tips@bluegrassredstate.com
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
The following is what John McCain said today at Mississippi State University, as he began his “Service to America Tour,” which is sort of a biographical tour in which he will visit places where important moments in his life took place.
It’s good to be back in Meridian. As you might know, I was once a flight instructor here at the air field named for my grandfather during my long past and misspent youth. And it’s always good to be in Mississippi, which you could call my ancestral home. Generations of McCains were born and raised in Carroll County, on land that had been in our family since 1848. The last McCain to live on the property, which the family called Teoc, was my grandfather’s brother, Joe McCain. I spent a couple summers here as a young boy, and enjoyed it immensely. I had never had a permanent address because my father’s naval career required us to move frequently. But here, in the care of my very likeable Uncle Joe, I could imagine, with a little envy, what it must have been like for the McCains who came before me to be so connected to one place; to be part of a community and a landscape as well as a family.
By all accounts, the McCains of Carroll County were devoted to one another and their traditions; a lively, proud and happy family on the Mississippi Delta. Yet, many McCains left here as young men to pursue careers in what has long been our family’s chosen profession – the United States Armed Forces. My great-grandfather was the sheriff and never left. But his brother, Henry Pinkney McCain, was a major general in the Army, and organized the draft in World War One. Camp McCain in Grenada, Mississippi is named for him. My great uncle, William McCain, was known as “Wild Bill” for his “dynamic” personality – he was reputed to have ridden his horse onto his future father-in-law’s porch to ask him for his daughter’s hand. He chased Pancho Villa with General Pershing, was an artillery officer in World War One, and retired a Brigadier General. Both men are buried at Arlington National Cemetery, as are my father and grandfather. We trace my family’s martial heritage back to the Revolution. A distant ancestor served on General Washington’s staff, and it seems my ancestors fought in most wars in our nation’s history. All were soldiers – both Henry and Bill McCain were West Pointers – until my grandfather broke family tradition and entered the Naval Academy in 1902. He was succeeded there by my father, then me, and then my son.
As I noted, the naval air field here is named . . . for my grandfather, who had an illustrious career in the Navy, and who remained proud of his Mississippi roots until the end of his life. I have only very early memories of him. I was just nine when he died. But he was an unforgettable man, a lively, colorful, though infrequent, presence in our lives. To spend time in his company was as much fun as a young boy could imagine. He loved his family, and we were spellbound by him. He was a slight man and gaunt, but he filled any room with his deep voice and high spirits. He was devoted to the Navy, but in personal comportment, he was anything but regulation. He was a rumpled, informal man, who wore a crushed cap with the crown removed that the wife of one of his aviators had given him; kept his shoes off when he worked in an office; tobacco leavings were always scattered about him, as he rolled his own with one hand; possessed a mischievous sense of humor, and was unusually close to sailors and junior officers who served under him, and revered him. They called him, “Popeye;” his family called him, “Sid;” and his fellow officers, “Slew,” for reasons I never learned.
After graduating from the Naval Academy, he sailed around the Philippine Islands on a gunboat captured from the Spanish, the executive officer to the great Chester Nimitz. He returned to the United States on the U.S.S. Connecticut, the flagship of Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet. He served on an armored cruiser in the First World War, escorting wartime convoys across the U-boat infested Atlantic. In 1935, after the Navy ordered that all aircraft carrier skippers must themselves have earned their wings, he trained as a pilot. He was 52 years old at the time, and a Navy Captain. By his own admission, he never learned to fly well. A subordinate recalled later, “the base prayed for his safe return each time he flew.” But he managed to earn his wings, and left Pensacola to command the naval air station in the Panama Canal Zone, where I was born.
My father, Jack McCain, was an officer at a submarine base there, one of the few occasions in his adult life when he lived in close proximity to the man he admired above all others. Though they lived far apart for decades, no father and son could have been closer. My father described his father as “a very great leader and people loved him. . . the blood of life flowed through his veins . . . a man of great moral and physical courage.” He had learned everything about leadership from his father, he said. Both were highly individualistic men with outsize personalities, but were completely dedicated to the United States Navy. Neither ever wanted any other life, and while both were guilty of more than a few regulation infractions, and shared a few vices, they adhered strictly to the code father had taught son: never lie, steal or cheat. Both took a great interest in the views and well-being of the men who served under them. They believed military leaders learned as much from the people they commanded as they taught them. They were demanding, but fair and compassionate commanders. “We are responsible for our men,” my father once said, “not the other way around. That’s what forges trust and loyalty.” They shirked no duty, braved extraordinary dangers, and were exceptional leaders. They were the first father and son to become four star admirals.
