McConnell Takes 48-43 Lead in new Bluegrass Poll

A New Bluegrass Poll, commissioned by The Courier-Journal, WHAS-11, The Lexington Herald-Leader and WKYT, was released today showing Senator McConnell up by five points with less than a week until election day. This is the same poll that was previously dead even when other polls showed McConnell up by several points.

The poll also finds that only 27% of Kentuckians view President Obama favorably. As Obama's Kentucky Candidate, it's no surprise that Grimes is struggling to find support in a state that has been so disproportionally harmed by Obama's policies. Kentuckians also understand the significance of Senator McConnell potentially becoming the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, a position that no Kentuckian has held since 1947. As Governor Huckabee pointed out last week at the Turn Kentucky Red Rally, every other state, big or small, would do anything for the influence that comes from having the majority leader as its senator. On November 4th, we have the opportunity to make our voices heard and restore this nation, starting by reelecting Senator McConnell.

No There There in Alison's Job Plan

Alison Lundergan-Grimes showed up to the KET debate with a prop:  her supposed job plan.  She clutched it and waved it at very points; she has done this on the campaign trail, as well. But she never says much about what's in the plan.

So I checked out her website for the specifics.  Like the entire Grimes campaign, it's just platitudes. She asserts that Kentuckians are hurting.  This is not news. Grimes attempts to pin that pain on McConnell rather than the Obama economy -- just like Obama has spent the last six years blaming everything on George W. Bush.  At some point, Obama and Grimes cross the line of reality.

She promises to cut red tape.  I am all for cutting red tape. Yet when was a Democrat ever in the history of the two parties better at cutting tape than a Republican?  Not even Bill Clinton can triangulate that issue.

She says she will remove " federal regulation of Kentucky's energy sector, allowing our state to create new middle-class jobs across the state."  This cannot be squared with the EPA regulations that Obama has issued by Executive Order.  Not only do those regulations make it impossible to build a new coal plant, regulations to be implemented in the coming months call for 18 coal plants, including in Kentucky, to be closed.  That is, Democrats plan to take the depression that plagues Eastern Kentucky and bring it to Western Kentucky, as well.  Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told the coal miners of Western Kentucky to not think they'd evaded the scrutiny of Obama's EPA:  they are coming for you.

Even if Grimes sincerely opposes what Obama's bureaucrats in the EPA are doing, she will have no seniority, no clout to stop them.  None.

Grimes says she wants to bring manufacturing back to Kentucky through tax reform.  Again, this is cheap advice.  McConnell has pointed to tax reform as an area where Congress might be able to get something done, if Obama moves to the center.  The difference between Grimes and McConnell, however, is that he will not use "reform" as a pretext for a tax increase.  America's corporate tax rate is now the highest in the developed world. No wonder corporations look to other countries to base their operations.

 It is the same within this country as states compete with other states:  jobs flow to the lowest tax rate.  That's why Kentucky is losing out to Tennessee.  That's yet another reason why Kentucky must #fliptheHouse.

The McConnell - Lee Greenwood Show

I attended Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's rallies in Somerset and Liberty to see not just McConnell but Lee Greenwood, best known for singing "Proud To Be An American." McConnell and Greenwood hit 14 cities in two days. I don't know how they have the stamina.

At 72, Greenwood's voice is still clear and powerful. He had the entire audience singing by the end, many moved to tears. That song has always given me chills, ever since I first heard it on the Reagan '84 campaign trail.

As McConnell pointed out, Greenwood's composition encapsulates conservative American values, beyond the lyrics. That song conveys American exceptionalism, pure and simple, in a way that no book or speech or think tank ever could.

Greenwood singing "Proud To Be An American" was a fitting epilogue to McConnell's speech.  Although McConnell hit hard on the damage that the Obama-Reid Democrats have done to the country, McConnell encouraged the audience not to give up hope.  It is not too late:  we can turn this around, save our country.  The only concrete action we can take this year, however, is to make Mitch McConnell Senate Majority Leader.

Greenwood and McConnell stayed and met with every person in the audience who wanted a photo or an autograph.  Both seemed to enjoy interacting with the crowd.

A note about the crowds at these rallies and the liberal narrative that McConnell's support was astro-turf.  Many people, like me, had taken the day off of work to hear McConnell and Greenwood.  Despite the rumors that McConnell was paying people to attend, I certainly have yet to receive a check!

