Daily Kos: Jack Conway's "Macaca Moment"

The left-wing Daily Kos has a diary post that describes Democrat Jack Conway's Fancy Farm speech as his "Macaca moment." The Daily Kos has helpfully christened Conway as "Captain Jack" for his "salty language."

Over the weekend at the Fancy Farm church picnic, Kentucky Attorney General Conway, in a bizarre attempt to bolster his street cred for the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, described himself as "one tough" S.O.B.. Except he didn't use the acronym.

Conway's rival for the nomination, Lieut. Gov. Dan Mongiardo, demanded that Conway apologize and Conway caved.

Now watch the left eat its own. Quoting the Rural Kentucky Democrat's Diary, the Daily Kos reads:

This is officially Jack Conway's macaca moment. For those of you who may have forgotten, former Senator George Allen of Virginia used the phrase "macaca", which is a racial slur, in a speech during his reelection campaign of 2006. He was the clear favorite and eventually lost the race due to the slip up.

Conway's outburst has also led to the revamping of the rules set by St. Jerome's Parish. They will issue a "no profanity" rule for future Fancy Farm events. And many in Western Kentucky who were supporting Conway are now dumping him like a bad ham sandwich, and that is a fact.

Jack Conway's campaign stood defiant last night and said "there will be no apology" after the Mongiardo campaign asked for Conway to apologize. Well he is eating crow with a silver spoon, pun intended. This is clearly a disaster for the Conway campaign and there is really no way to recover, in politics at this level you only get one chance. Reports from sources in Washington D.C tell me that the DSCC is not happy, of course the big boyz in D.C were pimping the Conway campaign. I expect they pushed for the apology.

On the big stage you have to keep your cool and for those hitting Mongiardo for his speech need to remember ITS FANCY FARM. But a viable candidate can not react and blow the most important speech of his or her political career and Conway blew it. He may have access to the easy millions but now that is all null and void because his macaca moment will be used against him to the end of time.

At this point he is damaged goods for the Democratic Party. He may be able to recover with time, he is young, but there is no recovering in this race, it will not happen.

Plainly, Conway is not so tough as he so colorfully boasted. Captain Jack capitulated to his rival Mongiardo after watching Mongiardo try to raise a few bucks for his campaign by watching his very pregnant wife dance a strip tease with his tie. (Memo to Dr. Dan: the name of the reality show is Pimp My Ride, not Pimp My Bride.)

Oblivious to his own sanctimonious hypocrisy, Mongiardo appoints himself the Miss Manners who will keep Fancy Farm pure and tasteful. Captain Jack obediantly apologized, proving that he is not one tough S.O.B. after all.

Jack Conway, Macho Man (This Is Jack Tough!)

This YouTube of Jack Conway boasting about what a tough S.O.B he is will go viral. I love the iterations of all his hair color -- I never noticed the resemblance to a preening John Edwards in his "I Feel Pretty" days.

Keep Kentucky Senate Republican

The Kentucky Republicans and conservatives needs to write a check (quickly) for the GOP candidate in a special election to fill the vacancy by Republican Sen. Charlie Borders in Northeastern Kentucky, District 18.

Dr. Jack Ditty is the Republican nominee in a special election that Gov. Beshear has set for August 25th. This election will determine more than who represents District 18; it has implications for the balance of power within the state. All Republicans, therefore, need to watch this closely and give what they can to protect our majority in the Senate.

According to the state party, Dr. Ditty would be the only physician in the State Senate -- an invaluable asset for Republicans as we work to achieve healthcare reform rather than government takeover.

To learn more about Dr. Ditty and make a donation, go to www.drjackditty.com.

NRCC Targets Chandler, But Not Yarmuth

The National Republican Congressional Committee has compiled its hit list of 70 Democratic seats it will try to retake, according to Politico. The only Congressman from Kentucky to earn a bull's eye is Ben Chandler. The NRCC did not target John Yarmuth -- which seems to be a tacit admission that he is safe for now. His left-wing voting record fits the preferences of his Louisville voters. Nonetheless, by conceding the seat, the NRCC will make it more difficult to recruit a credible Republican to run for that seat.

As for Chandler, I've been impressed by how often he votes with the Republicans in our delegation. His record, unlike Yarmuth's, is quite conservative. Indeed, Chandler's voting record will serve him well with the rest of the state when he runs state-wide. It seems wasteful for the NRCC to use scarce resources to go after Chandler. Given the free-fall of President Barack Obama's poll numbers, shouldn't we target the far-left fringe rather than the Blue Dogs?

The Hawpester Retires

The Courier-Journal has confirmed what has been rumored for weeks: David Hawpe will retire. It is appropriate, given Hawpe's 40-year tenure with the C-J, that the paper let Hawpe retire rather than can him with its most recent batch of terminations. We wish him all the best in his retirement.

It's hard to imagine the Courier-Journal without David Hawpe -- sort of like Nightmare on Elm Street without Freddy Krueger. Hawpe personified a love for big government liberalism and a commensurate hatred of anything or anyone conservative or Republican. To his credit, however, he did it as a pundit rather than under the guise of any supposed objectivity. And he can write.

One weird piece of Hawpe trivia: when Bill Murray was in Kentucky to film Stripes, he stayed at Hawpe's former home in Anchorage.

Hawpe says that "he has no specific plans for retirement but is considering writing a book or two, teaching, doing volunteer work and involving himself in political campaigns that reflect his philosophy." (Emphasis added.)

John Yarmuth and Jack Conway, you have been forewarned.

Twin Disasters: Cap & Trade and Healthcare Reform

Cap & Trade and Healthcare Reform (as currently proposed) are distinct issues, but they share in common the ability to destroy our economy and our future. They will set in motion a series of events which will be disastrous. Paying for these initiatives will require massive increases in taxes at every level of society. This taxation will literally suck trillions of dollars out of the private economy. These are dollars that will then not be available for consumption and investment. Since the demand for products and services will be severely diminished, the people who provide them will not be needed. This will result in business closures and job losses of unprecedented magnitude.

Don't let the politicians get away with the lie that businesses and "rich" people will pay for these efforts. It is the middle and lower classes that will pay the price in the form of lost jobs, diminished expectations and a bleak economic future.

Each issue has its own additional set of horrors beyond their macro-economic effects.

Cap and Trade is a thinly disguised tax on energy and production which will raise energy costs significantly for every individual and business in the country. Under such a plan, the government, not the free market, will determine which industries thrive and which ones suffer. The whole premise on which Cap and Trade is based, global warming and impending environmental doom, has been shown by many scientists to be a hoax at worst and questionable speculative theory at best. It is hardly a legitimate reason to consider an economy killing policy such as Cap and Trade. The fact that some of our major competitors, namely India and China, do not have such taxes will further erode our already difficult competitive position in the global market.

Healthcare Reform, as currently proposed, will replace an admittedly imperfect private insurance industry with a completely awful nationalized, single payer government bureaucracy. Healthcare decisions will be in the hands of government bureaucrats and their motivation will be to reduce costs, not to care for people. The supply of doctors will fall dramatically as our best and our brightest pursue more lucrative careers. This at a time when our aging population demands more doctors. Healthcare will be rationed and many people with serious conditions will experience deteriorating health and even death as they are forced to wait for, or are denied, care. And lastly, the much heralded number of 46 million uninsured that is used to justify the legislation is a lie. If you subtract from this number illegal aliens, those that are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid but aren't signed up and those, especially the young, that can afford to purchase insurance but choose not to, you have a number that is some fraction of 46 million. We are a compassionate country and there is a way that we can pay for healthcare for the truly needy, but it does not necessitate totally revamping the system to put everyone under government control.

Fortunately, for now Cap and Trade appears to be on the back burner a bit. It barely passed in the House after a lot of arm twisting (breaking?), but its chances in the Senate are reportedly slim for now. Healthcare Reform has probably been delayed until after the August recess and there is now hope that some of its more draconian mandates may be removed. Still, both these issues are very much alive and have a great deal of money and political clout behind them. They are not going away.

Bunning's Out

Sen. Jim Bunning has announced that he will not seek reelection, according to WHAS 11. He says that he is not planning to endorse anyone -- hard to square with him telling Secretary of State Trey Grayson to form an exploratory committee.

Bunning also blames national Republicans for his inability to raise money. It's most unfortunate to see a man who has served Kentucky well resort to the role of victim:

“To win a general election, a candidate has to be able to raise millions of dollars to get the message out to voters,” Bunning said. “Over the past year, some of the leaders of the Republican Party in the Senate have done everything in their power to dry up my fundraising. The simple fact is that I have not raised the funds necessary to run an effective campaign for the U.S. Senate. For this reason, I will not be a candidate for re-election in 2010.” (From Politico.)