My grandfather commanded the fast carrier task force in the Pacific under Admiral Halsey, and devised many of the tactics that were employed by carriers for many years after. He was instrumental in Japan’s defeat, and was given a privileged place on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri to witness the signing of the unconditional surrender that ended the war. My father commanded a submarine in the Pacific during the war, survived several harrowing experiences, and had brought a Japanese submarine into Tokyo Harbor at the time of the surrender ceremony. Both were exhausted at war’s end, but happy to have the opportunity for a brief reunion. They met onboard a submarine tender, and spent a couple of hours together. My grandfather was worn out and obviously ill. Years later, my father recalled the last words my grandfather had ever spoken to him. “Son, there is no greater thing than to die . . . for the country and principles that you believe in.” After father and son parted that afternoon, my grandfather began the long trip home to Coronado. Not long after he arrived, at a homecoming party, he turned to my grandmother, and announced he did not feel well. He died a moment later of a heart attack. He had fought his war and died in service to the country he believed in.
My father could not return to the States in time for the funeral. My mother found him waiting for her to return to California from the funeral in Washington, weeping on the airport tarmac. In time, my father, the son of a legendary naval leader, would rise to an even greater command than his father had. During the Vietnam War, he commanded all U.S. forces in the Pacific, at the top of a chain of command that included, near the bottom, his son, a naval aviator on Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf, and later a prisoner of war in Hanoi. My father seldom spoke of my captivity to anyone outside the family, and never in public. He prayed on his knees every night for my safe return. He would spend holidays with the troops in Vietnam, near the DMZ. At the end of his visit, he would walk alone to the base perimeter, and look north toward the city where I was held. Yet, when duty required it, he gave the order for B-52s to bomb Hanoi, in close proximity to my prison.
I have lived a blessed life, and the first of my blessings was the family I was born into. I had not only the example of my distinguished male relations, and their long tradition of military service. I was fortunate to grow up under the influence of strong, capable, accomplished women; first among them, my mother, the formidable Roberta McCain; her identical twin, Rowena; my strict and imposing paternal grandmother, Catherine; and equally impressive maternal grandmother, Myrtle. For much of my childhood, my mother was the parent who raised me, my sister and brother. My father was often at sea, and she bore all the responsibilities of both parents. She moved us from base to base, often driving us across country on her own; managed our household; paid the bills; saw to our education and religious upbringing; and made of our itinerant childhood, an interesting, exciting time, rich with fascinating experiences. She was and is a resilient woman, extroverted, uncomplaining, forthright and determined, who greets every challenge as an opportunity to measure one’s strength of character and learn about the wider world beyond our immediate environment.Tax policy must not rob parents of the means to care for their children and provide them the opportunities their parents provided them.
The family I was born to, and the family I am blessed with now, made me the man I am, and instilled in me a deep and abiding respect for the social institution that wields the greatest influence in the formation of our individual character and the character of our society. I may have been raised in a time when government did not dare to assume the responsibilities of parents. But I am a father in a time when parents worry that threats to their children’s well-being are proliferating and undermining the values they have worked to impart to them. That is not to say that government should dictate to parents how to raise their children or assume from parents any part of that most personal and important responsibility. No government is capable of caring for children as attentively and wisely as the mother and father who love them. But government must be attentive to the impact of its policies on families so that it does not through inattention or arrogance make it harder for parents to have the resources to succeed in the greatest work of their lives – raising their children. And where government has a role to play, in education, in combating the threats to the security and happiness of children from online predators, in helping to make health care affordable and accessible to the least fortunate among us, it must do so urgently, effectively and wisely.
Tax policy must not rob parents of the means to care for their children and provide them the opportunities their parents provided them. Government spending must not be squandered on things we do not need and can’t afford, and which don’t address a single American’s concern for their family’s security. Government can’t just throw money at public education while reinforcing the failures of many of our schools, but should, through choice and competition, by rewarding good teachers and holding bad teachers accountable, help parents prepare their children for the challenges and opportunities of the global economy. Government must be attentive to the impact on families of parents who have lost jobs in our changing economy that won’t come back. Our programs for displaced workers are antiquated, repetitive and ineffective. Many were designed for a time when unemployment was seasonal or a temporary consequence of an economic downturn, not for a time when systemic changes wrought by the growing global economy have, while promising undreamt of opportunities for ourselves and many historically poor societies, have cost too many parents the jobs they had assumed would be theirs for life.