I would expect and hope that the campaign staff who set up the microphones and the like were paid; they appeared to be working hard. When liberal media refer to McConnell campaign staff attending every rally, this is to whom they are referring.  It is no different than any other campaign I have seen.  Indeed, I would expect that Alison Lundergan-Grimes has paid campaign staff to set up her podium at every stop.  We wouldn't want her to chip a nail.

Grimes Insults KY Women

When I  went through the mail last night I was astonished to saw that Alison Lundergan Grimes had sent me a campaign mailer, addressed to me. I could not decide if she is desperate or  just not very smart. Of course, these two explanations are not mutually exclusive.  And there is a third possibility:  she is a rich girl accustomed to Daddy getting her whatever she wants -- even a campaign bus! No need to pinch pennies!

Asking around, it became apparent that Grimes is sending direct mail to women who are registered Republicans.  Apparently she is so awash in money that she can squander it on people who will never, ever vote for her.  If Grimes is this bad a steward of her own campaign's resources, imagine what she would do with a federal budget.

Even more bizarre, Grimes is mailing Republican women who live in the suburbs.  To the extent that Mitch McConnell has not closed the gender gap among women of all ages, it is beyond dispute that married women overwhelmingly prefer McConnell.  Memo for Grimes:  registered Republican women who live in the suburbs are more than likely married.  They are McConnell voters. Again, she is just profligate with her own resources in total disregard of common sense and reality.

It is insulting that Grimes thinks that Kentucky women will vote for her simply because she is a woman.  Her invocation of the so-called war on women will not work.  She keeps accusing McConnell of opposing equal pay for equal work in disregard of the fact that pay discrimination based on gender has been illegal since the 1960's.  

Grimes is so busy purporting to solve phony issues that she ignores the biggest issue of the election:  the Obama "recovery" stinks.  Those of us who are parents are worried about our children's future. We worry that what Obama has done to this country is on the brink of becoming irreversible.

If Grimes wants to show what a "strong Kentucky woman" she is, how about starting by standing up to Daddy Lundergan.  How about asking him why he objectifies and demeans women  with his "Hugh Jass" burger restaurant.  Perhaps Grimes should request Daddy Lundergan to take off the menu "Charlotte's rack"  -- the name of her own mother's breasts.  Grimes's sister gets a shout-out on the menu as "Abby's hugh ass."  

If a Republican did that, the Democrats would be screaming about misogyny.  Where are the feminists to complaint about this sexism?

It is insufficient for Grimes to respond that it is not her restaurant.  She is the company's lawyer.  If any of my clients publicly referred to my mother's breasts, I would give them a peace of my mind pro bono.

Then there is Grimes's hypocrisy about the minimum wage.  She wants to raise it, but her family restaurant pays its waitresses a whopping $2.13 an hour.  So much for charity beginning in the home.

I just hope that Grimes doesn't run for governor after she loses next week. As McConnell has said, she is a "new face for the status quo."  That is true regardless of what office she sets her sights on.

Huckabee Rocks Turn KY Red Rally

Mike Huckabee did more than just encourage Kentucky to flip the state House:  he made an impassioned argument as to why the country is counting on us to reelect Mitch McConnell.

It was perhaps the best Get Out the Vote Speech I've ever seen.

Huckabee pointed out that if McConnell becomes Senate Majority Leader, he will be in a position to set the agenda in the Senate.  More importantly, he will have power to protect our state to an extent that all other 49 states would love that opportunity.

We all know that it is not often that Kentucky is the envy of the nation.  With McConnell as Senate Majority, however, we will have an champion second to none to look out for us.

Huckabee explained how the current Majority Leader, Sen. Harry Reid, has prevented 360 bills passed by the House of Representatives from coming to a vote in the Senate.  The back log is such that Harry Reid's desk is a fire hazard, Huckabee joked.  Amplifying the point, Huckabee said that Reid has turned the Senate into a "roach motel" where bills from the House go in but never come out.

Noting a sign in the audience that read "I am pro-life and proud,"  Huckabee stated that McConnell is the pro-life candidate in Kentucky's U.S. Senate race.  He spoke on the issue with a moral authority that stilled the crowd.  It was touching, therefore, after he finished speaking and greeted the crowd, that he gave extra time and attention to a number of individuals in motorized wheel chairs with severe disabilities.  His time and attention showed how deeply he believes what he had just said: all individuals, even a Downs baby, are created in God's image.

Huckabee's background as a preacher came through when he made essentially an alter call for each person there to go out and bring 10 right-minded people to the polls.  He conveyed an urgency for Kentuckians to do this not just for Kentucky but for America.