He took much too long to clear the way for Grayson. Bunning's stonewalling is the best campaign contribution that Attorney General Jack Conway could ever get. But Bunning has done the right thing. He would not have been reelected. He probably would not have won the Republican primary.

Bunning has been an outspoken proponent of conservative ideals. And now that he is a lame duck, we can look forward to Bunning unleashed!

Sen. Seum, Stay Put!

Joe Arnold is reporting that GOP state senator Dan Seum is considering running for Mayor of Louisville.

"I've been in the Kentucky State Senate for 26 years, and I am the Majority Caucus Chairman," Seum said to WHAS11's Chase Cain, "which means the other 21 Republicans have voted me to a leadership position. And I have some power, I guess you might say. I've worked hard to get there and I'd have to give all that up to do this.. and that's a tough decision for me."

Republicans don't have the luxury of kissing off any of our seats in the Senate. We need Seum where he is. There are plenty of other qualified Republicans who could run. (Calling Steve Pence.)

Thanks to the Greatest Generation

Thanks to the Greatest Generation. Take a moment to thank them now as their numbers dwindle faster each day. Thru their sacrifice during the dust bowl years, the great depression, and World War Two they cultivated values which would lead them into an adventure that would create the most powerful country in the world. Through their thoughtful prayer, conservative budgeting, hard work ethics and a propensity to save they have passed on to my generation, the Baby Boomers, the greatest country our world has ever experienced. The Greatest Generation did not apologize for being the strongest, most productive, most economically successful country in the world. They realized it was through hard work that our country was able to rid the world of evil, feed the world’s poor and economically support the world. I believe they actually took pride in their accomplishments achieved by their mass personal effort.

The Greatest Generation desired a legacy to pass on to their country and their offspring, my generation the Baby Boomers. We took it and we enjoyed the fruits of their sacrifice and labor. It is no accident that I remember and recognize the growth of our country as I grew up inheriting and benefiting from their sacrifice. The feelings of patriotism through our Country’s new position in the world order, the feelings of enjoying the mass economical growth we achieved during their reign and certainly we have all seen the effects, good and bad, of our stable diet. Generally speaking we have nothing to complain about. We became “fat and happy”.

What did my generation learn from the Greatest Generation? I am sorry to report not much. Because we cheerfully accepted their gift we did not learn that conserving, sacrificing and sometimes just doing with out does have merit. We now apologize for our world order while not recognizing all the good we still do for the world’s countries. We have the desire to get everything cheaper even if it means farming our good paying manufacturing jobs out to other countries so we can realize the benefit of their cheap labor and their hard work. We have spent every thing the Greatest Generation gave us. So much so that we can not pass on the Greatest Generation’s legacy to our children. But wait we are not done yet. We still have wants but are not willing to sacrifice by doing with out. The desire is so much so that we want to, and are even willing to, extend our elaborate life style into our children’s inheritance. We want them to pay for our health care, our country’s debt, all without having the benefit of living in a country considered to be the strongest, greatest country in the world.

We have elected leaders of our community and country that are willing to take us down this road seeking a more equal position in world order, apologizing for all the “evil” we did by hard work, willing to enact legislation that allows other countries to compete at our disadvantage, all at the expense of the next generation.

I wonder what we the Baby Boomers are teaching them.

Grandma Is Scared Now

Healthcare "reform" is being rammed through at breakneck speed with the (realistic) hope that no one will have time to actually read the many competing bills, numbering thousands of pages.

But Redstate and the Anchoress have caught on to a small section in one House bill that is a must-read for anyone is older than 55 -- or who loves anyone older than 55.

Go to sec. 1233 of House Bill 3200 and see how senior citizens are required to have a consultation with their physicians -- not their lawyers -- every five years on such topics as living wills and hospice, all in the name of dying with dignity.

Subsection 1233 (a) (E) provides that Medicare recipients will get Advance Care Planning Consultations,

an explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title.

(The section does not copy and paste so I have retyped it; it appears at 425-6 of the legislation.)

This is what Democrats mean when they talk about making hard choices: a cost-benefit calculation in the name of "quality of life."

Anyone who actually reads the section will be struck by its complexity -- the interlocking statutory references to existing laws that the new legislation would repeal or modify make this a legislative labyrinth. For any member of Congress to actually read and digest this legislation would take way more than the two weeks the Administration has alloted.

The Anchoress calls this attempt to mandate "dying with dignity" what it is:

This mindset is evil, by the way. If you’re not sure, if you’re wondering about it, let’s be clear: assigning monetary value to life based on budgets and arbitrary assessments that disregard humanity’s (and life’s) “intangible assets” such as, you know…loving, being loved and oh yes, the basic human desire to continue living, is evil.

Deciding that some people have a greater effect on society than others, and therefore are more worthy of treatment than anothers? That’s evil, too.

Read it before your vote.

Louisville Mayoral Gossip

As has been rumored for weeks, Louisville Mayor for Life Jerry Abramson will run for Lieutenant Governor with Gov. Steve Beshear. Jerry's done a good job until recently, but his Teflon had developed some moth holes. He is smart to get out now.

His decision to try for a state-wide office unleashes all sorts of speculation about who will run for mayor. Former U.S. Senate candidate Greg Fischer has announced. He was underwhelming in the Democratic primary and to make things worse, in his most recent announcement, he uses "utilize" as a verb. (“I intend to utilize both my business and political experience in serving this city.") Maybe he can "grow the economy" while he's at it.

And what about poor Lieut. Gov. Dan Mongiardo? His quest for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate looks problematic in light of Attorney General Jack Conway's prolific fundraising and perfect hair. Soon Mongiardo won't even have a job as Lieut. Gov. to fall back on. Beshear, on the other hand, has traded up. Dr. Dan will be left to what -- practice medicine? Just in time for national health insurance.

Republican Response on Healthcare

Senate Republican Whip John Kyl gave this week's Republican address on the topic of healthcare reform. Here's the video.

Kyl emphasized that Republicans have proposed:

common-sense ideas, including rooting out Medicare and Medicaid fraud, reforming medical liability laws to discourage frivolous lawsuits, strengthening wellness and prevention programs that encourage healthy living, and allowing small businesses to band together and purchase health insurance like large corporations do.

These changes do not require government takeover of the healthcare system, or massive new spending, job-killing taxes, or rationing of care.

The Democrats, in contrast,

would increase spending by more than two trillion dollars when fully implemented, and would, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, add additional costs onto an already unsustainable system.

Note in particular what Democrats would do to Medicare. Why isn't the AARP and the like objecting to this? Their constituents are about to lose a benefit that can literally mean the difference between life and death. As Kyl put it,

The President and Congressional Democrats have even proposed cutting Medicare to pay for their plan.

How can we justify dipping into funds for seniors’ care to pay for a new government plan, especially since Medicare is already in financial trouble? This would ultimately lead to shortages, rationing, and the elimination of private-plan choices—something our seniors rightly fear.

And then there is the effect on small businesses, the backbone of our economy:

They propose to pay for this new Washington-run health care system by dramatically raising taxes on small business owners. Small businesses create jobs -- approximately two-thirds of new jobs in the last decade.

With a shaky economy and the need for new jobs, the last thing the President and the Congress should do is impose new taxes on America’s small businesses. New taxes on small business would cripple job creation, especially jobs for low-wage earners.

This is just too important to rush through before the August recess -- and before Americans have an opportunity to become informed on Democratic plans.

Senator Bunning's Fundraising Strikes Out

Senator Bunning's statistics for the season have now been reported and they do not look good. According to his Federal Election Commission filing yesterday, he raised only $300,000 in the second quarter for his re-election campaign. By contrast, Secretary of State Trey Grayson raised more than twice this amount for his Senate exploratory fund in just five weeks.

Fun With Bureaucrats

The Department of Motor Vehicles reminded me recently why I despise big government. I'm just glad these people don't (yet) decide who gets chemotherapy.

I tried for days to get an appointment for my son to take his road test. I hit the redial several dozen times before I got through to the D.M.V. at 10:30 a.m.

The bureaucrat who answered the phone informed me that they were not taking any more appointments for road tests that day. I explained that I did not need an appointment that day, and would take the first available on whatever day it fell. The bureaucrat simply repeated that they were done taking appointments for the day. She told me to call back the next day at 8:00 a.m.

