BluegrassBulletin.com

One Week Out, Here Are My Endorsements

You hear it all the time from politicians known for hyperbole: "This is maybe the most important election of your lifetime."  But there is one difference, this time they would be right.

UNITED STATES SENATE

Most Kentuckians know that Barack Obama has done terrible damage to our nation.  And that majority knows that if he is not stopped from executing the rest of his agenda the damage may become irreversible.

Elections are about choices.  And the ONLY choice in this race for those who want to stop Barack Obama is Mitch McConnell.

It is clear that Barack Obama wants to bankrupt the coal industry, flood our nation with illegal workers competing for jobs with out of work Americans, to destroy national pride in favor of an international apology, and to fundamentally transform our nation built on faith in God into a nation that looks to government for blessings.

Alison Lundergan Grimes recently told reporters in Northern Kentucky that her election will "make history".  I can't believe she said that.

The Grimes campaign is a mirror image of Obama's: blame the predecessor, hide your true loyalties and get people to vote for making a dangerous change in direction by calling it "historic".

Here's the real history.  Mitch McConnell has nearly always had close races. It would not be surprising if this one was as close as the polls suggest.

So forget the polls and consider the real question of historic proportions: will Kentucky make history by electing the next majority leader of the United States Senate or make the mistake of repeating the errors of 2008 and 2012 to the detriment of our Commonwealth and our nation by electing an inexperienced upstart?

We need to put a stop TO Obama in the Senate, not a vote FOR Obama in place of one that works.

Grimes campaign is grounded in the firm belief that voters are dumb.  Dumb enough to let her get by without answering questions, dumb enough to not see that she is running the same kind of campaign Obama did, and dumb enough to expect different results.

McConnell is the only choice a chance for America has.

JUDICIAL RACES

Supreme Court

Michele Keller is currently filling the position left vacant by the passing of Wil Schroder.  Keller was elected to the Court of Appeals eight years ago.  Prior to that she was a relatively unknown lawyer.

As in many judicial elections in Kentucky people know very little about the opinions held by judicial candidates until they get elected.  Then their opinions become law.

Efforts to change the law so voters can learn more about candidates before they acquire the power to rule over life and liberty continue to be met with great resistance, particularly by those already on the bench.

Perhaps the most damning piece of information in any judicial race I have seen in years came out not long ago about Michele Keller.  It was her vote in favor of allowing a teenager from another state to travel out of state for an abortion without their parents ever knowing that has cut her campaign deeply.

Her opponent, Teresa Cunningham has gotten very little attention except from those who oppose Keller for her pro-choice opinion and her deep roots inside the democratic party operation in Campbell County.

Keller will likely win and her time on the Court of Appeals and Supreme court has been marked by mostly rather kind and well reasoned opinions, but for those who vote principle over personality, Cunningham will be their choice.

These are your options.  I make no recommendation.

COURT OF APPEALS

When Governor Steve Beshear appointed Allison Jones to the Court of Appeals to fill the seat left vacant after Keller got appointed to the Supreme Court, everyone knew exactly why.  Her husband was credited with raising tons of money for Beshear.  In other words, quid pro quo.

Jones will likely lose to Justin Sanders in large part because Sanders is from Northern Kentucky where most of the votes will be cast.  In addition Sanders has worked far harder on his campaign than Jones and has earned his votes.

But Sanders should win not because he worked hard but because he is clearly the better choice.  He has experience in the courtroom, experience handling both criminal and civil cases and he has the most important experience of all, he represents people.

This race has come down to voting for quality versus voting for quid pro quo.  I suggest you vote quality.

Sanders has the temperament, the knowledge and the compassion to make a great jurist and should receive your vote.

CIRCUIT COURT

Kenton County

In Kentucky our court system is divided into various levels of decision making.  Circuit court is the court of general jurisdiction.  It is also the first level of appeal from the District Court.  Within Circuit Courts there has been carved out the relatively new "Family Court" which combines some of the old functions of the District Courts regarding family issues and mixed them under a new umbrella.  In Kenton County one Circuit Court seat is on the ballot, two Family Court seats are on the ballot and one District Court seat is contested.

