BlueGrassRoots

Breaking: McConnell on WVLK this afternoon

Just heard that Mitch McConnell will be interviewed on Lexington's WVLK this afternoon at 2:30.

More details and phone # to come. If anyone out there hears anything, please write in the comments.

UPDATE: Yes, Mitch McConnell will be on Kruser's show at 2:30. The station said that he will be taking calls. The number is 859-253-5959. I imagine some of you have some questions to ask him, eh?

UPDATE #2: Will someone please tape the show for me?

UPDATE #3: He's on NOW.

UPDATE #4: Chickenshit bastard wouldn't even take calls from his constituents, how pathetic. He knows both Republicans (immigration, Fletcher/ Forgy people) and Democrats (um... too many to list) would have absolutely ripped him to shreds. So he takes a softball interview from a third rate right wing hack instead. Chickenshit bastard.

The Draft Horne Movement Keeps Building Steam

This is old news, but better late than never, eh? Bluegrass Report had a big survey in which 500 of its readers responded to a bunch of KY politics questions. This is the BIG NEWS within:

Also noteworthy about this group, only 38% said that U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler (D) should challenge Senator McConnell (R) next year (62% said no). Meanwhile, Andrew Horne (D) bests the group of possible McConnell opponents:

2008 Senate Challenger Preference (Democratic respondents only)
Andrew Horne -- 37%
Greg Stumbo -- 33%
Charlie Owen -- 19%
Bruce Lunsford -- 11%

That's right, the most insider political blog in the state just put Lt. Col. Andrew Horne in 1st place among all potential challengers to McConnell in 2008. This is despite the fact that he hasn't been campaigning or even set up an exploratory committee to run, not to mention the fact that he's never run for a state office.

There is some definite buzz happening with the Draft Horne movement in Kentucky. First of all, Horne has been an incredible ambassador for our state and our troops, as he has loudly and publicly criticized McConnell for his shameless rubberstamping of Bush's failed Iraq policy and his truly disgusting filibuster of the Webb amendment to restore proper rest and rotation between tours for our troops. This is someone who has the courage to stand up for what is right and speak truth to power, no matter what taunting he may endure from the right as a result. And quite frankly, the silence of our other Democrats in KY on this issue has been deafening. That is, when they aren't giving more unchecked warrantless spying powers to Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzales.

Secondly, Horne matches up ideally against McConnell. McConnell won't be able to smear him for standing up to Bush on Iraq, at least not successfully. If McConnell tries to call a 27 year Marine and Iraq veteran a wimpy cut-and-runner terrorist appeasing Defeatocrat for opposing a very unpopular war, it will be suicide. He would LOSE, make no mistake about that. Not have a close race... LOSE. However, McConnell would bash every other candidate with these labels (though its effectiveness might not be overwhelming or even successful if things continue like they are in Iraq).

Horne also doesn't have many of the flaws that other candidates have, particularly with past scandals or social standing/perception. I won't get into those (you know what they are) because I will strongly support whichever candidate gets the nomination, and I'm not going to get into smearing here. But McConnell will probably end up spending somewhere around $20 million dollars on attack ads alone in this race. The slightest chink in someone's armor could be fatally amplified with this kind of money. But what are Horne's weaknesses in this area? I can't think of many. I've never met the guy, and maybe I'm off base here, but he seams like a guy with outstanding character and dedication to his country, whether you are conservative or liberal (of course I'm not talking about the 25%'ers, I'm sure they'll despise him). McConnell will definitely try to smear him, as he has ruthlessly with all of his opponents, but I think he'd have a hard time making them stick on Horne.

Anyway, if you're one of those Kentuckians that would like to see Lt. Col. Andrew Horne at least enter the 2008 Senate race against Mitch McConnell, I implore you to GO HERE and SIGN THE PETITION TO DRAFT HORNE into the race!

Media Czech Moves to W Weekly

Well, as some of you may be aware, I have parted ways with Lexington's Nougat Magazine, for whom I wrote a full page media criticism column in every issue the past 14 months. The publisher's new policy of banning discussion of religion, gay rights and women's rights because they are "controversial" was a little too much for me to take (and this is a self-described Arts/alternative magazine). After I challenged the no gay rights policy (which would be "profanity", in the words of the publisher) with my Holsinger column (which she refused to run), my decision to leave was very easy.

Foreseeing this turn of events, I fortunately lined up a gig writing at W Weekly here in Lexington. W used to really suck, but they've dramatically improved in the last 6 months and there's some genuinely good stuff in there these days. W decided to run my Holsinger column that Nougat censored, and has offered me a regular spot in each issue, if I so desire. And the word on the street is that they actually give you a few bucks for your work, which is kinda considerate. (Nougat never paid me one red penny).

Anyway, my article on Karl Rove's destruction of the Republican Party for a generation to come was published in this week's issue, with a zesty inside cover page 2 spot.

And I'm quite happy to announce that my review of the Yearly Kos Convention will be the cover story for the new issue that  hits stands tomorrow. The people at W have been great (Robbie Clark is the kind of editor that you want), and this whole situation has turned out to work for the best.