With the loss of work and the resources it provides families, come just as injurious losses to the emotional health of families. Work provides more than an income. It is a source of self-worth, pride and sense of purpose. Children learn as much from observation as instruction. The mother or father who has lost hope along with their job can unintentionally impart that hopelessness to their children. A welfare check can’t give a parent a sense of purpose. And among the most important things children can inherit from their parents is a sense of purpose, and an aspiration to be part of something bigger than themselves.
My parents taught me that, and I will always be indebted to them. But like many young people, I didn’t understand the lesson very well until later in life when I needed it most. As a boy, my family legacy, as fascinating as it was to me, often felt like an imposition. I knew from a very early age that I was destined for Annapolis and a career in the Navy. In reaction, I often rebelled in small and petty ways to what I perceived as an encroachment on my free will.
I concede that I remember with affection the unruly passions of youth, and how they governed my immature sense of honor and self-respect. As I grew older, and the challenges to my self-respect grew more varied and serious, I was surprised to discover that while my sense of honor had matured, its defense mattered even more to me than it did when it was such a vulnerable thing that any empty challenge threatened it.
Like most people, when I reflect on the adventures and joys of youth, I feel a longing for what is lost and cannot be restored. But though the happy pursuits of the young prove ephemeral, something better can endure, and endure until our last moment of life. And that is the honor we earn and the love we give when we work and sacrifice with others for a cause greater than our self-interest. For me that cause has long been our country. I am a lucky, lucky man to have found it, and am forever grateful to those who showed me the way. What they gave me was much more valuable and lasting than the tribute I once paid to vanity.
I am the son and grandson of admirals. My grandfather was an aviator; my father a submariner. They were my first heroes, and their respect for me has been one of the most lasting ambitions of my life. They gave their lives to their country, and taught me lessons about honor, courage, duty, perseverance and leadership that I didn’t fully grasp until later in life, but remembered when I needed them most. I have been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. But I am their son, and they showed me how to love my country, and that has made all the difference for me, my friends, all the difference in the world.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
Some of you have been asking about the changes taking place here at BGRS, so I’m going to try to run through them quickly.
Third Column: I’ve utilized some aggregation skills to install these feeds over in that column. Kentucky Indies Blogs Today is the 15 newest entries from the Bluegrass Conservatives blogroll in the right column, plus Page One Kentucky / The Ville Voice and the Kentucky Democrat, because, well, they’re pretty much the only KY lefty blogs worth reading. Below that is the Kentucky MSM Blogs thing, which is the 10 most recent blog posts from Mark Hebert, Pol Watchers, C-J’s Politics In Kentucky, Pat Crowley, and PolitickerKY. Under that I added the C-J and H-L sports news and then, of course, some celebrity gossip - so you have something to talk about with your workmates. In this column, expect to soon find a section of the most up to date news on the White House 2008 race.
Template: Basically I took the famous K2 template that I believe is still available here and modified by adding a third column to get a 3K2, or 3 column K2 template. I thought about adding a 4th, but I really don’t see a huge necessity at this point. I could use it, but honestly, adding the third column was complicated enough. I’m not a web designer or a programmer or anything, so even though it was actually pretty simple it was pretty hard for me. Because the simple classic blogger k2 template had not been updated for three columns that I could find (I think there were some blogger beta options and some fancy stuff, but no simple classic 3k2), I am going to try to go back into my template html soon and generalize it to make it available to others who want to use the general template outline.
Spiffies: Not really big deals. I think I got both the pullquote css (the box that enables me to highlight really stupid things that people say or really awesome things that people say) and the dropcaps css from Beautiful Beta (they had non-beta for these also). I copied and pasted the .pullquote css and then modified it to .pullquoteleft so I could put the quotes on both sides. That was easy just float left and go margin-right instead of margin-left.
Peekaboo: If a post is longer than the ordinary post, it is sometimes kind of ridiculous to put the whole thing up on the front page. People get bored and go away or fall asleep. Some people counter this by putting the lead up there and making you take the permalink out to that particular posts url. I didn’t really want to do this, but it is still an option for people. Clicking on the entry’s title takes you to the permalink where you view the peekaboo-free entry. On the main page, though, at some point I will manually enter that “Live free and read the rest of this BGRs entry . . .” link. When you click on that link the rest of the entry appears without you having to navigate over to the permalink page. Then, when you’re done reading the ingenius things that I wrote, you can click the thing that says something like “Collapse the screen back to its original form.” Then you read the next ingenius thing I wrote.
