Yarmuth supported Kerry in 2004, and KY Progress is right: Someone should remind people that Yarmuth supported John Kerry in ‘04, and see what Weaver and Lucas have to say about him in the meantime.
John Yarmuth would put people like John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi at top of the list of people who make decisions regarding troops, and Kerry keeps reminding us of what he thinks about them.
Louisville’s in the hot seat this week.
Louisville vs. West Virginia on Thursday. Winner considered probable national title contender.
Breeder’s Cup Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Polls close at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Election Day. Congressional Quarterly says the Northup race will be one of the first indicators of Republican success or failure. They list Hoosiers Hostettler, Sodrel, Chocola and Kentuckians Northup, Lewis, and Davis as the races to watch early Tuesday night.
What an exciting time to be a Louisvillian, a Kentuckian, and a Republican!
This is just unbelievable. Michael J. Fox hasn’t read Amendment 2, is taking Claire McCaskill’s word for what it says, and is against cloning.
This should depress the left in Missouri, as well as everywhere else.
This Washington Times article quotes senior administration officials drawing battleground lines. 2 or 3 in Indiana, plus Northup in KY-3, and Davis in KY-4.
Republicans in KY-3 and KY-4 need to understand how pivotal it is that they get out and vote next week. This year, your votes mean much more than they usually do. This year, not voting is not only not voting, but it is truly like voting to make Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House. If Congress loses Northup and/or Davis and/or Sodrel, the nation will suffer as Democrats stall every effort at progress in the last two years of Bush’s presidency. The polling in these districts give us reason to be optimistic, but we have to finish strong.
We need to get shirts like Petrino got the UofL football team that say “Finish.” We have to finish this thing out. So much is at stake.
I understand conservative Republicans being discontent, but we will not be better off by voting Nancy Pelosi into House leadership. The nation will become weaker and we will be taxed more. On November 7th, vote for Davis, Northup, or Sodrel. On November 8th, call your representative and tell them how angry you are at them and do not let up until they do what you want.
Paul Salamanca, a University of Kentucky Law Professor, spoke out on a YouTube video that addressed the importance of this year’s judicial elections, especially for the Kentucky Supreme Court - but the video has been removed. I don’t know what the deal is with that.
I wanted to share something that was forwarded to me, though, which is a Federalist Society White Paper (PDF) about the Kentucky Supreme Court. I haven’t finished it, but what I’ve seen of it so far is quite interesting. It was written by Paul Salamanca and Louisville attorney John K. Bush.
John Yarmuth just said at a Rotary Club Debate with Anne Northup in Louisville that he would support raising the minimum wage even if it would hurt some of his franchises that pay minimum wage. But, it’s not only his franchises that would be hurt by the measure. Mostly, it would be the small businesses that would run into trouble. See, he understands that his franchises would be hurt, but he doesn’t seem to understand that there are millions of businesses in the U.S., and that all of them would be hurt. The harm done on such a grand scale would be a tremendous blow to the economy.
Plus, he also doesn’t seem to understand that even if the businesses are hurt, it would really be the people who lose their jobs who would be hurt. If 8 of 10 people are employed currently and you raise the minimum wage, then two lose their jobs and you have 6 of 10 employed. Those 6 are undoubtedly happy, but the other 4 are extremely unhappy. Then, you have two more people on unemployment, struggling with bills, resorting to crime, and so on. That, of course, would be addressed by Democrats with more social programs - unemployment, expansion of healthcare services, housing, and so on.
So, the huge government safety net that they want to build is there to catch the people that they themselves toss out of society.
Today was a relief. I had about reached my limit with all of the negativity around me. I heard positive things today from people. Hugh Hewitt was very upbeat on the radio. Conservative Edge posted a couple positive things. It was great.
Bottom line: If you want Republicans to lose one or both houses of Congress, continue the negativity. If you choose to chide the Republicans AFTER the election and make them do what you want THEN, you’ll have to concentrate on the positive things about Republicans until Election Day. The Democrats are not going to do what you want.
