President-elect Obama's Weekly Address

In the final weekly address of 2008, President-elect Barack Obama calls for the season of giving to also be a season of common purpose and shared citizenship.

Optimism High About Obama Policies, Poll Finds

Interesting story from the Washington Post:

Most Americans are optimistic about the policies that Barack Obama will pursue when he becomes the country's 44th president next month, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, and there is a widespread public desire that he quickly expand his focus beyond the economy, the dominant issue facing the country.

...Nearly seven in 10 are optimistic about Obama's overall policies, including substantial percentages of Republicans and those who backed GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) in last month's election (45 and 39 percent, respectively).

More than two-thirds said they think Obama will be able to make significant improvements to the health-care system, and as many expect him to implement policies to reduce global warming -- which 75 percent said he should, including half of Republicans. Sixty-four percent of all those polled said Obama will be able to end U.S. involvement in Iraq.

The full Biden interview on 'This Week'

If you missed the Joe Biden interview on This Week this morning, you can watch the full interview by clicking here.

Biden to appear on This Week tomorrow morning

Vice President-Elect Joe Biden is scheduled to appear on ABC's This Week tomorrow, December 21. Locally, the show can be seen on Channel 9 at 9:00 am. Please tune in!

President-elect Obama's Weekly Address

This morning, President-elect Obama introduced the team of men and women who will head up the nation's major scientific departments.

Life-and-death questions dog health-care debate

Jay Bookman makes some great points in his most recent column:

With a dog’s life at stake, you can think through the problem in terms of cost and benefit. With a human being, it would be inconceivable. And that’s not because an insurance company or other third party would pay most of the bill.

No, you don’t ask the price because with a human life at stake, it wouldn’t matter. You already know that whatever the cost, you’re going to do everything possible to pay it.

And in economic terms, that’s the problem. In theory, a willing seller and willing buyer will work out a fair price, with the potential buyer free to walk away if no deal can be struck. But when you combine a willing seller with a desperate, maybe pain-wracked or hope-starved buyer, the market warps and theory fails. The buyer is in no position to say no, and as a result can’t demand a lower price.

Bunning's questionable financial arrangements

In a story posted today, the Herald-Leader exposes Jim Bunning's shady dealings:

The non-profit Jim Bunning Foundation, which collects the money the former pitcher gets from autographing baseball memorabilia, has taken in more than $504,000, Senate and tax records show.

Of that, Bunning has earned $180,000 in salary for working a reported hour a week.

...Watchdog groups this week said the foundation blurs a number of Senate ethics and Internal Revenue Service rules regarding outside income for members of Congress, legitimate uses for tax-exempt charities and whether Bunning — as a paid employee — improperly dominates the foundation's board.

The Republican attack on working folks

Eugene Robinson has a great column in today's Washington Post, highlighting the Republican effort to blame the current economic crisis on organized labor. Here's an excerpt:

It may be that General Motors, Chrysler and Ford are lumbering, Jurassic beasts that deserve their looming extinction. But only a free-market fundamentalist, a lunatic or a Senate Republican -- perhaps that's redundant -- would conclude that now is the moment to hasten Detroit's demise.

...The thing to do is give the automakers the money to buy some time. This is obvious to the current administration, the incoming administration, a majority in the House of Representatives and the Democrats in the Senate -- but not to the Senate Republicans. They killed the bailout measure by demanding that the United Auto Workers agree to sharp, almost immediate cuts in wages and benefits.

Funny, I don't recall a cry from Senate Republicans for salary caps on the stockbrokers whose jobs were saved in the Wall Street bailout. Nor, to my knowledge, have they demanded that white-collar workers in the auto companies take pay cuts. I do recall lectures from some Republicans in the Senate about how inadvisable it is for government to meddle in the workings of the free market. In my book, renegotiating labor contracts qualifies as meddling.

Marie Cocco likewise addresses the Republicans' tactics:

I must admit that when the danger of a global financial implosion became apparent in March with the taxpayer-backed takeover of Bear Stearns by banking giant JP Morgan Chase, I did not understand how all those worthless Wall Street credit swaps really could be the fault of an overpaid union welder at an auto plant somewhere in Michigan.

Heck. Despite having once listened as Republican leader Tom DeLay gave a House speech blaming the 1999 Columbine High School shootings on mothers who use birth control and the teaching of evolution in schools, I still underestimate the peculiar genius conservative Republicans show in exploiting dire, even tragic, situations to wield a partisan cudgel.

Senate Republicans' effort to break the United Auto Workers union as the pound of flesh they wanted in exchange for loans to teetering automakers -- companies that are on the brink because of a credit crisis they did not cause -- was over the top, even drawing objections from the Bush White House. The administration is now rushing to find money for Detroit somewhere in the huge pot of financial-industry bailouts, lest the automakers go down and take what's left of the economy with them.

It's obvious that the current economy cannot afford a failure of the automakers:

In its latest effort to try and stimulate the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate to a range of between zero percent and 0.25%, and said it expects to keep rates near that unprecedented low level for some time to come.

The central bank typically sets a specific target for its federal funds rate instead of a range. The rate had previously been at 1% and this marks the first time the Fed has cut rates below 1%. Most investors were expecting the Fed to cut rates to either 0.25% or 0.5%.

Unfortunately, Senate Republicans are willing to allow the economy to collapse in order to pick a fight with organized labor. Simply outrageous.

Obama Will Bring Different Approach

CQ Politics has a very good article today:

President-elect Barack Obama is certain to dial back some of President Bush’s views of executive power, including the use of executive privilege to prevent White House aides from complying with congressional subpoenas, a group of scholars said at a Washington conference last week.

The conference, organized by Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., brought together leading political scientists for one of the first wide-ranging assessments of Bush’s nearly eight years in office.

One consensus was that Bush repeatedly set shaky legal precedents by invoking powers that are implied, but not explicitly spelled out, in Article 2 of the Constitution.

Now a good time for the brain to make a comeback

Stanley Crouch has a good column today. Here's an excerpt:

Last week we learned that Joe the supposed plumber was appalled by John McCain, who made him feel "dirty." Joe was very, very impressed by Sarah Palin, however, whose sincerity he thinks makes her the real deal. That is what is wrong with the Republicans at this very moment, the idea that feelings are more important than facts.

Since Palin is too young and energetic to be suffering memory loss at this point in her life, the only explanation for not knowing the specifics of the vice president's job is the kind of contempt for knowledge that the Alaskan governor would never accept from a fellow lover of the hunt who didn't know the difference between a moose and a cow.

...This is a serious indication of something else. For too long the Republican brain has been placed on the dry ice of fear and smear tactics, pontifications and divisive attitudes based in separating the wheat of the good, common and unsophisticated people from the chaff of elite intellectuals who lived not in small towns but in big cities.

Click here to read the entire piece.

President-Elect Obama's Weekly Address

Earlier today, President-elect Barack Obama named his Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The AFP has more:

US president-elect Barack Obama on Saturday tapped Shaun Donovan for secretary of housing and urban development, taking another step in the formation of his future cabinet.

Donovan, currently the New York City Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development, is an architect who previously served in the Housing Department under former president Bill Clinton.

He "will bring to this important post fresh thinking, unencumbered by old ideology and outdated ideas," Obama said in his weekly radio address.

Here's the video of Obama's address:

Gov Beshear coming to NKY

Governor Steve Beshear is coming to Northern Kentucky next week for a town hall meeting. The meeting will be held at 7:00 pm on December 18 at the Grant County High School Auditorium, and he'll be discussing how to address Kentucky's $456 million revenue shortfall.

Please attend if you can. The address is 715 Warsaw Road in Dry Ridge. Here's a map:


View Larger Map

Panel blames White House, not soldiers, for abuse

From the Associated Press:

The physical and mental abuse of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was the direct result of Bush administration detention policies and should not be dismissed as the work of bad guards or interrogators, according to a bipartisan Senate report released Thursday.