When a bureaucrat gives you an instruction or piece of advice, it's important to follow it to the letter. So the next morning I began dialing D.M.V. at 8:00 a.m. I hit the redial over and over and over. At 10:30, I got through. I asked to make an appointment for my son's road test and was told they were not taking any more appointments for the rest of the day. Call back tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.

The next day, I started dialing at 7:55. It made no difference. My son, meanwhile, began to panic that he would never get his driver's license.

I gave up trying to make an appointment over the phone. I drove to the D.M.V. At 7:45 a.m., there was a long line of sullen people outside the locked doors. It looked like a Soviet grocery store, complete with ugly, shoddy architecture.

But inside there were real, live bureaucrats with nameplates on their desks. Success! Unable to put me off in person, I was given an appointment -- for two weeks later.

When I went back with my son for the road test, we encountered a neighbor. This father had heard how difficult it is to make an appointment for the road test, so he not only showed up in person, he did so the day before his son was old enough to take the test so that he could take it without delay. Road tests in Kentucky, it seems, are like elite preschools in Manhattan: parents must sign up in advance to save a spot for their child.

Clever, misguided Dad. Come back tomorrow.

The irate father asked the bureaucrat whatever happened to the tax increase on our motor vehicle registration. Wasn't that increase supposed to fund improved services at D.M.V.? Next in line.

The D.M.V. may be doing more to recruit future Republicans than the party ever could.

Great Job, John David

Louisville attorney and writer John David Dyche just did a terrific job on the Sean Hannity show on Fox. Dyche discussed his biography of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and the future of the party, as well as recent mistakes from which the party needs to learn.

Well done! Best of luck with the book, Republican Leader: A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell (ISI Books).

What Michael Steele Really Said

It's much easier (and more fun!) for Demo-blogs to repeat the lie that RNC Chair Michael Steele said the party's new plan to attract blacks is to offer fried chicken and potato salad.

Listen to the video. As Realclearpolitics notes,

A young gay blogger (who Browning also describes as a person of color) asks Michael Steele about his future plans for the "inclusion of diverse populations in the Republican party."

Steele responds: "My plan is to say, Y'all come. Cause a lot of you are already here."

Steele's response generates some laughter, but off camera you can hear someone (though almost certainly the blogger who asked the question) say, "I'll bring the collard greens."

This generates more laughter among the group, as well as Steele's genial response: "There you go. I got the fried chicken and the potato salad, okay?

Put in it's proper context, Steele's remarks are a far cry from Browning's headline or his assertion that "to lure African-Americans into the GOP, Steele is offering "fried chicken and potato salad."

To be sure, Steele has said some dumb things as RNC Chair. But in this instance, he is being smeared.

The Two Faces of Sonia

How to reconcile Judge Sonia Sotoymayor's opening statement today regarding judicial impartiality with her previous remarks to a group of women lawyers?

In her prepared statement for the Senate Judiciary, Sotomayor said "I seek to strengthen both the rule of law and faith in the impartiality of our justice system.” So far, so good.

But consider what Sotayor said on April 30, 1999 to the Women’s Bar Association Of The State Of New York:

[T]here is ‘no objective stance but only a series of perspectives… [N]o neutrality, no escape from choice’… in judging, I further accept that our experiences as women will in some way affect our decisions. In short ... ‘th[e] aspiration to impartiality … is just that an aspiration rather than a description because it may suppress the inevitable existence of a perspective…’”

That's moral relativist double-speak for the judge gets to do whatever she wants.

So much for impartiality and the rule of law.

John David Dyche To Appear On Hannity!

Louisville attorney and columnist John David Dyche will appear on the Sean Hannity show on Fox to discuss Dyche's biography of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

Dyche will be interviewed regarding Republican Leader: A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell (ISI Books) Tuesday, July 14 from 9-10:00 p.m.

Congratulations, John David!
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.

Is Jim Bunning Parsing Words?

Sen. Jim Bunning told reporters in his weekly conference call that "I think I'm going to have more cash on hand than any other Republican in the race."

This brave but puzzling assertion came after Secretary of Trey Grayson reported that he had raised $602,000 last quarter -- double what Bunning raised first quarter.

Perhaps Bunning is distinguishing between candidates who have actually filed for the Republican primary and those who are just testing the waters. Grayson has not yet filed; he is fundraising through an "exploratory committee." For that matter, so is Rand Paul.

So if Bunning is being precise, Grayson and Paul are not "in the race." It depends on on what the meaning of the word "in" is.

Has Bunning been listening to Rodgers & Hammerstein, South Pacific? If so, I applaud his taste in music. "Cockeyed Optimist" can now be loaded as a cellphone ringtone:

I have heard people rant and rave and bellow
That we're done and we might as well be dead,
But I'm only a cockeyed optimist
And I can't get it into my head. . . .

I could say life is just a bowl of Jello
And appear more intelligent and smart,
But I'm stuck like a dope
With a thing called hope
And I can't get it out of my heart!

Looks like we will just have to wait until Bunning files his report on July 15. The Tooth Fairy better get cracking.

Spelling Woes

Remember when the media went nuts over Vice President Dan Quayle misspelling "potatoes"? Let's see how much mainstream coverage this post from The Hill generates:

Someone might want to look into whether an impostor took President Obama's place during his trip to Russia.

In a release touting an agreement between Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev over how to craft a follow-up to the START arms reduction treaty, the White House claimed the document had been signed by one "Barak Obama." (Emphasis added.)

Whoops.

I actually feel sorry for whoever made that mistake. It was probably some 40-something who is too proud to wear bifocals, and I sympathize.
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.

And So It Begins

It is inevitable that the health care "reform" being kicked about in Congress will result in tax increases for many Americans. President Barack Obama's top political advisor David Axelrod "declined yesterday to rule out the possibility that the White House would agree to a tax hike on health insurance plans that would hit middle-income Americans," according to the Washington Post.

Of course, those Americans who still have enough money to buy anything or employ anyone will get socked worst -- at a time when the economy needs these people to spend, invest and hire. According to Bloomberg, "House Ways and Means Committee members are likely to propose a surtax on high-income Americans to help pay for an overhaul of the health-care system, according to people familiar with the plan."

Look for Democrats to seek a four percent surtax on anyone who makes more than $250,000.

Sarah's Next Step

CBS News would do well to replace Katie Couric with Gov. Sarah Palin. The ratings could only go up and the justice would be poetic. Now, some media snobs might submit that Palin is not bright enough. They would be wrong, though intellect did not seem to be a job requirement when CBS hired Couric. In any event, it's much easier to ask questions than to answer them.

Think of the joy that seeing Palin's smiling face every night would bring to the likes of Maureen Dowd. Speaking of Mo Dowdy, I cannot improve on Andrew Breitbart's rebuttal to the yesterday's hit piece on Palin:

Misses Dowd, Couric and Fey - Mr. Obama’s Angels (featuring Joy Behar in the role of “Bosley”) - used a potent mix of mockery, snobbery and vitriol to undermine Mrs. Palin’s feminist bona fides. . . .

Primarily motivated by a desire to keep abortion "safe, legal and rare," female liberals in the media have carte blanche to do and say anything.

But since Mrs. Palin, a mother of five including a boy who was known to have Down syndrome before he was born, is a potent symbol of the pro-life movement, she is considered an enemy of the sisterhood. . . .

While Mrs. Palin is at ease with her gender, as well as her place in the workplace and at home, Misses Dowd, Couric and Fey convey a base insecurity in their feminine skin. Their rage is fueled by liberalism's false feminist dogma and they take it out on a woman who chose not to join their angry sorority.

The governor of Alaska's compelling narrative - athlete, beauty queen, wife, mother, hunter, successful politician - shows adherents of narrow leftist dogma that, perhaps, women really can have it all. Most importantly: freedom of thought.

In calling Alaska's governor "Caribou Barbie," Miss Dowd used beauty as a weapon to diminish Mrs. Palin's achievements. A man would be reprimanded for this, but Miss Dowd is a Pulitzer Prize-winning pad thrower and is licensed for such vindictive pettiness.

"Caribou," of course, is a stab at Mrs. Palin's backwater, Red State ways, attacks on which an Upper Westside liberal snob can never get enough. Miss Dowd goes on to ridicule "Sarah's country-music melodramas." This is her barely veiled attempt to call Mrs. Palin "white trash." And this has been the loathsome subtext of all media criticism of the Palins. They even went after their children. Mercilessly.

And Mrs. Palin during the Letterman saga finally cried, "Enough!"

