Conway Makes Own College Memory, Today, at U of L

Here's the footage of the Chris Matthews interview of Jack Conway at University of Louisville today, in which Matthews had a thrill going up his leg as he skewered Conway for the Aqua Buddha ad.

Matthews makes the point that Conway's ad criticizing the Aqua Buddha college caper essentially challenges Rand Paul's faith. Conway strenuously objected and countered that he only criticized Paul's action's not his faith. Matthews did not accept that and reiterated the charge that Conway was, in point of fact, challenging Paul's faith in Christ.

Then Matthews made a constitutional point I had not considered: isn't Conway imposing an unconstitutional religious test as a qualification of office for U.S. Senate? Conway's response kept circling back to "challenging his actions, not his faith."

It was about as robotic as Conway's pledge to "put Kentucky first."

And Matthews expressed genuine concern that perhaps this was not the best campaign strategy: is it really a good idea for Conway -- in the last two weeks of his campaign -- to base an ad on an anonymous source from 30 years ago who has since backed off the story? Conway mumbled something about judging Paul by his actions or whatever. It was not pretty, even for pretty boy Jack.

If Jack Conway has lost Chris Matthews, he must be wishing that Obama, Reid and Pelosi could vote for him. That would ensure at least four votes.

Conway Blew It

Rand Paul's candidacy for the U.S. Senate has been spiraling downwards the last few weeks. Due to his own gaffes, he is polling behind the Generic Congressional Ballot. He does not have nearly the presence of yard signs that he did in the primary, and few bumper stickers. Enthusiasm for him was waning.

Then Jack Conway -- who was beginning to look like he had a shot -- turned the election in Paul's favor by running a stupid ad that questions whether Paul is a Christian.

The Conway spot will go down in the history of political advertising as one of the slimiest ever. It took a college prank from 30 years ago and extrapolated upon it to suggest that Rand Paul worships false idols.

But as Paul angrily retorted in last night's debate, according to Joe Arnold,

Those who stoop to the level of attacking a man's religious beliefs to gain higher office, I believe that they should remember that it does not profit a man to gain the world if he loses his soul in the process.

This was a turning-point for some of us who did not support Paul in the primary. This election is no longer about electing Rand Paul so much as it is about seeing Jack Conway lose.

Lally Impresses At Louisville Rally

Picking up where he left off at the most recent debate, Todd Lally continued last night to draw important distinctions between himself and John Yarmuth. At a well-attended fundraiser in Louisville, Lally made several significant points -- and drew several standing ovations.

First, he noted the difference between his and Yarmuth's respective approaches to legislating: whereas Lally would presume to follow the wishes of his constituents in how he voted, Yarmuth insists upon the prerogative to vote primarily his own San Francisco-style views, because after all, he's John Yarmuth and he knows best.

Second, Yarmuth feels comfortable in the role of arm-chair general: second-guessing military strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq, but refusing even to visit the troops in those countries to gain first-hand knowledge to inform his views.

Lally is a National Guard Reservist who has made several trips to war zones and has served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia. Based on his military service, Lally observed that, regardless of how one views defense issues, how can a Congressman even pretend to cast informed votes when he doesn't even have the time to meet with the military on the ground? And what about just showing up to thank the troops and support them; even the U.S.O. does that. Surely a U.S. Congressman should be held to the same standard. Then again, no one has ever been shot reading a briefing book in Washington.

Third, more generally, Lally pointed out his international experience, not just with the National Guard, but with UPS as a pilot to Asia and elsewhere around the globe. Lally recalled visiting a street bazaar in Egypt. He tried to purchase a souvenir with a U.S. dollar, but the merchant demanded Euros. At that point, Lally said, he knew his country was in trouble.

While Yarmuth has had the family fortune to fund undoubtedly many international vacations (St. Andrews, perhaps?), Lally struck me as someone who actually pays attention to how businesses operate on a global scale -- multinational, new economy businesses as in UPS and IBM (which Lally addressed in an informative answer during the Q&A). Such jobs are better bets for further economic growth than antiquated New Dealish "shovel-ready jobs" that the President used to tout, until he backed off the phrase yesterday.

Judging by yesterday's event, Lally clearly has the momentum.; He depleted his supply of bumper stickers to the large crowd but promised to order more. And he promised that he has enough cash on hand to run enough ads in the remaining days before the Election to remind Yarmuth that the 3rd Congressional District is not John Yarmuth's seat; it's the people's seat and we want it back.

Here's another idea for a Lally bumper-sticker: "Keep Valhalla Yarmuth!"
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.

The Difference Between Yarmuth and Lally

Last night's debate between John Yarmuth and Todd Lally produced one moment of clarity, in which each candidate revealed his view of the voters -- the premise that animates all policy choices and explains the differences between these two men.

John Yarmuth thinks that voters are stupid. He's not mean about this condescension; he really worries about the poor imbeciles of Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District and beyond. He truly wants to save them -- us -- from making bad choices.

It is the elitism that forms the foundation of liberalism, a view that paternalism is not only appropriate but necessary to ensure that the masses do what is best for themselves. It's the philosophy that assumes that if poor people weren't stupid, they wouldn't be poor. Therefore, the government must mandate what they spend their money on lest they use food stamps to buy crack or junk food with trans fats.

Yarmuth revealed his view of the voters, and his role as our benificent philosopher king, last night. WHAS 11 (unlike the Courier-Journal) saw fit to include the sound bite. According to Yarmuth,

All of the disinformation that's out there, it's very tough for the average citizen to get a full sense of what's involved in the legislation. So what I try to do is talk to as many people as possible, figure out the challenges that they face, what they need and then craft policy that involves that.

Let's unpack that. First, Yarmuth is worried that voters are being duped by "all the disinformation out there." Though this is arguably the most informed electorate in history, Yarmuth is worried about where we get our information. Translate: the rubes are reading the Wall Street Journal instead of the Courier-Journal. And then there are the dangers of talk radio, Fox News and (dare we say it) conservative blogs! No wonder the people are confused.

Second, given that it's too "tough" for the "average citizen to get a full sense of whats's involved in the legislation" -- as a result of "all the disinformation" -- Yarmuth must rescue us. He purports to do this by mixing with the rabble ("I talk to as many people as possible"). Then he debriefs us to discern what we really need: "figure out the challenges that they face, what they need." Yarmuth is like the good father who hears a crying baby and investigates to see what it requires: a bottle? a nap? a diaper? Like the baby, the voters cannot articulate what they need.

Finally, Yarmuth solves the problem: He "craft[s] policy that involves that."

Todd Lally has a much different view of the electorate. And he is smart enough to recognize Yarmuth's underlying premise and call him on it. According to Lally,

The one thing that I've found from travelling all over the district is that people know what they're talking about. They're not this ignorant group of lemmings that just want you to take care of them.

Todd Lally looks at the voters and sees intelligent, informed, hard-working grownups, worthy of respect. Lally trusts the voters to sort through "disinformation" and make the best choice for not just for their individual lives, but for the 3rd Congressional District and the country.

What is That On Bill Clinton's Lip?

I just saw WHAS 11's coverage of Bill Clinton stumping for Jack Conway in Lexington. I expected Slick Willie to bite his trembling lower lip. I did not expect him to have what appears to be a cold sore on his upper lip.

I don't even want to think how he got whatever that thing is. I hope Jack Conway had the good sense to not let Clinton kiss his baby daughter.

Obama and Yarmuth: Two Old Duffers

President Barack Obama tried to take his mind off the new unemployment numbers by hitting the links yesterday. It was Obama's 52d golf outing since he became president, and yet he has not played one of the greatest courses in America: Valhalla.