The Senate Armed Services Committee report concludes that harsh interrogation techniques used by the CIA and the U.S. military were directly adapted from the training techniques used to prepare special forces personnel to resist interrogation by enemies that torture and abuse prisoners. The techniques included forced nudity, painful stress positions, sleep deprivation, and until 2003, waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning.

...Administration officials publicly blamed the abuses on low-level soldiers -- the work "of a few bad apples." Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., called that "both unconscionable and false."

Click here to read the entire article.

Obama's 'Meet the Press' interview

In case you missed it, here's the video of Obama's appearance on Meet the Press from yesterday morning.

Obama's weekly address

This week President-elect Barack Obama addresses the job loss that our nation continues to endure and offers solutions to the challenges we face. For more information, visit http://change.gov.

Obama to appear on Meet the Press this Sunday

President-elect Barack Obama is scheduled to appear on NBC's Meet the Press this Sunday, December 7. Locally, the show can be seen on Channel 5 at 10:00 Sunday morning. Please tune in!

Is Bunning being obstructionist?

Last Friday, TPM Muckraker pointed out that an anonymous Republican Senator was blocking the appointment of Neil Barofsky:

Earlier this month, the Bush administration nominated Neil Barofsky, a federal prosecutor, to be the Treasury Department's special inspector general on the bailout program. That's a crucial post, given the astronomical sums at issue, the broad authority that Treasury has been given to distribute them, the concerns that have been raised about possible conflicts of interest, and the general urgency of our efforts to prevent an economic collapse.

So you'd think Congress would be doing everything it could to get Barofsky confirmed right away. You'd be wrong.

Last week, Sen. Chris Dodd, the Connecticut Democrat who chairs the banking committee, issued a little-noticed statement saying that although the nomination "was cleared by members of the Senate Banking Committee, the leadership of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and all Democratic Senators," it was "blocked on the floor by at least one Republican member." (itals ours.)

TPM has been looking into which Republican Senator is responsible for this obstructionism, and here's what they found:

It's looking more and more like -- as we suspected -- Kentucky GOP senator Jim Bunning is the guy who placed the anonymous hold on the nomination of Neil Barofsky to the crucial post of special inspector general for the bailout.

If you'd like to call Jim Bunning to ask him if he's blocking the Barofsky appointment, his office can be reached at 859-341-2602.

Poll: Americans feel good about Obama

The latest poll from USA Today:

President-elect Barack Obama gets soaring marks for his handling of the transition and his choices for the Cabinet, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, even at a time the public is downbeat over the economy.

More than three of four Americans, including a majority of Republicans, approve of the job Obama has done so far — broad-based support he'll need as he faces tough decisions ahead.

By 69%-25%, those surveyed approve of his pick of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, his former Democratic primary rival, as secretary of State.

Read the details by clicking here.

Obama’s team realizes world more complex

Today's column by Jay Bookman is excellent. Here's an excerpt:

The national security team scheduled to be announced today by President-elect Barack Obama is a serious, pragmatic group of people, and for that reason alone it provides a welcome contrast to the neoconservative radicals brought into power by President Bush.

Hillary Clinton at the State Department; Jim Jones, a retired four-star Marine general, as national security adviser; Robert Gates, a longtime mainstream Republican, remaining at the Department of Defense — they are also a far cry from the Marxist, pacifist, naive radicals that Republicans claimed would come into power with Obama.

Gates, Clinton and Jones come from very different professional backgrounds, but they share an understanding with the president-elect that diplomacy must be our primary means of engaging with the world, with military power held in reserve and used only as needed.

Click here to read the entire piece.

A Maybe From Senator No

Today's New York Times has an editorial on our own Mitch McConnell. Here's an excerpt:

...now Senator McConnell is pronouncing President-elect Barack Obama off to a good start with an opportunity “to tackle big issues and to do them in the middle.” We have heard it before. Yet the heartening twist from the minority leader, newly re-elected after a race he found too close for comfort, is that he is quoting from Mr. Obama to make his point, retrieving a bit of prophecy from 2004, when the Democrats despaired in the minority and Senator Obama observed: “Whoever’s in power is going to have to govern with some modesty and some desire to work with the other side of the aisle. That’s certainly the approach I would advise Democrats should we regain control.”

We are not quite convinced that a golden age of bipartisanship is upon the Capitol. But Mr. McConnell’s citation could help as leaders talk about putting the next Congress to work early so it can deliver an economic stimulus package in sync with the Jan. 20 inauguration.

The calendar part of the plan is easy; the hard part will be putting aside politics to really work together. If not, there is little chance that a recovery plan will gain traction. Mr. Obama’s usually sharp-elbowed chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is handing out his private cellphone number to the other side of the aisle. “We’re not lip-synching bipartisanship,” Mr. Emanuel insists. The nation must hope Senator McConnell isn’t either.

Weekly Address from the President-Elect

President-elect Barack Obama addressed the nation on the occasion of Thanksgiving, nearly one hundred and fifty years after President Lincoln called for the last Thursday in November to be set aside to acknowledge our blessings. For more information, visit http://change.gov.

Bush Pardons Scooter Libby In Giant Turkey Suit

Funny stuff from The Onion:

As U.S. evolves, paranoia rises

Today's column by Jay Bookman is excellent. Here's an excerpt:

...with Democrats in control of Congress and Barack Obama about to become president, the maestros of talk radio see an opportunity. They know that the more threatened their audience feels, the higher their ratings get. And what better way to rile up their listeners than to claim that the Democrats are out to silence talk radio itself, the medium that brings conservatives the truth as they want to know it.

So for months, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others have been warning their audiences that once in power, the Democrats plan to bring back the Fairness Doctrine. Politicians such as Newt Gingrich have joined the chorus, and right-wing pundits insist the issue will be part of Obama’s agenda in his first 100 days in office.

But it’s all nonsense. Obama, for example, is on the record as very clearly opposing a new Fairness Doctrine. The most recent bill calling for reinstatement of the doctrine was introduced back in 2005 and it went nowhere. In the current Congress, controlled by Democrats in both chambers, no such bills have been introduced and no Democrats have announced or even suggested an effort to resurrect the policy.

Click here to read the entire piece.

Your Weekly Address from the President-elect

President-elect Barack Obama announces he has directed his economic team to assemble an Economic Recovery Plan that will save or create 2.5 million more jobs by January of 2011. For more information, visit http://change.gov.

Obama focuses on economy in radio address

President-elect Barack Obama delivered this week's Democratic radio address. CNN has the story:

First, Obama said, the country needs "a rescue plan for the middle class" that creates jobs. Then his new administration will address how the financial crisis has affected other sectors of the economy.

...In addition, he said, an Obama administration will pursue policies meant to grow the middle class and strengthen the economy.

"We can't afford to wait on moving forward on the key priorities that I identified during the campaign, including clean energy, health care, education and tax relief for middle-class families," Obama said.

You can listen to Obama's entire address by clicking here.

President-Elect Barack Obama in Chicago

Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4th, 2008.

McConnell's bacon

Today's Herald-Leader has a good editorial about the federal money that Mitch likes to brag about bringing to Kentucky:

McConnell claims that he brought $500 million to Kentucky last year. (The group Taxpayers for Common Sense says it was $126 million, but give McConnell the benefit of the doubt.)

That $500 million amounts to $120 per Kentuckian.

The Iraq war so far has cost $2,100 per person, and that's rising daily. Annual interest on the national debt is $1,400 per person.

Lunsford within 2 points of McConnell

A new poll from Garin Hart Yang was released today, and it shows that McConnell is leading Lunsford by only two points:

The findings of our most recent survey, conducted earlier this week among 502 likely voters, show that Senator McConnell continues to be highly vulnerable to defeat next Tuesday, with McConnell below the important 50% mark on key measurements.