Exposed in the relentless Palin attacks is not just political bias, but unmitigated class bias. The American mainstream media in its current free-fall is begging for more comeuppance when it continues to berate the values and lifestyles of the folks in flyover country who in simpler times used to be considered valued customers.

Maureen Dowd is the reason that the New York Times has stock prices to rival that of Government Motors. It and CBS News are dying as institutions, and none too soon. Sarah Palin, on the other hand, has a bright future. Perhaps not in politics. Maybe we'll get to watch Palin yank the anchor chair out from under Katie Couric.

Am I wrong or is the Commander in Chief

Watching the news on the Fourth of July I caught a segment of President Obama in his opening remarks to start the Washington DC celebration.

I thought it interesting after his short speech and announcing it was also Malia's birthday as well, he leans over to Malia and starts to offer explanations of what is going to happen. The band starts and he begins to tell her that the Marine Corps band will start playing the songs that represent the four branches of our military.

Let's count together, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and........ Oh yeah, the Coast Guard. I count five. Is our Commander in Chief wrong or is the Coast Guard part of the budget cuts.

I realize that the Joint Chief of Staff represents the "four major" branches of service but every concert I have attended where the representative branch songs are played includes our Coast Guard as well.

Maybe this should be up there with the 57 states!

Ronald Reagan on July 4th

Recent events have made me miss President Ronald Reagan more than ever. So I extend my wishes for a Happy July 4th by quoting a speech that Reagan penned in his own hand (with thanks to Newsmax.com.) . Note in particular the legend of the angelic Founder:

What July Fourth Means to Me, by Ronald Reagan (1981)

For one who was born and grew up in the small towns of the Midwest, there is a special kind of nostalgia about the Fourth of July.

I remember it as a day almost as long-anticipated as Christmas. This was helped along by the appearance in store windows of all kinds of fireworks and colorful posters advertising them with vivid pictures.

No later than the third of July – sometimes earlier – Dad would bring home what he felt he could afford to see go up in smoke and flame. We'd count and recount the number of firecrackers, display pieces and other things and go to bed determined to be up with the sun so as to offer the first, thunderous notice of the Fourth of July.

I'm afraid we didn't give too much thought to the meaning of the day. And, yes, there were tragic accidents to mar it, resulting from careless handling of the fireworks. I'm sure we're better off today with fireworks largely handled by professionals. Yet there was a thrill never to be forgotten in seeing a tin can blown 30 feet in the air by a giant "cracker" – giant meaning it was about 4 inches long. But enough of nostalgia.

Somewhere in our growing up we began to be aware of the meaning of days and with that awareness came the birth of patriotism. July Fourth is the birthday of our nation. I believed as a boy, and believe even more today, that it is the birthday of the greatest nation on earth.
There is a legend about the day of our nation's birth in the little hall in Philadelphia, a day on which debate had raged for hours. The men gathered there were honorable men hard-pressed by a king who had flouted the very laws they were willing to obey. Even so, to sign the Declaration of Independence was such an irretrievable act that the walls resounded with the words "treason, the gallows, the headsman's axe," and the issue remained in doubt.

The legend says that at that point a man rose and spoke. He is described as not a young man, but one who had to summon all his energy for an impassioned plea. He cited the grievances that had brought them to this moment and finally, his voice falling, he said, "They may turn every tree into a gallows, every hole into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die. To the mechanic in the workshop, they will speak hope; to the slave in the mines, freedom. Sign that parchment. Sign if the next moment the noose is around your neck, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the Bible of the rights of man forever."

He fell back exhausted. The 56 delegates, swept up by his eloquence, rushed forward and signed that document destined to be as immortal as a work of man can be. When they turned to thank him for his timely oratory, he was not to be found, nor could any be found who knew who he was or how he had come in or gone out through the locked and guarded doors.

Well, that is the legend. But we do know for certain that 56 men, a little band so unique we have never seen their like since, had pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Some gave their lives in the war that followed, most gave their fortunes, and all preserved their sacred honor.

What manner of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists, 11 were merchants and tradesmen, and nine were farmers. They were soft-spoken men of means and education; they were not an unwashed rabble. They had achieved security but valued freedom more. Their stories have not been told nearly enough.

John Hart was driven from the side of his desperately ill wife. For more than a year he lived in the forest and in caves before he returned to find his wife dead, his children vanished, his property destroyed. He died of exhaustion and a broken heart.

Carter Braxton of Virginia lost all his ships, sold his home to pay his debts, and died in rags. And so it was with Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Rutledge, Morris, Livingston and Middleton. Nelson personally urged Washington to fire on his home and destroy it when it became the headquarters for General Cornwallis. Nelson died bankrupt.

But they sired a nation that grew from sea to shining sea. Five million farms, quiet villages, cities that never sleep, 3 million square miles of forest, field, mountain and desert, 227 million people with a pedigree that includes the bloodlines of all the world. In recent years, however, I've come to think of that day as more than just the birthday of a nation.

It also commemorates the only true philosophical revolution in all history.

Oh, there have been revolutions before and since ours. But those revolutions simply exchanged one set of rules for another. Ours was a revolution that changed the very concept of government.

Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people.

We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should.

Happy Fourth of July. Ronald Reagan President of the United States

How blessed we are as a country, despite everything. Happy Independence Day.

Trey's Pulling In The $

Secretary of State Trey Grayson told the Metropolitan Republican Women's Club last night that fundraising for his exploratory committee is going strong.

Although Grayson will not reveal the exact number of his second quarter contributions until Monday, Grayson did say that he has received donations from approximately 1,000 individuals, mostly Kentuckians, in the range of $5 to the the statutory maximum.

Sen. Jim Bunning, meanwhile, has done little in the way of fundraising and his second quarter filing will no doubt reflect that. Look for Bunning to announce that he will not seek reelection within the week.

Grayson took questions, most of which focused on health care reform. He demonstrated a real mastery of the subject -- particularly for someone who has not worked in the field -- and a hunger to learn all he can.

He argued that it is not enough for Republicans to oppose the Kennedy-Dodd monstrosity now flailing around Congress; we must propose creative solutions that will control cost and improve quality without rationing.

To that end, he pointed to the medical specialties of dental and eye care as two areas with the most competition (because consumers can and do shop around). In both specialties, quality has improved due to innovations like LASIK surgery and competition has driven the cost of these new procedures steadily downward. The same is true in the dental field for braces, sealants and implants. (Of course, the same argument applies with equal force to the field of cosmetic surgery, but Grayson was to much of a gentleman to go there. )

This is exactly the sort of creative thinking that Republicans need. We must identify success stories and figure out how to replicate them.

Can Him

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has clarified that he is not only an adulterer, but a creep. How else to explain his latest confession that (1) his South American girl friend is his "soul mate" and (2) that the has "crossed the line" with other women, but never had sex with them?

It's too much information from someone who no longer has a future in the Republican Party. Save it for Oprah.

The best thing that has happened to Sanford lately is that Michael Jackson's mysterious and untimely death pushed Sanford off the pages. Yet rather than take that gift, Sanford's need for attention compelled him to disclose even more embarrassing details.

Dude, you are not the only guy who believes in low taxes and limited government. Go away.

Save Us From Canada-care

Many of us know Canadians who have chosen to come to the U.S. for health procedures. And no wonder. Canwest News Service notes that a report from the a group of organizations including Canadian Medical Association, found:

• nine hour average waits to be seen in an Emergency Room;
• 24 hour waits to be admitted to the hospital; and
• “For cancer patients, the study found that the median wait time for radiation therapy was almost seven weeks, exceeding the benchmark of four weeks.” (Emphasis added.)

If seven weeks was the median wait time for radiation therapy, that means half the cancer patients had to wait even longer than seven weeks. These are people who are fighting for their lives. This is not a system that we want to import here.

Exempt School Construction From Prevailing Wage

Dilapidated schools in Kentucky may get funds for repair and new construction from the Special Session, now that the House has passed H.B. 2, which would provide $1.3 billion for education facilities.

The Kentucky Opportunity Coalition is correct to demand that school construction be exempted from the prevailing wage. Whatever amount of money is ultimately appropriated to school facilities, repeal of the prevailing wage will allow that amount to go ten percent further.

In a press release today, the Coalition chair Kristin Webb Hill noted

The Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (LRC) has reported that the wage portion of prevailing wage projects is more than 20% higher than if area market-based wages were utilized. That translates into an estimated 10% of total project costs that are underutilized due to the prevailing wage requirement.