John Yarmuth, who is not only a member but a club champion, could invite Obama to play at Valhalla. Rand Paul has promised to pick up the cost of a ticket for Obama to come to Kentucky.

Obama's PGA handicap is said to be around a 16. Yarmuth's 0.5 handicap makes him the best golfer in Congress. He could give Obama some much-needed pointers.

Yarmuth has helped other celebrities with their swing. In 2007, he appeared on Comedy Central to give Stephen Colbert a lesson. The golf ball used for the Comedy Central lesson had Nancy Pelosi's face on it (which was very disturbing even for those of us who don't like Pelosi).

Notwithstanding that Yarmuth coached Colbert to better whack at her head on a golf ball, Nancy Pelosi tapped Yarmuth to be her "messenger" on Democratic talking points. Pelosi managed to overlook the golfing effigy: Yarmuth votes with her 99 percent of the time.

Sen. John Barrasso Gives GOP Weekly Address

Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) gives this weeks Republican address. Here's the video.

He makes a great point about the expiration of the Bush tax cuts:

“Astonishingly, instead of cutting wasteful Washington spending, President Obama and the Democrats plan to raise taxes. Last week, Congress fled Washington while one of the largest tax hikes in our nation’s history hangs over the heads of working families.

“Rather than forcing Congress back into session to do the people’s business, the President merely waved goodbye.

“Interviewed recently about why he wouldn’t extend all of the tax cuts, President Obama declared that he had, quote, ‘a whole bunch of better ways for us to spend that money.’

“With all due respect Mr. President, this money isn’t yours. It belongs to the American people.

“The Obama tax hikes are yet another job killing burden that the American people and American employers cannot afford. Raising taxes on anyone in the middle of a recession is the worst thing we can do.

Daily Kos Tries to Protect Yarmuth's, Chandler's Flanks by Promoting Hit Pieces

The Daily Kos, godfather of the Nut Roots and Demo-blogs, has launched a project to protect 98 of the most vulnerable Democratic members of the House. John Yarmuth and Ben Chandler both make the cut.

Kos is urging its readers to engage in a "grassroots-based search engine organization campaign," SEO for short. The upshot is that Democratic activists would search for (or create) unfavorable stories about Todd Lally and Andy Barr, opponents of Yarmuth and Chandler, respectively. Likewise for opponents of other vulnerable Democrats. Readers should then forward those stories to Kos, which would promote them to increase the Google ratings of the hit pieces.

According to Kos, "The goal of Grassroots SEO is to get as many undecided voters as possible to read the most damaging news article about the Republican candidate for Congress in their district."

In one respect, Kos's SEO project gets it backwards with respect to Kentucky; they rely on five political lists that rank Chandler as more vulnerable than Yarmuth. Chandler pretends to be a moderate now and then, whereas Yarmuth makes no attempt to hide the fact that he is to the left of Obama. Given that Kentucky is a center-right state, therefore, Yarmuth would seem to be in a more precarious position than Chandler for reelection.

KY-3 Voters are Scared

Senior citizens in Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District are scared, but not about some hypothetical Medicare deductible that will never, ever apply to current recipients.

If all politics are local, then nothing is more local that what happens to our homes and to those of us neighbors. Louisvillians are scared about their homes being robbed during broad daylight. The common law definition of burglary specifies that the criminal break into and enter the home at night time. This current rash of break-ins, however, occurs between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. It is this brazenness that has put people on edge.

It was inevitable, really. Our unemployment has hovered around ten percent for two years now. That figure does not begin to count the people who would like to return to work, people who have given up looking and certain races and ages for whom the rate is actually much higher.

Recessions cause crime to increase. Those of us old enough to have lived through previous recessions know this. Here's what is different: the Obama recession -- though we are told it ended in the Recovery Summer -- shows no sign of abating, even after two long years.

Those voters who have jobs are scared that they will lose them. Voters who own a home worry that its value has dropped so far that they could not sell the house if that becomes necessary. People are afraid to spend because they don't know, for example, if their taxes will go up 20 percent on December 31 when the Bush tax cuts expire.

And now those homes -- for many, their largest asset -- no longer feel safe even during the day due to the rising number of thefts. Increasingly desperate people are taking increasingly desperate risks, attempting more audacious crimes.

Here's an example from Louisville's East End. Last week, a senior citizen was out walking when she noticed an unfamiliar, dilapidated car with its trunk open, backed up to a neighbor's garage. This neighborhood had experienced a half dozen daytime break-ins recently, so she called the woman of the house on her cell to see if they were having work done on the home. They were not. The man of the house -- also a senior citizen -- then raced home. The criminal abandoned the pile of goods he was about to steal and took off. The home owner tried to chase the car. It got away, but police now have the license number.

The bad news is that this foiled crime was unnconnected to the previous thefts in the neighborhood. This is no longer a situation of one brazen robber, but rather a pattern of conduct that is being repeated all over the East End, and perhaps all over the 3rd Congressional District.

John Yarmuth did not cause the break-ins, of course. But he has voted for a system of policies that have prolonged and exacerbated this recession. People are desperate -- so much so, that they take the extraordinary risk of robbing homes in neighborhoods and at times of day when senior citizens are walking their dogs and young mothers are pushing their babies in strollers.

The policies of Yarmuth, Reid, Pelosi and Obama have contributed to a lawlessness that has boiled over into neighborhoods unused to such conduct.

It should be noted that the elderly woman who spotted the break-in while out walking -- she has put a big Todd Lally sign in her yard.

And that house where the robbery was foiled -- there is now a "Repeal Yarmuth" sign in the yard. That senior citizen who chased the robber is backing Todd Lally.

Nothing energizes a voter like fear caused by failed government policies passed by clueless elites.

Calling Slick Willie

Jake at Page One reports that Kentucky Democratic Party disbursements for last month include "$75 on a massage for an intern."

Good to see the Democrats practice the same stewardship for donors that they do for the taxpayers.

If only said intern could have waited until Monday, when former President Bill Clinton comes to campaign for Jack Conway. I'll bet Bubba would have done the massage for free, just for the good of the party and because he's just that kind of guy.

SEIU Endorses Yarmuth

The Kentucky chapter of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has endorsed John Yarmuth, according to that organization's website. (The SEIU also has endorsed John Waltz for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District.)

Yarmuth's campaign website does not note the endorsement. It's almost like Yarmuth doesn't want non-SEIU voters to know that the group backs him.

It's no surprise that the nation's fastest growing labor unions would endorse a "progressive" like Yarmuth, particularly given that Yarmuth was an early backer of one of the SEIU's pet issues, Obamacare.

The timing, however, is a bit problematic for Yarmuth; the FBI and the Labor Department are investigating SEIU leader Andy Stern in connection with a corruption probe. Stern "abruptly resigned" from the 2.2. million member union in April, according to the Daily Caller -- two years before his term was up. Stern serves on President Barack Obama's deficit commission and is a frequent guest at the White House.

The SEIU is spending an estimated $44 million to elect Democrats this November. Wonder if any of that $44 million is flowing to Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District, to help Yarmuth?

Fischer Hypocrisy

Joe Arnold points out the hypocrisy of Greg Fischer's new ad -- criticizing the JCPS school assignment plan -- after Fischer complained when Hal Heiner ran an ad that, you guessed it, criticized the JCPS school assignment plan.

After Heiner took the courageous step of calling out the failure of JCPS's assignment plan, Fischer responded . "This is a job for the school board," Fischer said, "The mayor doesn't control the system, so by politicizing our kids six weeks before a political race I think it shows poor leadership."

Well, apparently Fischer's internal polls showed him that voters were gravitating to Heiner's message on schools, so Fischer did more than just flip-flop: he copied the Heiner ad.