The trial heat standings show McConnell ahead by 47% to 45%, which is well within the survey’s +/-4.5% margin of error. The findings of every survey we have conducted over the past month show Senator McConnell below the magic 50% mark, and even the latest Courier-Journal survey has McConnell at 47%. For an incumbent, especially one with Mitch McConnell’s long tenure, to not garner 50%+ with five days remaining should be troubling to his campaign.

New ad round-up

A bunch of new ads for Kentucky's Senate race have hit the airwaves the past few days. Here's a sampling, for your viewing pleasure:

Lunsford Unleashes The Hounds on McConnell


Hillary for Lunsford


Lunsford on Northern Kentucky


Mitch McConnell delivers for everyone but Kentucky


Kentucky Governors for Bruce Lunsford

Lunsford: Kentucky needs a new voice

Bruce Lunsford penned a guest column in yesterday's Enquirer. Here's an excerpt:

Under Bush-McConnell "leadership," we are stuck in a war that has already cost Kentuckians more than $2,100 each. And thanks to Bush-McConnell "leadership," each Kentuckian will pay more than $2,300 as part of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout.

For too long, we have allowed Washington politicians to mortgage America's future through economic policies that benefit their wealthy and corporate contributors, while we re-elect them after they tout a project or two that they got funding for. It's their job to bring our tax money back home. I will bring our tax dollars back, but I will also push for different economic priorities.

Instead of tax incentives for companies to ship American jobs to China, we should give tax incentives to small businesses. Instead of protecting tax cuts for millionaires, we should give tax cuts to middle-class families struggling in today's economy. I want to balance the budget, pay down the debt and get our economy back on track.

Click here to read the entire piece.

Mitch should demand Stevens' expulsion

Bruce Lunsford issued the following statement regarding the conviction of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK):

"Ted Stevens has been convicted of a felony and could be serving jail time by next year. He should be expelled from the Senate. Mitch McConnell is the Leader of his party and should take the lead on demanding his expulsion. At a time when Americans have lost faith in Washington, it is simply not acceptable for the Senate to embrace with open arms a Senator who has been convicted by a jury of his peers of seven felony counts. Ted Stevens is now barred by Alaska law from voting in elections because he is a felon - how could Mitch McConnell support letting him vote on matters of our economy and foreign policy?"

Stevens, the Senate's longest-serving Republican, was found guilty yesterday on seven counts of lying about gifts he received from wealthy oil contractors.

H-L endorses Lunsford

The Herald-Leader has endorsed Bruce Lunsford for US Senate:

Economic anxiety is running high. Voters need to hear McConnell's ideas for rebuilding the economy.

But the only message coming from his camp is more of the same: Maintain tax policies that redistribute wealth to the super rich. Stay in a war that's draining taxpayers and burying them in debt. Ignore global warming and drill for more oil. Continue to let health care and insurance costs strangle the economy.

Lunsford has better ideas. He would let the Bush tax cuts for the top income brackets expire and, instead, target tax cuts at working Americans and to spur job creation. He calls for developing a "blue plate special" health plan so all Americans, especially kids, can be insured. He says the government should pool its buying power to lower health care costs. He wants to make preschool available to all kids.

C-J profiles Bruce Lunsford

Today's Courier-Journal contains a profile on Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford. Here's an excerpt:

Lunsford is rich but says government has catered too much to his kind.

"Mitch McConnell believes that if you take care of the wealthy, they will take care of everybody else," Lunsford said. "I believe if you take care of everybody else, they will take care of the wealthy."

He blames the current economic crisis in part on the costs of the war in Iraq and on tax cuts for the "ultra-wealthy."

Jack Westwood: Sending KY Dollars to Indiana

Here's the new ad from Kathy Groob:

Kathy Groob exposes Jack Westwood's excess

Here's a press release just issued by Kathy Groob for State Senate:

Groob Calls on Westwood to Explain Excessive Travel on Taxpayer's Dime

While Kentucky continues to experience an economic downturn, Jack Westwood has continued to travel on junkets across the country at taxpayer expense. "While Jack Westwood calls himself a fiscal conservative, he's been spending an excessive amount of taxpayer dollars on trips to conferences," said Kathy Groob. "The average number of legislator trips is a couple or three per year and Jack Westwood took eight trips in 2007. It looks to me that Jack Westwood has taken every perk he can while Kentucky's economy is in decline."

Westwood's eight trips in 2007 were to places like Amelia Island, Boca Raton, Hilton Head and Orlando. Westwood has spent 156 days in out-of-state conferences and has taken 41 legislative trips during his tenure in the Senate. Taxpayers pay legislators salaries for attending conferences along with reimbursement for airfare, hotels and meals.

Westwood has received $48,577 in travel salary and expense reimbursement while serving in the Senate. This is in addition to the normal legislator salary received for serving in an official capacity.

18 of Westwood’s out-of-state trips were to ExxonMobil-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) conferences.

Westwood’s most expensive trip was to Seattle in 2004 for the American Legislative Exchange Council’s seven-day conference. That trip cost taxpayers $3,302.44. The American Legislative Exchange Council is not part of the bi-partisan National Conference of State Legislators but rather is a right-wing conservative organization that pushes legislation that favors big business and rollbacks to environmental regulations. ALEC is one of the most well-funded industry front groups with annual revenues in excess of $5 million. Westwood has attended 18 ALEC conferences since 1999.

Campaign finance watchdog organizations have said that ALEC promotes legislation to benefit its corporate sponsors. Since 1998, ALEC has received over $1,245,700 from ExxonMobil to help weaken environmental regulation and stifle efforts to deal with climate change.

'We need change now more than ever'

Bruce Lunsford released a new ad today. Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

More endorsements

A couple more endorsements have been announced. First, CityBeat has endorsed Bruce Lunsford for US Senate:

A former member of the National Guard and Army Reserves, Lunsford stakes much of his campaign on redeploying the U.S. military from Iraq to Afghanistan to secure nuclear stockpiles there and in Pakistan and on supporting the troops with proper equipment and planning. His years in the health care business provide real-world experience that should benefit the Democrats’ push for better health care coverage under a President Obama. The same can be said for how his experience as an entrepreneur should benefit the new administration’s efforts to fix and grow the economy.

A Lunsford win in Kentucky not only removes the obstructionist McConnell but will go a long way to helping Obama and the Democratic Congress turn the country around on the economy, the Middle East, health care, alternative energy and other critical issues.

CityBeat also endorses Michael Kelley for Congress:

Given Kelley’s limited resources and experience, we were inclined to offer no endorsement in this race at first. But after learning that Davis launched an anti-Kelley Web site to ridicule his background and values and then refused to debate Kelley, thinking he was entitled to the 4th District seat without any questions asked, we changed our minds.

And today, the Enquirer endorsed Kathy Groob for State Senate:

Vision and leadership motivate us to endorse Democrat Kathy Groob for a hotly contested seat for the Kentucky State Senate in Kenton County.

Groob, vice president of marketing for the Paul Hemmer Companies in Fort Mitchell, is challenging incumbent Republican Jack Westwood in the 23rd District, which covers a large part of Kenton County from the riverfront south. When you look around the district, the region and the state, it's obvious that more ideas and more focus are needed in the Kentucky Legislature. Otherwise, the state budget will remain a mess, schools will not get to the next level and Kentucky will never drag itself out of the lower tier of states in economic development.

...It's all part of a bigger picture, and Groob seems like the better-qualified painter.

Kathy Groob to debate tomorrow

KYPost.com has the story:

The two candidates for the 23rd State Senate District will debate Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Elsmere Senior Citizens Center, 179 Dell St., Elsmere, Ky.