Writing a monthly column was frustrating sometimes, as I had to choose just one topic for the month, which was always difficult (yes, the media spreads A LOT of lies, it's impossible to cover a month's worth in one column). Also, it was difficult to write about topics that were very current, as I had to finish my column in the middle of the previous month, meaning that people sometimes read my column a month and a half after I had written it. And while I loved the whole "Media Czech" format, it was a bit constraining, as I wasn't able to branch out into other subjects besides misinformation in the media.

But the old "Media Czech" idea isn't dead, as I plan to break out the old MC occasionally to highlight some egregious MSM lies. Plus, the Media Czech name, which is in parts clever, stupid, corny and sappy, is simply too good to abandon.

And would like to thank the people at Nougat (besides Miki) that were very supportive of me for the past year +, especially the recently departed editor Jennie Leavell. Jennie was the person who accepted my pitch for the Media Czech column, and she was very appreciative of my work the entire time. This column has meant so much to me, as it helped me focus some positive energy in a really difficult time for me personally, and it has managed to open a bunch of doors for me as well. Without this column, it is doubtful that I would have taken over the reigns at BlueGrassRoots when Ben took his LOA. Which means that I wouldn't have had the great experience of working with the Ditch Mitch crew (and being able to meet Jim Pence, a true KY legend). I have also been able to meet/talk with a number of individuals whom I greatly admire (Elizabeth Edwards, Tom McMahon, Sam Seder, Cliff Schecter, Mark Boehlert, Barack Obama???), that I never would have had the opportunity to otherwise.

This was all possible because Jennie Leavell decided to run my column, and I will be eternally grateful to her. (I also thank Lo and Saraya for helping out as well).

Anyway, I'm happy to be writing every week for an audience that mostly includes UK students, as they will play a key role in our politics in the coming year with some big '08 races.

So check out the W Weekly tomorrow or the coming week for my cover story, and keep checking in regularly for my column.

(And buy from their advertisers!!! We must support indie media that doesn't avoid "controversy" like other Lexington magazines)

Next Week: Big Iraq Summer Protests in KY

Next week, Louisville, Lexington and Newport will be holding the biggest Iraq Summer events of the month. The "Take a Stand Campaign" will hold large rallies on the 27th and 28th, the climax of the month-long effort to bring our troops home safe and hold Mitch McConnell accountable for his shameful rubber-stamping of Bush's failed Iraq policy.

The Lexington rally will be held downtown in Phoenix Park, from 5 to 8 each night. The Louisville rally will be held at Bellermine University at Frazier Hall, same time. Some great speakers will be at both events, and we should get some bigtime media coverage. There will also be a rally at Newport on the Levee, so check that out in Northern KY.

From their website:

The "Take a Stand Campaign" is a nation-wide organizing drive to demand that members of Congress and the Senate take a stand with the vast majority of Americans who want a safe and responsible redeployment of American Forces from Iraq.

Across America, over 100 "Iraq Summer" organizers are working to involve thousands of ordinary Americans in an effort to pressure targeted members of Congress to vote to bring a safe end to the war.  This "Take A Stand Campaign" will culminate with "Take A Stand" town meetings to be held on August 28th, immediately before congress reconvenes.

There are lots of ways to get involved -- from attending a Take a Stand town hall in your area to helping organize and spreading the word about the event. To sign up for an event near you, CLICK HERE. For more information about getting involved, contact Cammie Croft at cammie@iraqcampaign.org.

(crossposted at DitchMitchKY)

Ditch Mitch is Smoking

Over at Ditch Mitch, Matt Gunterman has been a blogging machine as of late, making some really good posts. Today he got some much deserved love from Kos with a big front page link. The "Mitch is Vulnerable Express" just keeps on rolling.

Democrats? Where are you?

If the Democrats weren't so woefully pathetic at messaging, this story would be plastered everywhere in print and television news for the next week. Sadly, it probably won't. As Republicans continue to spread the "Wait for General Petreus' Report" and "War critics say the surge is working!" false memes, the Democrats continue to sit with there collective thumbs up their ass.

Once again, the only ones on the left doing their homework and working their ass of is the blogosphere.

But maybe Chandler and Yarmuth will hold a press conference tomorrow with local media, highlighting the other officers on the ground who aren't as glowing about the surge? Or that the White House is going to write up the entire "Petraeus Report"?

HAHAHA! Yea right. We can only dream, eh?

DebateSam.com

I've discussed it many, many times, but there is perhaps no other group of "liberals" that are more  incompetent and idiotic than the people who run Air America Radio. First, they managed to let a bunch of inept con men financially back the network, then they decided to ditch all of their best programming in favor of "liberals" like "Lionel", who manage to pull off the rare trifecta of being neither funny or informative, while also bashing liberals who dare criticize AG Fredo.

Any fans of the old Sam Seder Show (the best political show on radio or TV at the time) should check out this link, www.debatesam.com, calling on the bad joke "Lionel" to debate Sam, who's slot he took, on Gonzalez, or anything else for that matter.

I don't think that Lionel actually reads the news at all, so it really wouldn't be a fair fight, but it would certainly be fun to listen to.

Oh, and you can still listen to Sam Seder on Sundays, here. And buy his very funny book, FUBAR, here.