Fischer seems like a nice guy, but his lack of originality is truly shocking. It's one thing to triangulate your opponent's ideas after getting elected, but Fischer is just swiping Hal Heiner's good ideas right smack in the middle of the elections. He did the same thing with Heiner's transparency initiative, a project that Heiner led for years on Metro City Council.

And all this talk about Fischer the businessman makes me laugh. Anyone with half a brain and a trust fund can make a few million eventually. Hal Heiner, in contrast, is a self-made man.

If Fischer wins, he will serve for one term. He will get bored and frustrated by the complexity of the job, and voters will see that he is just not up to it.

Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Down

Maybe it's a sign: President Barack Obama's presidential seal fell off his podium while Obama was speaking to the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. Check out the video.

Note Obama's (unscripted) reaction. His first concern is that everyone knows who he is. Reassured, he speculates about how anyone who makes a mistake for him quakes in terror; he actually finds this funny.

A falling podium sign is not as dramatic as, say, an asteroid. And yet it may be a portent.

Dueling Medi-Scare Ads

We've reached that part of the electoral cycle when candidates simultaneously accuse each other of lying about a particular issue.

On the issue of Rand Paul supporting a $2000 deductible for Medicare, it is a false conflict. Paul was very candid in the Fox debate Sunday (see post below) by stating that Medicare needs drastic reforms to continue to exist. But Paul was adamant that any such reform cannot, must not apply to current recipients. This deductible is a reform that younger voters may bear.

That Jack Conway ad, in which a bunch of grumpy old people complain about Rand Paul imposing a $2000 deductible against them is therefore dishonest; this group is "grand-fathered" from any such reform, so to speak. And Conway knows it.

Likewise, the follow-up Conway ad that quotes Paul calling for a $2000 deductible is beside the point. Paul has reiterated that such a deductible is a very real possibility for younger voters; indeed, it is their only hope for ever seeing a Medicare check. But none of the sound-bites in the Conway ad quote Paul as applying the deductible to those Seniors who now enjoy Medicare.

That's why the Demo-blogs misquote the Paul ad as stating that Paul claims he "never supported higher Medicare deductibles." Note that the end of the Paul quote drops the operative words "for Seniors."

The Fox Debate

About that Rand Paul - Jack Conway debate, moderated yesterday by Chris Wallace: seems to me that it was a draw. Nobody said anything so outrageous or sagacious as to change the election. That means that Paul will likely retain his lead.

Having watched it three times, I was continually struck by the difference in the appearance of the candidates. Jack Conway looked like what he is: a rich trial lawyer -- rich enough to run a horse in the Derby. His suit (Canali, perhaps?) was exquisite, beautifully tailored. Between the suit, the Hair and the Jaw, he made quite a dashing image.

Rand Paul, not so much. His suit didn't even fit. Television make-up for men can be tricky, but Paul needed some translucent powder; the shine on his forehead was distracting. He looked pale and sickly. The up-side for Paul is that no one would mistake him for the career politician in the race.

On the merits, Paul was able to put into context some of his past remarks that form the basis of Conway's advertising. Paul was particularly strong about the $2000 deductible for Medicare. He made clear that he would not vote for such a deductible for current recipients, but asserted that younger voters recognize that the system is unsustainable without serious reform, including possibly a deductible. It was the most honest and adult portion of the debate.

Regrettably, Paul did not do as well regarding past remarks on mine safety or the drug issue. He did go on offense and criticize the increase of meth labs on Conway's watch as Attorney General. But his general observations that local control is better was unpersuasive on a drug problem that spans not just states but countries.

The same for mine safety: Paul's stated preference for local control rather than federal regulations did little to reassure, particularly after Conway's melodramatic assertion that the federal mine safety regulations are "written in the blood" of dead miners.

Paul did not respond to attacks about the applicability of the A.D.A. and Civil Rights Act of 1964 to private entities, and given how much he has said on this, that was the right call.

Chris Wallace, at one point, corrected Paul, who had stated that Obamacare applies to illegal aliens. The Courier-Journal coverage notes only half of this exchange, which creates the misimpression that Wallace schooled Paul. Here's what the C-J omits: Paul then corrected Wallace by pointing out that though Obamacare does not apply to illegal aliens, it is illegal to ask whether a patient is legal or illegal. Republicans, as Paul explained to Wallace, repeatedly tried to close the loop-hole, but Democrats outvoted them. For Paul to catch Chris Wallace in such a factual mistake showed Paul's considerable mastery of the nuances of Obamacare, a central issue in the campaign.

Jack Conway was likewise taken to task by Wallace for flip-flopping on cap and trade and bailouts. Conway asserted -- repeatedly -- that he has been consistent, but all he could offer was just the bare assertion with no details. Paul pounced on his inconsistencies.

Wallace highlighted that Conway's positions line up with both the Daily Kos and Moveon.org, including support for a single-payor healthcare system. Doesn't this put Conway to the left of President Obama?, Wallace asked. Conway denied it and trotted out the cliche that he would "put Kentucky first."

Regarding party leadership, Conway seemed to suggest that it was premature to speculate whether he would support Sen. Harry Reid because Reid "is in his own race" -- what, and might not win? Conway should be so lucky.

Paul said he presumed Mitch McConnell would emerge from the party caucus as party leader and that Paul would support him, but his voice became almost inaudible. This caused Wallace to repeat the question from several different angles. Bottom line: Paul said he would support McConnell but he appeared to be whispering so as not to enrage the Tea Partiers who don't like McConnell's earmarks.

Perhaps the most surprising moment was when Conway said how proud he was to run "for Wendell Ford's seat," and Paul responded that he thought it was "the people of Kentucky's seat." Good for Paul for seizing upon Conway's gaffe.

The shock here is that Conway appeared not to have noticed that Massachusetts held a special election last year in which Martha Coakley was skewered by Scott Brown for referring to the seat as "Teddy Kennedy's seat." The sound-bite was played over and over. Scott Brown even alluded to it in his victory speech.

For Conway to set himself up this way gave rise to two inferences: (1) he was oblivious to the special election in Massachusetts after Teddy Kennedy died or (2) -- and this is more likely -- he figures that ordinary Kentuckians had not paid attention to the Massachusetts race and Coakley's mistake. Memo to Conway: Kentuckians have been paying attention, close attention, to the elitism that threatens to ruin our country. Conway unwittingly painted himself as an elitist.

GOP Weekly Address: McConnell

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell gave the GOP weekly address, in which he slams the Democrats for failing to address, in which he slams the Democrats for failing to address the jobs issue and for leaving town without providing extending the Bush tax cuts. Here's the video link, and here's the transcript:

"Over the past 19 months, we’ve witnessed something truly remarkable in Washington.

“We’ve seen a governing party basically tune out the American people who elected them and aggressively advance an agenda that most Americans vehemently opposed.

“In fact, the more Americans spoke out against government takeovers, government-run health care, wasteful spending, and debt, the more Democratic lawmakers seemed to dig in.

“This is a pretty risky approach in a nation where the government, to quote the Declaration of Independence, derives its powers from the consent of the governed. It’s also the main reason most people expect Republicans to do pretty well in the upcoming November elections.

“But Republicans aren’t under any illusions. We know voters are primarily interested in stopping the government freight train and sending a message to both parties this November.

“They want all of us to know that we work for them, not the other way around.

“And they want us to do something about jobs. Because chronic unemployment is not a second-tier issue: it’s a national crisis.

“At the moment, nearly 15 million Americans are currently looking for work and can’t find it.

“Another 11 million are working below their skill levels.

“Yet virtually every single piece of major legislation Democrat leaders in Washington have proposed over the past 19 months has made it either harder for businesses to hire new workers or retain the workers they already have. And now they want to make it even worse.