The man is a superb speaker, and he exudes such humility and decency.  I was not a Huckabee fan when he first ran for president.  I was wrong.

Former U.S. Ambassador Cathy Bailey's Kentucky Rise PAC put on a terrific rally.  The hangar at Bowman field was nicely filled with approximately 400 people in a wide range of ages and even races. Sen. Paul's efforts to grow the party seem to be bearing fruit (a big part of this is Jefferson County GOP Chair Nate Haney's opening a West End GOP headquarters.)

Though Huckabee was the headliner,  we heard excellent speeches from former Secretary Elaine Chao, Ambassador Bailey (who is quite a good stump speaker herself), Congressional candidate "Dr. Mac" and  state and local candidates.

  Altogether an impressive group of conservatives, worthy of a straight ticket vote

[Note:  photos to follow].

Huckabee to Help Flip the House

Former Arkansas Governor and Fox News Host Mike Huckabee will headline a rally Saturday, October 25th at Bowman Field in Louisville.  The rally is free and open to the public at 5:00. (Enter off of Cannon's Lane and follow the signs.)

Huckabee will appear on behalf of the Kentucky Rise PAC in support of its efforts to give Republicans our first GOP House in Kentucky since 1922.  Kentucky Rise PAC is chaired by former U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Cathy Bailey.  "In a year that is extremely crucial to our country's future, we cannot ignore the opportunity to win the Kentucky House in 2014, " Bailey said.  "Governor Huckabee knows first-hand the importance of Republicans controlling both chambers of the statehouse and is committed to helping us here in Kentucky. It's imperative we create a pro-business state that could allow Kentucky to serve as a regional economic powerhouse, encouraging job creation and is committed to helping our educational system, which will provide a strong Kentucky workforce."

Now that the DSCC has fled Kentucky after Alison Lundergan Grimes's embarrassing refusal to admit she voted for Obama, it is time to focus on the State House.  Huckabee's appearance comes just ten days before the election -- perfect for rallying the base to make a historic change in who governs in Frankfort.

Given that a veto by Kentucky's governor can be over-ridden by a simple majority, control or the legislative chambers is more significant in Kentucky than in most other states.  It is key to transforming the Commonwealth.  Huckabee and Bailey deserve our gratitude for their efforts to flip the House. Thank them in person on October 25th, 5:00 at Bowman Field.

Debate Predictions

Tonight's debate between Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Democrat candidate Alison Lundergan-Grimes is like the Super Bowl of Kentucky politics.

This is Grimes' last chance.  Nothing she has done to date suggests that she has what it takes to upstage McConnell tonight. If she was fleet-footed enough to debate, she wouldn't have been so tightly scripted this entire campaign.

McConnell's mastery of the facts of every issue of public policy that will come up will be insurmountable for Grimes.  We saw a preview of this when, at the Farm Bureau Breakfast, she did not understand the subtleties of agricultural price supports.  And again, when she opined that Israel's iron dome protected against Hamas's tunnels.  McConnell, therefore, wins in the contest of who looks best informed and most able to lead now. This will reinforce the public's suspicion that Grimes is just not ready for the task at this juncture.

Look for Grimes to feign outrage at McConnell supposedly condescending to her because she is a women.  He would not do such a thing -- he is married to a former Cabinet member, for heaven's sake -- but Grimes will make the accusation nonetheless.  She will probably say something about not being an empty dress.  (In point of fact, that's exactly what she is).  This exchange will probably occur when she is advocating equal pay for equal work or talking about the Violence Against Women Act.

Let's review.  It has been illegal since the 1960's to pay women less than men for the same work.  This is a fake issue, wherein Grimes purports to solve a problem that does not exist.  Likewise, McConnell was an original co-sponsor of the Violence Against Women.

Grimes is doing so poorly among Kentucky women because we see through her War on Women rhetoric.  Nor does the Democrat strategy or warning that Republicans are coming for our Lady Parts work in Kentucky.  Most of us -- unlike Grimes -- are pro-life.  Maybe someone should ask Grimes about the Democrats' War on Unborn Women.

Kentucky women are worried about our children's future.  We don't want our children to be on our health insurance at age 26 -- we want them to move out of the house, become gainfully employed, and start their own families. The fact that Democrats boast about Obamacare permitting 26 year old children to remain on parents' insurance policies shows the degree to which Democrats just don't understand our values of hard work, personal responsibility and independence.