...The Center for Civic Engagement’s director Mark Neikirk, will moderate the 45-minute debate between incumbent Republican Jack Westwood and Democrat Kathy Groob.

Please attend if you can, and show Kathy that she can count on your support. Here's a map to the event:


View Larger Map

Also, if you haven't volunteered for Kathy, please do so now. Election Day will be here before you know it, and we need everybody to help out as much as possible in these final days of the campaign. To volunteer, please contact Sarah Bailey at (859) 250-7932 (or at sarah@KathyGroob.com).

Democrats storm the airwaves

A slew of new ads were released today, making the case for voting Mitch McConnell out of office. Check them out!

Lunsford catches Mitch

The latest Survey USA poll shows that Bruce Lunsford has caught up with Mitch McConnell:

In an election for US Senator from Kentucky today, 10/21/08, two weeks until votes are counted, incumbent Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat Bruce Lunsford are tied, 48% each, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted for WHAS-TV Louisville and WLEX-TV Lexington. In a SurveyUSA poll released in August, McConnell led by 12. Today he leads by zero. Women have rallied to Lunsford, who once trailed by 11 but now leads by 11. Among seniors, Lunsford had trailed by 14, now leads by 6. In Western KY, McConnell had led by 20, now by 4. In North Central KY, McConnell had led by 14, now by 1. In Eastern KY, McConnell had led by 26, now trails by 5.

This is great news. Please help put Bruce over the top. Contact Nick Lepham at (859) 261-2078 (or at NLepham@KyDemocrat.com) to volunteer for Bruce Lunsford!

Lunsford on Northern Kentucky

Bruce Lunsford just released this ad on Northern Kentucky:

KDP Election Protection Hotline Goes Live

Today, the KDP issued this press release:

This year more than ever Democrats need to stay vigilant to protect every Kentuckian's right to vote. A record turnout is likely here in Kentucky and across the country, with more new voters casting a ballot than ever before; and the media is filled with stories about Republican efforts to block new voters and discard Democratic ballots. There have also been questions raised about Kentucky's preparedness for the large turnout.

In order to guarantee that the voting process is accessible to and inclusive of all eligible voters on November 4, the Kentucky Democratic Party will once again provide an Election Protection Hotline staffed by attorneys and volunteers. Voters can call 1-888-4KYVOTE (1-888-459-8683) to learn more about their rights, report problems and get answers on Election Day.

The fundamental right to vote needs to be protected. This hotline, and the attorneys and citizens who staff it, will ensure that every Kentuckian has their rights protected at the polls.

The Election Protection staff will work to ensure that ballots are available to all registered voters, that polls open and close on time, and will serve to reassure voters that they cannot be intimidated when they exercise their right.

If you are an Attorney interested in serving as a member of the Election Protection team please contact the Kentucky Democratic Party.

C-J endorses Lunsford

The Courier-Journal has endorsed Bruce Lunsford for US Senate:

An old political adage holds that a member of the U.S. House is a local official who happens to work in Washington, but a senator is a national figure who is chosen in one state.

It is through this lens, focused on the troubled state of the nation, that we hope voters will view this year's Senate race in Kentucky.

And it is with the country's best interests as the top objective that we endorse Bruce Lunsford, the Democratic challenger, to be Kentucky's next senator.

Senate race round-up

Kentucky's Senate race is really heating up. Here's a round-up of recent stories...

The Wall Street Journal ran an article highlighting Mitch's increasing vulnerability:

One sign of how bad things are for Republicans this year is the suddenly tough re-election campaign of Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate's top Republican, running in a state that is usually a GOP stronghold.

A few weeks ago, Sen. McConnell seemed a shoo-in for a fifth term, with polls giving him a double-digit lead over an unpopular challenger. But two weeks of worsening economic news -- and the unpopularity of the $700 billion rescue package he helped push through Congress -- are unsettling races where Republican incumbents once were thought to be safe.

...What's especially telling is that Sen. McConnell is attempting to run from the party he helps lead, even while bragging about his clout.

CityBeat also wrote up an article on the campaign:

Being in touch with what people need and want is a key message for Lunsford. Concerns about fuel costs — recently joined by concerns about the economy, rapidly shrinking retirement savings, the undue influence of corporate interests and the current economic meltdown — have turned voters into victims, he says.

“We have a country today that 25 years ago had usury laws,” Lunsford says. “The reason we had usury laws was to keep stuff like this from happening. Today you have an open sea that says, ‘Do as you wish.’ We have taken all of the regulation out of the financial industry, whether it’s pay-day lending, whether it’s credit cards, whether it’s banking.”

...“My children and my grandchildren are going to have to pay for my generation because we’ve been selfish. No one is more of a poster boy of that than Mitch McConnell. He and (President) Bush, for the last eight years, have created irreparable damage to our country from a world-view standpoint and an economic standpoint.”

The Courier-Journal published an editorial on Mitch's latest outrageous attack on Lunsford:

The new Mitch McConnell ad disparages Valor, but with no documentation, on screen or off, and provides no details about the case in question. If there is documentation, the McConnell campaign had a responsibility to share it with voters and not withhold it for use as a gotcha once the issue of verification was raised. All that's been offered so far is a statement from the widow -- unsigned. The ad's creators knew that Valor is barred by federal privacy laws from defending itself against a smear by discussing an individual case.

Unfortunately, this is only the latest example of McConnell TV spots that have been false and/or deceptive, including clearly untrue claims that Mr. Lunsford was responsible for the run-up in gasoline prices and that he doesn't live in Kentucky. Then came the repudiation of the first Valor Healthcare spot, which tried to suggest that 83-year-old Navy veteran Adolfo Piña was dissatisfied with the care the company provided him.

Unhappy about being misrepresented, Mr. Piña explained, "Valor clinic is doing very good for me here in Texas City. They're doing a good job by taking care of our needs. They're taking very good care of my needs, and I'm just one of thousands of veterans of World War II. The McConnell people interviewed me and took my words out of context. And I don't appreciate that. They did exactly what I told them not to do."

Lunsford's new ad addresses McConnell's false attacks:



Mitch is obviously feeling the heat. Please help Bruce Lunsford win in November!

Only 3 weekends left before Election Day!

There are only three more weekends to go before the elections, and several of our Democratic candidates are ramping up their efforts to turn out voters. If you haven't volunteered to help yet, please do so now -- we need everybody's help in these last few weeks.

Here are some folks to contact if you'd like to volunteer your time:

Bruce Lunsford for US Senate
Contact Nick Lepham
(859) 261-2078
NLepham@KyDemocrat.com

Kathy Groob for State Senate
Contact Sarah Bailey
(859) 250-7932
sarah@KathyGroob.com

Merrick Krey for State Representative
Contact Jenny Jameson
(859) 391-9395
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Lunsford: Middle class being squeezed

Today, Bruce Lunsford issued this press release:

Lunsford Ad Calls For Middle Class Solutions
Says Key to Improving Economy is Cutting Taxes for Families, Small Businesses not Millionaires and Special Interests

LOUISVILLE – Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Bruce Lunsford talks straight to the camera in his latest TV ad, saying “there’s a problem in Washington” and calling for policies that strengthen the middle class.

“While the middle class is being squeezed,” Lunsford says in the spot, “Mitch McConnell has been giving tax breaks to big oil companies and the wealthiest Americans. I have a different idea. Instead of cutting taxes for Big Oil and millionaires, I want to cut taxes for middle class families and small businesses. That’s what people need.”

24 year incumbent Mitch McConnell, who has taken more than $4.3 million from Wall Street and raised $3 million from Big Oil, is widely seen as President Bush’s enabler on everything from energy policy to financial deregulation. The Bush-McConnell economic policies, which favor the wealthy and special interests over middle class Americans, are viewed as the major causes of the current economic crisis.