“Earlier this week, Democrat leaders who’ve spent the past year and a half working tirelessly to expand the reach of government, left town without doing the single most important thing they could have done for jobs. Too preoccupied enacting the rest of their agenda, they neglected to pass or even propose legislation that would prevent one of the largest tax hikes in history.

“As a result, at the stroke of midnight on December 31st, every American who pays income taxes is set to get a tax hike that Democrats have had two years to prevent.

“The lowest income taxpayers will see a 50% increase in their federal income tax rate on their first $8,000 of income.

“Middle class Americans will get hit hard — at the worst possible time.

“Parents will see the child tax credit they’ve enjoyed for nearly a decade cut in half.

“Many young people with college degrees will see the deduction they get on their loan interest vanish.

“The death tax will rocket from 0 percent to 55 percent, meaning many Americans will soon have to hand over more than half of everything they have to the federal government before leaving it to their families.

“Hundreds of thousands of small businesses will get socked with a job-killing tax hike.

“And young couples will be penalized even more than they already are just for getting married.

“All of these changes would overturn provisions that have been the law of the land for nearly ten years. And allowing them to happen at a time when so many are struggling makes no sense at all if you want to help the economy — something even the President admitted in the past.

“That’s why I proposed a bill last month that would extend current law and prevent any of these tax hikes from taking place, S.3773, the Tax Hike Prevention Act.

“Unfortunately, Democrats weren’t interested.

“In the final days of the session, they had other priorities.

“And whenever they were asked about this looming tax hike, they just blamed the Republicans.

“They said that Republicans will be to blame for some people getting a tax hike because we didn’t think anyone should get a tax hike …

“Now, I don’t get it either.

“The fact is, the best way to help individuals and small businesses and the economy is to give them all the certainty that their taxes won’t be going up at the end of the year.

“But Democrat leaders in Washington appear to have other plans with your money.

“As the President recently said, and I’m quoting him directly: ‘I’ve got a whole bunch of better ways to spend that money.’

“So after maxing out the national credit card on a failed Stimulus bill and a government-run health care bill, they want even more. And that’s why they are now holding middle class Americans hostage in a pursuit of their foolish desire to tax America’s job creators in the middle of a recession.

“It makes you wonder who they’re listening to.

Rasmusson: Rand Paul Still Leads

The latest Rasumusson poll shows Rand Paul still leading over Jack Conway, 49- 38. Rasmusson, which tends to lean right, therefore places Kentucky in the "solid Republican" column. Rasmusson does show that the race has tightened from three weeks ago (54-39).

I tend to think the race is somewhere in between the latest SUSA poll -- showing a dead heat -- and Rasmusson's 11 point lead for Paul. I know of no Republicans or independents who have switched from Paul to Conway, just plenty who are wishing they could have a do-over for the primary.

H/t: Daily Caller

John Yarmuth, Same Old, Same Old

Rep. John Yarmuth was the deciding vote Wednesday when Democrats voted 210 - 209 to adjourn without extending the Bush tax cuts. In contrast, 39 Democrats crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans.

This is no surprise, of course. We expect Yarmuth to raise taxes. And we expect him to vote with the far left of the Democratic caucus. Still, as Americans continue to hurt from the Obama administration's "Recovery Summer," it is a lousy time to raise taxes for the first time in a decade.

Todd Lally was quick to criticize Yarmuth's vote. In a release, Lally said "Maintaining the tax cuts is critical to working families and small businesses. Small business owners need stability to start hiring again and Louisville families cannot afford to have their taxes go up. Raising taxes during a recession is the wrong thing to do, period."

Voters in Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District should thank Yarmuth by bringing him back home to play golf full time. He can stimulate the local economy at Valhalla (where no one will speak to him anymore).

Hide Your Daughters, Bubba's Coming Back

Jack Conway is hoping to bring Bill Clinton to rouse to the base the last week of the campaign, according to Joe Arnold.

This is all part of Conway's strategy to bury his head in the sand and pretend he has never heard the names Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid -- so he can then go to D.C. and vote for whatever they offer up.

Shortly after he won the nomination, when asked whether he would invite Obama to campaign for him, Conway -- with a straight face -- said he was pretty sure the president had more important things to do (than what, save the Senate?)

Sadly, Obama's reprise of the Carter administration makes even Republicans nostalgic for Bubba.

Greg Fischer is No Moderate

Greg Fischer is polling as well as he is because people look at his moderate demeanor and assume that his politics are moderate, as well.

The list of labor endorsements on his website suggests that to the contrary, he's a classic pro-union Democrat:

United Auto Workers
Laborers Local 576
Kentucky Laborers' District Council
National Conference of Firemen and Oilers 32BJ/SEIU
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVAC Service Technicians Local 502
International Union of Electrical Workers Local 761 IUE-CWA
Louisville Professional Firefighters Local 345
Louisville Federation of Retired Firefighters
United Steel Workers
Greater Louisville AFL-CIO Retirees Council
Sprinkler Fitters Local 669
Amalgamated Transit United Local 1447
International Brotherhood of Teamsters 783
Boilermakers Local 40
International Union of Operating Engineers #181
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers AFL-CIO Lodge #681
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 227
General Drivers, Warehousemen & Helpers Local #89
AFSCME
Painters and Allied Trades District Council 91, Local 118
Greater L'ville Central Labor Council AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America
Bricklayers Local #4
Sheet Metal Workers Local #110
Retired Police & Firefighters Advocates Inc.
National Association of Government Employees
Iron Workers Local 70
Building Trades

Greg Fischer's candidacy has energized the unions. Their members will turn out on Election Day, and the Hal Heiner campaign better have a strong Get Out the Vote program in place to respond.

Tea Party Can Swing Both Ways

I am always amused with the news media handling the Tea Party Movement. They just never seem to get it correct and I don’t ever see a poll or interview of Tea Party members to see what they truly stand for. They would be surprised if they just ask the question.

The Wall Street Journal's poll mentioned in the below article states we were formed a year ago when it has been over 18 months and on the way to two years. Do you remember Rick Sabtelli’s rant on CNBC???? How long ago was that. This article also mentions that the Tea Party Movement are fiercely ANTI ESTABLISHMENT! When was the last time you heard that phrase out of the sixties. It give a different twist to "You joined the Establishment Man!"

I feel that I am capable of commentary on this subject as I have been an active member since April 15th 2009.

Not a day goes by when I don’t hear something on the mainstream news media stations yet they continue to call us names and brush us off as inconsequential to anything.

Look at all the elected officials that have gotten in office with the support of the Tea Party Movement. Do they seem like they are all republicans? Well not all of them. It just happens that the republicans represent a more fiscal conservative view with less taxes and smaller government for the Tea Party Members.

After attending the second Tea Party March on Washington we were told it is not over on November 2nd but it is just beginning. This was not a message I wanted to hear as I am tired and worn down and my business suffers from lack of attention and our current fiscal policies.

Yes, November 3rd the public and media will get a different perspective of the Tea Party Movement. No matter what the outcome of the November 2nd elections there will be more Republicans in office and hopefully our local candidates will be there as well. If not we are not discouraged as our efforts have obviously changed the political landscape in Washington. We will be there to hold the feet of the newly elected to the fire. More importantly I see a strong potential for the Tea Party Movement to be more active in the Democratic races supporting those conservative Democrats that we all know are out there. As soon as the tide changes they will be moved to concede to the Tea Party Movement agenda.

See, it is not about being a Republican or a Democrat it is about making our country better and stronger for the next generations.

Our Founding Fathers and Patriots had it right the first time. They were fiercely Anti Establishment as well.

Here is the article from:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/121533-new-poll-shows-tea-party-momentum


New poll shows Tea Party momentum
By Jordan Fabian - 09/29/10 07:51 AM ET

A high percentage of Republicans consider themselves supporters of the Tea Party and a plurality of Americans believe the groups have been a good thing for politics, a new poll shows.