"If we are going to make the commitment, let's maximize our investment dollar," Hill added. "Instead of potentially directing nearly $130 million toward artificially inflated wages, let's invest that money in the next generation of Kentucky's minds.

I don't see an extra $130 million laying around for politicians in Frankfort to squander. Let's do right by those Kentucky children who are forced to attend schools so run down that they should be condemned and repeal the prevailing wage. That will ensure that whatever money Frankfort can dedicate to school construction does not get wasted.

Thayer Asks Beshear to Add Prevailing Wage to Special Session Call

Sen. Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) has requested Gov. Steve Beshear to add repeal of the prevailing wage (as applied to schools) to the list of topics called for in the upcoming Special Session.

Thayer's press release notes that as a first priority, we must "dedicate ourselves to maximizing every dollar we invest in Kentucky’s future." The prevailing wage, according to Thayer, is one area in which Kentuckians are not getting the maximum possible return on their taxes spent:

According to a report by the Legislative Research Commission, Kentucky’s prevailing wage laws artificially inflate school construction labor costs by 21 percent. That means that 21 cents of those dollars are directed at inflated wages as opposed to going toward investments in larger schools, enhanced technology, more energy efficient facilities and an overall better environment for Kentucky’s children to learn in.

In 2004, KDE estimated that between 1999 and 2004, the prevailing wage law artificially increased the cost of school construction by more than $480 million. To put this in perspective, the total resource requirements in 2005 to meet the reported “needs assessment” of Category 4 and 5 schools, schools in the worst physical shape, was just under $500 million. Had the dollars that were directed toward inflated prevailing wages during that period been invested in our schools –nearly every child in Kentucky would have been attending an adequate school.

This is why I filed legislation to repeal “prevailing wage” during the 2009 Session and it is my intent to do so again.

Kentucky has too many children attending schools that are no more than hovels. There is no extra money to give to education this year, so at the very least, let's make sure that what little we can spend goes as far as possible.

Thayer is to be congratulated for this sensible requesst to stop padding the cost of school construction. Again, this is not a proposal to spend more -- just to spend more wisely. Beshear should add it to the Special Session call.

Dems Try to Railroad Sotomayor Hearings

The networks reported last night that the the Senate judiciary hearings on the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor are scheduled to start July 13. But what ABC, at least, neglected to note is that Democrats set the date without even the courtesy of running the schedule by their Republican counterparts. (Classy!)

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell noted that the scheduling move diminishes bipartisan collegiality and threatens the confirmation process itself, by making the hearings less informative: According to McConnell, Democrats'

decision to rush Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation hearing is puzzling. It risks resulting in a less-informed hearing, and it breaks with years of tradition in which bipartisan agreements were reached and honored over the scheduling of hearings for Supreme Court nominees. And it damages the cordiality and good will the Senate relies on to do its business. These kinds of partisan maneuvers have always come with consequences.”

McConnell also contrasted the Democrats' rush to confirm Sotomayor with the Democrats' careful, studied, meticulous review of the records of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

Justice Sotomayor has been prolific: Yet Democrats propose to allow senators only 48 days to review Judge Sotomayor’s 3,625 cases. At that pace, Senators would need to analyze 76 Sotomayor cases per day. Note that Democrats, in contrast, took the leisurely pace of reviewing just six cases per day for the Roberts hearings.

What is it about Sotomayor's record that Democrats are trying to hide? If she's this fabulous nominee of which they claim to be so proud, then why not use her confirmation hearings to showcase her "Latina wisdom" and her "empathy"? It could be a love-fest for identity politics; it's shocking that the Democrats wouldn't want to savor every minute -- rather than cutting it short.

Sotomayor Stumbles

Literally. Judge Sonia Sotomayor broke her ankle this morning at LaGuardia Airport, according to Breitbart. She was heading to Washington for meetings with U.S. Senators regarding her nomination to the Supreme Court.

Sotomayor stopped at the White House before going to get an x-ray. (To find out just when the President plans to tank our health care system?)

Sotomayor will continue her senatorial courtesy calls on crutches, thereby demonstrating that by virture of her life experience, this "wise Latina woman" can "empathize" with at least one white male: Tiny Tim.

We wish the judge a speedy recovery, as ankle injuries are no fun.

David Williams Wants MORE Taxes?

Ronnie Ellis is reporting that Sen. Pres. David Williams disagrees with Gov. Steve Beshear on the amount of Kentucky's budget shortfall, and has a different idea about how to raise whatever funds we're short. Instead of agreeing to video gambling terminals at Kentucky racetracks, Williams apparently wants to raise taxes. Again.

Everyone seems to agree on one thing – although there are some competing data – the horse industry is in trouble. But Williams says there’s a better way to boost purses and breeders’ incentives than gambling, offering a plan for a 10 percent tax surcharge on lottery tickets, using some sales taxes on horse products, and taxing out of state betting on Kentucky races to boost purses and incentives. Beshear and spokesmen for Stumbo say allowing the VLTs at tracks is the only workable, available option to help the industry.

Let's unpack that.

Williams tax no. 1 would impose a "10 percent tax surcharge on lottery tickets," according to Ellis. Lottery tickets are sold to the poorest of the poor; it is already the most regressive tax we have. The notion of further taxing these desperate people is very troubling.

Williams tax no. 2 would involve "some sales taxes on horse products." Apparently the idea is to reallocate the revenue from these taxes to increase the race purses. However, if everyone agrees that the horse industry is already in trouble, we should be looking at cutting taxes specific to that industry, not raising or even reallocating them.

Williams tax no. 3, Ellis explains, contemplates "taxing out of state betting on Kentucky races." Although I appreciate the effort to sock it to the out-of-staters, this tax may not even be constitutional.

Williams's proposal does not come in a vacuum. Just last session, Williams agreed to a huge tax hike that hurts Kentucky's other signature industry, the Bourbon distilleries. That provided a long-awaited opening to Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is said to be aggressively wooing Brown-Forman to move to New Albany.

If Kentucky persists in making its tax structure hostile to those industries that make our Commonwealth unique, we will lose those industries. Take away the horse industry and Bourbon industry from Kentucky and we don't look much different than, say West Virginia. These industries define us. We must protect them. Raising taxes is not a solution and would hurt the very industries that need our help.

GOP Response: Sesssions on Sotomayor

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) gave the Republican address this morning, and crystallized the danger of nominating judges based on empathy (or their status as a "wise Latina woman," like Judge Sonia Sotomayor):

“If a judge is allowed to let his or her feelings for one party in the case sway his decision, hasn’t that judge then demonstrated a bias against the other party?

“And, if a judge is allowed to inject his personal views into the interpretation of the law, does he not then have a license to rewrite the laws to fit his own preferences?

“I fear that this ‘empathy standard’ is another step down the path to a cynical, relativistic, results-oriented world:

-- Where words and laws have no fixed meaning;
-- Where unelected judges set policy;
-- And where Constitutional limits on government power are ignored when they are inconvenient to the powerful.

“This standard is deeply troubling because it is so contradictory to our country’s long heritage of a faithful and impartial adherence to the rule of law.

Well said, Sen. Sessions.

Send Trey Your $$$$

In case you did not receive Trey Grayson's email blast yesterday or the direct mail piece that preceded it, click here to (1) tell him to run for U.S. Senate and (2) contribute to his campaign.

Thank God Republicans have a candidate of Trey's talents willing to step up after all of Jim Bunning's stonewalling and crazy antics.

Wise Woman or Broken Record?

It turns out that Judge Sonia Sotomayor did not strut out her status as a "wise Latina woman" just once; it was not, as the Obama administration tried to spin it, an awkward turn of phrase that Sotomayor would express differently, given a chance.

No, the "wise woman" theme is actually Sotomayor's theme song, -- one she has replayed between 1994 and 2003, according to CQ Politics (via Instapundit):

A draft version of a October 2003 speech Sotomayor delivered at Seton Hall University stated, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion." That is identical to her October 2001 remarks at the University of California, Berkeley that have become the subject of intense criticism by Republican senators and prompted conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh to label her "racist."

In addition, Sotomayor delivered a series of earlier speeches in which she said "a wise woman" would reach a better decision. She delivered the first of those speeches in Puerto Rico in 1994 and then before the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York in April 1999.

The inescapable conclusion is that Sotomayor did not misspeak: she actually believes that she is wiser by virtue of her ethnicity and ovaries. Don't look for this Judge to show much "empathy" to white males. To keep repeating herself over and over demonstrats that Sotomayor is not so wise as she thinks. And she needs a new writer.