YouTube: I kind of have a love hate relationship with YouTube. I love the content that people can view on demand there, but I kind of hate going to the site and dealing with my personal account because I just kind of think it’s confusing. Regardless, I have made it to where . . . whenever I find a video on YouTube that I like I put it in my playlist and then it is available for viewing in the player that is nailed to the screen just above all of my entries and below the header. Keep an eye on that. There will be some good stuff there.
Blogrolls: The United We Stand blogroll is a collection of handpicked blogs that I like for a combination of reasons including both content and design elements. All of them are worth looking at. I will continue to update this as I find awesome blogs. Also, expect to soon find a blogroll of energy/econ blogs because those are kind of like my fields as well as (maybe) a short blogroll of cool international politics blogs - so y’all can know what’s happening in Canada and France and Germany and other weird places. This is harder, though, because of the language barrier.
I think that’s about it. I hope you enjoy these new functions.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
Here’s something the media didn’t tell us.
Back in late January when Anne Northup was contemplating getting into the race for Congress against Rep. John Yarmuth (D - KY / San Francisco), news surrounding the speculation swirled for numerous days before Northup decided for certain that she would enter the race.
A few days after the speculation began we got word that Yarmuth had been elected by the other members of the Democrat freshman class as “Freshman Class President,” and we were all supposed to fall all over ourselves with love and admiration for this amazing leader.This watering down of honor and responsibility is typical Democrat trash.
The press release posted on The Bridge, the liberal blog infamous for its obnoxious all caps entry titles (that I mocked in my title), stated that the vote took place on the morning of Friday, January 25th, and indeed it was that Friday that BGRS first heard about the “honor” that had been bestowed on Yarmuth by his classmates.
However, you may recall that it was that Friday, January 25th, that Yarmuth discussed border security on The Francene Show, from the southern border. I seriously doubt that Yarmuth attended a breakfast in DC that morning, got elected, and then flew down to the border for his media opportunity.
This would indicate that the “election” was a total sham - a title handed down by General Nancy Pelosi to some vulnerable freshman to make him look good in front of his gullible constituents.
In fact, I’ll explain how this is at least partially accurate momentarily.Walz became freshman president in an unusual power-sharing arrangement with Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.). Both wanted the presidency and decided that, rather than square off against each other, they would split the year. Hodes took the first half, and Walz assumed the job three weeks ago.
The idea that there was never an actual election is fudged by Yarmuth’s House website, which has the date of the aforementioned press release as Wednesday, January 23rd. Does that mean it actually happened on that day? Maybe. Maybe not.
Either The Bridge somehow copied over the wrong date, or he copied over the right date but Yarmuth’s office later changed it once they realized the “election” could have never happened on Friday 1/25 because Yarmuth was taking his media and “fact-finding” opportunity at the U.S./Mexico border.
Now, maybe we’ll have to go all Dan-Rather-National-Guard-Story on the press release files to find out the actual date of the election, if there ever was one, but one thing is for certain . . . - the title of Freshman Class President is a joke.
At the beginning of the 110th Congress, the freshman class went about electing its President. This is a traditional move which determines who will keep the caucus organized, hold meetings when necessary, and determine who presides during certain hours, according to a past President.
Like typical Democrats, though, they couldn’t really decide and didn’t want anyone to get their feelings hurt. The Washington Post reported in August of last year:
Walz became freshman president in an unusual power-sharing arrangement with Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.). Both wanted the presidency and decided that, rather than square off against each other, they would split the year. Hodes took the first half, and Walz assumed the job three weeks ago.
Rep. Tim Walz (D - MN) was the organizer of the media and “fact-finding” opportunity at the U.S./Mexican border that Yarmuth was taking advantage of on Friday 1/25. He’s vulnerable. WaPo wrote, “And he’s trying not to sound worried as Republicans circle his seat.” The other President, Rep. Paul Hodes (D - NH) is vulnerable as well. Some highly qualified Republican challengers with high name i.d. have decided to challenge Hodes, including a state Senator named Bob Clegg and Jennifer Horn, a newspaper columnist & radio talk show host.
In July of 2007, in a profile on the two Democrat freshman class Presidents, The Hill reported that “The next election for Democrats will be held before the next legislative year.” Regardless of whether Yarmuth received the “President” title on January 23rd or January 25th, it was actually after the commencement of the legislative year, because the 110th Congress, 2nd Session convened on January 15th.
It looks to me like General Pelosi was waiting to see which member of the freshman class would need the title the most. As speculation about Northup’s entry into the race gained steam it was noted that she would probably be the strongest Republican challenger in the country and Pelosi stepped into the frosh caucus and told them who was going to be the 3rd President of the Freshman Class of the 110th Congress.