Kentucky women smell a phony in Grimes. The robotic hand-gestures, the doe-eyed innocence, the hair carefully coiffed to fall over her left shoulder, the ceaseless platitudes, generalities and lack of substance. She is a daddy's girl of the highest order.  Some daddy's girls convince daddy to buy them a pony.  Grimes convinced her daddy -- the notorious Jerry Lundergan -- to buy her a campaign bus. She is no woman of the people.  For her to pretend that she speaks for Kentucky women is beyond laughable, it is offensive.

Dr. MacFarlane's Take on Ebola

From the campaign of Dr. Michael MacFarlane, Congressional candidate for Kentucky's 3rd district.  I share Dr. MacFarlane's concerns (though his take is informed by him being a medical doctor).  My C-J column this week also addresses the administration's response to Ebola.

Yesterday, Dr. Macfarlane wrote a thoughtful and timely Op-Ed piece in the wake of breaking news from Dallas, TX. The Courier Journal has responded this morning that they will not run any more pieces from Dr. Macfarlane before the election.  Just to clarify, Dr. Macfarlane had only one article published by the Courier Journal in June.  This is the letter to the editor that you will not see published. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ebola virus and politics I, like you, have been following the stories concerning Ebola around the country and particularly at Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.  This morning we awoke to discover that a Dallas nurse who had treated patient Thomas Duncan who succumbed to Ebola last Wednesday, has now tested positive with the infection.  She was fully aware of the patient’s diagnosis and used full CDC isolation precautions including gown, gloves and mask while she cared for the patient, yet she still has fallen victim to the disease.  Her sacrifice to care for a sick patient is exactly what healthcare providers do on a daily basis.  Each new Ebola infection triggers an elaborate and expensive protocol of contact screenings and monitoring of hundreds of potential people in addition to decontamination procedures by hazardous material professionals.  Routine care at a hospital with infected patients will be impaired.  Texas Presbyterian has temporarily halted new emergency room admissions.  It should be apparent that the situation could easily become overwhelming if more cases are encountered.  We are presently out of the new experimental drug ZMapp, which has already been credited in saving the lives of other healthcare workers.  The medication is a biologic of monoclonal antibodies and it takes time to produce.  Unfortunately, the Ebola topic has become a part of the political debate for the upcoming midterm elections. Is the federal government doing all that is necessary to prevent a major out break in the United States?  Presently the disease is endemic only in a few West African nations where presently over 4,000 have already died. The Federal response at this time is to set up screening facilities at major airports in the U.S. for travelers who have already entered the country.  Each passenger will need to be evaluated based on their most recent travel destinations, undergo a mini-medical examination, and then have a decision made whether or not to allow them entry, begin further monitoring, a quarantine or hospitalization.  I do not envy anyone who must make that call. Public health is at stake. Common sense on the other hand would suggest treating such a deadly disease at its source rather than bringing it into the US.  Common sense would also suggest curtailing unnecessary travel to and from these endemic countries temporarily, at least until we have more immunoglobulin and better procedures in place to ensure infected individuals do not get on planes.  To be clear, travel bans would not restrict aid and humanitarian work in endemic countries or travel for medical professionals who are working to stop a pandemic at its source. We need a common sense approach and we need it quick. Unfortunately common sense seems to be lacking in our government at every level.  Fortunately for us, the people still have it and will soon weigh in. Michael Macfarlane, M.D. Candidate for KY 3rd Congressional District ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please support Dr. Macfarlane today.  We appreciate any contribution that can be made. Best Regards, Macfarlane for Congress http://www.macfarlane2014.com/

Democrats Turn Surreal

For those old enough to remember, Johnny Carson once had a dialogue with his audience about the weather.  After he opened by remarking about how really hot the weather was that day, the audience responded in unison, "how hot was it?" then Johnny replied with the punch line, "it was so hot today that I just saw a pigeon was walking in the shadow of Orson Welles."

For the Orson Welles (albeit a skinny one) casting his shadow over a pigeon in the 2014 Kentucky Senate Race -- that is, the punch line known as Barack Obama -- the dialogue begins with how really unpopular the President is today.  How unpopular is he?  He is so unpopular today that I just saw a liberal newspaper columnist trying to boost Allison Lundergan Grimes' campaign by claiming that -- get this -- Mitch McConnell is more like Obama than is Grimes!  Yes, that's right.  Apparently, the Democrats' latest strategy to get voters to forget that Obama needs Grimes is to make the absurd argument that he really needs McConnell.  How else is there to describe Sam Youngman's article, "On Battling Islamic State, Mitch McConnell is Barack Obama's 'Kentucky Candidate'"?  Do they really think Kentuckians are dumb enough to believe that?
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

Cosmo Endorses Allison Lundergan Grimes

Cosmopolitan Magazine has announced that it is endorsing Allison Lundergan Grimes.  The rationale given was that Grimes is pro-choice, whereas Mitch McConnell has said that he will introduce legislation to ban late-term abortions. As Cosmo put it, Grimes has

earned endorsements from NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and she's recommended by EMILY's List.