I couldn’t believe what I read just a few minutes ago on a conservative friend’s site. This post, from On The Right - a conservative blogger, is basically a repetition of every Democrat talking point out there right now. I sort of went off on the guy’s comments section, and I wanted to post it here because I think you all need to know this.
All this negativism BY REPUBLICANS WILL drive down voter turnout. Right now, there are a lot of people in office who want to do the right thing. Nancy Pelosi, on the other hand, wants power. She said, “I’ll have any suite I want” after the election. We’re squabbling amongst ourselves about how the people we elected aren’t conservative enough, while Ms. San Francisco pines for the corner office and tries to push the ACLU down Kentuckians throats. Please read:
Steve said, “We have done nothing to improve the lives of the middle class and have ignored the poor while giving tax breaks to the most affluent in our society!” What? You sound like Al Gore.Your whole post makes you sound like a mouthpiece for the Democrats. You’re repeating the stump speeches of Democrats, only you’re saying “we.”
The massive tax cuts were for the middle class. Not to mention, it’s not exactly a new idea to go into deficit spending when the economy hits a recession. That is part of why the business cycles are getting smaller. We have short recessions instead of long depressions. Not to mention, have you seen where the deficit is shrinking? If Congress would tighten the belt just a little bit, we would have a balanced budget. The economy grows every year. That’s what those GDP numbers are all about every quarter. The growing economy, combined with the Bush tax cuts, has caused more revenue to flow into the government. Therefore, the practical reality is that they are going to spend it. Now, I would love for them to send it back, but it’s not going to happen. A more pragmatic argument would be to argue about how they spend it. I wish they would spend more on border control and technology r&d (alternative fuel methods which could eventually be mainstream - reducing dependance on foreign oil), instead of the social engineering projects that are going on now.
Something that bothers me, though, is that you just left out national security of your list of things that matter to conservatives. Do you understand that all of this talk of taxes, healthcare, and so on is pointless if fanatics get into the country and start detonating dirty bombs, suicide bombings, and flying more airplanes into more buildings? ALL of that gets brushed aside, because in order to have a perfect conservative utopia, you have to have a place in which to live in peace. This nation, and frankly this world, is not at peace right now. Those people hated us and our nation and Israel and Britain long before the Iraq War and they will hate us for a long time from now. We have to fight them.
My question is, would it make you happy for Republicans to lose on 11/7? Would you like that? Would it be punishment or something to all of those Republicans who aren’t quite conservative enough for the conservative utopia? That’s what it sounds like when you repeat Democrat stump speeches.
If you keep rallying for the Republicans to lose, who is going to pass all of this conservative legislation that you want? Nancy Pelosi? You want to see some social security reform? Forget about it. You want some Hillary-care? You got it.
Democrats are going to stall all possible progress that could be made in the last two years of the Bush presidency, or regime, as you might say, they’re going to drag the economy down, prevent continuance of the Patriot Act, push legislation to give terrorists the right to attorney, push for free education for all illegal immigrants, and then blame all of the bad stuff on George Bush during the race for the presidency in 2008.
Mark it down. They’re going to screw everything up and then blame it on Bush and the Republicans in their presidential campaigns, all because people like you demand perfection during the election season. It doesn’t matter who is in Congress when disaster strikes. Who the President is is what matters. If Democrats take Congress and weaken anti-terror measures, then someone gets in and blows something up, do you think people are going to say, “Oh, those stupid Democrats!” Hell no. They’re going to blame Bush and then we’re going to have to sit through eight years of Democrat rule, at least, complaining the entire time about the insanity of what they’re doing, their lack of resolution on Social Security reform, raising taxes, raising minimum wages, granting the UN power over us, and so on.
The time for all of this ranting was the day after election day - 2004. We should come together during the election season so the country doesn’t get turned over to a bunch of radicals.
