28 responses so far ↓

• 1 briansmith // Jan 22, 2008 at 12:51 am

  …Where are they?

  They are six days behind the story, that’s where they are.

  Kudos to Joe Sonka!!!

• 2 Scott // Jan 22, 2008 at 2:33 am

  What is the video supposed to prove? How does it implicate McConnell? The mainstream media hasn’t picked it up, because there is no story.

• 3 NurseTeacher // Jan 22, 2008 at 6:32 am

  Scott is right. This proves nothing, there is no story.

• 4 Yellow Dog // Jan 22, 2008 at 9:00 am

  Dear Scott and Nurse: Always click the links first. If you read the background stories, you’ll realize that the video proves that McConnell lied about what Heather did and said when she confronted McConnell.

  That nothing happpend on the video is precisely the point: McConnell is falsely claiming she attacked his group physicially and verbally, and the video proves she did nothing of the kind.

  The video proves McConnell is lying.

  The video proves McConnell got her fired for exercising her First Amendment rights.

  The video proves Heather is right and did nothing wrong.

  The video proves McConnell is a lying scumbag and coward who takes out his extreme inadequacy on children and their mothers.

• 5 Anonymous // Jan 22, 2008 at 9:12 am

  This is the poster child for the anti-McConnell movement in Kentucky?

  A foul-mouthed woman who sends her kid out to do her dirty work?

  A woman who endangers her employer’s federal funding and non-profit status by insulting the state’s senior senator?

  A woman who treats her place of employment as her very own property, at which she can take offense and/or feign indignance because she’s a Democrat and a Republican comes there to raise money and film a commercial?

  A woman who has brainwashed her daughter into thinking that McConnell really wants to kill her father, who enlisted into the service of his own free will?

  A woman who dyes her pre-teen’s hair pink and seems to be proud of it?

  Heather Ryan is NOT a sympathetic figure.

• 6 Yellow Dog // Jan 22, 2008 at 9:38 am

  Anonymous: the bank called; that check from McConnell you deposited bounced.

  Try reading the links instead of the Mitch propaganda.

  Or check out the Bill of Rights - you only have to read the first one.

• 7 Anonymous // Jan 22, 2008 at 11:48 am

  Yellow Mutt, the only things I have read about this incident have been what’s been posted on this blog, Ditch Mitch and Bluegrass Roots. I haven’t seen any McConnell propaganda. I read Ms. Ryan’s own words and made up my own mind based on her account of the action.

  I also firmly believe that yellow dogs should be spayed and neutered so they won’t reproduce. ;-)

• 8 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Jan 22, 2008 at 12:06 pm

  As I say in the other thread, I can understand the grounds for Heather’s dismissal — abusing her position like she did to advance personal politics — but the issue here is whether McConnell’s team lied to her employer and/or coerced them to fire her.

• 9 kilowat // Jan 22, 2008 at 1:31 pm

  Elephants in the weeds, were on it before mitch called the paducah higher up’s .that was the meeting the board had friday asking Heather what she had done, she showed the video then but the board waited till monday to fire her

• 10 anon // Jan 22, 2008 at 2:07 pm

  The daughter screamed, “I hope you die” to McConnell at the time 5:10/5:11 on the video.

  Hate speech is NOT protected speech.

• 11 Yellow Dog // Jan 22, 2008 at 2:08 pm

  Anonymous - either you haven’t read the posts, because all the facts are there, or you’re playing concern troll to amuse yourself.

  Sorry to hear you’re afraid of those with reproductive ability.

• 12 watcher // Jan 22, 2008 at 3:14 pm

  She screamed do you want my daddy to die.

• 13 CollegeDem // Jan 22, 2008 at 3:29 pm

  The firing was definitely ridiculous. She should be reinstated with an apology, and if not, she should sue. Every Kentuckian, and of course every American should be able to question their elected officials without fear of backlash.

  On a side note, isn’t her daughter the same girl who screamed at Ernie Fletcher to “Shut-up” at the top of her lungs at Fancy Farm?

• 14 3CardNana // Jan 22, 2008 at 5:38 pm

  You do have the right to speak out against a political figure. Your employer also has the right to fire you if they believe you misrepresented the image of their establishment. If you worked at a restaurant and decided to start videotaping your customers (in the public eye or not) you would be fired. To say differently is to be patently dishonest.

• 15 CollegeDem // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:35 pm

  Hey 3 card Nana…ever heard of the first amendment? It’s my understanding that she was not actually working at the time. What she does with her time is her business.

  I’m not saying her tactics were the most well thought out, but she should not have been fired for it.

• 16 Scarecrow // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:54 pm

  Here is where you Dems get things wrong. Normal, everyday Kentuckians would think her behavior was weird and borderline psychotic. This woman lingered outside a window taping another human being and then ran up and shoved her camera in his face, while her daughter screamed.