The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Monday evening shows that 71 percent of Republicans consider themselves Tea Party supporters. Forty-two percent of the public believes that the conservative groups have been a good thing for U.S. politics.

. . .


Democrats and some centrist Republicans have expressed worry that the Tea Party groups, which have a fierce anti-establishment streak, could divide the GOP by demanding ideological purity from political candidates.

But the survey casts doubt on that argument, showing that a considerable majority of Republicans back the activists. It also shows a majority for Republicans in voter enthusiasm measures and a sub-50 percent approval rating for Obama. . . . .

An Even Better Lally Ad

Hot Air has linked another Todd Lally ad that features the best of John Yarmuth, including that unforgettable line at the Obamacare Town Hall, when Yarmuth responded to the question "How are we going to pay for it ?" by admitting that he did not know, and appeared not to care.

Well, it's not like he's paying for Obamacare with his money; he's paying with ours.

I have always appreciated Yarmuth's honesty. He has never hidden the fact that he is to the left of Obama-Reid-Pelosi. To the contrary, he is proud of his ideology.

The choice for voters in Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District is very clear. This latest Lally ad uses Yarmuth's own voice to remind voters that a vote for Yarmuth is a vote for bigger government, higher taxes, unsustainable deficits and less freedom.

Lally "Fighting" Ad

Todd Lally goes on the air today with his first TV ad. Click here to watch. Well done; hope it's a big buy.

By the way, I saw John Yarmuth having a date-night with his wife this weekend. He looked grouchy and exhausted. What happened to Bon Vivant John? Todd Lally and the Tea Party, that's what happened.

This campaign is probably the hardest Yarmuth's worked since . . . ever.

It's Not a Tie

Notwithstanding its track-record of accurately predicting the final election results, I am not buying the WHAS11 SUSA poll's conclusion that Jack Conway is now tied with Rand Paul.

I do believe that the race has tightened. A lot. But not that much.

Those of us who opposed Paul in the primary knew that his nomination would make this a needlessly close election. Republicans nominated a candidate with more baggage than an Samsonite store.

The Conway commercial with the sheriffs -- in which Paul says he opposes the criminalization of non-violent crimes -- makes me cringe every time it airs, no matter how saturated the Conway campaign's buy. It was bound to move the polls. Perhaps the worst aspect of that ad is Paul's demeanor; his hair is disheveled and he is unusually inarticulate.

So the question must be asked: why didn't Trey Grayson use that video? If he didn't have it then he should have had something similar, given all the interviews Paul sat for during his father's two failed presidential runs.

Still, Paul is solidly conservative on fiscal issues in year when voters are fixated on the size of government and the national debt. It might not be pretty, but he will win.

Natanyahu Addresses U.N.

This is what a statesman looks like: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the United Nations yesterday.

Watch this speech with your children. It is that historic; it will rank with the great speeches of Lincoln, King and Churchill.

It is not sufficient to read the transcript, because of Netanyahu's extraordinary use of demonstrative evidence -- Nazi minutes, protocols and plans for the extermination of six million Jews. So morally lost is the United States, that Netanyahu felt constrained to hold up copies of these Nazi documents for those Holocaust deniers to see with their own eyes.

Listen to Netanyahu's comments about the right of a country to defend itself, the nature of Islamo-facism and the clear moral choice that United States confronts with regard to Iran.

GQ Profile Finally Makes it to Print

And now, for the printed version. Jason Zengerle, the journalist who introduced us to "Aqua Buddha" can finally autograph the hard copy of his Rand Paul profile in GQ. Those who want to hear more about what Rand did back in the day will be disappointed: Zengerle adds nothing of substance to the extended "dance mix" of his earlier profile.

Plainly, Paul sells magazines. GQ took its online profile by Zengerle from August 9 -- the big Aqua Buddha expose -- and retooled it for the actual version of GQ that gets printed on paper and sold on news stands and to subscribers.

The newer, printed version includes Zengerle's first-person narrative of his role in making Aqua Buddha a house-hold name. (That is, the journalist covering himself as a player.)

Not much else is new, certainly nothing to compare with the NoZe Brotherhood at Baylor University. The NoZe Brotherhood, by the way, ironically should make Paul more mainstream in the eyes of the Left. As Zingerle reported in his August on-line piece, one NoZe Brother commented that "'[y]ou could have taken 90 percent of the liberal thinkers at Baylor and found them in this small group.'"

Zengerle portrays Paul as socially awkward -- unable to fit in comfortably with country club Republicans in Fayette County. Paul, however, became a force by presenting himself as different, someone who is not a career politician. So Zengerle's depiction of Paul's inability or unwillingness to schmooze actually makes Paul's point.

The only truly creative take on Paul in this piece is Zengerle's description of Paul's hair: his "Timberlake-esque curls." We've seen thousands of images of Rand Paul this past year, and yet his supposed resemblance to Justin Timberlake had escaped me. It's conjuring disturbing images of Rand Paul hosting Saturday Night Live, Rand Paul as a Mouseketeer with Britney Spears, and Rand Paul singing falsetto.

It is a strange and cruel world when GQ analyzes the hair-style of Rand Paul rather than that of Jack Conway. Conway must be spitting mad. Conway is a man who would love to be profiled in GQ. He probably practiced GQ cover shots in his bedroom mirror, growing up. When women describe a man as "very GQ," they are referring to the look that Jack Conway has so assiduously cultivated, to no avail.

GQ does not profile Conway because not even Conway's hair can save him from irrelevance. For the man who attended the college that was supposedly the inspiration for Tom Wolfe's remarkable I am Charlotte Simmons, Conway is remarkably unremarkable. So the best Conway gets is a passing reference in Rand Paul's profile as the "also ran."

The most recent WHAS-11/Courier-Journal Bluegrass poll conducted by SUSA -- showing the race as supposedly a "dead heat" -- suggests that one of these candidates will lose by a Timberlake-esque hair.

Yeah, It's Mourning

Here's the link to the YouTube ad, "Mourning in America," featured in Kathleen Parker's latest column. It makes me too sad to say anything more about it. Watch for yourself.

Too Much Good News

I only have so many fingers to hold my nose, and only one nose. So that info from the Rand Paul campaign that Mike Huckabee is coming to support Paul's U.S. Senate candidacy -- look to someone else to republish that release.

It's all well and good to have a big tent. The Huckabee announcement, right aftter the Sarah Palin appearance, is starting to feel like a parade of horribles for 2012.

Not wanting to be an elitist, but we need to address this reality now.

Does Jack Conway Believe This Stuff?

It's one thing to put on a happy face, to hope for the best, to remain optimistic when confronted with adversity. Jack Conway has crossed the line from cock-eyed optimistic to delusional.

From the Conway campaign:

The "experts" said this race wasn't supposed to be competitive.

But here we are in late September, and the polls show a statistical tie between Rand Paul and me because people are realizing that he's too risky.

That's why national Republicans are going all-out, right now, to beat me: arguably the nation's highest-spending corporate lobbying group, the Chamber of Commerce; the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee; and even a group headed by former George Bush strategist Karl Rove have all run nasty ads attacking me.

And just last week, Sarah Palin came to Louisville to help Rand Paul shore up his fundraising.

Rand's campaign isn't saying how much she brought in, but we've heard it could be as high as $100,000.

A statistical dead heat? Who is the pollster, Jack's hairdresser?

And about that Sarah Palin fundraiser: the entry fee had to be reduced to attract more people.

NRO: Let's Help Andy Barr

NRO has identified Andy Barr, Republican nominee for KY-6, as one of 20 candidates who are underfunded yet worthy of help. This race takes on national significance just because Kentucky closes the polls so early -- networks will call the result while other states' polls are still open.