For the Circuit Court the choice should be Kathy Lape.  There are many reasons why her experience, her background and her commitment to family would make her the better choice, but there is a political reason as well.  

For judges to be truly independent they should have as few loyalties to court house politics as possible.  We lawyers have seen it far too many times in counties all across the Commonwealth.  A judge's impartiality is questioned by his close relationship with the prosecutor, the county judge, the sheriff, the police department or some other powerful political force in the community.  Few if any lawyers have the courage to speak out about such things, but the people we represent often express fear of them.

Distrust of the judiciary unravels the fabric of our nation of laws.  Kathy Lape is truly independent.  She is not part of the "courthouse crowd" and her service to the people of Kenton County will help restore trust in our judiciary.  I urge you to give her your vote.

For family court there are a couple of races pitting the current incumbents against lawyer challengers.  In both races the incumbents are doing a very good job and deserve to be re-elected.

Chris Mehling has had to run a harder race than necessary due to the last name of his opponent.  The Knochelman who challenges him is not the guy who just won the County Judge Executive's seat.  Clear out that confusion and you will be left with the clear choice, Chris Mehling for Family Court 2nd Division.

Incumbent Lisa Bushelman is being challenged for her seat in the 5th Division Family Court Race by Stephanie Dietz.  Lisa is doing a very good job and there has not been a compelling reason made to replace her.  Bushelman should get your vote.

In the only contested District Court race incumbent Ann Ruttle is being challenged by Chris Nordloh.  Ann enjoys a solid reputation for making good calls in hard cases.  Her challenger just wants the job.  You should vote for Ruttle.

Boone County

The single biggest race for Circuit Judge in Northern Kentucky is in Boone and Gallatin counties.  The clear choice is Rick Brueggemann.  Rick represents a break from lawyer driven politics on the bench, much like his predecessor Tony Frohlich has.  Both are men of extremely high character, solid legal backgrounds and courageously hard workers. 

In this race Brueggemann isn't just another lawyer turned judge.  He is a true constitutionalist.  We live in times when the law and the Constitution are being challenged not so much by cases but by lethargy on the bench.

Defense of the Constitution has cost millions of American lives.  Rick Brueggemann will honor those sacrifices by his own courage, in his own time, as Circuit Court Judge.

Owen, Grant, Carroll Counties

Two lawyers, John Brent Threlkeld and Leslie Knight, are competing for the seat now held by retiring Circuit Court Judge Stepehen Bates.  Developments in the last couple of weeks have made this a tough race.

Leslie Knight won handily in a mult-candidate primary and looked to be the favorite.  But Threlkeld has out worked her by a large measure and has been helped by a recent scandal surrounding Knight.

Knight, it is being said, advocated for giving heroin addicts clean needles during a recent debate.  Then her brother was recently charged with manufacturing methamphetamine.

This coupled with a lawsuit foreclosing on unpaid tax bills she has accumulated and another lawsuit in which the address she listed as her residence on her campaign filing papers is being challenged as false has tainted her suddenly in the waning days of the campaign.

Knight is presumably the choice of the "courthouse crowd" but that isn't as much a positive as it once was.  These negative stories swirling around her and her campaign raise real questions about her trustworthiness.  It would be helpful to voters to have them resolved before their votes are cast, but considering that they might not be resolved leaves much to be concerned with.

A hearing over her qualifications to serve in the seat will be held in front of Judge Bartlett in Kenton County this week.  I will update with an endorsement after that hearing.

Grimes Continues To Duck Issues While Thowing Mud

It's 2014 and people have grow wise to the ways of slick politicians who abuse issues like race, gender and social status for political gain.  So it is quite insulting to hear Alison Lundergan Grimes time and time again try to use the gender of her birth as if it gives her special qualifications to claim the female vote.

But what is even more insulting is her absolute refusal to address real life assaults on women's rights such as those in Frankfort, where she has her office.

Likely Democratic Senate nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes told about 150 Fayette County Democrats Tuesday night that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has "yesterday’s view of women." Then she declined to answer questions about a former Democratic lawmaker accused of sexual harassment. [Kentucky.com]

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/04/08/3186466/grimes-declines-to-take-questions.html?sp=/99/322/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

March Madness Political Spillover

It's madness I say!