Horne on MSNBC, Standing up for Troops

Lt. Col. Andrew Horne was on MSNBC last night, speaking about the 26-year high in suicides rates among soldiers. It is an absolute tragedy the way our government has treated our soldiers, those willing to give their lives in order to protect our country. From a government that started the war on political calculation and deception, to the abysmal planning and comprehension of the type of warfare our troops would be faced with, to the stubbornness of our president and Congress to admit their errors and set up an exit strategy, to the continual deployment of soldiers for their FOURTH tour of duty already. They deserved better.

And Mitch McConnell has been there rubber-stamping Bush's folly the entire way. Filibustering timetables, and even worse, filibustering the Webb Amendment to give our troops the proper rest and rotation between tours of duty that they deserve. This is what is causing so much strain on our troops. They are continually torn away from their families in order to be thrown into the middle of a religious civil war in intense and confusing urban warfare. The stress this has caused is just staggering. Last year 99 active duty soldiers in the Army killed themselves and over 900 tried to kill themselves.

But Mitch McConnell would rather filibuster legislation to restore proper troop rotation. Sick.

And once again, it's great to see a prominent KY public figure standing up for our troops. Kudos to Horne. I really wish he would have some more help from our public officials.

UPDATE: mikebaily2000 has a diary up on dailykos about Horne, go recommend it!!!

 

UPDATE #2: here's the YouTube link of his MSNBC appearance

(crossposted at DitchMitchKY)

KFTC meeting in Lexington Tonight

The Central KY chapter of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth meets tonight for their big annual gathering/ meeting /etc.  Its 7:oo at the corner of 4th and MLK at the Mission House.

These folks do great work, and I hope to see some of you there.

Mitch McConnell Reads DitchMitchKY

Well, it looks like we've really gotten under someone's skin.

Mitch McConnell is sending out fundraising letters to supporters in which he whines about the "liberals, radicals, far-left, unions, Hillary, Schumer, etc..." who are hounding him about his pathetic record and his obedience to corporate contributers and George W. Bush rather than his constituents in Kentucky. In fact, we are "the 60's anti-war movement on steroids!". That's probably the greatest unintentional complement I've ever received. I think I'll have that put on my gravestone/obituary: "one of the leaders of the 60's anti-war movement on steroids".

Anyway, Mitchy even gives a big shout out to the good folks at Ditch Mitch!

"Liberals on the internet have already created a website called "Ditch Mitch," and 6,000 radicals from across the nation have already signed up."

Hey, Mitchy, glad to see you're reading the site! We feel humbled by your presence.

And as far as being a "radical", I wish. I don't think you can have an 8-5 Mon-Fri non-political office job and be defined as "radical". But I aspire to prove you right someday, Mitchy. And we're FAR more than 6,000, I can guarantee you that.

On second thought, maybe I'll have "the leader of 6,000 liberal radicals" on my gravestone/obituary, that's even better. (Though that honor technically should go to Matt Gunterman or Aniello, amongst a few others.)

And look what we have here. Why it's Mitchy's full fundraising letter, in all of its paranoid glory. It's funny, you can almost smell the desperation in here. For Christ's sake, have a little more dignity Mitchy.

(crossposted at DitchMitchKY)

Draft Horne for US Senate

There is a new site up devoted to drafting Andrew Horne into the 2008 Senate Race against MItch McConnell. The old petition that I set up to persuade him to run has been incorporated into that site, so if you want to get involved, go to the new site. It's quite spiffy, and should be fully operation very soon.

In addition, Bluegrass Report has a survey up on their site, and one of the questions asks who is your preferred candidate to run against against McConnell. If you're so inclined, go vote for Horne. His name recognition is still low, so this would help give him so mojo.

Billy Reed?

I've spent my entire life detesting the writing of sportswriter Billy Reed, a shameless Rick Pitino jock sniffer. Which makes my discovery of his political blog a little confusing for me. He appears to be one of those crazy liberals, who knew?

Anyway, he righteously slams nutjob Stan Lee in one of his recent posts, though I'm a little baffled by some of his tangents on facial hair. But hey, that goes with the territory sometimes in blogtopia.

Fox's Wiki Memory Hole

Example #1,237 that Fox News is scared shitless by the progressive netroots. This is some great reporting by Democrashield and O'Reilly Radar, documenting that someone from Fox News has been desperately trying to edit wiki entries for Fox News. Their misdeeds are scrubbed and their enemies are smeared.

Fortunately, these folks caught them red-handed.

And as for Mr. Falafel / Loofah, your exploits will never be erased from the internets.

Chandler Doesn't Rule out Run Against McConnell

"Mr. Give More Spying Power to Cheney and Gonzo Without any Judicial Oversight" is apparently not ruling out a run against McConnell next Fall. WKYT's Bill Bryant brings home the goods.

Very interesting. I'd love to see a poll showing a head to head race of Chandler vs. McConnell. He definitely is in the best position to take him on right now. I bet that poll would be damn close.

I'd also love to see Chandler stand up to Bush's shredding of our Constitution and reckless Iraq policy. The vote on the former (FISA) was just shameless, and his leadership on the latter has been lacking. He had one good vote this spring, but has been virtually silent in terms of calling for a timetable on pulling out of Iraq. If he wanted to draw a contrast of himself with McConnell, who continues to rubber stamp the overwhelmingly unpopular Iraq policy, he'd forcefully advocate a timetable for withdrawal this September.