  People don’t act like that.

  You all insist on this foolish behavior and it makes you look ridiculous to most people. You guys at PageOne are reasonable guys, you know how politics works, do you honestly think the Republican Leader of the United States Senate called and got this woman fired? You ran this story because you believed you could generate some press attention for this but if a non-politico saw this video, they would find this woman creepy.

• 17 jake // Jan 22, 2008 at 7:58 pm

  Actually, we ran the story because it deserves attention.

  The behavior on the video is absolutely mundane and calm compared to most times the Senator is anywhere in public. He, along with most pro-war individuals, is usually followed by a crowd of raucous individuals.

  We believe the senator’s folks exerted influence as there’s sufficient evidence to suggest it. And we also know his staff exaggerated the encounter beyond belief.

• 18 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Jan 22, 2008 at 8:31 pm

  Yes, the issue is the McConnell staff’s overreaching behavior in response.

  If they merely described their discomfort to Heather’s employer, that’s one thing. But if they lied about what she did, and/or coerced the employer to fire her, then that was certainly wrong and McConnell should be called out on the carpet for it.

  Further, I’m amazed how dense “Scarecrow” is being on this issue. This thread is not endorsing Heather’s behavior. It’s saying that her behavior wasn’t unusual as far as what McConnell normally faced. Beyond that, again, I’ll say her behavior was bad enough to be fired without McConnell’s staff pulling any shenanigans.

• 19 Steve Bittenbender // Jan 22, 2008 at 8:36 pm

  CollegeDem,

  When you’re the executive director of a non-profit, you’re always representing your organization. Wherever you are or whatever you’re doing, you’re still the executive director of the non-profit. That’s the first rule of non-profits.

  That leads to the second rule: never piss off a donor or a potential donor.

  Heather Ryan broke both of those rules. While it’s unfortunate that she lost her job over this, she has no one to blame but herself.

• 20 CollegeDem // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:25 am

  Well, I am pretty sure that the child in this situation is the same one who screamed repeatedly at all the Republican speakers at Fancy Farm, in a manner going way beyond the political sport of the occasion. So it does not shock me that Ryan does not have extensive tact.

  And yes, Steve I’ve been around politics and other organizations long enough to know you never piss off a donor.

• 21 brad // Jan 23, 2008 at 5:39 am

  Oh wow…you guys buried the lead there.

  Jake…could you please confirm whether this girl is in fact the same screaming girl from Fancy Farm…who I also believe screamed at a Forum at the University of Kentucky? If so…jig’s up. That “little girl” disrupts every event she attends and alienates people on both sides. Her screaming at these functions was absolutely ridiculous…and I assure you that Republicans, Democrats, Independents and just humans in general were covering their ears. It is one thing to speak your mind…but quite another to ensure that others cannot hear the conversation on the other side.

  Thanks to CollegeDem for that bit of info. Says it all for me…

• 22 kentucky activists // Jan 23, 2008 at 5:26 pm

  The real story yet to be told id the set up. I am not Mcconnell fan but if I were in the same situtaion I would have her thrown out on her ear.

  Stupid tactics like these get us no where. How does something like this help get rid of a crooked politican?

• 23 cmb // Jan 24, 2008 at 2:09 am

  To those shouting “First Amendment”, I’m as staunch a supporter of our constitutional rights as anybody, but they are limited in some regards. The First Amendment does NOT apply on private property, it appears from the video she was on the theater’s property, hence she had no right to freedom of speech.

  Her termination is justified for her unprofessional behavior at her work place, for the reasons Steve Bittenbender described in his comment. If she wasn’t at her place of employment at the time, this might be a story.

• 24 Clarity // Jan 24, 2008 at 3:09 pm

  cmb is absolutely correct. Furthermore, I am amazed how often those who scream the loudest about the first amendment usually know the least about it.

  I’m curious what legal firm in Paducah would represent her at this point. Even a first year law clerk would tell her that her free speech/wrongful termination crusade is a pipedream on private property in an at-will state.

  From what I’m hearing now, even Dem party heads in town want nothing to do with her. She has tarnished the theater, enraged the community, and embarrassed the party.

  But hey, at least the blogs have something to froth over for the next 14:59.

• 25 Marty // Jan 24, 2008 at 6:56 pm

  Question…is the sidewalk “private property”.I thought it was built and paid for by the public.

  Is there a prohibition to using a video camera on the sidewalk?
  Is it proper for this non-profit to be assisting a politician to make a partisan political film which will be used in a political campaign…purely to benefit him. Is that what the grants were for????

