Rand Paul’s do-over in Senate

Lawrence O'Donnell once again addresses the flip-flops of Rand Paul:



(Here are links to O'Donnell's first and second reports on this topic.)

Kentucky's newspapers on Williams' gambling

Kentucky's two most-read newspapers have been weighing in on the recent news of David Williams' gambling losses. From the Courier-Journal:

According to documents filed in his divorce case in 2003, Sen. Williams, R-Burkesville, reported gambling losses of $36,147 in a four-year period of 1999 to 2002. On a yearly basis, the losses ranged from $3,445 in 2000 to $17,889 in 1999.

...the disclosures raise concerns that Sen. Williams should address. He implied in interviews that he “must have had winnings more than (his declared losses).” Not necessarily. A taxpayer can claim and deduct gambling losses up to the amount of betting income that is reported, but losses could have totaled more — even much more. Given that Sen. Williams has tended to visit out-of-state casinos, it is highly unlikely he came out ahead in any of the four years, let alone all of them. The odds are set to favor the house in casino wagering, and it's a rare player indeed who beats the house over time.

...It is important that Sen. Williams, a candidate for governor, make appropriate information public. For starters, he should release his tax returns — which, among other disclosures, will include his gambling winnings, reveal whether they were entirely offset by losses and shed light on whether his claim that he has stopped patronizing casinos is truthful. He should also answer questions about his gambling, including the sums that he has won and lost.

The Herald-Leader added:

He should answer questions and release his income tax returns going back into the 1990s. At the very least he should release the portions of his tax returns that deal with gambling. He also should release the documentation of his losses, which would include information about where and when he was gambling.

And he should disclose whether he has received preferential treatment from casinos, including lodging, meals or other perks.

These are legitimate questions that will dog Williams should he win the Republican nomination. The sooner he gets them out of the way, the better.

Rand says put tolls on the Brent Spence Bridge

The Enquirer has the story:

"When I was up in Washington, D.C. several weeks ago, Sen. Rand Paul mentioned selling the bridge, privatizing the bridge," said Boone Judge-executive Gary Moore. "Then I heard when the Northern Kentucky Chamber visited a couple weeks after me, that he told them the same thing."

...When Kenton County Judge-executive Steve Arlinghaus spoke with Paul, "He did suggest the possibility of privatization as one possible answer, which I found an interesting concept, but you know if you privatize you'll be paying tolls forever," Arlinghaus said. "If you give complete ownership of the bridge to somebody, there's going to be tolls for a lifetime, and I don't know if that's in the best interest of the general public."

Paul's office did not return a call seeking comment Monday.

The Lavish Gambling Lifestyle of David Williams

Today the KDP issued this press release:

After a weekend that saw Kentucky news outlets reveal Republican Senate President David Williams’ excessive gambling habits and high-roller lifestyle, Kentuckians now have a better understanding of how David Williams views the value of a dollar. Williams dismissed losing tens of thousands of dollars and admitted he thought little of gambling thousands of dollars in a single day.

$36,147 gambling losses over four years? Doesn’t make me a big gambler! The Herald Leader reported that Williams’ reported gambling losses of $36,147 in the four-year period from 1999 to 2002, according to a document filed in his divorce case in 2003. Williams’ response? “I don’t think that makes me a big gambler,” he said.

$17,999 gambling losses in one year? Not a big number! The Herald Leader reported that documents filed in Williams’ divorce showed a gambling loss of $17,899 in 1999. Williams’ response? “That $17,889 figure sounds like a big number, Williams said, but noted it could have involved several trips to gambling venues.”

Betting thousands at each racetrack visit? Couple hundred dollars on each race! The Courier Journal reported that Williams said “he goes to race tracks ‘maybe five times a year…Let’s say if I take a couple of thousand dollars, bet a couple of hundred dollars a race,” he said. “… Or you bet $50 a race, $20 across the board, cumulatively you keep those (losing) tickets in case you do hit a race.”

Williams’ cavalier handling of money stands in stark contrast to how many Kentuckians must closely watch every dollar during the global economic recession, and raises questions about David Williams’ understanding and sensitivity to their struggles.

“While blowing a couple grand at the track, David Williams doesn’t seem to share the sense of frugality with which most Kentucky families manage their household finances,” said Dan Logsdon, Chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party. “Most folks don’t walk around with thousands of dollars in their pocket ready to put it on the line at a casino or a racetrack. Kentucky families are too busy paying the bills, raising their families and working to stretch their hard earned dollars to live David Williams’ opulent lifestyle.”

While Williams attempted to downplay his $36,147 in gambling loses as nothing out of the ordinary, Kentucky families would have a hard time agreeing with him. Here’s what $36,147 would mean to the average Kentucky family.

• $34,400 could put two children through four years of college at the University of Kentucky (University of Kentucky)
• $26,750 could pay for premium private health insurance for over 2 years for a family of four (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• $33,840 would cover the average American family’s housing costs for one year (US Dept. of Labor)
• $30,952 covers 4 years of ownership and operating costs for the average American family car (American Automotive Association)

Chairman Logsdon also compared Williams’ casual attitude about his own money to the way he inappropriately spends taxpayers’ dollars. “Now we know why David Williams thinks it is no big deal to spend $17,000 of taxpayer dollars on a plasma television for himself, $52,800 of taxpayer dollars for fancy wood paneling, or $63,000 of taxpayer dollars every day on a special session where he isn’t doing any work,” Logsdon said. “How can Kentucky families trust David Williams with their hard earned tax dollars when he clearly doesn’t understand the meaning of financial restraint? That’s something Kentucky can’t take a gamble on.”

Did Rand Paul mislead public on Libya vote?

Lawrence O'Donnell follows up on the lies coming from Rand Paul's office:



Click here for O'Donnell's earlier story on Rand Paul.

Editorial comic roundup

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President Obama's weekly address

Speaking from a UPS customer center as part of the new public-private Green Fleet Partnership, the President discusses his Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future to help free us from oil and boost the American economy.

Governor Beshear's weekly address