I'm not going to hold my breath, though.

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth

If you're looking to get away from your computer and do some good for your community, I advise you to check out Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. They do outstanding work, and are second to none in the Bluegrass as far as activism goes. This is a very busy week for them, with meetings all over the state, so check out their calendar if you want to get involved.

Their new blog is also an outstanding read. (and quite spiffy)

Groups That Will be Unintentionally Humorous a Year From Now

Here's one.

Meet the Press must see TV

This morning on Meet the Press (9:00 in Lexington), Daily Kos founder and netroots hero Markos Moulitsas takes on DLC head Harold Ford. Ford, while not making tacky campaign commercials from inside his church, is the head of the withering faux-Democrat DLC. Markos, meanwhile one of the take-no-prisoners leaders of the progressive force that has taken back Congress and given the Democratic party more of a backbone. While Markos has helped convince the party that they truly represent the "middle" of America, Ford and Co. continue to try to move the party to the right, a strategy that has failed for the past 13 years.

I look forward to Markos chewing him up and spitting him out.

UPDATE: Wow, that was even better than I thought. Markos was pounding him so bad that Ford threw out the "anti-Semite" card. Truly pathetic. Kos even said that its easy for Ford to control what everyone in his organization says, because there are DOZENS of them. Ouch.

Ford, if you want a softball TV appearance, go on Fox News. If you go up against somebody like Markos, you better come better prepared than you were today.

Here are some clips at Crooks and Liars.

Jack Conway, Democratic Candidate for Attorney General

Thursday morning, Democratic candidate for Attorney General Jack Conway held an open question and answer session for supporters and the curious at Democratic Party headquarters in Lexington. We were wined and dined with cheap coffee, cheese cubes and some type fruity nut bread.

Conway opened by explaining who he is and why he's running. He vowed that his responsibility is to enforce and uphold the law, not to run his office according to what he thinks the laws should be. He contrasted this with Stan Lee, who has made it perfectly clear that he will push his own lunatic version of Christianity on Kentuckians. The separation between church and state is a myth to Stan Lee, and the laws and constitution of the United States would be mere inconveniences to him. (those are my words, not his, but he was rather harsh in his assessment of Lee). Conway's stated that his priorities are (1)setting up a skilled online task force to combat child predators and (2) to attack the meth epidemic that is plaguing rural Kentucky.

He opened up the floor to questions, and being the person I am, decided not to throw him any softballs. I've been a registered Independent my whole life anyway, and I have a reputation to uphold.

I asked him whether the domestic benefits plans of UK and UL are constitutional under KY law. He stated first of all that his duty was to uphold the law, whether or not he agrees with that law. He  agreed with AG Stumbo's opinion that the plans in question were far too specific to be constitutional, but also agreed with Stumbo's statement that if the requirements were more broad, they would be legal. I asked him a follow up on whether UK's recent adjustment of their plan to make it more broad was constitutional. He kind of hedged, saying that he would have to look at it, so he didn't have an opinion yet.

If he was in fact dodging the question, it was probably smart politically, as Stan Lee will be fanning the flames of homophobia and hatred towards gays, and he doesn't need any more ammunition. That's why I'll never run a campaign, as I shouldn't. Conway did seem to feel that with so many Kentuckians without health care, we should not be actively trying to take health care away from people, so I'll give him credit for that. I also asked him how he would deal with legislation that tried to put the 10 commandments in the public square (courts, public schools, legislature). He said once more that he would follow the law. If they were displayed with other historical documents, or other religious texts, this would be legal. If they were simply presented by themselves, this is unconstitutional, and he would enforce this. As far as the religious texts that might have to be included with the 10 commandments, one I will not print that he mentioned, for obvious reasons. In some respects, people are just stupid, so I'd rather not.

If it was up to me, no religious text would be allowed, but I am well aware that I am in a large minority in KY, and I know that will not change in my lifetime. He also talked about his view of Jesus Christ (12 years in Catholic school), saying that he stood for tolerance of others, not villainizing those who are different, like Stan Lee does towards gays and hispanics. There's no greater political pandering than talking about your relationship with Jesus Christ, but considering who he's running against, I'll let that slide.

The race for Attorney General (and it will be a race, unlike the blowout in the governor's race) is the most important in Kentucky this fall. If Stan Lee is AG, you will see Kentucky become the laughing stock of the country. Lee would do his best to make KY a de facto Christian state, in which our government explicitly endorses it over other religions. Active discrimination will be ignored as acceptable.

This is why Jack Conway needs to be elected (despite where he went to school). We need integrity and decency in the AG's office, and Conway would give us this, especially in comparison to Stan Lee.

As Conway said after his primary win in response to Lee's odd response that Conway could not grow a mustache,

"I am not going to get into a mustache growing contest with Stan Lee because his is quite impressive. But as I've said before, I have grown a sense of decency, respect and tolerance and that is something that Stan Lee has yet to grow."

You betcha. Here is Jack Conway's website, if you would like to contribute, and I suggest that you do. dinosaurs like Stan Lee have no place in our government.