Mitch McConnell put up an ad that wanted to showcase UK men's basketball celebrating a victory.  Ooops!  The 'vendor' used the wrong footage.  It was Duke players celebrating.

So Mitch's vendor quickly substituted footage of UK's Julius Randle.  Ooops!  UK sent him a cease and desist letter.  Seems that they did not have Randle's permission to use his image in a commercial AND the use of a college player in such fashion violates university rules.  The ad was taken down.

Oh, and while we are on the Ooops, how about the Ali-Ooops, as in the Ali Lundergan Grimes oops of having picked Wichita State to beat Kentucky Sunday (Kentucky won) and picking Florida to beat Louisville in the championship game?

It's madness I say!

Could McConnell Lose In November?

Mitch McConnell seems poised to defeat Matt Bevin pretty handily in the May primary, but the growing question around the coffee cups is whether he can survive November.

Alison Lundergan Grimes is out raising some pretty serious cash, and she isn't spending much of it foolishly.  She has gathered a star studded group of supporters to add Hollywood pizazz to her campaign and, sorry ladies, her gender is a bit of an advantage in today's political climate.

Add to that the fact that those with seething hate for McConnell among the Bevin crowd will not mend fences and vote for Mitch.  And among the GOP in general there is none of the old guard party loyalty that at one time kept guys like Mitch in power.

Mitch may very well have a November strategy in mind and if history is any kind of teacher at all it will likely be a combination of touting his accomplishments and slamming Alison pretty hard.  But what he needs after May is something he needs to be working on now.

Mitch needs more than a few allies out there forming an echo chamber for him.  He needs his ground game in place early this time, reminding folks why keeping Mitch is better for Kentucky.

So many of today's political observers want to couch every discussion in terms of what is good for the nation.  They see the huge political picture but not the local one.

Mitch needs to be working his network and have them out working for him, talking him up, using the local angle as the key to winning in November.

As many national observers are now beginning to admit, it looks like the GOP is going to capture the Senate majority.  Wouldn't it be a shame if we made that happen and Kentucky lost Mitch as the majority leader, instead replacing him with an Obama loyalist, back bencher and rookie public servant?

It could happen if Mitch forgets to warm up his engine before the race gets up to full speed.

Grimes: Two Faced, Can't Be Trusted

Alison Lundergan Grimes recently said this:

Liberal Alison Lundergan Grimes is running for senate in Kentucky. Today she wouldn’t say if she wants Obama to come campaign with her in conservative Kentucky.
Here’s how she dodged the question:

“This race is about putting the people of this state first. And, I speak for myself and don’t need any other surrogate to do that. I stand in stark contrast with the president in many of his ideas and platforms.” [Gateway Pundit]

She then promptly climbed on stage with her new found sugar daddy surrogate and raised money.

Can't.....believe.....anything.....she......says.

1200 Fools Gather In Louisville

1200 people gathered in Louisville yesterday to be fooled into believing that a man who sexually violated his 20 year old intern and disgraced the Oval office was worthy of their time.  And what is worse, it appears that they were conned into giving money to Obama's next "reliable vote" by the cad.

Bill Clinton helped Alison Grimes rake together what in the final analysis could be just short of a million dollars, according to one democratic insider.  In addition, Clinton convinced the assembled "marks" that Alison has all the momentum in this race.

As time goes on the entire campaign of both Grimes and Matt Bevin boils down to a hatred of Mitch McConnell.  And for what?

He was hired to do a job, a specific job, and that was to serve as a check on the runaway liberal agenda, see that Kentucky was front and center when it came time for federal budget consideration and to enhance the image of a state which everywhere else in the nation is considered to be home to a bunch of corrupt backwoods politicians, barefoot hillbillies and black faced coal miners living in shacks on stilts in muddy snake infested mountains.

And McConnell has achieved everything we sent him to Washington to do, and more.

He is now the most prominent and powerful republican in our Commonwealth's history.  He has continued to see that Kentucky is a receiving state, that is we get back from Washington more money than we send there in taxes.