Note the choice words for DINO Ben Chandler,

another Democrat who’s running ads that don’t identify him as a Democrat. They barely admit that he sits in Congress, focusing instead on his stint a decade ago as Kentucky’s attorney general.” He seems to think he can overcome public opposition to the stimulus by constantly referring to it as the “recovery act.”

Regrettably, Chandler's ahead in the polls. But there's still time. So send Andy some cash, stat.

Todd Lally Jobs Plan

Todd Lally spelled out his plans for creating an environment in which small businesses can and will hire new employees. We know the C-J will not publish the whole thing, so I reprint his release below in its entirety, uncut and unfiltered.

It's classic conservatism, with the exception of the point about penalizing firms for hiring overseas. That, to me, is too protectionist and restricts the free flow of capital. I don't want the tax code to encourage U.S. employers to take jobs overseas, but I'm not sure we should punish them either.

Here's Todd's plan:

I believe that government doesn't create jobs but it can create an environment that encourages job growth and economic prosperity. As your Congressman, I will promote the following policies to get America back on track and ensure that quality jobs return to Louisville.

Promote Job Growth

Seven out of ten jobs are created by small businesses. Ending the recession means giving small businesses the tax relief they need and not punishing them for being successful. I will support policies that encourage the growth of good paying jobs, including:

- Providing tax credits to incentivize small businesses to expand their operations and hire new employees.

- Penalize corporations that ship good paying American jobs overseas and provide incentives for them to bring both jobs and overseas earnings back to the U.S.

Stop Harmful Regulations & Job Killing Legislation

Over-regulation hits small businesses hardest, and uncertain regulatory environments keep businesses from hiring new workers. I will:

- Oppose new regulations that will result in jobs being lost or have negative impacts on small businesses.

- Support legislation that would identify and repeal regulations that hurt small businesses and limit our economic growth.

- Support reducing or removing regulatory barriers to energy production and support streamlining the approval process for all types of domestic energy production. Doing this has the benefit of lowering energy costs, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and will create jobs.

I would have voted against programs that hurt small businesses like the "Cap and Trade" energy tax, and the government's takeover of our healthcare system. Unfortunately, our current Congressman has supported these and other job killing legislation that has sent us down the wrong course and cost us jobs right here in Louisville.

Cut Out of Control Spending

Washington's crushing debt and reckless spending habits are a threat to our way of life. Despite over $13 trillion dollars of debt, my opponent continues to support policies that allow our debt to grow. I support:

- Freezing domestic discretionary spending until we have a balanced budget. This is a responsible way to curb the massive increases to our national debt.

- Creating a balanced budget amendment that will force politicians to get spending back under control.

- Reclaim the approximately one-third of stimulus money that has not been spent and instead invest the money in incentives for small businesses to create new jobs. It has been more than a year and a half since the stimulus was signed into law, money that hasn’t been spent by now will never be effectively used to create jobs.

Keep Taxes Low

Our out-of-control spending leads to an oppressive tax environment and further fuels Congress’ thirst for more taxes. Now is not the time to raise taxes, especially taxes that impact working families, small businesses and entrepreneurs. That is why I support extending the tax cuts that are set to expire at the end of the year. That is why I have signed a pledge to not raise taxes and also support further tax relief for working and middle class families.

Conclusion

It is time to turn this economy around and empower small businesses to create jobs. We can do it, we have the strongest workforce in the country – but the government needs to be a partner, not an obstacle to job creation. Unfortunately my opponent has put Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco national agenda before what’s best for us.

I promise you that I am not going to let Washington get in the way of Louisville’s success. Too much at stake, and our children our counting on us to get our country back on track and secure their future.

On Delaware

About that Delaware primary: Christine O'Donnell won the Republican nomination and it is therefore time for Republicans and conservatives to go all in to give her the best possible chance to win the general election.

To those who opposed her in the primary, get over it. She is a more, uh, colorful candidate than many of us might prefer. The downside to the Tea Party movement is that there is no party apparatus to recruit candidates. That's is a serious drawback. But the energy that the Tea Party has brought to the Republican party -- and the insistence that Republicans return to first principles -- has saved our party from irrelevance.

I could care less that Mike Castle would have had an easier shot in the general election because Delaware is a blue state. Mike Castle is a RINO. He would not have voted with Republicans on the close calls, the issues that matter to conservatives. He is not a lost vote because he would not have been a reliable vote.

The only thing that a Castle victory could have contributed is that if his election made the difference between minority and majority status, that would have allowed Republicans to chair Congressional committees. Realistically, however, control of the Senate will not be determined by one seat -- at least not this year.

I am sick and tired of Karl Rove bashing Christine O'Donnell. I am sick and tired of Fox News treating Karl Rove like he matters any more. He does not. He stood by while the Bush administration spent like drunken sailors -- not just the war, but the Energy bill and the Transportation bill and the Medicare prescription benefits. In light of that profligacy, he has lost the authority to speak for conservatives. If he was really such a political genius, he would have seen the back-lash that the Bush administration's spending was bound to cause.

It's hard to believe that Christine O'Donnell is the most electable conservative in Delaware, that there wasn't a true conservative with less baggage. It no longer matters. She is the nominee and its is time to get her elected.

McConnell on End of Primary Season

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell sent this olive branch to the Tea Partiers today:

I would like to thank everyone who participated in Republican primary elections across the country. Whether you were a first-time voter, a lifelong Republican, or simply fed up with Washington and the direction of our country, your participation has made our party stronger and our mission clearer. As we unite in a common effort over the next seven weeks, Republicans will carry an optimistic vision for the future and a conservative alternative to the ‘government knows best’ approach of Washington Democrats.

“Turnout and enthusiasm are off the charts because Americans have had enough of a Congress and an administration who simply refuse to listen to Americans who are speaking out. Now that the primaries are over, the flood of enthusiasm is all pointed in the same direction with the same focus: creating a positive environment for job creation, stopping the damage caused by Washington over the past two years, slowing the growth of the federal government and reducing the debt and tax burdens on our families and job creators.”

Sheriffs Back Rand

This set of endorsements should neutralize Jack Conway's attempt to exploit the drug problems of Eastern Kentucky: Rand Paul has won the endorsements from a number of Sheriffs -- including from Eastern Kentucky:

Todd Wood, Pulaski County

Gus Skinner, McCreary County

James Pruett, Cumberland County

Kevin Johnson, Clay County

Ricky Riddle, Clinton County

Chuck Korzenborn, Kenton County

Mike A. Helmig, Boone County

Colan Harrell, Whitley County Sheriff-Elect

John Root, Laurel County Sheriff-Elect

Ralph Curry, Adair County

The Paul campaign makes an important point I had not considered before in response to Conway's plan to keep throwing federal money at Eastern Kentucky's drug problem. Bottom line, that's not working:

"The issues facing our citizens in today's society are complex and require a person with forward thinking abilities who is not afraid to say our current system is not working for the good of all Kentuckians," said Todd Wood, Sheriff of Pulaski County. "A man who is willing to look beyond and challenge the status quo. A man who will address the important issues, foster an environment which seeks and accepts new ideas and works hard to find the appropriate solutions to the issues we face in Eastern Kentucky."

Conway Should Have Sued

When he decided not to challenge the mandates of Obamacare, Jack Conway was wearing his U.S. Senate candidate's hat rather than his Attorney General hat -- and in so doing, he breached his duty to Kentuckians.

Conway asserted at the time that it would be a waste of money to litigate a baseless suit. Attorneys General from 20 other states looked at the merits, however, and decided to challenge the constitutionality of the Obamacare mandates. (Indeed, a similar suit in Virginia has survived a motion to dismiss.)