YearlyKos fun facts

Among the many things I learned at Yearly Kos:

UCLA is well known for two things: being a pioneer in the racial integration of sports (Jackie Robinson is one of many examples of alumni breaking the color barrier) and the creation of the internet.

Who were two of UCLA's most prominent alumni in 2006?

Ted Stevens and George Allen.

Ben Chandler Cowardice Thread

Remember my praise of Chandler for co-sponsoring the bill to start the impeachment process against AG Gonzales? Telling you to contact him and send him some love?

Well, fuck that.

Ben Chandler, along with 41 other blue dogs in the House, chose to cave in to Bush's fearmongering and give him the green light to continue shreading our Constitution. His appeasement of Bush/Gonzales on the FISA bill is just mind-boggling. Let's just give MORE unchecked power to Gonzo, that makes perfect sense.

Politically savy? No, just spineless if you ask me. Great job perpetuating both negative stereotypes of Democrats and false talking points ("FISA doesn't let us spy, etc...")

Let's let him know, eh?

email: http://www.house.gov/writerep

D.C. Office for federal legislation issues or Washington, D.C. tours:

1504 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202)-225-4706
Fax:  (202)-225-2122

District Office for casework:

1021 Majestic Drive, Suite 180            
Lexington, KY 40513            
Phone: (859) 219-1366
Fax: (859) 219-3437

Press Contact:

Stephanie Pepper
Phone: (202)-225-4706
Fax:  (202)-225-2122

Back From Chicago / YearlyKos

I'm back from the amazing YearlyKos Convention in Chicago, otherwise known to me as "the most wonderful place on earth". I was in Vegas for last year's inaugural gathering, and this year was even better. In Vegas, I was in full "star watching mode", as I basically went to panels to see all of my favorite bloggers in person. This year, my main objective was to learn. Particularly, learn how to build Kentucky's local/state blogosphere into a force to be reckoned with, just like so many others have over the past year.

In many ways, this was a sign of how the blogosphere has matured over the last year. While last year focused on big national blogs/bloggers, 2006 showed everyone the power of state/local blogs and muckrakers. We took back both branches of Congress in large part due to the tenacity, research and general mischief that these new journalists provided. This year's panels were full of their stories, providing a basic "how to" guide for everyone wanting to follow in their footsteps.

Additionally, this year showed how the perception of the liberal blogosphere has changed. While we used to be shunned as the wacky pajama-wearing losers in their parent's basement, we now are respected and feared by Democrats, Republicans and the media alike. 8 presidential candidates knew that we could not be ignored, and showed up for a quite lively "debate" of sorts. Additionally, the right-wing noise machine is scared to death of us, as you could see by Bill-O's colossal meltdown over the past week.

Expect big changes with BlueGrassRoots over the next week. We will be revamping our site dramatically by utilizing the tools that so many other state blogs have used with great success over the past year.

Live from Chicago!

Note to self: before next year's YearlyKos, buy a laptop with wi-fi.

Yes, let me briefly (as I'm charged $2/minute) say hi from Chicago's big blogger convention, which is friggin' Disneyland to political geeks like me.

You know, it's the damndest thing.... people don't like Mitch McConnell here.

talk soon,

Draft Lt. Col. Andrew Horne for US Senate!

Sign the Petition Here

Check out the links on the right of that page to find out more about Horne.

Chandler Co-Sponsors Bill to Impeach AG Gonzales

Tomorrow at 2:00, six Congressmen, all former prosecutors, are holding a press conference to announce their resolution for the Judiciary Committee to investigate whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should be impeached.

The resolution is sponsored by Jay Inslee (D-WA) and co-sponsored by Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Michael A. Arcuri (D-NY), Dennis Moore (D-KS) and Bruce Braley (D-IA) and, I'm proud to say, our own Rep. Ben Chandler.

It's good to see Ben stand up for the rule of law and against the mockery that the Bush administration has made of our Justice Department.

Go give him some love.

(h/t our departed KY blogmaster)

(crossposted at DitchMitchKY)

Mitch is too scared to face Iraq Summer protest

As Jim shows in his great video below, protesters made a little visit to the Louisville home of Mitch McConnell yesterday. In fact, Mitch himself was home and able to witness this himself.

Additionally, Mitch would not leave his apartment because he was too much of a coward to even be seen by these protesters. The protesters stayed in front of his apartment from 11am to 11pm, and Mitch chose to hide there all day and night. Here are some of the details from an Iraq Summer press release yesterday below.

UPDATE: Iraq Summer is still there today but there are now counter-protesters. Yes, Mitch has called in the last few people that aren't ashamed of him, because he's so afraid of Iraq Summer. So if you're in Louisville right now and want to be heard, go to the 2300 block of Dundee and join the fun.

UPDATE #2: The "counterprotesters" showed up 5 minutes before the news crews got there, and left immediately after the news crews left. But Iraq Summer has been there non-stop for McConnell's entire weekend stay in Louisville. A righty site is reporting that Mitch supporters "drowned out" his supporters this weekend, which is laughable and typically dishonest. Jim will have a video up later showing the overwhelming support that the protesters had from those passing by. And unlike the fake counterprotesters, Iraq Summer will not let up on Mitch in August.