On Judges, Hypocrites and Limp Wrists

We heard lots of righteous indignation last year when Sen. David Williams described now Leut. Gov. Dan Mongiardo as "limp-wristed." That's a code that's no longer a code.

Williams's remark crossed the line from disagreement about political philosophy and public policy -- entirely appropriate for debate -- to casting aspersions based on personal attributes and vague hints of a sexual nature -- not appropriate against anyone.

Yet the Lexington Herald-Leader reprinted a similar allegation that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is "limp-wristed" in his opposition to the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. In the past, the Herald-Leader correctly denounced the "limp-wristed" label as applied to Mongiardo, but not as to McConnell. (Indeed, the H-L magnified the aspersion by reprinting it.)

On the merits, it is laughable to assert that McConnell's advocacy against judicial activism has been "limp-wristed" as regards Sotomayor or any other nominee. McConnell has stood for judicial restraint and the rule of law more than any other member of the Senate. When other Republicans were preoccupied with running for President, McConnell was a constant presence at Federalist Society meetings (both local and national) where he demanded an up or down vote for all nominees, whether or not they get confirmed in the end. McConnell has been criticized for his relentless focus on the need for judicial restraint and the proper role of unelected Federal judges, an issue that he addressed recently at the University of Louisville's law school graduation.

McConnell will ensure that Sotomayor's record is given the same scrutiny that then Senator Barack Obama demanded for the confirmation hearings of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. As a former district court and now appellate judge with a propensity for inflammatory speeches, Sotomayor's record provides much to scrutinize -- including more than 3,000 judicial opinions.

A filibuster would be necessary and appropriate only if Republicans were denied the opportunity to explore the Judge's vast record. Absent a move to railroad her confirmation, however, no filibuster is necessary.

Once the nominee's opinions have been reviewed and the committee testimony taken, McConnell knows that all nominees deserve and up or down vote, including Judge Sotomayor. Perhaps McConnell will vote "nay," as he did when Sotomayor was elevated to the Second Circuit. Or perhaps not: Sotomayor would replace Justice David Souter, simply swapping one liberal with another liberal.

The problem is not that McConnell is not conservative enough, not aggressive enough on activist judges (or anything else for that matter). The problem is that he doesn't have enough troops in the Senate. That's one more reminder for Kentuckians: we cannot afford to let Sen. Jim Bunnings persist in his losing campaign.

McConnell on Sotomayor

Here's Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's reaction to the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court:

“Senate Republicans will treat Judge Sotomayor fairly. But we will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law even-handedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences.

“Our Democratic colleagues have often remarked that the Senate is not a ‘rubber stamp.’ Accordingly, we trust they will ensure there is adequate time to prepare for this nomination, and a full and fair opportunity to question the nominee and debate her qualifications.”

The Silver Lining on Sonia

David Frum (via Hot Air) has an interesting take on Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to replace Justice David Souter. According to Frum, Sotomayor may be so personally obnoxious that she will push Justice Anthony Kennedy into voting with the conservatives.

If so, the balance of power on the Court actually tips right, given that Souter voted reliably with the liberals; replacing Souter with a Democratic nominee changes nothing unless there are unintended consequences.

Judge Sotomayor To Be Named As Supreme Court Nominee

Several media outlets are reporting that President Obama will announce shortly that Judge Sonia Sotomayor is his nominee to replace Justice Souter. If she is selected, Judge Sotomayer would be an intriguing choice. Currently serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Judge Sotomayor was originally appointed to the bench in 1992 as a District Judge by President George H.W. Bush. President Clinton elevated her to the appellate court in 1997.

Given her connection to the first President Bush, one is tempted to believe that Judge Sotomayer will at least be open-minded to notions of judicial restraint. But then again, Bush appointed Justice Souter also, and we all know how that turned out.
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.

Joe Biden Admits He's "Out of the Loop"

President Barack Obama promised he would restore the standing of America overseas. Yet look at how Britain's Daily Telegraph reports on his vice president:

It seems that all a reporter has to do to find out about the pickle Barack Obama's is really in over his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison is to ask the veep, who was talking to the press at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo on the final day of his trip to the Balkans.

So will Obama fulfill his vow - announced amid great fanfare in an executive order on day two of his presidency - to close the facility by January 2010? "I think so," Biden responded, according to Newsweek's Holly Bailey.

So perhaps he will. Or perhaps not. We'll see.

Biden continued: "But, look, what the president said is that this is going to be hard. It's like opening Pandora's Box. We don't know what's inside the box." [Emphasis added.]

He also said that "to the best of my knowledge" the number of prisoners "who are a real danger who are not able to returned or tried" has "not been established" by the Obama administration.

So he basically just confirmed his predecessor Dick Cheney's analysis that the decision was taken "with little deliberation, and no plan".

Oh, but it gets wierder. For how those of us who don't want Gitmo terrorists in our jails, Biden suggested a good summer vacation road trip:

For those citizens who might be a tad concerned about hardened Islamist fighters being housed in jails on the American mainland, the veep suggested they should visit the Unabomber or Richard Reid at the Colorado's Supermax.

"There's a bit of a hysteria about, well, my God, these guys are so dangerous. Go to some maximum security cells if you want to know some dangerous people. Matter of fact, it might be an awakening to them."

Got that? Stop being hysterical and go buy a Greyhound ticket to the Supermax.

The buffoon who said these things is one heart beat away from being president, because that's the kind of quality decision we've come to expect from the Obama administration.

GOP Outraises Dems

For a party that's supposed to be on life support, there's a lot of money coming in. The Republican National Committee out-raised the Democratic National Committee $5.76 million to $4.52 last month.

When the Senatorial and Congressional Committees are added in, the totals for the parties are $10.92 million for the Republicans, $10.70 million for the Democrats. The Republican committees have no debt -- none-- whereas the combined debt for the Democratic committees is $17.33 million.

Looks like the Dems run the party the same way they run the country: lots of red ink. How long before the bailout?

McConnell Gets Credit on Gitmo

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is getting the credit (and our thanks) for the Obama administration's stunning defeat yesterday in its quest to close Gitmo before it has a plan on where to relocate its terrorists.

Even MSNBC, no friend to Republicans, acknowledged that McConnell has led on this issue. Chuck Todd said on the Morning Joe:

Let's give Mitch McConnell political credit here. The Senate Republican leader, he’s been sort of a one man band on this issue for two months. Even in the face of criticism from members of his own party saying hey, why are you focusing on this, this is a distraction, this looks like the Republicans are out of touch, just obsessed with only one issue and guess what, he's created a pretty good political problem for this White House.

With 16 Senate floor speeches and numerous interviews and op-eds, McConnell has been relentless. McConnell has pounded the Obama administration for announcing that it would close Gitmo when the administration has not found a country or a state willing to take the detainees. As the Washington Post noted,

Republicans, led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), have used the Gitmo closure as evidence that Obama is not fundamentally serious about the defense of the homeland.

Obama must be particularly stung that so many Democrats abandoned him. Yesterday the Senate voted 90-6 to bar the use of federal funds to “transfer, release or incarcerate” Guantanamo detainees “to or within the United States.” Given how few votes McConnell has these days, that's some margin of victory.

It's more than just a political victory for McConnell and Republicans. No terrorist has ever escaped from Gitmo. Keeping Gitmo open keeps us safer than if its Islamofascists are relocated to prisons around the country to recruit and radicalize the U.S. prison population -- or worse, to escape and kill again.

Grayson Inches Closer

Secretary of State Trey Grayson has formed a finance committee to support his exploratory committee regarding a run for the U.S. Senate. Finally, a Republican who wants this seat badly enough to do some actual fundraising.

Grayson's finance committee includes members from across the state, including some Republicans with a strong history of raising lots of cash for GOP candidates. Here's the list.

In a perfect world, the formation of Grayson's finance committee would be with Sen. Jim Bunning's blessing, preferably given at the news conference in which Bunning announces that he will retire upon completing his term. Regardless, it is good news for Republicans across the country, not just in Kentucky, that we now have a serious candidate for this pivotal seat.

Biden's Loose Lips

Vice President Joe Biden's need to show off how much he knows (because he's so important) transcends even his own desire to survive. Not just political survival, but survival of a terrorist attack or act of war.

Biden revealed the location of the previously undisclosed secure bunker where Vice President Dick Cheney spent time after 9/11: it's at Biden's home, at the Naval Observatory.

Biden's stupidity is incomprehensible. And this is the guy that President Barack Obama picked to be one heartbeat away from the presidency.