“This ad highlights the key difference between Bruce Lunsford and Mitch McConnell,” said Lunsford spokesman Cary Stemle. “Lunsford grew up on a working farm in Northern Kentucky and paid his own way through college. He knows how tough it is to make ends meet these days and wants to provide hardworking Kentucky families and small businesses with the tax cuts they need. Mitch McConnell on the other hand has taken millions of dollars from the special interests and fights for their agenda. After 24 years in Washington, Mitch McConnell is not on our side. We need change now more than ever.”

The ad begins airing statewide today on broadcast and cable television.

Pol Watchers upgrades Kathy Groob's race

Pol Watchers, the Herald-Leader's political blog, has updated their "Top 10 interesting races with 3 weeks to go." Kathy Groob, running for the 23rd Senate District, has been upgraded one spot to #4:

4. 23rd State Senate District: Democratic challenger Kathy Groob is the only Senate challenger to out-raise an incumbent opponent, giving some Democrats hope for an upset in this race. She pulled in $194,000 in the election, compared to $162,000 Sen. Jack Westwood of Crescent Springs raised.

Kathy is also on the air with a TV ad. Here's the ad, via YouTube:



The Democrats can take back the State Senate this year. Let's do everything we can to help elect Kathy Groob!

Democrats holding party for Krey

Courtesy of the Enquirer:

ALEXANDRIA -- Campbell County Democrats are hosting a Monday night gathering for statehouse candidate Merrick Krey.

The event is 5-9 p.m. at VFW Post 3025 on U.S. 27. Food and drinks will be provided.

Obama in the Tri-State

Barack Obama made an appearance at Ault Park in Cincinnati today. Channel 9 reports:

Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama was in Cincinnati Thursday afternoon speaking to a crowd of thousands in Mount Lookout.

...Senator Obama spent much of his 30 minute talk addressing how to improve the floundering economy, with tax cuts for the middle class, energy independence and fixing the broken health care system.

Senator Obama says, "My opponent talks about giving every family a tax credit for everyone to buy health care. What he doesn't say is that he'll also tax your benefits for the first time in history. Come on! That's a bait and switch. He'll give you a tax credit with one hand but he raises your taxes with the other."

Courtesy of the Obama campaign, here's an excerpt of Barack's speech:



You can view Obama's entire speech at Channel 5's website.

Veterans Object to McConnell’s Campaign Tactics

Yesterday, the KDP issued this press release:

Kentucky Veterans Object to McConnell’s Campaign Tactics
Call on McConnell to Pull His Deceptive Television Ads

LOUISVILLE, October 8, 2008 - Military veterans gathered in Louisville earlier today to denounce campaign tactics employed by Mitch McConnell, who has repeatedly used veterans to slander his opponent, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford. One veteran who appeared in a McConnell ad already spoke out against McConnell, saying his words were taken out of context; he has since appeared in an ad for Lunsford saying that "McConnell has used veterans in a very bad way."

Retired Army Officer Mike Weaver of Elizabethtown led today's press conference and expressed outrage over the politicizing of veterans. Beyond misusing veterans for political gain, McConnell has also drawn criticism from the Military Order of the Purple Heart, which has called for him to stop using the name of the organization his ads saying that the ad "violates the spirit of our bylaws."

"I'm always appalled when I see veterans used as political props," said Retired Army Officer Mike Weaver. "I'm even more appalled when the politician who uses the veterans has never shared the foxhole."

In addition to using America's veterans for his political gain, McConnell has a poor record on veterans' issues in the Senate, repeatedly voting against additional funding for veterans programs. McConnell cast the deciding vote to slash TRICARE, a program that provides healthcare to vets, and was one of only 25 senators to oppose expanding healthcare benefits for our National Guard and Reserves. Further, McConnell voted against funding to treat post-traumatic stress disorder; was one of 22 senators to vote against education benefits for America's fighting men and women; and voted against providing more downtime between deployments.

Retired Marine Abe Pena also spoke today and expressed a similar sentiment as Weaver. "Mitch McConnell has turned his back on Kentucky's veterans for too long," said Abe Pena. "Whether it's opposing a new GI Bill to expand educational opportunities for our returning troops or voting against increased funding for veterans health care, Mitch McConnell has proven that he is not on our side. Kentucky's veterans need change."

McConnell is uniquely unqualified to speak about veterans' issues considering that his own active duty lasted all of six weeks before he used political connections to expedite a medical discharge for a temporary medical condition during the Vietnam War.

For the full story, visit KentuckyTruth.com.

Wanted: Mitch McConnell

The DSCC just put out a new ad on Mitch McConnell. Check it out!

Kathy Groob's race named 'one to watch'

Pol Watchers, the Herald-Leader's political blog, yesterday released their list of "10 Kentucky races to watch." Kenton County's own Kathy Groob made the #5 slot:

5. 23rd State Senate District: Republican state Sen. Jack Westwood of Crescent Spring faces a rematch from 2004 with Kathy Groob, a Democratic activist with a public relations background. Gov. Steve Beshear has been in Northern Kentucky to campaign with Groob, but the area remains conservative.

Let's show the rest of Kentucky that Kenton County is no conservative bastion. Help elect Kathy Groob to the State Senate!

Merrick Krey, Kathy Groob on TV tomorrow

Democratic candidate for State Representative Merrick Krey will be attending a forum tomorrow night from 7:30 till 8:00. The forum, which will feature Krey debating his opponent Adam Koenig, will be moderated by the Enquirer's Pat Crowley and will air on Insight Channel 15.

Immediately following at 8:00, Democratic candidate for State Senate Kathy Groob will be facing off against her Republican opponent, Jack Westwood.

For those who don't have Insight cable, NKY.com plans to stream the event as well. Please tune in!

McConnell declines to debate Lunsford

From the Bruce Lunsford campaign:

McConnell Turns Down Centre College Debate
Decision Comes Shortly After He Rejected Offers From KET, League of Women Voters

LOUISVILLE - Just a few days after telling the League of Women Voters that Mitch McConnell "just isn't interested" in its debate and saying essentially the same thing to Kentucky Educational Television, the McConnell campaign has now said he won't accept a debate offer from Centre College. Centre College had proposed a debate between McConnell and his Democratic challenger, Bruce Lunsford, on October 26th. McConnell has cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for refusing to debate Bruce Lunsford. Which begs the question: What is on Mitch McConnell's schedule that prevents him from debating Bruce Lunsford before the voters of Kentucky?

"After we heard he turned down the League of Women Voters and KET debates, we challenged Mitch McConnell to come out from behind the curtain and let a broad audience of Kentuckians judge his record for themselves," Lunsford spokesman Cary Stemle said. "You'd think someone who's been in Washington for 24 years would have the courage to defend his record, but with each successive rejection, it appears he is determined to keep hiding behind false, negative attacks."

McConnell’s Ties to Wall Street Crisis

Bruce Lunsford issued this press release today:

New Lunsford Ad Exposes McConnell’s Ties to Wall Street Crisis
McConnell, Who Has Taken More Than $4 Million From Wall Street, Shares Responsibility for Financial Mess

LOUISVILLE – The latest ad from Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford pins the need for the recent Wall Street bailout to career politicians like Mitch McConnell who are beholden to special interests.

“A $700 billion bailout for Wall Street. How did we get into this mess?” a female narrator asks before answering the question. “Career politicians like Mitch McConnell.” The ad notes that McConnell took more than $4 million in campaign cash from the Wall Street financial industry, “got rid of the government regulations they didn’t like and let the billionaires and CEOs stuff their pockets with cash” while taxpayers are left to pay the bill.

“The financial meltdown is the direct result of eight years of Bush-McConnell economics,” Lunsford spokesman Cary Stemle said. “McConnell’s fingerprints are all over this crisis, which is nowhere near its conclusion, and he must be held accountable. After 24 years, it’s time to elect leaders who won’t pander to the Wall Street special interests. Kentucky needs change.”