Kentuckians Picket at Mitch McConnell's Doorstep Calling for an End to the War in Iraq

Anger has Reached a Boiling Point in Kentucky as Sen. McConnell Continues to Support the President's Reckless War Policy; Sen. McConnell's Solution – Stay Inside

Louisville, KY – In a preview of the anti-Iraq war fervor Senate Republicans will face over August recess, Kentuckians went door-to-door in Sen. Mitch McConnell's Louisville neighborhood today, distributing yard signs urging Sen. McConnell to stand up to President Bush and bring an end to the reckless war in Iraq.  As part of the Iraq Summer campaign, constituents also stood outside Sen. McConnell's home, holding up signs and greeting passersby.  The Kentuckians first arrived at McConnell's house at 11 am Saturday morning and found Capitol Police standing guard outside the home. Nine hours later, Sen. McConnell has yet to come out from his home, apparently preferring to duck his constituents than address their concerns about his continued support for the President's unending Iraq war policy.

Many of Sen. McConnell's own neighbors came out to express their support for the Iraq Summer campaign and collect yard signs calling on the Senator to end the war in Iraq.  Cars driving by have been honking all afternoon to urge Sen. McConnell to bring our troops home.

"As Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell has led Republicans in blocking an end to President Bush's failed Iraq war, so we came to him to show just how much anger there is in Kentucky over his continued support for an unending war in Iraq," said Aniello Alioto, Kentucky Field Director for the Iraq Summer campaign, who was at Sen. McConnell's house.  "The Iraq war has cost too much – in money, in resources, in lives.   After more than four years, over $400 billion spent, and the deaths of more than 3,600 American troops, it's time for Sen. McConnell to bring our troops home.  Kentuckians are fed up with the President's failed Iraq policy, and they're fed up with Sen. McConnell failed leadership."

Sen. McConnell's continued support for the President's Iraq policy and his obstruction of an end to the war have hurt his standing with voters back home.  A Survey USA poll released this week shows that Sen. McConnell's approval has dropped below 50 percent for the third time this year.  Only 48 percent of Kentuckians approve of the way the senator is handling his job, while 44 percent disapprove, according the poll.  The Senator's approval rating is now at its lowest point in two years of Survey USA polls.

"Sen. McConnell may think that if he just hides inside long enough, his constituents will just go away, but that's not going to happen," added Alioto.  "Opposition to Sen. McConnell's support for this war is too high – anger has reached a boiling point in Kentucky, and across this state, people are demanding Sen. McConnell take a stand and end the President's reckless war.  We'll be rallying, holding events, writing letters and dogging Sen. McConnell all summer long, urging him to bring the troops home.  Sen. McConnell isn't going to be able to duck his constituents forever.  If this is how he planned to deal with opposition to the war, he's in for a long summer."

"Senate Republicans should be quaking in their boots. The anti-Iraq war fervor is not unique to Kentucky. All across the country Senators who blocked an end to the war will be forced to face the consequences of their spineless votes during August recess. The only homecoming parade greeting these Republican Senators will be the parade of constituents demanding an end to the war in Iraq," said Moira Mack, national spokeswoman for Americans Against Escalation in Iraq.

-----

"Iraq Summer" is a nationwide, 10-week long campaign with nearly 100 organizers in 15 states and 40 congressional districts to turn up the heat on Republican members of Congress who have opposed setting a timeline to bring a safe and responsible end to the war in Iraq. The effort will culminate with a national "Take a Stand" day on August 28th, when members will have the opportunity to explain their stance on the war to their constituents in a town hall setting.

(crossposted at DitchMitchKY)

SUSA Poll: Very Bad News for Mitch

The new Survey USA poll is out, and it's very bad news for Mitch McConnell.

Mitch has a record low approval rating of 48% and a record high disapproval rating of 44%.

Mitch thought that he would actually get bonus points for his oh-so-clever filibustering of any change to Bush's failed Iraq policy. The Webb amendment to give our troops the proper rest and rotation between tours passed easily, but Mitch voted against it and organized the filibuster. The Levin amendment passed, but Mitch again stood in the way, enabling Bush and obstructing any real progress in our Iraq policy.

Mitch lost the most ground among independents, free falling from 67/30 approval/disapproval, to 39/53. Considering that KY's independents are overwhelmingly against the war, this shows that Mitch has firmly put the Iraq anchor around his own neck by standing in the way of any progress. The right isn't happy either, as he  dropped 6 points amongst Republicans and 12 points amongst Conservatives. Women also don't like the war, and they don't like Mitch either (it's mutual, I'm sure): he dropped 11% amongst women.

This poll shows that Mitch's attempts to portray the Democrat's attempt to push reform on Iraq as a "publicity stunt" is an absolute failure. KY voters are able to see through Mitch's spin, and they will continue to in bigger numbers the more that Mitch enables Bush and obstructs real progress that Democrats are pushing for and KY wants.

Mitch continues to have Iraq veterans and protesters hounding him wherever he goes in Kentucky. That will only heat up. He also has his first possible opponent, Greg Stumbo, forming an exploratory committee for a run against him in 2008. There is also a growing movement to draft Marine vet Lt. Col. Andrew Horne into the race. Having to run against an honored Vet who is active with VoteVets and consistently for changing course in Iraq would be a nightmare scenario for Mitch, imo.