This watering down of honor and responsibility is typical Democrat trash. Don’t be fooled by Yarmuth’s faux leadership.
March 31, 2008 |
1 Comment 
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
I got phone calls and emails this morning from several Louisville Republicans reporting on polling that Rep. John Yarmuth is conducting. The nature of the poll should be troubling to Republicans and Democrats in Louisville, but Democrats will undoubtedly find betrayal in this sad display of political waffling from the once proud liberal Yarmuth.
Polling popularity at this stage in the game would be understandable - with two Democrat White House hopefuls tanking in polls against John McCain, bitter intra-party fighting taking place, and the strongest Republican challenger in the country, Anne Northup, preparing an all out assault on him. Yarmuth should know what he’s in for, but this scenario explains why the 110th Congress, led by General Nancy Pelosi, has absolutely abysmal approval ratings hovering in the teens.
Judging from the poll, John Yarmuth wants to know what he should believe about universal health care.
I’m hearing that the poll they got last night around dinner time went something like this:
1. If the race were held today who would you support: Democrat John Yarmuth or Republican Anne Northup?
2. Hillary Clinton supports universal health care coverage. Would you be more or less likely to support John Yarmuth if he supported Hillary’s universal health care proposal?
3. What is your age?
4. What is your sex?
That’s right folks. The man who proudly declared on November 7, 2006, “We ran as Democrats!” now needs help - from Republicans - deciding what to believe about universal health care.
I think this kind of poll-driven policymaking is precisely what America is sick of. Yarmuth pretended to have the answers to health care back in 2006. He pretended to know what he believed. He’s an incumbent in an election now, though, and he’s confused.
What is even more troubling about this is that he is asking if constituents would be more likely to support him if he supported Hillary’s health care proposal.
- First, I thought Yarmuth had this all figured out. I thought he knew what was best for America. Why is he asking about supporting some specific person’s plan for universal health care? Why doesn’t he just say what he believes?
- Second, Yarmuth endorsed Barack Obama months ago. When deciding who to endorse, did he not compare HillaryCare and ObamaCare? My understanding is that they are incredibly similar, but to a nuanced and intelligent fellow like John Yarmuth, the differences are surely enough to warrant special inspection before deciding on an endorsement.
- Also, what is John Yarmuth going to do? Will he endorse Barack Obama, but put an asterisk on it that leads you to a little footnote saying “Except for health care. I endorse Hillary Clinton’s universal health care plan, but Barack Obama for President?”
This leads me to my final thought. Is Yarmuth building a shield to carry as he runs from the Obama camp to the Clinton camp?
His endorsement of Barack Obama came before the devastating news coverage of Obama’s spiritual advisor and mentor Jeremiah Wright and the subsequent bickering over race and gender within the Democratic Party. I highly doubt that the Clintons stopped lobbying Yarmuth altogether for his superdelegate vote at the DNC Denver convention after his endorsement of Obama, especially as the coverage of Wright heated up and the treatment Obama received from the media soured. Could it be that Yarmuth is contemplating supporting the candidate for first female POTUS over first black POTUS? While Hillary Clinton is almost certain to win Kentucky, I don’t know who will win Louisville. Barack Obama does have a substantial fundraising advantage over Clinton in Louisville, but most of that money went to Obama while his image was untarnished. And remember, Kentucky has not yet voted in its primary. If Clinton wins Louisville among Democrats or loses by a small margin, Yarmuth may decide to change his mind and vote for Clinton at the Denver convention rather than be tied to Obama and his pastor’s hate speech - especially if the poll indicates that some people would be more likely to support him if he supports HillaryCare.
The polling definitely raises more questions than it answers at this point, but one thing is certain, Yarmuth is not safe and he knows it.
March 28, 2008 |
1 Comment (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
When Bill Clinton rode through Fleming County, Kentucky earlier this week, the Morehead State University College Republicans took action, and succinctly stated that no Democrat named Clinton would win there, among other things.
H/T: TRUTH CAUCUS
March 27, 2008 |
1 Comment (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
The following is an email alert from Anne Northup.
With only four days remaining in this reporting period, we are quickly approaching our campaign’s first big deadline. Monday, March 31 is the deadline for reporting how much money our campaign has raised.
Today, this race is ranked as one of the top challenger races in the country. Help us send a message with our grand total that this district is going to send a fighter back to Washington.
Be a big part of our success and join our team today!