• 26 Clarity // Jan 24, 2008 at 7:55 pm

  No, the sidewalk in this case is not private property. However, there is no sidewalk in this video, as there is no sidewalk along the alley. There’s a sidewalk along Water Street, where Miss Ryan at one point stalked the McParty, but that’s not in the video. But really this little fact doesn’t matter to anyone, as it’s just splitting hairs about Paducah’s geography I suppose. The alley behind the theater, however, is indeed a public thoroughfare in my understanding.

  And of course, there is no prohibition on videotaping something in public– although it’s always wise to get consent to avoid a civil court matter. The government cannot legally stop you from videotaping its activities unless the subject matter at hand threatens national security or impedes certain criminal investigations.

  Now with that said, neither of these pearls of wisdom changes the fact that her employers were well within their legal rights to dismiss Ryan based on her actions as Executive Director of the theater. As their spokesperson and “face” to the community, she took it upon herself to air her personal issues while in her professional role. She may have assumed she put on her personal life’s hat, but like it or not, she’s constantly wearing her work life’s hat.

  Again, I know that some groups are just hammering at this to be some vast conspiracy involving McConnell, but this just isn’t the case.

  Heather Ryan acted inappropriately at her workplace, embarrassed her organization, and had the audacity to brag about it on the internet. Her employer subsequently found out about her actions and legally terminated her employment. She would have been fired for doing the exact same thing with a Chinese Ambassador, Jesus Christ, or Jane Fonda. But only because a handful of bloggers love all-things-anti-McConnell does this hit the news. And unfortunately it’s hurting the wrong people.

• 27 Marty // Jan 25, 2008 at 10:48 am

  Clarity…you need to search some more…maybe for some”sanity”. She was STANDING” on the sidewalk…..in front of what I presume is a main entrance…so the foolish justificatioin that she was on private property is not true. All citizens may stand and look through and videotape through a window from the sidewalk. So you and your equally dim friend “emb” are WRONG.

  She”stalked the McParty”..once again your true colors come out. In what way is the attempt to meet and greet and ask a question of your Senator considered “stalking”…only in your world or the land of Mcconnell supporters.

  You then say with what I assume is bold certainty…

  “she took it upon herself to air her personal issues while in her professional role. She may have assumed she put on her personal life’s hat, but like it or not, she’s constantly wearing her work life’s hat.”

  This is false…you really must speak to a lawyer before you bloviate. There is no justification for the position that a person who works for or is an executive director od a non-profit must at all times be assumed to be a public model for the non-profit corporation. Give some justification for that notion. My lawyer friend says that if one is not working at the time, then that person has EVERY right under the law to express her views freely and without fear. you cannot fire some without just cause.

  Anonymous is another bloviator with no credentials. First he says tha a federal employee is subject to the Hatch act.
  1) Heather is not a federal employee…and
  2) The Hatch act applies to the activities of a public employee like Carl Rove on behalf of a political agenda…it does not aqpply to an individual asking a question(3 times) to her Senator.

  Heather was not a state employee , so the bullcrap about Krs##@@^^is totally oirrelevant…another false attempt to blow smoke..

  Heather has been improperly fired and should seek legal action…hopefully then ACLU will help. Then we will know when there is a discovery depositiuon whether the board is solely culpable, or there was impermissible pressure on them from a public official.
  I would like Steve to prove (Or give a source)that there is a rule or agreement that an executive director of a non-profit must lose her 1st amendment right. My attorney friend says that that is a false notion.
  He also says there is a rule” never piss off a donor”…is Mitch a donor…or is he giving out public funds….ones that we all donate through our taxes. The law says that Mitch may not use his funding of groups as a political weapon. It is not HIS money…..it is the public’s. And as for pissing off donors, I venture there is either an equal number or a majority of donors who are “pissed off” by the boards ’s behavior. That cuts both ways…and is in any event NOT a legitimate reason to dismiss this woman from her position.

  And what is this focus on this little girl…she is a kid…she doesn’t vote….she is cute…she can say whatever she wants..and that also has no bearing on whether Heather should have been fired.

  “Heather Ryan acted inappropriately at her workplace, embarrassed her organization, and had the audacity to brag about it on the internet”

  Sorry..but I totally disagree. Heather acted entirely appropriately, legally, politely and under the rule of law and our constitution. She was not “at” but outside her workplace. She didn’t embarass her organization, the board itself did that with their illegal and craven behavior. She has every right to “brag”…(interesting how this use of words shows Clarity’s true leanings)…I mean tell her story…another free speech issue..on the internet, radio, newspaper, TV or wherever she wishes. Too bad for the authoritarians here, but this is not yet a police state.

• 28 jake // Feb 11, 2008 at 5:44 pm

  Keep your sexist, racist shit in check if you wish to comment here.

  That’s the quickest way to get banned.

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