But what about Mitch's bottomless war chest? Remember that Tom Daschle spent $19 million on his race and lost. People don't like Mitch, and there's no amount of money that's going to change that.

So don't let anyone tell you that this race is out of play, because we have a legitimate shot of ditching Mitch.

Stumbo sticks his foot in the water

Greg Stumbo officially launches his exploratory committee tonight for a possible 2008 run for Senate against Mitch McConnell.

"I am keeping my options open; I am excited about gathering the facts and doing the ground work on this important election," Stumbo said in an email sent to reporters. "It is time we remind Mitch McConnell that he represents Kentucky not George Bush."

Stumbo, a Democrat, said he decided to explore entering the race last week after watching McConnell, R-Ky., lead Republicans in an effort to block an up or down vote related to the Iraq War.

"The American People deserve better, the families of Kentucky deserve better, most of all, our troops deserve better," Stumbo said in a statement.

Well, here's the first option that we're presented with. I'll throw this to the comments for your thoughts on Stumbo and his chances to Ditch Mitch.

(crossposted at DitchMitchKY)

Mitch McConnell = Full of Shit

Here's a quote from Bullshit Mitch: (h/t Carpetbagger, Atrios)

“I think we do agree this is the last chance for the Iraqis to get it right. But we ought to give one of our finest, if not our very finest, general a chance to see if he can succeed in the next few months.”

Oh, btw, he made this quote exactly six months ago today.

And Kentuckians continue to be fed this nonsense from Itchy Eye Mitch, as he blocks any adjustment to Bush's failed Iraq policy and also Webb's effort to give our troops the proper rest and rotation between tours that they need. I’m sure Mitch thinks he’s being clever with this little run-out-the-clock/ move back the goalposts/ filibuster game, but I assure you, this will come back to bite him.

(crossposted at DitchMitchKY)

My E-Mail to the KY GOP

In response to the top three news items on the KY GOP's website, I was forced to send them a friendly letter.

Item #1- They site the 2 week old poll showing Beshear and Fletcher in a close race, which "shows" that Fletcher's "leadership" in calling for the special session gave him a huge bump in the polls.

Item #2- They post an absolutely hilarious letter from Ned Flanders Stan Lee to his opponent Jack Conway, asking him to oppose Beshear gaming expansion, or as Ned Stan puts it, "his desire to see casinos in every county across the commonwealth". Basically, he cites studies showing that casinos lead to rape, robbery, drugs, aggravated assault, embezzlement, prostitution, divorce, motor vehicle theft, murder, suicide and abortions. Wow! But he buries the lead:  " In 2002, the Indiana Gaming Commission fined the Belterra Casino $2.2 million for providing prostitutes to its customers. As part of the investigation into the prostitution scandal, it was reported that casino owners would send female 'player development managers' into surrounding communities to lure gentlemen back to the casino boats. One such female casino employee even stated that she was told to go to the popular bars and nightclubs in Lexington and pick up gentlemen to bring back to the casino." Oh my.

Item #3: They post a column from right-wing nutjob Hugh Hewitt, in which he lavishes praise on McConnell for the filibuster to enable Bush's Iraq policy.

My response:

"Some comments on your three top stories on your website right now:

#1: I see that you posted the poll that showed the Governor's race as being tight 2 weeks ago, just wondering why you haven't posted the new SUSA poll showing Beshear stomping Fletcher? Perhaps the internet tubes are clogged and you haven't received those yet. If so, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

#2: Is it wrong to ask about the causal linkage of casinos with rape and divorce? I'd be really interested to hear this explanation, especially from Ned Stan himself. And as far as the attractive women that go to bars in Lexington to pick up men: I need the names of the bars, Ned Stan. The NAMES, damnit!. Don't Bogart this info just because you're not interested, share the wealth.

#3: Additionally, I am glad that you finally found one conservative pundit that actually isn't ashamed of Mitch McConnell. I know that this has been really difficult to find. I do like the fact that he's praising Mitch for wrapping the Iraq anchor around the GOP's neck too, it's a nice touch.

All the best,
Joe

(crosposted at DitchMitchKY)

The KY Media’s Endorsement of the Anti-Science, Anti-Gay Agenda

(I have absolutely no idea if Nougat is going to publish this column. The ownership's new "no reference to religion or icky gay people" policy is certainly being put to the test by me. I assumed that they would refuse to run it, and it looked like they weren't, but now I'm hearing it will run, though I had to butcher it down to 950 words. Anyway, more of you will read it here than in the soccer mom advertising flyer, so there)

(additionally, if this is published I'd love the fact that I managed to sneak in graphic depictions of injuries from ass rape which will infiltrate the living rooms of these delicate flowers. Be careful what you wish for, editors/publishers of America... a pissed off, stubborn writer can be a dangerous thing)

“This conduct [homosexuality] is anti-social, and it is a pathology. It is a sickness, and it needs to be treated.”