Were you happier during the Clinton years? Are San Francisco values better than weak-conservative values? Decide on Novmber 7th.
UPDATE - UPDATE
My reply to Steve’s comment:
I never said Bush is a true conservative. However, under the circumstances of a different time, he might have been.In my opinion, politics just does not allow for perfection. If you can sum the good, subtract the bad, and still be in black ink - you’ve done well.
Grenada was not a grave and direct threat to the United States, not nearly as much as Iraq was in 2003, but Reagan understood why he had to go there. It was largely a tactical move. So, maybe we haven’t whipped the insurgents in Iraq as we should have - but that kind of ignores two facts: 1) they don’t wear uniforms so it’s hard to know who to kill and, 2) that a large part of the success is having a functioning democratic government there. The power which whips the insurgents in Iraq must be from within, because if we do it, the reality is that we are going to be seen as invaders and crusaders who are raping the sovereign Arab lands and killing innocent Muslims and Arabs. If it is the Iraqis who bring “peace through strength,” then we have planted Reagan conservatism in the heart of the middle east. If planted and allowed time to germinate, that tree will grow. What could be better than that? Iraq is in the germination phase.
I love Reagan largely because he understood something that was difficult for a lot of people to understand. The danger of communism is hard to put in tangible terms. It’s tempting. It’s dark and murky, yet strangely comfortable, especially to dejected and worn-out humans. The Cold War was an ideological war. It was a war that pit life against death, light against dark. America came to understand it. I’m sure you did. I wish you would embrace this war on terror and all of the difficulties that accompany it.
I have great respect for Steve, I just think there is too much at stake right now to throw everything away over a lack of perfection. It’s like the teenager in that commercial who was given a blue car for her birthday instead of a red one, and she stomped off angrily and yelling. Now, maybe the car is not just red instead of blue, but also rusty and in need of tires, but it’s still the car that you need to get to work and back. The engine is good!!
Those who fail to execute principles in their own lives are likely to fail at being a judge, because they are not strong enough to stand firm in the face of adversity, bribes, etc. Emotions can get in the way of the truth for people without principles, and for judges these emotions and lack of principles can cause faulty decisions to be reached.
Marcus Carey was right when he said that often times when lawyers and the mainstream media describe a judge as “impartial and unbiased,” what they really mean is that they are “impressionable and unprincipled.” The guy in this video stands on principle and would make an excellent Kentucky Supreme Court Justice.
Wil Schroder, on the other hand, looks very unprincipled right now. In December of 2005, he told a Cincinnati Post reporter that as Justice he could “use his judicial scholarship to help shape the laws of the commonwealth.” As if that weren’t bad enough, now he’s trying to fix it. He’s using that old liberal ploy of masking their true, liberal selves, and lying to people they think are too stupid to figure them out. A couple weeks ago, Schroder said he thinks judges should apply the law as written and not legislate from the bench. Well, which is it!? Do you want to shape laws or not, Wil Schroder?
Liberals always reveal their true intentions when they speak, it’s just kind of like it’s “Opposite Day” and they don’t warn you. He said he thinks judges should not legislate from the bench precisely because that is what he wants to do.
Developing news may be a bigger problem for Scroder . . .
Two negative. One positive.
1) Northup for Congress. “Hyposcrisy.” Calls Yarmuth out on paying his workers a rate which he himself believes is “unconscionable and immoral.” View here.
2) Carey for Justice. View here. Positive.
3) NRCC. “Bad Call.” View here.
I just wanted to call special attention to the intelligence of the dark side.
Wow, I thought Rove would be too busy at his Nazi rally to mess with a bunch of insignificant Nazis in Training. Congrats!!! Oh, by the way, did you know that Rove became a Nazi because a girl lived across the street from him used to thrash him like the girly man he is? How about all those nights Jeff Gannon spent in the White House with him? Surely you realize he is he is a closeted gay!!!!