If you could donate $25, $50, or more, we will raise an additional $100,000 dollars before Monday. Send this request on to a few like minded friends and we will multiply the effect.
Please don’t wait! Act now, be as generous as possible and make a difference in the final days. Our campaign website is under construction, but we are already accepting donations on a secure site. Click here to help today.
Thank you to the hundreds that have already contributed and thanks in advance to those who will help make the difference in these remaining four days.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
Francene is talking about medical intervention into families who don’t believe in medical care for religious reasons who are dealing with health issues, and now maybe the immigration bill nixed by the wonderful Kathy Stein. Listen up!
And David Adams of Kentucky Progress is on The Pulse, which is being guest hosted by Jim Waters of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions. They’re talking about the General Assembly. Waters has two more hours of airtime, though. Look for him to get into some good stuff.
Live free, Kentucky. Listen up.
March 27, 2008 |
1 Comment (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
They’re at it again. Blatant lies from the Clintons. This time - to get people to sign up to volunteer. A reader who went to see Bill Clinton today at the Frankfort Civic Center today tells us:
They required that every person in line take a ticket with them as they entered, which asked for each person’s contact information. They said that we must fill the contact info in order to get into the rally. When I asked why, the staffer said that Secret Service required the information from everyone. However, the top of the sheet clearly stated it was a volunteer sign up. Also, there was no security check at the event. I was never asked to show ID or verify who I was. The only “check in” required was to fill each field of the volunteer form before entering the room.
March 25, 2008 |
1 Comment (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
For some reason, I don’t think Bruce Lunsford is the one behind this new Lunsford site, brucelunsford.com.
I can’t imagine who is.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
According to David Adams of Kentucky Progress and BIPPS, Kentucky may be one step closer to quitting lottery advertising:
In the Budget meeting this morning, Senate Budget Chairman Charlie Borders said “Do they have to do all the advertising? The people I see going into the convenience stores back home, I don’t think they are watching advertising going ‘That’s a pretty good idea.’ Seems to me they have been doing it for several years, getting the same kind of results and they are going to do it even if we don’t spend one dime on advertising.
As Adams correctly points out, I might have gotten the ball rolling on this back in December with this BGRS entry. If so, I’m proud of that, and if you read the entry you’ll understand why.
Of course, at the time, I was chastised by several people (Republicans) and told primarily that it is “just not a good time”. I didn’t believe it then or now, and I hope this common sense piece of government gets through.
By the way, if you people in Frankfort need some more good ideas, I’ll be here all year at least and I’m available for high-paying jobs.
March 24, 2008 |
1 Comment (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
For this episode of Liberty or Death: The Blue Grass, Red State Podcast I spoke with Trey Grayson’s former Political Director and current candidate for Jefferson County Republican Party Chairman Brad Cummings.
We discuss why he wants to be Chairman, the mad golf game of Rep. John Yarmuth (D - KY / San Francisco), the imperiled Louisville bridges project, and how to beat Jerry Abramson.
Live free, Kentucky, and listen up.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
During one of the cutaways when CBS was showing the Memphis / MS St. game, Preston Knowles got a dunk. That’s right, the 6′1″ kid from Winchester slammed it. David Padgett looked kind of like, “What’s he doing?”
I’m working on getting a video of it on here.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
Just as Pol Watchers reports that RPK has about $400,000,000,000 more to spend than KDP, it should be noted that the Jefferson County Republican Party isn’t broke, either. Then county Lincoln Day Dinner last month reportedly brought in around $13,000.
While that isn’t exactly a huge sum of money, it’s nothing to sneeze at and a good starting point for the year. The party should be more than able to field a team of GOTV support in the fall.
March 22, 2008 |
3 Comments (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
Today the CJ reports that about 30 people showed up in Louisville yesterday to protest the Battle of Iraq, I mean, mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the Battle of Iraq.
Somebody is missing their talking points emails. It would have been a lot better for the CJ to write about this story if they wanted to write about Iraq protests, and include a bunch of pictures. Page One Kentucky says that about 100 people showed up to rally in front of Highlands home of Senator Mitch McConnell. Oooh. Dramatic.
POK spanked the CJ this way:
Louisville’s Fox41 came along– which makes up for the fact that the Courier-Journal sent reporters to the Louisville events earlier in the day but absolutely no coverage has seen print.
Either the CJ missed the memo about the dramatic Highlands protest, or, the Iraq protesters are missing out on the fact that voter interest in Iraq is waning. As Iraq improves, Republicans and Democrats are pleased with the results and Democrats lose interest in the matter as a political issue. Protesters might lose the attention of the MSM if they continue protesting the war. They might want to get out their economy protesting tools if they want to make an impact on the 2008 elections.