Conway's infatuation with Obamacare is such that either it clouded his legal judgement or he decided to advance his career rather than the needs of Kentucky. It was an odd political choice, given how many Kentuckians loathe Obamacare.

Rand Paul's campaign reminded voters that Conway could not join the 20 Attorneys General at a Florida hearing today; Conway has more glamorous (and lucrative) places to be:

So, where is Jack?

The sad truth is Jack Conway is in La Jolla, Calif., one of the richest and most exclusive beach communities in the world. While there, he's spending his time raising money from wealthy liberal elites for his political campaign. In fact, today marks the third day of Jack's Southern California swing, with stops in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Diego.

This is just one leg of his nationwide fundraising tour - with 20-plus events scheduled outside Kentucky to rake in cash from wealthy left-wing donors and his left-coast base.

Of course, we shouldn't be surprised. Jack Conway supports Obamacare and has refused to stand up for his state and join the lawsuit to overturn the president's scheme. Jack Conway supports the higher taxes and unconstitutional personal mandate and will stand with his liberal D.C. allies, not for Kentucky.

Fortunately, Kentucky has a choice. Rand Paul is a physician who understands that we need less government in healthcare, not more, and strives to protect the doctor patient relationship. Dr. Paul will stand up for Kentucky and fight to overturn Obamacare in the United States Senate.

McConnell Introduces Bill to Prevent Tax Hikes

This is a big relief after John Boehner went all wobbly this past weekend, suggesting he would about compromise with the Obama administration to allow taxes to go up for some.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has introduced the Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2010. In addition to preventing the Bush tax cuts from expiring, the bill would help families in a number of ways. It would:

• keep the marriage penalty from coming back
• continue the child credit at $1000 per child
• save many families from the dreaded Alternative Minimum Tax
• keep current rates on the capital gain tax
• reforms the death tax.

H/t: Washington Examiner via Instapundit

The Nation Profiles Rand Paul

Kentucky native Dan Bischoff has a good piece on the Kentucky Senate race in The Nation. I particularly liked the conclusion:

It's not as if Kentuckians don't know what Washington can do—you can see the Kentucky Lakes from outer space, for God's sake. The first question for any Democrat has to be, Why has the government done so little about unemployment and restoring consumer confidence? Maybe Jack Conway can answer that better in the next two months than my brief experience of him on the stump showed. Or, as Conway evidently hopes, maybe Rand will order a Jack Daniel's and call it bourbon, or set fire to the Daniel Boone National Forest.

If not, it's like the Republican primary never ended, in a way. There are still two Republicans fighting it out: one young, native-born, rich and (this time) a handsome lawyer, and one a quirky outsider pushing economic fundamentalism. We know how that race turned out the first time.

H/t: RealClearPolitics

Rand is Right on Spending

Rand Paul is absolutely right when he complains that Republicans missed the opportunity to control spending when they were in the majority. Republican spending has since been dwarfed by the Democrats' current binge, but still, Republicans must do better if given another chance to govern.

Paul didn't specify the excesses. Two that spring to mind are the Energy bill and the Transportation bill passed under the Bush administration. Both were rotten with pork. Those two pieces of legislation were pivotal; they caused many of us to think of ourselves as conservatives first, rather than Republicans.

Speaking last night in Bowling Green, according to the Daily Caller, Paul said

“We as Republicans have taken the easy way out a lot of times,” said Paul, a first-time candidate who portrays himself as a political outsider. “We vote to cut taxes but we don’t ever vote to cut any spending. Because as soon as you do, as soon as you bring up a program, it’s somebody’s program and they love it.

“You can’t have it both ways. You can’t tell me that you’re taxed enough already, and that you want constitutional government and then in the next breath say, ‘Bring me home some bacon.’ The pig has been picked clean.”

Tea Party Gathering

The Louisville Tea Party will hold a "roving social" tomorrow evening, Thursday, September 9 from 6:00-8:00 at Zazoo's, on Bauer Avenue in Louisville. Resa Camoriano has details.

KY. Resolution on State Sovereignty

Here's an interesting joint resolution pre-filed by Stan Lee. It's a publicity stunt, to be sure, but he is on the right track.

It's called the: "Joint Resolution to Secure Sovereign Power for Kentucky." The obvious fallacy is that the extent of Kentucky's sovereign power is determined by the U.S. constitution and cannot be "secured" or otherwise altered by joint resolution (or even actual legislation). This is a matter, ultimately, for the courts.

Still, the resolution expresses the frustration many of us feel about our Attorney General Jack Conway's failure to protect the Commonwealth's interests; he should have joined the multi-state suit against the Obamacare mandates. And it expresses the growing concern that federal government has so overstepped its proper role in relation to the state as to jeopardize our liberty.

Here's the press release on the resolution:

Believing that the Federal government continues to infringe on the rights of Americans, Representative Stan Lee (R)-Lexington has pre-filed a Joint Resolution which seeks to protect Kentucky’s sovereign rights against overreaching mandates and threats of lost funding. BR 55 seeks to reinforce Kentucky’s right as a sovereign state under the Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

"The health care debacle and failed stimulus bill are but two examples of the Federal government’s attempt to cast a long shadow over Kentucky and our people, “ said Rep. Lee.

“This joint resolution serves as a reminder to those who seek to make our Federal government an eight-headed monster that we will no longer stand by and see our sovereign rights taken away.”

BR 55 states that the joint resolution quote “…serves as notice and demands to the Federal government…to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.”

“It is our belief that any and all Federal legislation that threatens Kentucky and other states with loss of funding, civil or criminal penalties is illegal under the Constitution and should be forbidden or repealed, “ Lee adds. “Our forefathers sought to protect the rights of all Americans, and it’s time that we in Kentucky take back those rights under the Constitution that have slowly been taken away by the Federal government.”

Trey: We Check Our Voter Lists

Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson responded to my question about the accuracy of Kentucky's voter registration lists, and a "notice" letter from an election lawyer who complained about the Commonwealth's supposed failures to purge the lists of ineligible voters. (See this morning's post, below)

I had asked whether the Secretary of State had received a "notice" letter from J. Christian Adams, Esq., regarding Kentucky's compliance with Motor Voter Act. Adams sent such letters to 16 states; private citizens have standing under the Motor Voter Act to sue states that fail to check their voter lists.

Grayson replied,

We just got letter at State Board of Elections today. He sent it to wrong person (Sarah Ball Johnson at SBE is not chief election official, I am).

We probably have done more list maintenance than any state in country. We were the first to match with other states for dupes. We regularly mail voters who haven't voted in several cycles to see if they still reside at registered address, starting NVRA inactive process. We also regularly purge felons and dead people including a recent match with Social Security Death Index which we hope to repeat.

We have either purged or made inactive hundreds of thousands of voters since 2003.

Not sure why we are on his list. We are probably a model state for list maintenance.

To be sure, any voter list will contain some inaccuracies. But Grayson has demonstrated an awareness of the issue and persistence in addressing it for the last seven years.

Suits by private individuals such as Adams would make good sense if (1) a state refused to clean up its lists -- thereby allowing live people to "vote early and often" using the names of dead people and (2) the Department of Justice failed to take action (not impossible, with Eric Holder as A.G.).

Given Grayson's methodical attention to Kentucky's voter lists, Adams should concentrate on the other states to which he sent letters.

More Lunacy from the Obama Administration

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and yet expecting a different result. But here comes the Obama administration with a new proposal for more stimulus. Because the last round of stimuli worked so well.

Some progressives apparently believe that the only thing wrong with TARP is that it wasn't big enough. There is no reasoning with these people.