Cosmo is trying to boost the Dems' War on Women's Ladyparts narrative in an effort to turn out young single women.  Grimes' already had their vote.

Married women, in contrast, will not be impressed with the Cosmo endorsement.  To the contrary, many Kentucky women find the magazine off-putting.  It is a slutty, silly magazine that objectifies women.  Really gross. The endorsement just underscores how unserious Grimes is as a candidate, and how unsuited she is to represent Kentucky.

It will be interesting to see how Grimes handles the endorsement and even more interesting to know to what extent the Grimes campaign actually courted Cosmo to get the endorsement.

McConnell Gets Warm Reception at U of L Opener

Senate Republican Mitch McConnell was in the stands to watch the University of Louisville defeat University of Miami in the first game of the football season Labor Day evening.  McConnell rarely misses a home game. He is always decked out in his Cards gear and watches every minute. As he is with his politics, McConnell,  is steadfast. He is no fair weather fan.

Generally, the other fans at the football game pay no mind to McConnell, or perhaps give him his space. He is just another guy in the stands chanting "Cards First Down!"

The Miami game, however, was different.  People treated McConnell differently.  As he walked from the tailgate area to the stadium, people kept asking to have their picture taken with him. McConnell's presence generated a buzz, an excitement in the crowd. He was warmly greeted.  There were no hecklers, perhaps because the Allison Lundergan Grimes had no presence whatsoever.

One large group of maybe six or eight couples politely asked for a photo. Apparently this group did not receive the DNC memo that Republicans are waging a War On Women.

 While the half dozen or more wives surrounded McConnell, their husbands all snapped photos.  I am sure these are floating around Facebook and Instagram. This particular encounter was illustrative of McConnell's advantage with married women.

As McConnell drew closer to the stadium, another woman approached McConnell. She was approximately 30 years of age and with her husband.  She told McConnell that she is a small business owner and thanked him for all he had done to fight Obamacare.  They talked for some time. He listened intently as she explained the devastating impact that health care premiums are having on her business. I couldn't hear most of the conversation, but her support for McConnell, her gratitude for his service and his respect for him spoke volumes.

This is why McConnell is essentially tied with Grimes for women's votes. Grimes's lead with young women is not enough to overcome the Marriage Gap advantage that Republicans have with married women. Democrats do well among young, single women, and pander to this group with promises of free birth control and fear-mongering about Republicans coming to imprison their Lady Parts.

 Married women, with a few more years of life experience, see through this nonsense. That's why they are backing the grown-up in the race, McConnell.

Alison Grimes, Daddy's Little Girl

Alison Lundergan Grimes doesn't have just a bus problem:  she has Daddy Issues.  It was only a question of time before the Jerry Lundergan would become the focus of his daughter's campaign.  He is irresistible both to Grimes supporters and those who oppose her.

On the one hand, Lundergan is well-connected with prominent Democrats, most notably the Clintons.  As former Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party and a former member of the state House, he is an experienced pol in his own right, and widely believed to be making all the strategic calls for his daughter's campaign. Given the political landscape nationally this year, the fact that Grimes has access to buckets of cash through Daddy and friends made her an attractive candidate.

However, there is a perception that like the Clintons, Lundergan  is a grifter who skates awfully close to the line.  Grimes's supporters write irate comments whenever it is pointed out that Lundergan was convicted of a felony. He is technically not a "felon," Grimes's supporters  argue, because his conviction  for a state ethics violation was overturned on appeal.  Though true, that is an unsavory point for Grimes's supporters to have to debate.

Here's the reason that the bus issue is resonating and won't go away:  it is vintage Lundergan.  We knew this scandal was coming in one form or another. Grimes's Daddy essentially bought for her and then rented her a bus on the cheap. That's a generous impulse from a doting dad, but given his previous run-ins with the law, one would have thought that Lundergan would have been more careful.  Clearly, he has learned nothing.