-Pat Robertson

On May 24th, George W. Bush nominated Kentucky’s own Dr. James Holsinger to be America’s next Surgeon General. After serving as the chief medical officer of the Veterans Administration, Holsinger was chancellor of UK’s Chandler Medical Center and most recently the secretary of Health and Family Services under Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

As a prominent Kentucky public figure, Holsinger was overwhelmingly endorsed by both the Lexington Herald-Leader and the Courier Journal. Both Kentucky newspapers wrote glowing and uncritical editorials for him, wishing him an easily confirmation and deriding those as “crazy” that would consider not doing so.

These uncritical endorsements were awarded despite the fact that Holsinger has a past of using junk-science and cherry picking data in order to fit his own fundamentalist religious views towards homosexuality. In 1991, he wrote a “scientific” study of the dangers of homosexuality for his church. The study was highly inaccurate and used misleading data, its conclusions being far outside of the mainstream of peer-reviewed medical research. Additionally, Holsinger has actively sought to discriminate from homosexuals in his private church activities, even founding a church that seeks to “cure” gay people.

Considering the fact President Bush has a disgraceful history of pressuring those in his executive branch to distort, manipulate and ignore well accepted scientific research in order to promote his own political and ideological agenda, one would think that Holsinger’s nomination would throw up some obvious red flags. Additionally, Bush’s tendency to surround himself with cronies and yes men might raise questions of Holsinger’s independence, as he has long been a major donor to the Republican Party and George W. Bush.

But the Herald-Leader and Courier Journal dismissed such rational concerns. Not only that, but both papers followed their endorsement with a series of guest editorials that were blatantly dishonest and full of hated towards homosexuals. Whether this was due to deference for a powerful local official or fear of a backlash from prominent anti-gay bigots in the state is up debate. In either scenario, it was a sad display of cowardice and political expediency in the face of anti-scientific intolerance.

*********************************************

Soon after Holsinger’s nomination, reports of his anti-gays writing began to surface in the media. The major research cited was Holsinger’s “Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality”, written in 1991 for the United Methodist Church’s Committee to Study Homosexuality. The paper gave the appearance of a well documented piece of medical research, citing prominent academic sources. However, a close examination of the study reveals intentional manipulation of evidence to fit his preconceived bias against homosexuality, concluding that male homosexual intercourse is unhealthy and unnatural.

The Other Edwards in Kentucky Tomorrow

John Edwards will be in Prestonsburg and Whitesburg tomorrow on his Drive-Neil-Cavuto-Crazy-Tour Poverty Tour. I hear he's almost as bright and charming as his wife. If you're in the area check him out.

Oh, and fellow Ditch Mitch colleague Shawn Dixon is now a famous CNN star, as he appears very close to his goal of bringing John Edwards to his tiny hometown of Columbus, KY. NYC and LA are no much for might Columbus. Click on this link and help him out down the homestretch.

Bush Plays T-Ball, Cheney Lurks Behind Bushes

Our national treasure, The Rude Pundit, lends his sophisticated description of The War President's second T-Ball game in the last month. Good times! Being a Preznit is fun!

You know, I used to want to get inside this guy's head and understand what he's thinking; what is the thought process of such a historically monstrous jackass? But honestly, now I'd be afraid to do this. Some things are just too disturbing.

But the Rude One closes his post with a wonderful image that brings me back to my happy place:

Meanwhile, back at the White House, Dick Cheney waited for one of the kids to twist an ankle so he could emerge, troll-like, from the bushes to devour them whole.

Tell the children: Cheney is always lurking.

Mitch McConnell Continues to Lose Military Support Back Home

This morning the Lexington Herald-Leader ran a story about the immense strain that the Iraq War has had on the Ft. Campbell community. Once an area of uniform support for Bush and McConnell, military families are now beginning to question the nonsensical policies of Bush/McConnell. The 101st Airborne is now preparing for its 3rd deployment to Iraq, a rather remarkable fact, considering the war has only lasted a little over 4 years. And now these military families, that have sacrificed so much, have their Senator, Mitch McConnell, veto against and organize the filibuster of the Webb amendment, which would finally give our soldiers the proper rest and rotation they deserve before they are sent to Iraq. Scores of wounded soldiers all around the country, including Ft. Campbell, are getting injured in Iraq, coming home, and then finding out that they're going right back to Iraq. It's shameful what Mitch McConnell is doing, and the Ft. Campbell community is beginning to speak up against it. From the article:

A few days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Bo Ward put these words on the sign at his 12-chair barbershop near the main gate at Fort Campbell: "President Bush, show no mercy. Kick their ass!"

But almost six years later, and after more than four years of war in Iraq, Ward's no longer so sure.

"Soldiers are tired; wives are tired; families are getting worn down," Ward said. "I know these boys can't just pick up and come home from Iraq, but we need some kind of exit plan."

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's recent visit to Fort Campbell highlighted the emotional strain and frustration this southwestern Kentucky military town is feeling as the 101st Airborne Division prepares for its third deployment since the Iraq war began.

...

Pressure back home

McConnell, who is up for re-election next year, also faces increasing pressure in Kentucky from Democrats. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a national group, launched commercials this week that are highly critical of the senator's leadership on the war and are aimed at eroding support in his home state.

Kentucky has given heavily to the war effort. Fort Campbell's latest round of deployments will push to 23,000 the number of soldie