Thanks, RDemocrat for the homophobic comment. Liberals have been telling me that Republicans are the homophobes, but apparently not. But why would Rove be a gay Nazi? Nazis defintely were homophobic. Would Rove place himself in a concentration camp and have himself exterminated? You are clearly mentally handicapped. I hope you get your parking pass soon.
Associated Industries of Kentucky has reported that Gov. Ernie Fletcher and other dignitaries are expected to be on hand when Associated Industries of Kentucky makes a major announcement on Friday, Nov. 3 at its annual Kentucky Manufacturer of the Year awards luncheon at the Holiday Inn Hurstbourne in Louisville.
This announcement is expected to be related to a new strategic direction for Associated Industries, which was founded in 1911.
To help usher in the new era, a number of VIP’s will be on hand. George Troutman, the Derby Festival “Balloonmeister,” will use his own balloon to help make the announcement. Vicki Dortch, WLKY-TV Channel 32 news anchor, will be the emcee. Michael Morris, chairman and CEO of American Electric Power Co. will be a keynote speaker at the awards luncheon.
For information about tickets and attendance, visit aik.org.
I love that Comair has decided to file suit against the Feds. This is probably one way to get some tort reform.
I think I said this before; I’m not saying that Comair is completely guilt-free, although it is possible that they are. I’m just generally sick of everybody suing each other for ridiculous amounts of money every time something goes wrong. It’s like there is no such thing as an accident any more. People used to ask God “Why?” Now we say “Okay” when greedy lawyers come knocking on the grieving-room door asking if they can sue someone for us.
Louisville College Republicans met Karl Rove Saturday at the Oldham County GOP Headquarters. Rove gave a great speech about the importance of grassroots campaign work. To see other pictures from the day, click here.
I represented conservatives at the Louisville Stand Up Against Poverty thing by the ONE Campaign today. This is what I said:
I think it was Wednesday when I first heard about the ONE campaign, and since then I’ve come to greatly admire the single purpose of this organization to end AIDS and extreme poverty.I believe this is a noble mission. It is a morally righteous mission. The longing that all of us feel to alleviate the suffering and afflictions of people we have never met is evidence of the existence of God. The universal nature of our feelings and desires to do what is right, across all boundaries, is evidence to me that they were planted there my our Maker. And so it is an honor for me to work with a group which is committed to doing the right thing.
It is a beautiful thing to see so many people who are often segregated by such superficial boundaries as differences in opinions and political preference to come together as one and work towards a common goal, and a common good, which we all long to reach. Collectively, we can reverse the tide of evil and corruption which plague the poorest and most desperate parts of the world.
To truly come together as one, however, we must constantly seek to concentrate on our common goals and to work past the differences which would divide us in a less important campaign. Millions of lives, literally, and the entire course of human civilization can be impacted by our efforts if we work effectively together.
The ONE campaign already has, and inevitably will, require the assistance of politicians, legislators, and lobbyists - not always the most favored people in our society. Regarding these people, I encourage everyone to give credit where credit is due. If the ONE campaign is to remain truly bi-partisan, it will not matter who is in the White House or Congress. This lofty goal is to be achieved regardless of the states of our dominant political parties. Reward their efforts to help the ONE campaign reach its goals. Politicians are people who stick their necks out for what they and their constituents believe in, and they like to be recognized, if not appreciated. Kind words towards those who have helped ONE will probably make the other ones jealous, and make them want to help even more than the other guy. I think Bono has set a pretty good example here. He has appeared to me as gracious and complimentary for President Bush’s commitment of belief and financial resources, despite probable differences on other political issues.
