tips@bluegrassredstate.com
By: Jefferson
The latest radio advertisement released by Anne Northup blasts Rep. John Yarmuth (D - Bitter Kentucky) and his ridiculous position on energy which tries to force American oil companies to drill where there is no oil and simultaneously forbids them from drilling where there is oil.
The ad also smartly predicts a potential flip on the issue with respect to Yarmuth’s political approach. It’s clear that even if Yarmuth pretends to change his position (which is doubtful in my opinion - he would probably just try to allow a vote on a terrible piece of legislation that would pretend to allow more drilling), he would revert to his old no-growth ways as soon as possible. The real point is - even if they would “allow more drilling” it would be wrapped up in so much red tape that no more drilling would ever take place.
The ad also raises maybe the only thing about Saudi Arabia that is enviable. They drill for oil there, you know? Their gasoline is 45 cents per gallon.
By: Jefferson
John David Dyche has a rather blah column in today’s C-J. It’s probably not really his fault, because he’s just a moderate Republican who the C-J lets write from time to time so they can pretend to be unbiased.
They would edit it to death if Dyche tried to print anything truly conservative.
Today he mentions questions he thinks Senate candidates should be answering.
By: Jefferson
Anne Northup has smartly predicted a possible change of course that Rep. John Yarmuth (Democrat - Abortion) with respect to the question of whether or not to allow a vote on drilling in the House.
Northup correctly points out that even if Yarmuth does decide to advocate a vote on the issue that he will not have a new and better position on the actual issue. Any bill passed by the House that “allows drilling” will be bogged down with so much red tape that no additional drilling will actually take place.
Here’s the email from Northup:
Pelosi Pulls Back
After stumbling 2 weeks ago through an explanation on why she won’t follow her own rules to allow a fair vote on drilling onABC’s This Week, Nancy Pelosi has begun to soften her stance on drilling for American oil. Watch as Pelosi cannot even develop a reasonable response to why she will not allow a fair vote. Pelosi practically shutdown Congress in July to avoid a vote and subsequently got nothing done. She was able to hold off just long enough to take the recess and go on her already scheduled book tour.
On August 11th on CNN, she told Larry King, “Well, we can do that. We can have a vote on that” when talking about drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf. However, in a radio address onSaturday, she made it clear that she will only allow such a thing to come to vote if it is weighed down with so many other pieces of legislation that it would undo any gains from drilling for more oil. These are the same pieces of legislation she tried to ram through Congress earlier in the summer by suspending rules for amendments. Releasing our national crisis oil reserve for a temporary relief is not a long term answer and even the New York Times rebukes the notion that windfall profits taxes and going after speculators will do anything to solve the problem.
Be on the lookout. John Yarmuth will soon join the line of Democrats wanting a vote on drilling, but be sure that Yarmuth’s views will mirror Pelosi’s. Drilling more and adding long term supply are the best ways to lower prices. Raising taxes and temporarily lowering our emergency reserves is old hat and irresponsible.
Yarmuth, of course, is wrong on the issue. He’s wrong no matter what. However, Northup has drawn attention to the fact that a potential partial flip-flop on political tactics surrounding the issue of expanded drilling will be nothing but an election strategy. Not an energy strategy.
By: Jefferson
The property taxes due on Senator Perry Clark’s property were due December 31st. A search of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office website shows that they were paid on April 16, 2008.
What exactly does this mean? Well, I’m not sure.
Theoretically, Clark could have done this on purpose if he had money invested in such a way that profit would outweigh penalties from paying the taxes late. That’s possible, but it still doesn’t look good for Clark.
The other option to explain this is mismanagement of personal finances.
Elected officials put themselves in a bad position when they do stuff like this. On one hand, almost everyone encounters times when they pay things late or make mistakes. On the other hand, elected officials need to set a good example and follow the laws that they play such a big role in crafting.
He owed $1202.92 and had to pay $1490.53 on one piece of property. On another one he owed $144.68 and paid $210.07.
With Doug Hawkins running a model campaign in the South End, Clark really can’t afford any bad PR whatsoever.
By: Jefferson
Check out the Republican Leader’s blog for video of the press conference that Rep. Geoff Davis was at this morning where they called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to call Congress back to consider energy legislation in an attempt to protect Congress from the “liberal coastal elites.”
Check out the capitol switchboard sign.
By: Jefferson
Rep. Geoff Davis (R - KY) is in Washington, D.C. today. Here he is headed to a press conference with Rep. John Shimkus (R - IL) where they asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (in all of her wind boone-doggle wonder) to call Congress back to consider energy legislation.