Grimes, moreover, compromised her integrity and has seriously undermined her campaign to save a few bucks -- which makes no sense whatsoever given that her campaign is rolling in dough.  Thanks to Daddy and Slick Willie calling in favors, Grime is hauling suitcases full of money from Hollywood and New York. Even Woody Allen contributed to Grimes.

So why not rent a bus from a transportation company unrelated to her father, so as to avoid the accusation that she is violating federal election law?  It was a risk she did not need to take.

And yet she used Daddy's companies, not just to rent her bus but for many other aspects of her campaign, as well.. The unescapable conclusions is that Grimes's political instincts are not good.  Further, Grimes appears to be detached from the running of her own campaign. Grimes is a lawyer, and the daughter of someone who was convicted for an ethics violations.  This should have been one  part of the campaign where she should have taken a keen interest. But she did not. If this is the kind of attention to detail she pays to her own affairs, Kentuckians cannot count on her to navigate her way through the U.S. Senate.

Grimes does not have the gravitas to survive in the U.S. Senate.

Mitch Momentum

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

Fancy Farm Photos

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

Fancy That

The Fancy Farm picture on the first page of today's Courier-Journal says it all:  the Republicans are young, energetic and on their feet; the Democrats are middle aged, tired and sitting on their party mascots, to put it politely.  It brought to mind the latest SUSA poll:  Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is winning both the youth and senior vote, while Alison Grimes' coalition is at the crisis point, composed mostly of middle agers.

Clearly McConnell has momentum.  That was evident from the level of enthusiasm of his supporters yesterday.  They were far more relaxed and confident than last year, when general unease divided the right field at Fancy Farm.  One never knew when or where an isolated Matt Bevin supporter would ring a cowbell next.  This year, though Bevin did attend the Graves County Republican breakfast (which he curiously boycotted last year), he made no podium remarks comparable to his last year's, "look how smart I am to make a literary allusion," quoting of John Donne's poem about the tolling bell. Indeed, he had no microphone at Fancy Farm at all this year.  Bevin sat on a bench near the back of the school cafeteria where the breakfast was held. Good for him, though, for at least showing up this year -- and for biting his tongue when one of the speakers made reference to McConnell's landslide victory in the primary.

And good for Senator Rand Paul, who delivered poetry also -- a lampoonish Lundergan-Grimes limerick.  Attorney General Jack Conway continued as character foil to Paul.  Conway spent most of his speech crowing about how great Jack Conway is as Attorney General, and how great it would be to elect Jack Conway as Governor, before ending with an, oh, and you should vote for Grimes for Senate also.  Paul, in contrast, said nothing about himself during his speech -- despite that he is the Republican frontrunner for the Presidency -- and remained the bigger candidate and man than the one who thought Aqua Buddha would get him elected to the U.S. Senate.

The Paul-Conway contrast was just one example of difference between the Republican and Democratic speakers at this year's Fancy Farm.  The Republicans had their National A-Team, led by the likely next Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate and possibly the next President of the United States.  The Democrats had their farm-league club.  Where was that Major League pitcher like President Barack Obama's teleprompter when the Democrats really needed it?

The only mentions of Obama (and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid) were by the Republicans.  The Grimes supporters awkwardly responded to their party leaders' names.  Obama and Reid were like  embarrassing, distant relatives at yesterday's Democratic family gathering.  The Grimes folks mostly just tried to ignore them, though Grimes did not dispute the Republicans' repeated point that her first vote as U.S. Senator would be for Uncle Harry to be her leader.

Other Democrats oddly missing at Fancy Farm were minorities.  In his breakfast speech Paul continued to advocate for the party of Lincoln to make more of an effort to reclaim its historic support from the African American community. But, again the C-J's picture tells a story:  there are no African Americans in sight, either on the Republican or the Democratic side.  From personal observation, however, I can say there were some African Americans and other minorities among McConnell's supporters who were outside the lens of the C-J's camera.

But I can't say I saw any minorities anywhere on the Grimes side.  This recollection seemed all the more significant this morning when I read in the C-J about a Northern Kentucky Democrat tweeting that McConnell's wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, "isn't from KY, she is Asian."

Indeed, whether you were born in Kentucky seemed to be a Democratic talking point yesterday.  A self-appointed "news" videographer from the Grimes camp -- at least I figured so since he was wearing a Grimes tee shirt -- came over to the McConnell side to interview Republicans.  One of his questions was whether we knew that McConnell wasn't born in Kentucky.