He has studied and mastered the rules of political engagement using them to advance the interests of Kentucky and stem the bleeding which would occur at the hands of an unchecked liberal president.

He voted the way Kentucky wanted him to vote until in the most recent days people started saying "No more spending."  In all the years he has been in office voters clearly wanted money for roads, bridges, factories, schools, universities and other government programs that helped the people of Kentucky.  The pop culture trend to despise those who spend federal money is a sea change from the world of just a few years ago.  To hate Mitch now for doing what we asked him to do then is just plain ignorant.

And clearly his class and calm demeanor has helped the image of Kentucky around the world.  The kind of snake handling, back slapping, tobacco spitting hick that most of the people of this country envision when they hear of Kentucky politicians dissolves when the success of Mitch McConnell is mentioned as a real life example in contrast to the fictional images they carry in their heads.

So, for all you who were fooled in Louisville to follow the lead of man who dishonored our country, cheated on his wife in public office, was impeached by Congress, disbarred as an attorney and has been accused of rape like conduct by many women, admit to your debauchery.

And to you republicans out there who still think that Mitch has to go because ......well......he voted for spending, put down the bong and back away.  We sent him there and told him what we wanted.  He delivered what we wanted.  The fact that you now want something else doesn't support your argument that he has to go.

In fact, if you were honest about it, looking for example at his support for the hemp initiative and other measures supported by Rand Paul, it looks like Mitch is more than willing to listen to what you want and to use his superior skills to deliver it to you, something Bevin could never offer.

And to the rest of you conservatives who think that somehow not supporting Mitch shows how truly conservative you are, consider this, once again.

Michelle Obama took the stage at 12:42 p.m. inside a softly lit ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan for a women-themed fund-raiser benefitting the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

The ballroom had about 25 tables, with several female senators and three Senate candidates in attendance. Candidates included Michelle Nunn in Georgia, Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky and Natalie Tennant in West Virginia.

Obama spoke about the importance of electing a Congress to support her husband, alluded to the government shutdown, and invoked the narrow margin in the Senate to encourage the crowd to "max out."

"And let's not forget about that common-sense gun legislation, that so many of us feel so strongly about. Sadly as you know, that bill failed. Anyone know by how many votes? It failed by just six votes in the Senate. Six. So make no mistake about it: the midterm elections, they matter. They matter."

Obama said there was something the crowd could do to make a "huge difference."

"And it's simple, you can write a big ol' fat check," she said. [Capitol New York]

Read that over and over to everyone who will listen. 

Michelle Obama has singled out Alison Lundergan Grimes as a reliable vote for Barack Obama's agenda, including gun legislation.

It's just what our former adulterer in chief told people in Louisville.  "Follow me.  Write a check so Alison can help Obama."

Don't be fooled by disgusting Bill Clinton who left semen on a young female employees dress.  And don't be fooled by his "Scarlet Letter Tour". 

What he is up to is helping Obama get more votes in Congress and removing the most effective check on that runaway power Kentucky has ever sent to Washington DC.

I ain't fooled, are you?

Grimes Brings Stain To Kentucky

Lock up your daughters, hold tight to your wallets, Alison Lundergan Grimes today will rub the face of all women in the dirt of the nastiest president of all time as she brings the former molester in chief to Kentucky to help her raise money.  What a stain upon the presidency he represents.  God help us.

Alison Grimes Embraces Offensive Absurdity

If you listen to Alison Lundergan Grimes and her echo chamber of far left liberals you will hear them ranting that republicans have waged a war on women. That is absurd, and offensive particularly considering that she is hyping her upcoming date with Bill Clinton. Here's what one editorial in the liberal San Francisco Chroincle says about him:

"[Y]ou have to give [Senator Rand] Paul this much: He rightly pointed out the chasm between how Clinton Democrats treat women as an interest group and how they treat them as people. When Bubba strayed, only the women paid.

The McFadden-Lynch memo serves as a reminder of what the Clinton machine does to women who speak out. They become loose ends who need to be tied up."

That editorial is a reminder that the stain Bill Clinton left on the presidency goes well beyond him getting a 22 year old intern to perform oral sex on him.