March 20, 2008 |
1 Comment (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
Iraq will never be good enough for American Democrats. That is the lesson that the world should be learning right now. When the New York Times is printing stories that contain actual truths such as this one:
A member of Iraq’s Presidency Council, whose objections had blocked a law calling for provincial elections by October, withdrew his objections on Wednesday in a sudden turnaround that raised hopes for long-sought political progress.
and Chuck Schumer, who, with the help of Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, ousted netroots favorite Lt. Col. Andrew Horne from the primary race targeting Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, is going on Larry King Live saying this:
The point is that ever since we’ve been there, the President’s goal is to let the Iraqis take over. They’re no closer to it today than they were before.
. . . you know there has to be a serious problem with the Democratic Party.
If the economy were such a winning issue for Democrats in their 2008 forecasts, they could concede simple points such as “long-sought political progress” in Iraq because as Iraq improves voter anger wanes and the issue becomes more irrelevant to the elections.
My guess is that Democrats sense a very real possibility that by November 2008 Republicans will be able to take credit for an improving Middle East and produce an economically realistic and strong platform to the American people - probably led by a VP nominee named Mitt Romney.
The mainstream media may want to re-define “dream ticket,” because a McCain/Romney ticket would stabilize all three legs of the stool that the winning conservative coalition sits on.
By: admin
This is for all you people who are praying to Saint Rupp right now.
At my work, we decided to put our giant wall-sized whiteboard to good use by drawing a giant wall-sized NCAA bracket on it. Check out the crappy cell phone picture.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
I‘m sure everyone has already done the right thing and gotten their Cardinals for McConnell stickers, right? I guess they also have UK and WKU ones to sport for the tourney.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
I don’t even know how many times the tax breaks for military families bill has been proposed. It has to be a lot. And more than that, it’s been talked about a kazillion times. Why is it just now moving through the House? I guess the Democrats want to “get credit” for treating military families well. They just couldn’t stand for a Republican-sponsored bill to get signed into law. They just couldn’t do the right thing when they thought their interest in the bill was minimal.
Democrat John Tilley’s (D-Hopkinsville) bill passed out of the budget committee yesterday, and if it ever moves completely out of the House, the Senate would almost definitely approve it and send it to our nervous Governor, Steve Beshear. I think the bill is great. I just don’t understand the decade-long debate and I hope David Williams gives the Democrats a verbal spanking before calling for a vote on the bill.
Despite all this, Rep. Jim Wayne (D-Louisville), still doesn’t understand basic civics, government, or economics. Wayne had this to say after voting against the bill:
Number one, we can’t afford it. Number two, if we really want to help the troops and their families we’ve got to end the unjust, immoral, irrational, senseless war in Iraq.
What an idiot. “We can’t afford it?” It’s not your money, Jim Wayne! People don’t earn money because of the government’s good will. People earn money by working. The money the government prints is only a paper reflection of the hard work, creativity, and reliability of the American people to produce. You can’t afford not to give the military families a tax break! Honestly, Kentucky can’t afford you!If the people say you can’t have any more money, or that they’re taking some of their money back, the government has to deal with it.
We have enabled the government to collect some of our money to provide basic services. If you can’t spare an estimated $17 million dollars of revenue by allowing military families to not pay income taxes, I bet the government is asking for too much money from the people in order to try to take actions beyond what it’s required to do. If the people say you can’t have any more money, or that they’re taking some of their money back, the government has to deal with it.
The power starts with the people. The people enable the government. It’s not the other way around.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
This is an op-ed by KY State Senator Brett Guthrie, a candidate for U.S. Congress in KY’s 2nd District.
Last week, the U.S. House majority took action that threatens our national security by voting to dramatically weaken our terrorist surveillance law. Protecting American citizens from terrorist threats should be the top priority for Congress, but the U.S. House abandoned its most solemn duty.
I am running for Congress because the voters of Kentucky’s second district deserve to continue to have representation in Washington that fights for Kentucky values. My belief is that most Kentuckians want a Congress that takes decisive action against terrorists – the out-of-touch U.S. House majority has failed in that regard.
After graduating from West Point I served as an artillery officer in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. While I no longer wear the uniform, I retain my strong sensed of duty to help keep our nation secure. If I am fortunate enough to earn your vote this November, I promise to support tougher anti-terrorism laws.