You know you are winning when the other side starts making the birther argument.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

Claudia Tenney is the Real Deal

Congressional candidate Claudia Tenney is a true conservative, always has been. We have been friends since high school.  I am delighted that she is running for the Republican nomination in New York's 22nd Congressional district, where we grew up. Good for Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, Michelle Malkin and the many other conservative talk show hosts and writers who have endorsed Claudia.

Claudia is a lawyer and a constitutional conservative.   Her late father was a highly respected conservative judge and a true gentlemen.  He would be proud of the campaign she has waged against incumbent Richard Hanna -- the third most liberal Republican in the House of Representatives. Having grown up in Judge Tenney's household, Claudia learned early on that rule of law requires judges to apply the law rather than legislate from the bench.  She likewise respects the plain text of the constitution, including the second amendment.  Claudia is not one for discovering new "rights" in the constitution's penumbras and emanations, and so it is no surprise that Claudia opposes abortion.

Claudia is a single mother and justly proud of her son, who graduated from Annapolis and is a Marine officer. She raised him while running a small business, practicing law and doing volunteer work with Bosnian refugees.

I think the fierceness and intensity of her campaign stems from Claudia's ability as an athlete. She is a superb equestrian, one of the best on the U.S. Hunter-Jumper circuit back when we were in high school.  In show-jumping and also skiing, she was fearless.  She took up basketball and later golf and I have no doubt she's very, very good.  Claudia likes to compete and she is an extremely hard worker -- all attributes that will serve her well in Congress.

Although Claudia has Tea Party backing, she is no wild-eyed Mourdock or Akin. Claudia's family has been active in the Republican Party in Central New York for generations. She will be able to move comfortably with Establishment Republicans to get things done for the district, but will never go wobbly. Washington won't change Claudia.  To the extent that it is still possible, however, Claudia might change Washington. 

Notwithstanding her tenacity, Claudia is kind.  She is generous.  She is a loyal friend, has a great sense of humor and is one of the most honest people I have ever met.  I wish I still lived in the district so I could vote for her tomorrow.  In the meantime, I am praying for the Republicans in NY-22 give her the nomination.  Her opponent is so liberal that the Democrats did not bother to nominate anybody.  If Claudia wins tomorrow, she will be going to Congress. 

Central New York conservatives, you need to turn out tomorrow.  The nation is watching so get it right.

Matt Bevin Does the Right Thing

At Saturday night's Lincoln Day dinner for the Kentucky Republican Party, the highlight was the surprise appearance of Matt Bevin.

Sen. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell had taken to the podium. He reminisced about how not that many years back, it was hard to recruit Republicans to run for office, given the Democrats' commanding lead in voter registration.  Now, that gap has closed significantly.  As a consequence, McConnell said, candidates value the Republican nomination.  The inevitable result is more Republican primaries. Reflecting upon his recent primary, McConnell said that there was someone he needed to thank for making him a better candidate for the general election:  Matt Bevin.

At that point, McConnell gestured to the left corner of the ballroom and Matt Bevin stood up.  A surprised and delighted audience immediately gave Bevin a standing ovation.

 It was a show of unity that few expected in light of the tone of Bevin's concessions speech.  Concession speeches, however, are given in the raw moments when the reality of the loss is just beginning to sink in.  Two and half weeks later, Bevin demonstrated true graciousness.  But Bevin's presence was more than good sportsmanship.  His campaign argued for conservative policy solutions and by showing up at the state party dinner -- the bastion of  Establishment Republicans - he put the focus on the need to elect the most conservative candidate.  After the primary, that is McConnell. (Indeed, I would argue that McConnell was the most conservative candidate before the primary, but that is now beside the point).

I never believed that many of the Bevin supporters would stay home come the general election.  The Bevin supporters I know are committed conservatives, deeply patriotic Kentuckians who recognize that men and women put their lives on the line to defend our freedom. The most precious exercise of that freedom is when we vote. To stay home out of bitterness about a primary loss is unworthy of the right to vote.

Unlike the Rand Paul - Trey Grayson primary,  there was no "unity rally" after the primary this year. That was a source of disappointment and consternation to many Republicans. Then Matt Bevin showed up and demonstrated unity when we least expected it, and for that he deserves our respect and gratitude.

Senator Mike Enzi Delivers GOP Address

Great News For McConnell

A new Rasmusson poll shows that those voters who backed Bevin in the primary are coming back to McConnell for the general election.

The new poll has McConnell beating Alison Ludergan Grimes 48-41 percent among likely voters.  This is a significant shift, given that poll after poll before the primary showed the race as neck and neck.