Photo found at Roll Call.
(The lady is whispering from the whisper spot at Statuary Hall.)
UPDATE: From the GOP Uprising Blog by House Republican Leader John Boehner (R - OH), two quotes from Geoff Davis:
“It might be a nice car, but I keep telling people, you can’t tow a bale of hay in a Prius.”
“Instead of sending money away, let’s keep that money here. It would pay for our infrastructure and help answer our health care problems. At the end of the day this is an American issue. Many of our troubles lead back to energy supply.”
By: Jefferson
Louisville GOP Chairman Brad Cummings has called on citizens across the Commonwealth of Kentucky to renounce the incompetent blogger attacking Secretary of State Trey Grayson over a non-issue.
Sign the petition.
In July of 2008, the infrequent and incompetent replacement for a KDP backed blogger has tried to pick a fight with Trey Grayson, a rising star in the Republican Party over a dead, non-issue.
As Kentuckians who love the Commonwealth and do not want to be divided by hate and fear, we call on Walter Hawkins to renounce his own unwarranted and illogical smear campaign.
I think one could describe that as a Mitch-slap!
By: Jefferson
Senator Mitch McConnell has stated often that the Democrats are going to throw everything they have at him, and he is right, as usual.
Huffington Post has something up today.
The left-wing site attacks McConnell, but draws attention to the Sheikhs from Fancy Farm who “thanked Bruce.” One of them thanked Bruce and stated “You do good. Feed many wives.”
Classic. Awesome.
By: Jefferson
Jefferson County Republican Party press release:
Louisville – Kimberly Bunton, Mayor Abramson’s handpicked Department of Housing and Family Services director, resigned when it was discovered that she stole over $2,000 in grant money for her mother from various funds including the Children Welfare Fund. She defended the action by claiming that her mother was qualified to receive this money.
“I don’t know about Ms. Bunton’s mother, but my mother’s days of being eligible for a Children’s Fund have long since gone,” said JCRP Chairman Brad Cummings. “And even so, if she was truly qualified for the assistance, then why would Ms. Bunton repay the city? Something doesn’t add up here.”
Unfortunately, Ms. Bunton’s resignation is only the latest in a series of “Jerry Jumbles”. One has to look no further than Ms. Bunton’s predecessor Melissa Barry, the Mayor’s cousin by marriage. During her short tenure, millions of dollars in federal funds were lost, mismanaged or misspent. Mayor Abramson recently admitted when asked about federal grant money that “where we are having problems is in the past”, referring to Ms. Barry’s time in this position. Of course, she is now overseeing the new “Affordable Housing Trust”, an organization that is still getting on its feet after more than a year.
“It seems the easiest way to earn a six figure paycheck in this city is to marry into the Mayor’s family,” said Cummings. “You certainly can’t assume Ms. Barry was qualified for the job after looking at her performance. Even [Democratic Councilwoman] Tina Ward-Pugh said that ‘for years there has been limited or no accountability’ as recently as June 19th.”
Last fall’s election highlighted another “Jerry Jumble” as his library tax was resoundingly voted against by a margin of 2 to 1. Louisville Free Public Library Director Craig Buthod used government employees in an unsuccessful attempt to trick the citizens of Metro Louisville. When a bi-partisan effort to fully fund the $100 million in capital improvements was presented to Mr. Buthod, he and Mayor Abramson did nothing but stonewall the project.
“This is an example of Mayor Abramson pouting when he doesn’t get his way on policy. It makes one wonder if he actually wanted a library expansion at all.”
And former Animal Control Director Giles Miloche, another handpicked “Jerry Jumble”, was found to not be an American citizen and therefore was ineligible to hold an office in Metro Government.
“At least we now know that Animal Control Director should be listed under the jobs Americans just won’t do,” said Cummings. “It is alarming at the rate which our ‘Mayor for Life’ makes mistakes. I’m pretty sure if I ran a company with that sort of failure rate, I would find myself without a job in short order. I pledge to the people of Metro Louisville that as long as I’m Chairman, the Jefferson County Republican Party will make sure to continue highlighting future ‘Jerry Jumbles’. Our citizens deserve to know what is really going on at City Hall.”
By: Jefferson
Leland Conway of WLAP 630’s The Pulse has talked with several of Kentucky’s Congressmen about their take on the House Oil Party being thrown in the closed down House.