Perhaps more important, however, is to decide how this group will respond in the face of adversity. What if the government pulls the rug and says it can’t help any more? I believe the federal government is almost always inefficient, regardless of who is in control of the White House or Congress, and often ineffective. That is partially why I am a conservative. So, what will you do if they set up road blocks in the way of ONE’s progress? My hope is that you will hunker down and keep this noble mission alive. That would be a time to invest the most valuable resources available, not just your personal money, but your time and innovative skills. It appears that ONE is on the right track, with today’s hundreds of small, grassroots efforts all over the country working locally to make a worldwide difference, and I applaud this effort. Right now, however, ONE is riding a wave of newfound support and publicity. It is not too early to consider what you will do if efforts falter and support wanes. I hope that if that time ever comes the necessary adjustments are made to keep this dream alive.
It is the right thing to do.
A majority of economists would probably tell you that downtown arenas and professional sports teams are not as profitable as people think. In my opinion, the presence of the teams (and, to a lesser degree, the arenas) is mostly for status. Non-pecuniary benefits are huge. However, I think something that a lot of these economists and the economic models leave out are the long-term spinoffs which eventually do lead to municipal economic growth. By long-term, I mean, fifteen to twenty years or more before you can honestly say that your city has benefited financially. These are things like businesses who have relocated to the area, downtown building and housing sales, etc.
The downtown arena is a necessity in a lot of ways, but The Wall Street Journal yesterday pointed out the coming success of a suburban stadium and entertainment center in Dallas. The WSJ article also points out a couple of projects, some downtown (St. Louis, orchestrated by The Cordish Company - famous here for the Fourth Street Live! Project) and some other suburban ones.
I have to say, personally, I love the idea of the downtown arena and I want it to be built. However, we should also be focusing on generating new revenue streams in other parts of the city as well. The University of Louisville / Churchill Downs complex is not being used to its fullest potential. I believe that this area could blow up with a little innovation, given its proximity to the the Kentucky Exposition Center and the Louisville International Airport. In fact, I know exactly what would make it explode and how to make the explosion happen.
Also, I want to tell you what I believe is really going on. The city and state governments are using the University of Louisville (not really in a bad way, but kind of a partnership way). UofL should play in the new arena until the city manages to attract an NBA team which will lose 85% of its games. After the NBA team is booked, UofL should take its profits and build itself the new, on-campus, student-friendly basketball arena that it wants - or, move back to a newly renovated Freedom Hall, whichever.
Finally, I want to say that it is a dream of mine to have an NFL team in Kentucky. Laugh now, go ahead. It is possible, though. I think if it were located on the outskirts of Jefferson or Fayette County it could work. Obviously, I favor Jefferson County or an area in the surrounding counties of Bullitt, Shelby, or Oldham, but something in a similar part of Lexington-Fayette might work, too. I’m sure the way to get the state to help out with a project like this would be to propose for something to be built in Frankfort, but I just don’t think that would work. The obvious benefit is that Louisvillians and Lexingtonians wouldn’t have to drive very far to get to the stadium. It would be a drive, though.
It’s not too early to think about. Every now and then, NFL and NBA franchises run into problems with their host cities and decide to move. I’m sure the two main factors in this are population and average income, and it will probably take a little while for one of these areas to show up on potential franchisers’ radar screens. It wouldn’t hurt to do some planning in the meantime, though.
He must really believe that uber-liberalism is the way to go. I don’t understand him. A smoking ban does not necessarily mean that your city automatically becomes a futuristic, high-tech, Jetsons-type place to live. All an all-out smoking ban does is take small business owner’s commercial freedoms away. Small and large business, actually.
He has threatened to veto a smoking ban compromise.
WAVE, 7 p.m.
The rest of the debates are listed in this C-J article.
The next one is a two-hour debate this Friday at the Downtown Marriott. $35. 11:30 a.m.
Caleb Brown relayed an article written by David Boaz of the CATO Institute about women in Kentucky politics. Even though she lost her run for the U.S. Senate to Marlow Cook in 1968 by 30,000 votes, it seems to me that Katherine Peden is worth mentioning. There had only been a handful of women in the Senate in 1968, this is Kentucky, and Peden came very close to winning. She still earned quite an impressive list of accomplishments, serving on numerous Kentucky and United States commissions.
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