The ad will air on television statewide starting today.

Lunsford hits back at McConnell

Bruce Lunsford's new ad takes Mitch to task over his exploitation of a WWII veteran. Check it out:

C-J: Mitch should debate

Today's Courier-Journal says that Mitch McConnell should be willing to debate Bruce Lunsford:

Mitch McConnell wraps himself in the mantle of an illustrious predecessor in the U.S. Senate -- Henry Clay. In the Senate chamber he has been assigned Mr. Clay's desk. In Mr. McConnell's office, a National Gallery portrait of his hero, the Great Compromiser, stares down.

Like Mr. Clay, Mitch McConnell is wily and tough and powerful. But in this year's re-election campaign, he has missed an opportunity to show some of the Clay courage. He turned down not only a debate with Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford that would have been broadcast statewide by Kentucky Educational Television but also a televised debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

This eliminated the best opportunities for a broad public airing of the issues in the Senate race.

The Courier-Journal's Al Cross adds this:

[Voters] deserve a chance to hear McConnell and Lunsford debate the real issues, but the senator has rejected KET's longstanding invitation for the only statewide debate on television, which would be held Oct. 27, eight days before the election. He says he has a scheduling conflict, but won't say what it is. That doesn't wash.

Mud and Mitch

Yesterday's Courier-Journal called out Mitch McConnell over his dishonest campaign tactics:

A very angry 83-year-old Navy veteran says Mitch McConnell took his comments about Valor Healthcare out of context and misused them.

Adolfo Pina explains that "McConnell used us veterans in a very wrong way" in political commercial attacking Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford, who invested in Valor and remains on its board after a term as chairman and CEO.

Mr. Pina, who served in the Pacific, says, "Valor clinic is doing very good for me here in Texas City. They're doing a good job by taking care of our needs. They're taking very good care of my needs, and I'm just one of thousands of veterans of World War II. The McConnell people interviewed me and took my words out of context. And I don't appreciate that. They did exactly what I told them not to do."

Click here to read the entire editorial.

McConnell Campaign Admits Deception

Bruce Lunsford issued this press release today:

McConnell Campaign Admits Deception of WWII Veteran
McConnell campaign quietly reworks advertisement

LOUISVILLE – Today Mitch McConnell’s campaign silently acknowledged it wrongly used the words of Adolfo Piña, a WWII Navy veteran, for use in its political advertisement. Last week, McConnell released an ad trying to smear Valor Healthcare and Bruce Lunsford by using Adolfo Piña’s comments out of context. After Piña said McConnell’s campaign deceived him by misusing his statements in McConnell’s ad, McConnell released a new version of the ad, this time without Piña.

“Mitch McConnell is back on the attack again, telling more lies,” said Lunsford campaign spokesman Cary Stemle. “At a time when our country faces a real crisis, McConnell confirms how desperate he is to hold onto power. Kentuckians deserve better.”

To check out the real story on Valor Healthcare and Bruce Lunsford, visit www.valortruth.com

Valor, which serves more than 57,000 veterans at 15 clinics in nine states, was started by veterans for veterans and has received widespread praise for its services since it opened four years ago.

McConnell's 4th entry into Hall of Shame

This came out today from the DSCC:

When Republican Mitch McConnell approved his latest campaign ad, he sank to a new low.

We’re awarding McConnell an unprecedented fourth spot in our Hall of Shame for his disgusting decision to rip a World War II veteran’s comments out of context and twist them into a false political attack.

Adolfo Piña, a Navy veteran who served his country in World War II, says his words were wrongly used by Mitch McConnell’s campaign in ads attacking the care at Valor Healthcare clinics. Piña appears in McConnell ads that criticize Valor Healthcare, a company that contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide cutting edge medical care to nearly 60,000 veterans across the country.

But Piña, who fought with the Navy in the Pacific, including several major battles in the Philippines, has high praise for Valor.

“Valor clinic is doing very good for me here in Texas City,” Piña says. “They’re doing a good job by taking care of our needs, they’re taking very good care of my needs and I’m just one of the thousands of veterans of World War II. The McConnell people interviewed me and took my words out of context. And I don’t appreciate that. They did exactly what I told them not to do.”

And it’s not even the first time McConnell has been busted for tricking the people who appear in his campaign ads:

Two of three University of Louisville physicians who made videotaped statements of support for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell last year say they didn't realize their comments would be part of a television ad for the senator's re-election campaign.

And the third says that he wouldn't have agreed to the taping had he known it would appear on McConnell's campaign Web site.

The Louisville Courier-Journal described this kind of campaign philosophy as: "Say anything you like. By the time the truth catches up with you, who cares?” And it’s clear that McConnell doesn’t care about anything except getting re-elected. This latest episode is especially shameful, even by the low standard McConnell has set for himself.

WWII Vet Responds to McConnell’s Valor Deception

Today, Bruce Lunsford issued this press release:

WWII Vet Responds to McConnell’s Valor Deception in New Lunsford Ad
Adolfo Piña ‘Very Disappointed’ After McConnell Campaign Lies About His Beliefs

LOUISVILLE – Adolfo Piña, a Navy veteran who served his country in World War II, says his words were wrongly used by Mitch McConnell’s campaign in ads attacking the care at Valor Healthcare clinics. Piña appears in McConnell ads that criticize Valor Healthcare, a company that contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide cutting edge medical care to nearly 60,000 veterans across the country.

But Piña, who fought with the Navy in the Pacific, including several major battles in the Philippines, has high praise for Valor.

“Valor clinic is doing very good for me here in Texas City,” Piña says. “They’re doing a good job by taking care of our needs, they’re taking very good care of my needs and I’m just one of the thousands of veterans of World War II. The McConnell people interviewed me and took my words out of context. And I don’t appreciate that. They did exactly what I told them not to do.”

Piña echoes those comments in the new ad from Bruce Lunsford, which begins airing statewide today.

“McConnell has stooped to a new low,” said Lunsford spokesman Cary Stemle. “This is the mother of all McCON jobs: He exploited our veterans for political gain, conning Adolfo Piña into appearing in an ad attacking Valor Healthcare, even though Piña is happy with his care at Valor. What kind of senator exploits our veterans for political gain? McConnell’s desire to hold onto power knows no bounds. 24 years of this is enough.”

Check out the new ad by visiting www.Bruce2008.com

To check out the real story on Valor Healthcare and Bruce Lunsford, visit www.valortruth.com

Access backup documents here.

Valor, which serves more than 57,000 veterans at 15 clinics in nine states, was started by veterans for veterans and has received widespread praise for its services since it opened nearly four years ago.

Bruce Lunsford, a successful entrepreneur, business leader and health care executive, exemplifies the American Dream. After growing up cutting tobacco on his family’s Northern Kentucky farm, Bruce went on to college at the University of Kentucky, laying blacktop as a way to help pay for his education. He then served in the U.S. Army Reserves and as Kentucky’s Commerce Secretary before starting a business with 3 people and growing it to employ over 62,000 people. As Kentucky’s next U.S. Senator, Bruce will fight to make the American Dream more accessible to Kentuckians from all walks of life.

H-L: Mitch has 'political laryngitis'

Today's Herald-Leader editorializes on Mitch McConnell's sudden reluctance to debate Bruce Lunsford:

Students of politics have swooned over Republicans for years for their ability to stay on message.

So, what happens when they don't have a message, or the message ("Yeah, we pushed deregulating financial markets for years and this is where we are and, by the way, our party has one of the most unpopular presidents in history in the White House.") is too dreadful to discuss?

...our own Sen. Mitch McConnell has declined to participate in an Oct. 7 League of Women Voters debate against his opponent, businessman Bruce Lunsford. Two recent polls show McConnell and Lunsford essentially tied for voter support.