Poll Shift: More Americans Pro Life Than Pro Choice

For the first time since pollsters have asked the question, more Americans say they are "pro-life" than "pro-choice." A new Gallup poll revealed that the margin is not all that close: 51-42 percent.

I have maintained that technology eventually would cause those who are pro-choice to rethink their position. As someone who distrusts government generally, I can understand the desire to keep reproduction private -- the government is as ill-equipped to meddle in the bedroom as it is in the marketplace. That reasoning falters the first time one hears the sound of a baby's heart beat just a couple weeks after conception. And the image of a baby sucking its thumb on a sonogram makes it hard to dismiss this as a fetus or a choice.

But this is a polling shift that occurred over the course of one year; something else is at play besides fetal heart rate monitors and sonograms. The change is as sudden as it is profound:

The new results, obtained from Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs survey, represent a significant shift from a year ago, when 50% were pro-choice and 44% pro-life. Prior to now, the highest percentage identifying as pro-life was 46%, in both August 2001 and May 2002.

Is the election of our first pro-choice president in years the cause of the shift? Or his demand that taxpayers subsidize abortions for poor people (even though the U. S. Supreme Court held that there is no constitutional right to such a subsidy)?

Gallup writes

With the first pro-choice president in eight years already making changes to the nation's policies on funding abortion overseas, expressing his support for the Freedom of Choice Act, and moving toward rescinding federal job protections for medical workers who refuse to participate in abortion procedures, Americans -- and, in particular, Republicans -- seem to be taking a step back from the pro-choice position. However, the retreat is evident among political moderates as well as conservatives.

It is possible that, through his abortion policies, Obama has pushed the public's understanding of what it means to be "pro-choice" slightly to the left, politically. While Democrats may support that, as they generally support everything Obama is doing as president, it may be driving others in the opposite direction.

Maybe this newest poll will cause the Obama administration to moderate on the issue. I'd rather lose an issue and save lives. At the very least, it should encourage Republicans to hold fast to our beliefs and reject pressure to move to the center.

Metro Council Votes to Waste More $

The Metro Counsel voted at 1:30 this morning to require that contractors on its projects that cost more than $500,000 pay the prevailing wage. This was a Democratic initiative, and the Republicans argued strenuously against it but did not have enough votes.

The Courier-Journal has done a good job covering the issue. The prevailing wage,

is defined by state statutes as the “predominant” wage paid to trades in a locality, in this case Jefferson County. It is calculated by taking the average of wages paid on all public projects, similar private projects and union wages.

The problem with it is that by forcing the city to pay union wages, it distorts the market -- it artificially inflates the cost of public construction by preventing anyone from undercutting the unions (and thereby saving taxpayers money).

Earlier this week, the C-J noted that the Chamber of Commerce and Greater Louisville, Inc. fear that the prevailing wage ordinance could put Louisville at a disadvantage when recruiting new businesses to move here. Why? Because the ordinance will apply even if the city is involved a small percent of a project that is primarily paid for with private dollars.

Billy Parson, president and CEO of the Associated Builders & Contractors of Kentuckiana, Inc., said the big difference between union and non-union wages is the amount paid for benefits.

Parson said union carpenters can expect to earn just over $32 an hour, including about $11 in benefits. Nonunion carpenters earn more like $23 an hour, with about $5 an hour going to benefits, he said.

"This is just government interference in the free market and will add unnecessary costs to projects," Parson said, adding that under prevailing wage, a carpenter with one year of experience could earn the same as a carpenter with 20 years of experience.

Those who support the bill say that it somehow levels the playing field.

Democratic council members Jim King (10th District) and Rick Blackwell (12th) are sponsoring the ordinance, saying it's necessary to ensure that local workers see a proper return on city tax dollars invested in big projects.

"It's important to make sure, as much as we can, that jobs produced by local tax dollars keep our local people working," Blackwell said. "For me, it's about local jobs for local workers."

But the ordinance discriminates against anyone -- including local workers -- who would underbid the going rate that the union charges. So this is not just about "local jobs for local workers" but rather government-subsidized jobs for local union workers.

The Kentucky Opportunity Coalition has been all over the prevailing wage issue as it relates to artificially inflating the cost of school construction. Check out their blog as this issue heats up.

Now that our federal government is the majority shareholder in GM ("Government Motors"), it seems our Metro government has decided to enter the construction business -- unless Mayor Jerry understands that this is not the time to inflate the cost of anything the city does and vetoes this ordinance.

Hold the Lawyer Jokes

Narcissism is alive and well in the legal profession. Take the U of L law school graduate who was outraged that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell gave a commencement speech in which McConnell revealed that (gasp!) he holds conservative views on many issues.

Adam Jarboe, a 2009 graduate of University of Lousiville's Brandeis School of Law, took his liberal angst to the Courier-Journal, which dutifully printed it as a letter to the editor.

Not content to have a national figure -- who happens to be a U of L alum -- give a policy address at his commencement, Jarboe whines that McConnell did not pay adequate obeisance to the fact that the graduate had, well, graduated:

Graduation day was supposed to be my day. The day I worked toward for three painstaking years as I trudged through law school. The day was supposed to be about my accomplishments and those of my classmates. [Emphasis added.]

Or to paraphrase the nascent lawyer, "It's all about me, Me, ME!!!"

It is unclear why Jarboe "trudged through law school." This was the University of Louisville, not the University of Siberia. Perhaps he's a plodder. Or maybe trudging is a new phys ed initative to combat obesity. In any event, I hope he has a job, because most clients want the attorney who whizzed or skated through law school, not the guy who "trudged."

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that Jarboe is no conservative:

It is very sad that our final memory of the law school experience boils down to a U.S. senator taking our day and turning it into a stump speech for the "NoBama" campaign as it dwindles further into irrelevance.

Clearly, Jarboe's problem was not that McConnell discussed issues of public import but rather that Jarboe does not like McConnell's positions . Doubtless he wishes that President Barack Obama was giving the commencement address at U of L instead of Notre Dame.

McConnell told the graduates, “Starting today, your life as a lawyer means a lifetime of tackling issues vital to our country. " Rather than resting on platitudes, McConnell gave specific examples of some of the most pressing legal issues of our time, including the role of a judge in upholding the rule of law:

The constitutional rights of foreign fighters, Guantanamo Bay, the role of a justice on the highest court in the land—these are serious issues. As lawyers, you will have the privilege of shaping them, as you launch your legal career.

And if that prospect makes you excited, thrilled, even a little nervous—congratulations. You’ve chosen the right profession.

McConnell's big failure, according to Jarboe, is that

he didn't bother congratulating us in any significant way or recognizing that our ideas are the key to the future. (Because, it's all about me, Me, ME!!!)

So congratulations, Jarboe. As soon as you pass the bar exam, you can call yourself "esquire," unless you feel that is too pretentious for a guy who "trudged through law school." You are about to learn that it is not about you. It's about the client.

Kathleen Sullivan Would Be a Great Justice

Stanford Law professor Kathleen Sullivan has apparently made the short list to replace U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter.

Some conservatives are complaining that she should be disqualified because she failed the California bar exam the first time she took it.

Kathleen Sullivan taught me (and Michelle Obama) criminal law at Harvard Law School. It was her first year on the faculty, as I recall. She was a terrific teacher. All Harvard Law professors are bright but not all of them are human. Sullivan is human. She actually cared about her students and wanted us to succeed as lawyers and as people.

Now, this is not to say that I accept the Obama view that judges must be empathetic. Rather, I refuse to see this woman unfairly characterized as unqualified. That she failed the hardest bar exam in the country just shows that she didn't prepare adequately: she needed a lesson in humility when she was younger (who doesn't?).

Anyone who has ever met Sullivan can see in short order that she is highly intelligent. There can be no serious suggestion (as there was with Harriet Myers) that she lacks the intellectual firepower to survive on the Court.

Unlike many members of the Harvard Law faculty at the time, Sullivan was open to divergent points of view -- that is, she didn't shut down conservatives just because she might not agree with us. In fact, Sullivan's teaching method did not particularly disclose much about her politics (though she was a Larry Tribe protege, so we assumed that she was liberal). I do not think she would legislate from the bench; I expect that she'd apply law to facts as impartially as humanly possible.

Sullivan's sexuality neither qualifies her for the Court nor disqualifies her. It is irrelevant.

I probably won't like many of her votes, if she is nominated and confirmed. But conservatives need to remember: our team lost. The best we can hope for is someone who is smart, ethical, fair and has the humiltiy to recognize that the Supreme Court is not a super-legislature for imposing one's personal agenda. Sullivan is all that and more.