There was of course the admission to his affairs with various women during his marriage as well as claims by several of him forcing himself on them:

Gennifer Flowers, Monica Lewinsky, Dolly Kyle Browning, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Paula Jones, Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Wiley.

Juanita Broaddrick told her story to a national television audience last night, saying she did not tell authorities 21 years ago of her contention that Bill Clinton sexually assaulted her because "I just don't think anyone would have believed me."

In a gripping account punctuated by sobs, the Arkansas woman told "Dateline NBC" that in her Little Rock hotel room, Clinton suddenly "turned me around and started kissing me, and that was a real shock. I first pushed him away. I just told him 'no.' . . . He tries to kiss me again. He starts biting on my lip. . . . And then he forced me down on the bed. I just was very frightened. I tried to get away from him. I told him 'no.' . . . He wouldn't listen to me."

The nursing home operator, previously known as Jane Doe No. 5, told Myers that she felt "violated" but finally stopped resisting Clinton's sexual advances because "it was a real panicky situation." She said that "he was just a vicious, awful person."

Pressed by Myers as to whether she was raped, Broaddrick said she had been. "It was not consensual," she insisted. [Washington Post]

It defies logic to attempt an understanding of why any candidate, particularly a female candidate, would want to have anything to do with Bill Clinton, unless the lust for the money he delivers at the end of the night is enough for them to put their morals and their values on hold until the affair is over. 

A relationship with a man of such low moral character done solely for money was once the kind of thing that caused people to call you an ugly name.  But today candidates squeal loudly if people call them ugly names and their buddies in the press to rush to their defense whenever Slick Willie is involved. 

You can expect Alison Lundergan Grimes to continue making the offensive and abusurd argument that it is her opponent, rather than her new political bedfellow Bill Clinton who is the one waging war on women.  But I for one think women are too smart to fall for such baloney.

Happy Valentines Day ladies. 

Women's Group Gives Bill Clinton "Red Dress" Award

You can't just make this stuff up.  Bill Clinton accepted a "red dress" award for his daughter's efforts in fighting obesity.

Bill Clinton, the former Oval Office resident took time away from his busy pro-woman schedule to be driven down to the pro-woman awards ceremony to receive the Woman’s Day “Red Dress Award” on “behalf of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation’s work in combatting childhood obesity.” [Independent Journal]

One can't help but remember the chubby girl in the stained blue dress when hearing this story.

I hope they remember his sleaze when he comes to Kentucky to help Alison Lundergan Grimes in a few days.

Beshear Throws Kentucky Under The Bus?

That's the headline at Hot Air.  Here's their reasoning:

There are some interesting goings on to watch in Kentucky this year, mostly centering on the “centrist” Democrat Governor, Steve Beshear. Some little birds in local politics have whispered in our ears, indicating that Beshear is looking for a place to land after [his term is up] and is hoping for an appointment in Washington from Barack Obama. Of course, that’s a bit different face than the Governor showed after winning his last election, when he promised a lean government, an ability to work with Republicans and distanced himself from Obama as much as possible.

But that was then and this is now. With an eye to the future, one would think that Beshear and Barack Obama are BFFs after the State of the Union address where he was singled out for his excellent work on Obamacare.

Not only that, with the threat of election defeat behind him, Beshear has also been reaching out to the EPA, with policies on the table which are very dangerous to the coal economy of Kentucky.

This all certainly seems very convenient for Governor Beshear in terms of cozying up to the White House and getting a high profile shout out at the SOTU. And it may just land him a job further down the line. But what happens to the people of his state who are left behind? They get stuck with the wreckage of Obamacare and more jobs leaving the state as the EPA decimates the energy industry there.

The leopard seems to be changing his spots rather quickly here. Keep this name in your Google search drawer and remember this if he shows up with a plush new job in the Obama administration.

Oh, and add to the pot the political capital Beshear is struggling to capture for himself by helping Obama defeat the strongest opponent of his runaway socialist agenda, Mitch McConnell.

Beshear has to be calculating into his future what he could score for himself if Alison Lundergan Grimes becomes the reliable vote for Obama that Michelle said she would be.

Don't for one minute think that these parasites aren't in it for themselves.