It is worth checking out his interviews with Congressman Ed Whitfield, Congressman Geoff Davis, Senator Mitch McConnell, Congressman Ron Lewis, and Congressman Hal Rogers because every other media outlet in the state is doing everything they can do to pretend that this is not happening in Washington. All the Democrats have to do is pretend that they’re going to pitch cots on the House floor in protest of something absolutely asinine, and the media outlets go crazy over their bold, courageous vision. Republicans lead a week-plus long speak-in about calling back Congress after the Speaker of the House orders all media out (censorship, anyone?) to deal with an issue that at least 70% of the country agrees with them on and the lamestream media ignores it to the best of their ability.
You don’t see many people outside of #dontgo sneaking into the House and telling the American people what’s going on, do you? This is absolutely pathetic media coverage of an important turn of events in current American life, and Leland Conway deserves credit for covering it with as much enthusiasm as he has been.
Every single one of the guys mentioned above has already done more to bring down gas prices than Rep. John Yarmuth (D - Bitter Kentucky) and Rep. Ben Chandler (D - Thoroughbred) COMBINED, and this is a day on which Kentucky can actually be quite proud of what MOST of their elected representatives are doing.
By: Jefferson
After praising Congressman Ron Lewis (KY - 2) earlier today for working through his vacation to lower gas prices, Senator Brett Guthrie now turns his attention to, again, demonstrating how much better of a candidate he is than Senator David Boswell.
Guthrie has called on Boswell to sign the “Call Back Congress” petition. Release:
(Owensboro) Campaigning in Owensboro today, Second District Congressional Candidate Brett Guthrie called on his opponent, David Boswell, to join him in calling on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer in calling the Congress in to emergency session to deal with high gas prices. On Friday, Pelosi and Hoyer adjourned the House without allowing a vote on expanded oil drilling in the United States. Pelosi and Hoyer turned off the lights, microphones and cameras Friday, while House Republicans started and continue a protest on the House floor.
In today’s Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, Boswell condoned the Congressional vacation saying that dealing with high gas prices “can probably wait until the recess is over.” Brett Guthrie strongly disagrees.
“The time for action is now. In fact, it is past due. Pelosi and Hoyer sent the Congress on vacation while families are cancelling their vacations because of high gas prices,” Guthrie said. “I call on David Boswell to join me in signing a petition to let the Democrat Congressional leadership know that people and businesses are hurting and that Kentuckians need and expect action to lower prices immediately.”
The petition - located at www.callbackcongress.com - says:
“We, the undersigned, believe that gas prices are too high. Speaker Pelosi has closed Congress for a five-week paid vacation, without taking any action to lower gas prices. We, the undersigned, have a simple demand: Call Congress Back, Madam Speaker!”
“The liberal Congressional leadership is apparently beholden to the fringe element in their party that opposes expanded oil production in the United States. It is time to put partisanship aside and allow a vote on a bill that offers a comprehensive solution, including more domestic drilling, greater conservation measures, and investment in new technology,” Guthrie said.
“Today, Congressman Ron Lewis is in Washington joining the fight to bring the House back in to session. As a constituent, I am appreciative of his leadership, and as a candidate for Congress I pledge to continue his steadfast support for American energy independence,” Guthrie said.
On Friday, Guthrie endorsed a letter from House Republican Leader John Boehner calling on Pelosi to call Congress in to session. The letter can be read below.
###
August 1, 2008
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
H-232, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
Madam Speaker:
With American families and small businesses facing record high gasoline prices, Congress has adjourned to leave Washington for a five-week break. The message this sends to the American people is bad enough; its ramifications, however, are far worse. You have the power to call Congress back into session at any moment to deal with issues of urgent national importance. No one can argue that the issue of high energy costs and their impact on American families does not rise to this level. That is why we write today to request that you call Congress back into an emergency session this month and schedule a vote on the American Energy Act (H.R. 6566). Such an action will ensure our nation’s energy crisis receives the attention - and action - it deserves.
A bipartisan majority in Congress is prepared to support an “all of the above” energy plan to help lower prices at the pump by promoting increased and environmentally sound domestic exploration of oil and gas, improving energy efficiency and conservation, and encouraging investment in groundbreaking research in advanced alternative and renewable energy technologies. Poll after poll indicates a solid majority of Americans agree. Simply put, in responding to our nation’s energy crisis, we must leave no stone unturned in our efforts to bring relief to American consumers. And we have no time to waste in doing so.
Despite this urgency, the People’s House has been silenced and the door of democracy has been slammed shut when it comes to the most pressing concern facing American families, seniors, small businesses, and schools today. The American people will not stand for it. Neither should their elected representatives in Washington.
