with McConnell, while liberal voters dislike him even more than before."

Poll respondent Marilyn Miller of Louisville said she is unhappy with Washington and long-serving public officials but still supports McConnell.

"He's the lesser of two evils," Miller said of McConnell.


Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/08/30/3404367_bluegrass-poll-gaining-momentum.html?sp=/99/322/&rh=1#storylink=cpy

Back In Kentucky, Joel Pett Remains Funny!