According the the poll, McConnell now has the backing of 76 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Kentucky Democrats.  Grimes has 67 percent of Democrats and 18 percent of Republicans. Grimes is ahead of unaffiliated voters by three points.

Before the primary, one out of four Bevin supporters planned to vote for Grimes in the general if Bevin lost.  That margin was unsustainable. To the extent that the Bevin supporters truly thought that McConnell was not conservative enough, it never made any sense to think that Grimes would be more conservative than McConnell.

Grimes's appeal to the Bevin supporters could never offer anything substantive, just dislike for McConnell. Most Bevin supporters, however, were motivated in the primary by substance, not atmospherics. They sincerely thought that Bevin was the more conservative candidate.  He was not, in my view, but no matter:  it is beyond dispute that McConnell is much more conservative than Grimes.

I predict that Republican voters will further unite behind McConnell as the general election draws nearer.  Grimes claims that she is an "independent Kentucky woman."  That is beside the point. If elected, Harry Reid will be the boss of her.  Literally.  She will have no choice but to vote with his caucus

Thanks For the Mail, Alison!

I have a letter from Alison "Who's Your Daddy" Grimes. She sent it by mistake, but no matter.  The good news is that Alison has cleaned up her grammar.  She no longer boasts, "I don't scare easy."  Now she boasts "I don't scare easily."  Hooray!  Alison has mastered the distinction between an adjective and an adverb. Thata girl!

Now if only she could master the distinction between unemployment benefits and welfare.

Grimes complains that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell voted not to "Extend unemployment benefits in the wake of the Recession."  She points to votes on March 10, 2010, April 15, 2010, and July 20, 2010.

It is fascinating that Grimes describes these dates, particularly the last one, as the "wake of the Recession." Grimes has forgotten that Obama decreed 2010 as the Recovery Summer. Not that it's been much of a recovery. To the contrary -- many Americans remain underemployed, working multiple part-time jobs, and jobs for which they are overqualified.  Many other Americans have simply given up looking.  These people, more than any other, need the opportunity that only comes from a growing economy and an infusion of new jobs from new businesses.

At first blush, extending unemployment seems compassionate. But to keep extending it -- over and over, literally year after year -- is disingenuous.  At some point, unemployment ceases to be a temporary aid to pay bills while between jobs. At some point, it is no longer unemployment, but rather welfare hiding under a different name.

The distinction matters for several reasons.  Using the correct word matters.  Democrats like Obama, Harry Reid and Grimes are prone to obfuscate the debate by using the wrong word (think "fetus" for "baby").  According to Democrat lore, Bill Clinton abolished "welfare as we know it."  It is his big claim to fame (well, maybe his second).

 Heaven knows we Kentuckians will be subjected to lots of Clinton visits to help Grimes, daughter of their buddy Jerry Lundergan.  These visits will attempt to make us wax poetic for the Clinton years and the Clinton economy.  That nostalgia hinges on Clinton having "abolished" welfare.  The problem for Grimes is that to the extent that Clinton "abolished" welfare, Obama brought it roaring back.

Whether characterized as welfare or as unemployment benefits extended ad infinitum, the extension never addressed the root of the problem of why so many Americans remain unemployed for so long.  The main reason:  Obamacare.

While the Democrats tried to buy Americans off, McConnell was attempting to address Obamacare, the obstacle to a true recovery. Recall that when Democrats shoved Obamacare down America's throat that Christmas Eve, McConnell held together a Republican caucus that spans the spectrum from Olympia Snow to Ted Cruz; not a single Republican voted for Obamacare.  Consequently, Democrats -- including Grimes's party Leaders Reid, Obama and Pelosi -- own it.  And they own the consequences, including the stagnant job growth.

Sen. Rand Paul explained that at some point, extending unemployment benefits actually does a disservice to the recipients, because it causes them to become a part of a permanent class of unemployed; the unemployment benefits become a disincentive to employment.

In complaining about McConnell's votes, Grimes never tells us, is there ever a point at which she would vote against extending unemployment benefits? Ever? Can there never be a cut-off? If not, she is every bit as rigid, obstructionist and ideological as she accuses McConnell of being.

Grimes never addresses the fact that America borrows 40 cents of every dollar of unemployment benefits from the Chinese. That is no longer just fiscally irresponsible, but a threat to our national security.  At the very least, an extension of unemployment benefits should be matched with a cut in spending.  McConnell understands that. Grimes, apparently, does not. McConnell's vote was a sober, adult, courageous response to a bad situation caused by an inept and profligate administration, one that very much wants to see Grimes win.