McConnell: Keep These Thugs at Gitmo

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has a piece in The Hill's Congress Blog that highlights three of the terrorists who would be released from Gitmo -- and perhaps housed on U.S. soil -- if the Obama administration persists in closing Gitmo. McConnell has complained for weeks that the administration announced its intent to close Gitmo even though it has no plan whatsoever on where to put the enemy combatants housed there.

McConnell notes that

[One]reason we haven’t been attacked is because some men who are most likely to do so are locked up in Guantanamo. These inmates aren’t spectators. They’re the enemy. They’re the plotters, the planners, the funders, the ones who pull the trigger.

. . .

McConnell highlights three of the terrorist who -- if Obama has his way -- might be coming to a prison near you:

Thug No. 1

One of the men who’s locked away safely at Guantanamo is Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the man who actually organized the 9/11 attacks. We captured him while he was planning follow-up attacks to 9/11, including a plot to destroy a West Coast skyscraper. If we hadn’t captured Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, he may very well have succeeded in carrying out the same kind of attack on the West Coast that he carried out on the East Coast.

This is a man who boasts about using his, quote, ‘blessed right hand’ to decapitate the American journalist Daniel Pearl. And he’s unrepentant: earlier this year, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad joined a number of other detainees at Guantanamo in declaring themselves, quote, ‘terrorists to the bone,’ and proclaiming September 11, 2001, as a, quote, ‘blessed’ day.

Thug No. 2

Another inmate who still declares himself a ‘terrorist to the bone’ is Ali Abd al-Azeez Ali, who served as a key lieutenant for KSM on several plots against the United States and the United Kingdom, including the 9/11 attacks. During what he describes as the, quote, ‘Blessed 11 September operation,’ Ali transferred money to U.S.-based operatives and served as a sort of travel agent for some of the hijackers. This man is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans.

Thug No. 3

Another terrorist at Guantanamo who is responsible for the death of Americans is Abd Al-Rahim Al Nashiri, who masterminded the attack on the USS Cole, which killed 17 U.S. sailors in 2000. When he was arrested, Nashiri was planning new terrorist attacks, including a plot to crash an airplane into a Western naval vessel and a plan targeting a U.S. housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

And these are just three of many. None of them has been able to kill another American since they were "detained" at Gitmo.

Why mess with success?

Keep Gitmo Detainees Out of Kentucky

The Obama Administration has not said what it will do with all the detainees after it closes the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. The administration is not saying because it does not know. Plainly, the administration has no plan for where to put these thugs. Germany doesn't want them, and Saudi Arabia has refused them. (So much for the Obama World Appeasement Tour making America lovable again.)

Even Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid is complaining about the administration's lack of specific on where it will send the terrorists.

A state senator in Louisiana has introduced a resolution stating that Louisiana does not want the detainees.

Kentucky needs to do the same during the upcoming special session. All accounts of the overcrowding at the Fayette County jail suggest that we cannot even accommodate our home bred criminals. We don't need to supplement the population with jihadists.

Such a resolution is perhaps the only proactive thing our state legislature can do that won't require a single tax dollar. So let's make clear that if Obama wants to persist in his foolhardy plan to close Gitmo, we don't want these detainees in our backyard.

Update: France has agreed to take one (1) Gitmo detainee! I feel so much safer.

Joe Gerth Mocks Bunning

Joe Gerth from the Courier-Journal has taken his investigative skills to Sen. Jim Bunning's campaign site, and results would be funny if they weren't so pathetic. Bunning's campaign site looks slick enough at first glance, replete with photos and endorsements.

And there's a nice letter from Bunning that says, "Almost six years ago, Kentuckians elected me to serve them in the U.S. Senate and I have been privileged to represent them. It was a competitive and close race that came down to the final stretch, but we won the open seat by a mere 6,766 votes."

Six years ago? 6,766 votes? He won relection four years ago. By nearly 23,000 votes.

Wait a minute.

And those endoresements are from the 2004 election.

This website hasn't been updated in four years.

Why does his wife allow him to persist in this alleged campaign? Or has Mrs. Bunning tried to talk some sense into her husband and he refuses to listen to her (as he does everyone else)?

Somebody, please make him stop.

Bill Lamb Blasts Bunning

Fox 41's Bill Lamb minced no words last night regarding Sen. Jim Bunning. In Lamb's Point of View segment, he said that Bunning is "not a bad guy" but is a "bad politician." Bunning -- who recently refused to speak to a Fox 41 reporter, apparently because he's mad at Lamb -- is "clearly no longer a viable candidate."

Lamb dismissed Bunning's attempt to blame Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for Bunning's central problem -- that he is unelectable. "In blaming just about everyone but himself for his political woes," Bunning "fails to see the real problem."

"While Sen. Bunning might not like what he's hearing, he would do well to listen to his critics instead of dismissing them as disloyal traitors."

Those who have publicly or privately told Bunning not to run are not traitors; they are trying to save him from the embarrassment of ending a distinguished career with a crushing loss. Friends speak the truth to one another, whether it's spinach on the teeth, toilet paper on the shoe or a reelection bid that has taken on the stench of certain defeat.

Bunning in His Own Words

Twice during Sen. Jim Bunning's conference call with reporters, an ambulance blared its siren in the background. It seemed a fitting sound effect for a campaign that does not have enough energy (or money) to get off the ground.

Bunning was quite articulate -- and genuinely conservative -- when discussing policy. That made the rest of the call even sadder: when taking questions about his own race, Bunning sounded unhinged. His logic became hard to follow and his tone became shrill and condescending.

For example, Bunning said that he won't be doing much polling not because his campaign is broke but rather because "there are a lot of free polls coming out so why should I poll?" He cited the Courier-Journal as an example of a "non-partisan poll" that he could rely on. And he did not appear to be joking or engaging in sarcasm. To be sure, whatever media outlet commissions a poll would like us to accept it as non-partisan, but that's a leap of faith no serious candidate can afford to take.

However, Bunning is not relying on the C-J to get him reelected. He's talking to a former adviser from the McCain campaign (and we know how well that turned out). Heaven help the poor man.

Bunning insisted that it was his idea for Secretary of State Trey Grayson to form an exploratory committee for statewide federal office, and that he "would have preferred Trey filed earlier." Yet Bunning maintains that the Greyson exploratory committee could be used down the road: "people don't always run in the year they file."

He conceded that Grayson's exploratory committee could be used for the 2010 Senate race but said that it also could be used for "some larger race in 2011." Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but there is no federal race in Kentucky in 2011 -- barring a special election.

He denied that the Grayson committee would dry up his own fundraising, in direct contradiction of his complaint that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's fundraising had precluded Bunning from raising much money by competing for scarce dollars.

Bunning's logic on McConnell was flawed in other respects. On the one hand, he complained that McConnell "wants to run everybody." On the other hand, Bunning attributed every Republican Senate seat lost to McConnell. He called McConnell "selfish," notwithstanding that it was McConnell who saved Bunning from losing his last election. Bunning's real problem is that he cannot win without McConnell once again rescuing him.

Bunning said he "won't walk into 2010 with less than $1 million," conceding that the race will cost between $7-10 million. His next financial report is due in mid July.

Thank goodness Trey Grayson is not waiting to mid July to see the inevitable -- that Bunning's 30 year career in public service, while honorable and consistently conservative, is coming to an end that's painful to watch.

More Liberal Hypocrisy

For those whose hypocrisy meters did not explode over Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner announcing that he will crack down on tax cheats (other than himself), check out Sen. John Kerry's Congressional hearings.

It seems that when not wind surfing or injecting Botox, Kerry enjoys getting the print from dying newspapers all over his well-manicured hands. He's worried that the likes of the Boston Globe stand on the verge of bankruptcy because the little people no longer subscribe. He is on the case, according to Yahoo!:

Sen. John Kerry said Wednesday's hearing on the future of journalism comes as many papers falter and new ways of delivering information multiply by the day.

The Boston Globe in Kerry's home state of Massachusetts is the latest major paper facing the threat of closure unless it can cut costs.

Kerry said steps must be taken so the news media can stay diverse and independent.


"Diverse and independent" . . . wonder if Kerry will propose a newspaper bailout, with President Barack Obama as Editor-in-Chief. (Hey, he was president of the Harvard Law Review; he has more experience for E-i-C than for Commander-in-Chief).

If Kerry & Friends go the newspaper bailout route, our own Courier-Journal might find itself in the awkward position of urging Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to seek an earmark.