Click here to read the entire editorial.

Governor’s Approval Rating Hits 60%

The Kentucky Democratic Party issued this press release today:

A new Louisville Courier-Journal/Bluegrass poll demonstrates that Kentuckians recognize Governor Beshear's strong leadership. The complete poll, which will be released tomorrow, shows Governor Beshear's approval rating at 60%.

People across the Commonwealth know that Governor Beshear has worked hard to bring integrity back to Frankfort; they know Governor Beshear has taken strong steps to ensure that every child in Kentucky has access to quality, affordable healthcare, and they know that Governor Beshear has worked tirelessly to create good, high-paying jobs for Kentucky.

Kentuckians recognize that Governor Beshear showed true leadership by addressing the pension crisis and acting quickly in the wake of the storms that hit the Gulf Coast and Kentucky earlier this month to hold the line on gas prices and prevent price gouging.

This focus on honest, accountable government that works for every Kentuckian is creating a record of accomplishment that everyone, Democrat, Republican and Independent can be proud of.

People across the Commonwealth know that Kentucky is moving forward under Governor Beshear's leadership.

Robert Powell on TV tomorrow

Democratic candidate for State Senate Robert Powell will be attending a forum tomorrow night from 7:00 till 7:30. The forum, which will feature Powell and his opponent Damon Thayer, will be moderated by the Enquirer's Pat Crowley and will air on Insight Channel 15.

For those who don't have Insight cable, NKY.com plans to stream the event as well. Please tune in!

Rothenberg: Lunsford gaining on McConnell

The nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report has upgraded Bruce Lunsford's chances of defeating Mitch McConnell:

Because of [recent polls showing a dead heat], we are moving this race from Clear Advantage for McConnell to Narrow Advantage for McConnell, and we would not argue with anyone who rated the contest as a Toss-Up.

This is fantastic news. Let's do everything we can to help elect Bruce Lunsford!

Hawpe: McConnell coddles Wall Street

David Hawpe's column in today's Courier-Journal makes some excellent points. Here's an excerpt:

Coddling Wall Street is nothing new for Mitch McConnell.

In 1999, McConnell and the rest of the Kentucky congressional delegation voted to deregulate Wall Street banking and investments. They -- and most of other members of Congress -- ignored the warnings that this hands-off approach could create financial institutions so big the federal government simply could not afford to let them fail.

Well, those warnings were well-founded. Wall Street is on its knees, and it's in everyone's interest for Big Government to drag the financial system back to its feet. But the question is, why a helping hand only for Wall Street? Why no help for ordinary people who find themselves in financial trouble and in danger of losing their homes?

You can read the entire column by clicking here.

McConnell, Lunsford race a dead heat

The Courier-Journal Bluegrass Poll on Kentucky's Senate race is out, and it has some bad news for Mitch McConnell:

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford are knotted in a statistical tie for McConnell’s seat, according to the latest Courier-Journal Bluegrass Poll.

The poll found that each candidate would get the support of 41 percent of likely voters if the election were held today. But McConnell nudged ahead 45-44 when undecided likely voters who were leaning toward a candidate were included into the poll results.

...The margin of error is 3.7 percentage points.

Bruce Lunsford sums it all up pretty well:

“We’re headed in the wrong direction, and eight years of Bush-McConnell economics are at the very heart of the matter. We need change now, more than ever.”

Let's ditch Mitch this November. Please support Bruce Lunsford!

Herald-Leader on Geoff Davis

Today's Herald-Leader editorial page excoriated Geoff Davis over his money-for-access scheme. Here's an excerpt:

Fund raiser Mike Gula, who works with Davis, sent an e-mail to interested parties early this summer outlining the opportunities. "We want to keep these events small so you can get some good time with Geoff." It should be a good time, the "suggested contribution" for three of the four events on the list was $1,000 per PAC (political action committee) or $500 per individual.

For the fourth event, a dinner at the Capital Grille ("limit 5 attendees") the fare doubled. If none of those work, "I can get you some 1-1 times," Gula wrote.

It doesn't take much imagination to see that this is a simple money-for-access equation. And unless that access is likely to lead to a favorable vote someday soon, no one would pay the money.

Click here to read the entire editorial.

Obama on 'Face the Nation'

Be sure to tune into Channel 12 tomorrow morning at 10:30 am. Barack Obama will be the guest on CBS's "Face the Nation."

And if you missed last night's debate between Obama and McCain, here's all you need to know -- McCain did not mention the middle class at all during the 90-minute debate.

Shame on Geoff Davis

Today's Herald-Leader uncovers some questionable activities of Geoff Davis:

As the financial system began to collapse this year, U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Hebron, collected tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds from the lobbyists, executives and political action committees of affected companies, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.

Davis has been a voice for deregulation on the House Financial Services Committee, which is playing a key role in this week's debate over the proposed $700 billion Wall Street bailout.

In private invitations sent around Washington in recent months, Davis' re-election campaign touted his committee membership and then offered interested parties a chance to bend his ear for up to $1,000 per person or $2,000 per PAC. At least one event was hosted by Wall Street lobbyists now in the thick of the bailout debate.

Click here to read the entire article.

Coming soon to a theater near you

This is a riot:

Just Click Send

Yesterday's New York Times included an editorial about the obstructionism of Mitch McConnell and his fellow Republican Senators:

We suspect that most Senate Republicans know how to use a computer and all of the other devices of the electronic age. Which means there is no excuse — except a desire to slow the public’s right to know — for their ongoing efforts to block electronic filing of their reports on campaign donations.

As hard as it is to believe, the Senate is still cynically mired in the dark age of paper filings. Candidates submit required reports on political money and donors via paper sheaves that wend through slow-mo typing, re-typing and mailing, ensuring that full disclosure only occurs sometime after Election Day.

...Watchdog groups, of course, helped lay bare the Republicans’ involvement with Jack Abramoff, the now-imprisoned superlobbyist. The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, better urge his recalcitrants to get over it and start delivering that Washington change they proclaim so loudly on the hustings. Can it be that politically risky to show the money sooner to their constituents?

Joe Biden visits the Tri-State

Joe Biden made an appearance today at Union Terminal in Cincinnati. The Enquirer reports:

For the six-and-a-half years American troops have been fighting in Iraq, Biden said, McCain has insisted that Iraq is the central front of the war on terrorism and not the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, "where the people who actually attacked us on 9/11 reside and are regrouping."

McCain has been wrong on how U.S. foreign policy should be conducted, said Biden.

“John is more than wrong -- he is dangerously wrong," Biden said. "On a question so basic, so fundamental, so critical to our nation’s security, we can’t afford a Commander-in Chief so divorced from reality and from America’s most basic national interests.”

If you're interested in watching Biden's entire speech, here's the video:

Dramatic Shift in KY Senate Race

The big news today comes from Survey USA:

42 days until votes are counted in the race for United States Senator from Kentucky, incumbent Republican Mitch McConnell's once double-digit lead is eroding, according to this SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WHAS-TV Louisville, WLEX-TV Lexington, and WCPO-TV Cincinnati. Today, it's McConnell 49%, Lunsford 46%. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released six weeks ago, Lunsford is up 6 points, McConnell is down 3.

Hopefully this is the year we finally DITCH MITCH!

Please support Bruce Lunsford!

Senate race may become competitive

Today's column by Al Cross of the Courier-Journal is worth a read. Here's an excerpt:

McCain's central message, that he will reform Washington, is not friendly to McConnell -- who has been there 24 years, is the Senate Republican leader and an object example of what McCain is running against.

...Pressed both [in 2000 and in 2002] to cite examples of corruption, McCain recalled how McConnell told Republican senators that tobacco companies were prepared to run campaign ads for them if they voted against a 1998 bill McCain supported.