The Wall Street Journal details the sad history of all these failed attempts to jump-start the economy. How quickly we forget about such goodies as "cash for clunkers" and such cliches as "timely, targeted and temporary."

I See Dead People

J. Christian Adams, an election lawyer, writes at Pajamas Media that 16 states have failed to clean up their voter lists as required by federal law, including Kentucky.

The Motor Voter law permits citizens to register to vote at welfare offices and Department of Motor Vehicle offices. In addition to making voter registration easier, the law requires states to review their voter lists on a regular basis and purge ineligible voters: dead people, felons and voters who have moved.

To make the Department of Justice accountable, moreover, the law includes a private right of action. Citizens can sue. And Christian Adams, who has sent notice letters to 16 states, may just bring suit. He writes:

Every two years, states must report to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) information about their voter rolls. The latest report is troubling. South Dakota, Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Indiana report in excess of a dozen counties with more registered voters than living people old enough to vote. Having more voters than living humans tells you something is wrong. In West Virginia, one county reported 113% of the voting age population was registered to vote. Baltimore, Maryland, reported 104% of voting age citizens on the rolls. Iowa and North Carolina also reported counties with more voters than living citizens of voting age.

All of these states received a notice letter.

I'm waiting for a response from the office of Kentucky's Secretary of State to see if they have received a "notice letter" from Adams and, if so, how Kentucky responds to his allegations. This may be an issue of military personnel rotating in and out of Kentucky.

H/t: Instapundit

SUSA Poll Shows Paul Up by 15

The latest WHAS11/ Courier-Journal poll by Survey USA shows Rand Paul has widened his lead over Jack Conway to 15 points. SUSA has the best track record for accuracy in polling Kentucky races.

Paul leads 55 to 40. That's a four point gain over last month, and a three point drop for Conway.

The poll shows an extraordinarily large gender gap; men are fleeing from Conway like he has bedbugs or something. Men favor Paul by 34 points. Among women, the gender gap is less pronounced: Conway leads by three.

Democrats are attempting to spin the poll as inaccurate by arguing that it over-samples Republicans. John Yarmuth said much the same thing in his interview with Joe Arnold about the 3rd Congressional district poll. What Democrats can't seem to grasp is that more voters are identifying themselves as Republican. That's not a problem of oversampling, but it is a problem for the Democrats.

How Lally Helps McConnell

If Todd Lally defeats Rep. John Yarmuth -- a real possibility, according to the SUSA poll -- it could set in motion a chain of events whereby Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell becomes majority leader.

Kentucky polls close at at 6:00 in the 3rd Congressional district, a bellwether district. Unless the election is so close as to require a recount, we probably will know the winner by 7:30. That's 4:30 in California, where Carly Fiorina (for whom McConnell recently attended a fundraiser) has great chance at knocking off Barbara Boxer.

A Lally win would energize California Republicans to get to the polls, if they need that extra push. And it would discourage California Democrats, who instead of heading to voting booth might go straight to their favorite watering hole to cry in their Chablis.

Lally and Yarmuth Respond to Poll

Joe Arnold has the unedited tape of his interviews with Todd Lally and Rep. John Yarmuth regarding the SUSA poll that shows the candidates are in a statistical dead heat for Kentucky's 3rd Congressional district.

These interviews are worth watching in their entirety -- particularly for those of us who have not had much opportunity to listen to Todd Lally. I was impressed with Lally. He's very collected, serious and forthright. And there is no doubt that he is a real conservative. The Republican primary voters have chosen wisely.

Yarmuth, in contrast, does not come across nearly as well. That surprised me, because no matter how much I disagree with the man's ideology, in the past he has always seemed like a truly decent guy. In this interview -- like a wounded animal -- he seems mean and nervous. And he sweats profusely.

Check out Yarmuth's campaign strategy: he calls Todd Lally "extreme" and lumps him with Rand Paul.

This is the same bone-headed strategy that Jack Conway is attempting to employ -- the same strategy that Trey Grayson used. Did none of these Democrats notice the Republican primary for U.S. Senate? Grayson was skewered. His campaign was a giant focus group for the Democrats to study. So instead of learning from what did not work for Grayson, the Democrats are replicating his failed strategy.

Republicans need to watch Yarmuth's interview until the end, when Joe Arnold asks him about campaign finances. Yarmuth makes clear that he will have the funds he needs; Yarmuth actually sneers at this point of the interview.

So any conservatives who are still employed and solvent after Obama's "recovery summer" should go to Todd Lally's website and donate now.

Lally and Yarmuth Tied!

Joe Arnold is calling it a "Congressional shocker," but count me not shocked. Todd Lally is in a statistical dead head with Rep. John Yarmuth, according to the WHAS 11/Courier Journal Bluegrass Poll conducted by SUSA. Yarmuth has 47, Lally has 45 and 5 percent remain undecided.

Yarmuth has pridefully resisted his constituents' demands that he moderate his extreme positions for too long. He is too far to the left, even in this district where he enjoys a tremendous registration advantage.

This should attract the attention -- and money -- of the NRCC. But it probably won't, I'm told, because Republicans have such a "target rich environment."

Until the NRCC has the sense and the resources to get behind Lally, it is up to Kentucky Republicans to dig deep for Todd Lally ASAP.

Here's his web site. Give $ now!

Heiner and Fischer Tied

The WHAS 11/Courier-Journal Bluegrass Poll conducted by SurveyUSA -- which I am not, repeat not calling the "SUSA" poll -- shows that the Louisville mayoral race is tied at a statistical dead heat: Greg Fischer 47, Hal Heiner 45. Only five percent remain undecided. The margin of error is plus or minus four percent.

Fischer has moved up two points since the last poll. But given the Democrats' registration advantage, this poll is still very good for Heiner.

Most of the movement from the previous poll was offset by movement for the other candidate; that is, most of the change is a wash.

A few notes from the cross-tabs. First, Heiner improved with younger voters. To be sure, Fischer cancelled that gain out by making gains with older voters. It is extremely good news for Heiner, as the Republican, to appeal to the younger voters, particularly given how Barack Obama appeared to own the youth vote just two years ago. Wonder whether Heiner is the draw to this demographic, or his conservative message?

Second, both candidates have a gender gap. Fischer appeals to ladies, and Heiner to men. This reflects longstanding trends at the national party level. Taken together, the gender gap is 28 percent.

The one movement that is not offset by the other campaign is that Heiner has lost some support among Republicans, and Fischer has picked up that support without losing any points among Democrats. (Indeed, Fischer actually increased slightly.) This hearkens back to the early days of the campaign, when Fischer held a number of fundraisers that featured Republicans as hosts -- not big-time prominent Republicans, just people who are well-known and liked within their neighborhoods.

Jack Conway, "Unscrutinized"

The Daily Caller has a feature on the "unscrutinized" Jack Conway, who has received so little press that some around the nation don't know who is running against Rand Paul (The notable exception is Joe Klein from Time magazine, who scrutinized Conway from head to toe and pronounced him "wicked handsome.")

Two points emerge. First, Conway is getting a pass from the mainstream media because they are too fascinated by Rand Paul to waste the ink on Conway.

Second, in comparing the websites of the two campaigns, Conway looks like an empty albeit stylish suit.

Rand Paul's website lists positions on 18 substantive issues: "abortion, bailouts, campaign finance, reform, energy innovation, federal reserve, guns and politicians, health care, home schooling, illegal immigration, inflation, national defense, privacy and liberty, sovereignty, taxes and debt, term limits, United Nations, veterans and World Bank and IMF."

Jack Conway's website lists positions on just five issues: "cutting the deficit, small business, protecting social security, Wall Street reform and hometown tax credit." Notably absent: Conway's support of Obamacare.

But then again, Conway does have The Hair, and The Chiseled Jaw.