It is well past time for Congress to lift the ban on environmentally-safe exploration for oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf and act on other critical reforms to increase production of American energy and lower the price of gasoline. We should not wait until September to do so, and frankly, we should not wait another day to do so. Congress should not take the next five weeks off while the American people suffer at the pump. We respectfully request that you schedule a vote on the comprehensive American Energy Act during an emergency legislative session this month.
Sincerely,
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)
Republican Leader
Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Republican Whip
Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL)
Conference Chairman
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI)
Policy Committee Chairman
Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX)
Conference Vice-Chairman
Rep. John Carter (R-TX)
Conference Secretary
Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)
NRCC Chairman
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Chief Deputy Whip
Rep. David Dreier (R-CA)
Rules Committee Ranking Republican
By: Jefferson
Yesterday, I stated that I no longer believe that Ron Lewis (KY-2) is lazy because he is at the House of Representatives with a couple dozen other Republicans advocating for more American drilling and an end to this untimely Congressional vacation.
Today, Senator Brett Guthrie, the candidate widely expected to win the seat being vacated by the retiring congressman, praises Congressman Lewis:
“I applaud Congressman Lewis for standing up for the people of Kentucky. Of course, I’m not surprised – he has been standing up for our values since he went to Congress and will continue fighting until the day he retires, because that’s the kind of leader he is. I pledge to be the same kind of leader when I go to Congress. I will fight to produce more energy at home, to lower prices and end our dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
“While some politicians might find it acceptable for Congress to go on vacation while people are hurting, I don’t. This crisis is hurting families, farmers and business owners, and it’s costing us jobs. Every day families in Kentucky are struggling to make difficult choices to make ends meet due to the soaring cost of energy. We can’t wait; it is past time for action. I will be a Congressman who will fight to do the right thing – expand oil drilling in the United States, increase conservation measures, and invest in new technologies. The American people deserve a comprehensive plan and that’s what I support.”
This is a really great way for Congressman Lewis to go out - fighting for what is right.
By: Jefferson
RNC Chairman Mike Duncan just announced that Senator Mitch McConnell will serve as the Temporary Chairman of the Republican National Convention at which John McCain will be nominated.
This is a tremendous honor for Senator McConnell.
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will serve as Temporary Chairman of the Convention. On Nov. 15, 2006, McConnell was unanimously elected Republican Leader in the 110th Congress by his Republican colleagues, and serves as the 15th Republican Leader and second Kentuckian to lead our Party in the U.S. Senate.
By: Hurricane
Click here to watch it.
By: Hurricane
Doug Hawkins had a great fundraiser last night for his State Senate campaign.
Meanwhile, I found an email being sent to Perry Clark supporters just asking for money. Pretty lame.
Highlights from the fundraiser include an appearance by Chris Thieneman and an excited statement that he is a Republican and proud of it. I hope he has realized what went on and has righted that ship. Chris has a bright future if he can put a few things behind him.
Senate President David Williams was there and besides a few wonderful remarks about Doug Hawkins, pointed out how Rep. John Yarmuth (D - Bitter Kentucky) was hosting a fundraiser for Kathy Groob, a candidate in Northern Kentucky for State Senate. Williams said he was none to pleased to see Yarmuth sticking his nose in the race and promised that the favor would be returned.
We can all look forward to what that might be.
By: Jefferson
I called Ron Lewis lazy a couple weeks ago because he didn’t sign a letter to Nancy Pelosi and because I have heard that he has a history of not showing up at events.
Some of you got mad at me and I basically just told you to deal with it.
However, now I would like to officially retract my assertion that Ron Lewis is lazy.
This makes up for whatever transgressions he may have committed in the past.
Congress is in recess. On the floor of the U.S. House, the lights are dim, there are no cameras and no C-SPAN.
Nevertheless, House Republicans are hoping to draw public attention to their call for expanded offshore oil drilling by giving speeches on the House floor every day.
Rep. Ron Lewis, R-2nd District, is in the band of lawmakers demanding that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., call the House back into session for a vote on offshore oil drilling. The House is not scheduled to end its recess until Sept. 8.
“I’m going to try to stay as long as it takes,” Lewis said in an interview today.
. . .
Pelosi, he said, is “in the pocket of the extreme environmentalists.”
I love Ron Lewis! Thank you, Ron Lewis!
Brett Guthrie, you have big shoes to fill.