...McConnell's position and power, and the earmarks they bring, have been a fundamental argument for his re-election, though his ads about money for a community center and an anti-drug program don't mention the word "earmark." McCain pledges to veto all earmarks, which sounds like an irreconcilable difference.

Beshear to campaign for Senate candidate Groob

Good news in today's Enquirer:

Gov. Steve Beshear is scheduled to visit two schools and a local city hall Wednesday while campaigning for state Senate candidate Kathy Groob.

...According to a schedule released by Groob's campaign, Beshear will visit Beechwood School, Glenn O. Swing Elementary School in Covington and Crescent Springs city hall.

He is also scheduled to attend a fundraiser for Groob that evening.

Let's do all we can to help Kathy Groob win in November!

'An ethics test for Mitch McConnell'

Today, the DSCC issued this press release:

With Corruption Trial Looming, McConnell Funds May Go Toward Defending Indicted Senator
Democrats call on McConnell to stop his campaign money from being spent to support Ted Stevens

According to a report in today’s edition of Roll Call, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, to which Mitch McConnell donated $100,000 this cycle, now says it supports indicted-Senator Ted Stevens’ re-election bid, is polling voters in the state, and is refusing to say whether it will spend money on his behalf through advertising or other campaign spending. After Stevens was indicted in July, McConnell returned $10,000 of the $23,500 Stevens has contributed to him, the GOP caucus removed Stevens from his committee leadership posts, and the NRSC refused to publicly endorse the incumbent in his primary.

With even Alaska Governor Sarah Palin refusing to endorse Stevens’ bid, Senate Republicans like Mitch McConnell face a critical test of their ethical standards: do they allow their campaign arm to spend money to support a senator indicted by the Bush Justice Department, or do they hew to the standard they set when they removed Stevens from his leadership positions and returned some of his contributions. Stevens’ trial on federal corruption charges is set to begin on September 22, and yesterday was the final day by which he could be removed from the ballot – meaning that every dime spent by national Republicans in Alaska now goes to support his re-election.

“If Mitch McConnell wants to say that he rejected some of Ted Stevens’ money out of principle and not for appearances, then he has an obligation to call on the NRSC to stop spending his money trying to bail Stevens out,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “It’s time for Mitch McConnell to put his money where his mouth is – if he thinks Ted Stevens is corrupt enough that he needed to return some of his money and strip him of his leadership posts, then McConnell shouldn’t let his money be used to support Stevens’ campaign. This is an ethics test for Mitch McConnell, and voters will be watching how he responds.”

McConnell Still Has $13,500 In Stevens Money. Senator Mitch McConnell and his leadership PAC have received $23,500 from Stevens’ PAC and campaign committee. He has only donated $10,000 to charity. [CQ Money Line; The Crypt, Politico, 7/30/08]

NRSC Declined to Endorse Stevens. In July, the NRSC refused to endorse Stevens when asked about the indictment saying that they would not “make any comment.” When asked directly about endorsing Stevens, the NRSC said, “We’ll wait to see how the process plays out. There’s a primary.” [Roll Call, 07/30/08]

Palin Expressed “Concern” and “Dismay” In Statement about Stevens Indictment. In July, Governor Palin released a statement about Stevens’ indictment. Palin said, “News such as this rocks the foundation of our state. Senator Ted Stevens has dedicated his life to the betterment of Alaska. I share Alaskans’ concern and dismay at this turn of events. It is my hope our legislators do not let this distressing news distract them from their critical work in the current special session.” [Palin Press Release, 07/29/08]

Stevens Forced to Give up Leadership Positions After Indictment. After his indictment in July Stevens was forced to give up his leadership posts by the Senate Republican caucus. Stevens was forced to step down from his ranking member position on the Commerce Committee, the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery. [CQ, 07/29/08]

The great thing about elections is that you decide

David Hawpe's column today is a must-read. Here's an excerpt:

Democrats stopped the Republican privatization of Social Security, despite the support of McConnell and GOP presidential nominee John McCain for those Bush-pushed "private accounts." You decide who was right. Ask yourself whether your old-age entitlement should be tied to today's stock market.

Despite the occasional break with his party's orthodoxy, McCain has stood shoulder to shoulder with Bush in casting Senate votes. Needless to say, McConnell has done the same.

McCain and McConnell haven't agreed on much of anything, except the need to support the policies of George W. Bush.

Click here to read the entire column.

Jack Westwood flip-flops

Six months ago, the Enquirer's Dennis Hetzel had this to say about Jack Westwood's opposition to allowing Kentuckians a vote on expanded gaming:

I have a suggestion for Sen. Westwood, because I'm not grasping how any fair-minded person can oppose letting the [casino referendum] process go forward. All of Kentucky needs to know either way, and casino gambling will have a huge impact on Northern Kentucky.

Westwood could clearly support the concept of letting the voters decide without being for or against casino gambling itself. He could actively work to see that a referendum bill with good wording gets through the Senate sooner rather than later. He could match his concern for fetal development with greater concern for economic development.

It's time for leadership. The only reasons to postpone this referendum are bad ones.

Now that Election Day is approaching, Westwood is flip-flopping:

In a major departure from a long-held position, Kentucky Sen. Jack Westwood, a Crescent Springs Republican facing a re-election battle, says he would consider voting to put the issue of casino gambling on a statewide ballot.

In the past, Westwood, a retired teacher and staunch conservative, has opposed putting gambling before voters.

Hetzel had it right in March; it is time for leadership. Support Kathy Groob for State Senate!

New Lunsford ad

Bruce Lunsford has a new ad; check it out!

Lunsford/McConnell debate

If you're interested in viewing this morning's Lunsford/McConnell debate at Receptions, click here.

Note how Mitch has flip-flopped on the Brent Spence bridge. Now he says he's against tolls. But as the Enquirer's Dennis Hetzel put it on March 1, 2008:

[T]he positions taken by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and some of our local and state politicians... would inevitably push primary responsibility for funding the Brent Spence Bridge replacement to state government and newly created local entities.

The State of Kentucky obviously doesn't have the money. So, if those folks get their way, the only realistic alternatives are tolls or new, higher local taxes to support bond payments.

GOP should support drilling compromise

Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado delivered this week's Democratic radio address. The Associated Press has the story:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats sought on Saturday to drum up support for compromise legislation on offshore drilling, challenging Republicans to break from Bush administration policies that neglect development of alternative energy sources.

"Enough is enough," Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado said in the Democrats' weekly radio address, citing rising energy prices, including $4-a-gallon diesel fuel.

Salazar chastised Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, and other Senate Republicans who have blocked and opposed tax incentives for renewable energy.

To listen to Sen. Salazar's entire address, click here.

McConnell makes 'corrupt' list

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) have released their list of the 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress. I'm sad to report that our own Mitch McConnell made the list:

Sen. McConnell’s ethics issues stem from earmarks he has inserted into legislation for clients of his former chief of staff, lobbyist Gordon Hunter Bates, in exchange for campaign contributions as well as the misuse of his nonprofit The McConnell Center for Political Leadership at the University of Louisville.

You can read more about Mitch's shameful distinction by clicking here.

Hold Your Heads Up

Bob Herbert's latest column is great:

Without the extraordinary contribution of liberals — from the mightiest presidents to the most unheralded protesters and organizers — the United States would be a much, much worse place than it is today.

...Your food is safer because of them, and so are your children’s clothing and toys. Your workplace is safer. Your ability (or that of your children or grandchildren) to go to college is manifestly easier.

It would take volumes to adequately cover the enhancements to the quality of American lives and the greatness of American society that have been wrought by people whose politics were unabashedly liberal. It is a track record that deserves to be celebrated, not ridiculed or scorned.

You can read the entire column by clicking here.