These terrorists were at war with us long . . .
before we were at war with them. We must recognize the threat they pose and do all we can to defeat terrorism around the globe. Unfortunately, the House majority, acting far outside the mainstream views of most Americans and in direct contrast to the U.S. Senate, did just the opposite.
After failing to reauthorize and modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before its expiration, Speaker Nancy Pelosi forced through a partisan bill that creates a cumbersome court approval process making it harder to collect intelligence on foreign terrorists. Unbelievably, their bill extends Constitutional protections you and I enjoy as American citizens to foreign terrorists who seek the destruction of our country!
Let’s get real — foreign terrorists plotting to kill Americans are not entitled to protections under our Constitution. It is absurd to think otherwise.Let’s get real — foreign terrorists plotting to kill Americans are not entitled to protections under our Constitution. It is absurd to think otherwise.
Another key failing of this bill deals with companies that help our government track terrorists. After 9-11, many telecommunications companies answered the call and used their data to track terrorists who were plotting more attacks. During a critical time, these companies acted to keep us safe.
The U.S. Senate, working with the White House, passed a bipartisan bill to protect those companies from endless litigation so they will continue to aid the government in terrorist surveillance without the threat of being hauled into court every time they do. This is perfectly reasonable and responsible but the U.S. House leadership forced through a bill that does not protect these companies from frivolous lawsuits, ensuring they will stop helping the government. I believe citizens and companies doing their patriotic duty should be praised, not sued.
Admiral Mike McConnell, the Director of National Intelligence, told House leaders in a letter that the lapse of our terrorist surveillance law means the U.S. “is now more vulnerable to terrorist attack and other foreign threats.” Instead of protecting American citizens, House leaders apparently prefer to pay back liberal political contributors.
To best protect America the House should pass the bipartisan Senate bill, which would quickly be signed in to law by the President. Instead, they chose a very dangerous course. I will make our feelings known in Washington, loud and clear.
This week, U.S. House leaders revealed an agenda for the future that is far outside the mainstream. In addition to voting for frivolous litigation over the safety and security of our Nation, they also signaled their intention to substantially increase taxes, a position that I cannot support. Especially during a time of economic slowdown, we cannot further hinder our economy by raising taxes on Kentucky families already struggling with a mortgage, high gas prices, and rising food costs at the grocery store.
I will campaign tirelessly on two key themes – Economic Security and National Security. I will fight to cut taxes and to strengthen terrorist surveillance laws, just as my friend Congressman Ron Lewis has done since 1994. He has decided to retire, and I am determined that Kentucky’s second district should continue to have a Congressman that represents your values. You will get exactly that sort of representation from me if I am fortunate enough to earn your vote this November.I will campaign tirelessly on two key themes – Economic Security and National Security.
State Senator Brett Guthrie is the Republican candidate for Congress to replace Rep. Ron Lewis (R, KY-02), who is retiring at the end of this year.
Senator Guthrie represents Warren and Logan Counties in the Kentucky Senate, and is Vice-President of Trace Die Cast in Bowling Green.
By: admin
To view this page on your mobile phone, use this link.
Reps. Baron Hill (D-IN) and John Yarmuth (D - KY / San Francisco) appear to be at odds over the construction of the long-sought Ohio River bridges.
Today in the C-J, Hill made his frustration with the tolling approach public.
All they’re looking at is tolling . . . They’re not spending any time on the alternatives. They’ve not looked at them. They’ve not given them a chance.
That said, it appears that Hill wants the bridges built, while Yarmuth does not. LEO, the weekly paper founded by Yarmuth, has Yarmuth on record saying he favors moving to a public-private partnership and Hill on record saying that a move to toll financing could necessitate another environmental {time-consuming} impact study.
CJ stated “Hill also said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and George Jones, the Federal Highway Administration’s bridges project manager for Kentucky, both told him that tolls would delay the project by at least 1 1/2 years — even if electronic tolls were used.”
You know what that means. Yarmuth wants to publicly proclaim his love for bridges and the greatness that they could bring, but he’s working under the radar to tie these things up in so much red tape and so many delays that the project is eventually scrapped. His desire to keep Louisville’s East End bridge-free as part of the River Fields organization is well-documented, although a bridge there is probably more necessary and useful at the margin than another downtown bridge.
Of course, all this started when Anne Northup failed to win a sixth term as Kentucky’s 3rd District delegate to the House of Representatives. Since then, there has been a complete void of leadership on the bridge construction projects.
I guarantee you that within days of Anne Northup winning on November 4, 2008, she will have made all the necessary contacts to get this thing back on a stable track with a stable plan.
Any comments, Kentucky? Live free.