By: Jefferson
The Nancy Pelosi led Congress decided last Friday to go on a 5-week vacation without addressing this nation’s energy crisis, and John Yarmuth was right there to go along with the terrible plan.
They hastily voted to adjourn in order to try to prevent about 50 Republicans who were planning on making 5 minute speeches before adjournment. The Republicans spoke on anyway, though, against Pelosi’s wishes and despite her orders to turn off the video cameras and the lights.
That revolt has continued on into this week. Republicans are speaking on the House floor despite the fact that it has been closed by Pelosi. Somebody needs to tell Yarmuth to go back to work, because he will not be one of these guys (unless he decides to lie and pretend). Anne Northup gave Yarmuth a talkin’ to in the following radio ad.
We obviously should not expect John Yarmuth to betray the special environmental interests he’s beholden to, but we should be convincing voters that Northup’s plan to address the energy crisis is much much better than Yarmuth’s.
By: Jefferson
Tonight at 6 p.m. at the Lake Forest Lodge there will be a big fundraiser for Doug Hawkins‘ Senate campaign.
From the press release:
Please come out to hear Senate President David Williams speak about the inner workings of the State Senate. Meet, greet and get your pictures made with Senator Williams and other influential leaders like Senate Pro-Tem Senator Katie Stine; and the Majority Floor Leader State Senator Dan Kelly (not yet confirmed—but we are hopeful); Majority Caucus Chairman State Senator Dan Seum; and Shelbyville’s Proud Conservative State Senator Gary Tapp.
That’s quite a crowd, and should give Hawkins a big boost over his do-nothing opponent.
By: Jefferson
In a column, Congressman Geoff Davis asks 4th District constituents to send him copies of their gas receipts and a short story on how the high price of gasoline is effecting their lives so he can bundle them up and send them to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
I wish he would send them to his neighboring district’s ridiculous congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3), too.
Davis states:
I am deeply disappointed that the Democratic-led Congress has chosen to leave Washington for five weeks, without addressing the energy crisis, while families throughout the Commonwealth are struggling to make ends meet. Now more than ever, we need to band together and create a viable solution to this energy crisis that is causing so much harm to schools, businesses and families in Kentucky and across the nation.
Please send me your gas receipts along with a note explaining how these high energy costs are affecting you. I will deliver your stories and receipts to Speaker Pelosi’s office so she can see firsthand how the people of the Fourth District of Kentucky are suffering. Send your receipts and letters to: Congressman Geoff Davis, 277 Buttermilk Pike, Fort Mitchell, KY 41017.
The people of Louisville are suffering, too, but Congressman Yarmuth is allowing himself to be used by Speaker Pelosi and the environmentalist whackos who think the high price of gasoline is “progress.” Congressman Yarmuth is not a leader on any single issue that has come up in the 110th Congress, and he only represents the voice of a tiny portion of his constituency on energy and other issues.
He’s beholden eternally to the environmentalist special interest groups, and seeks their approval with every action he takes and every statement he makes on energy issues in Congress. However, they don’t care about him, and they don’t care about the people of his district or what they think. All they want is his vote to be cast in their interest.
The title of leader was bestowed on Congressman Yarmuth by Speaker Pelosi as a way of convincing his district that he had quickly risen to the leadership of the House of Representatives. If he actually had, though, three other freshman would not have also been “elected” freshman class president.
Don’t be fooled by the imagery. John Yarmuth is not a leader and he does not represent anywhere near the majority of his constituents with his actions and his statements at the House of Representatives.
UPDATE: We think Geoff Davis was the first Member of Congress to put forth this proposal, but several others have joined in the method including Bill Sali of Idaho and Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma.
August 5, 2008 |
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By: Jefferson
U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford is having a rough day.
Right about now in Barack Obama’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois, Lunsford is mingling with some bully unionists who want to take away every employee’s right to a secret ballot in union elections. The purpose of this ridiculous piece of legislation is to enable bully unionists who want to intimidate people into doing what they want them to do.
Union officials nationwide will mingle with Bruce Lunsford from Kentucky, Tom Allen of Maine, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Jeff Merkley from Oregon.
Also high on the agenda for the group is to decide how to convince bitter clingers in Ohio and Pennsylvania to vote for Barack Obama.
Union leaders will discuss their work defining Obama for their rank-and-file members, especially in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where union households make up as much as 25 to 35 percent of the electorate.
Good luck! Oh, by the way, for the first time in Rasmussen polling, John McCain is leading Barack Obama.
47-46 including leaners.
Keep that faith.
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