Trying to claim protecting everyday consumers from douche hats who take no safety precautions and make bogus claims is a First Amendment issue. HA.

We can’t wait for his amendment saying lunch counters should be allowed to turn non-whites away in 3, 2…

Surely it’ll happen because everything else he foams at the mouth about is a very serious issue in Kentucky, right?

The president of a mail order bride company has been lobbying Republicans to water down protections for abused immigrants. [HuffPo]

Lexington is still super-nervous about potential United States Postal Service closures. [WLEX18]

Anybody receive those nasty, negative robocalls from Alecia Webb-Edgington? She’s had a lot of nasty things to say about her opponents. [Alecia's Hypocrisy]

Why is the jack-booted government arresting all of these nice white supremacists?! [Wonkette]

Way to go, Morehead, this is just the sort of story you need to make the town seem awesome. [WKYT]

Way to go, Morgan County, for having one of your own stab a dog during a domestic dispute. Let’s keep it up with the backwater behavior. [H-L]

Gas prices have been falling for five consecutive weeks, defying prognosticators who said the cost would soar to a national average of $5 a gallon. [HuffPo]

Earlier today, Hershael York endorsed Gary Moore in the 4th District Congressional primary. [Press Release & Video]

Yep, let’s keep pretending mouth-breathers won’t vote on the basis of race and such. It’ll work out really well for the country. [WHAS11]

It’s always nice to see Kentucky artists getting lots of national recognition. So take a look at these ten Kentucky bands you should listen to now. [Paste Magazine]

Michele Beard Bachmann hates America so much that she has exercised her right to become a Swiss citizen. [Reuters]

Why do people choose political loyalties over facts? It’s likely not all about money and perceived superiority. [NPR]

The American Pain Foundation shut down as Senators launched an investigation of painkillers. [ProPublica]

Right? It had to be drugs. Maybe someone roofied her juice that morning. Because not even she can b.s. like that. Pretending that people in Louisville love him and suggesting that he’ll end up in the White House.

Hoo boy.

At least Steve Beshear wasn’t embarrassing:

You’ll probably want to read this story about the poorest county in America celebrating prom. Yes, it’s in Kentucky. [HuffPo]

And you’ll definitely want to read this story about how “Proud Appalachians” live without running water or power. [Daily Mail]

Do you have a serious need to laugh uncontrollably this afternoon? Here’s the headline: John Dingell Learns About Teabagging. You are welcome. [Political Wire]

According to the White House, health care reform legislation provides up to $8,682,584 in health insurance premium rebates for people in Kentucky. [Press Release]

Environmental groups and private citizens can intervene in a lawsuit brought by Kentucky against a mining company to object to a settlement in the case, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday. [H-L]

Ohio just had its first camel birth in 30 years. When will Kentucky have a fancy camel birth? Kentucky needs a camel birth. [WKYT]

We hear Monday is going to be a highly entertaining and interesting day in Frankfort. [Deep Frankfort Thoughts]

You still believe everything is puppies and rainbows in America? Then you absolutely are delusional and living in a dream state. [HuffPo]

OH NOES!!1! Only Mittens Romney can stop the grave Soviet threat! The Cold War is still going on or whatever! [Wonkette]

A government shutdown could be on the horizon because Warshington is absolutely busted. [Politico]

George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shooting. Go read this story and remember – both sides remember – that no one knows the full story just yet. [Reuters]

Now the mayor of Manchester is admitting that the city fell victim to an investor scam!

The mayor of Manchester said he believes city officials fell victim to an investor scam.

About three years ago, Waste Not Technologies investing in Clay County, but the company never came and now the city is in a financial crunch.

“It was a scam,” said Mayor George Saylor.

Mayor George Saylor said even as a councilman in 2009, he did not buy the offers made by the Florida based company Waste Not Technologies. Saylor said the company was part of Global Green Holdings and had talked with other rural states about investing also.

“I always thought why would they come here, make a $150,000,000 investment and go to a hollow where it is going to take $44,000,000 dollars to get the land level that they needed,” said Saylor.

He said when he and two other council members tried to say “this is a rip off” they were told “you are just like everyone else who does not want change in this town.”

The company promised to build a facility equipped to employ 1,400 people and pay them an average of around $15 per hour. Saylor said he thought it was too good to be true.

Saylor said the city has been “hit bad” by the scammers.

Really sad to see.

Maybe Manchester could have used the internets to check the company out?

Because this mess has been going on for years in other states:

Since the January 30 Joanna Town Meeting concerning an economic development prospect, Waste Not Technologies (WNT), GoLaurens, GoClinton and other media outlets have received emails containing disparaging remarks about the company. Laurens County and Laurens County Development Corporation Chairman Jim Coleman released a statement on Tuesday regarding WNT and the allegations that have been levied against the company.

According to LCDC Executive Director Marvin Moss, WNT told him and the LCDC upfront that a former employee had created a website that was aimed at discrediting the company. Moss also said that he and other county officials had received similar emails and said that at this time, the LCDC had no reason to not believe WNT was a serious venture.

-SNIP-

“On January 30, 2010, Laurens County Council and the Laurens County Development Corporation hosted a public meeting at the First Baptist Church in Joanna to discuss a proposed recycling and manufacturing project for the Joanna-Southern Laurens County area. Waste Not Technologies (WNT), a Florida-based company, had approached Laurens County and the LCDC concerning a proposed multi-million dollar project that would employ more than 1,000 in the Joanna area.

Clay County fell victim to the real life equivalent of the Nigerian prince scam of the 1990s.

This:

Amen.

We are absolutely shocked that the Kentucky Retirement Systems didn’t play a huge role (or any) in this story about pensions finding out that riskier funds fail to pay off. [NYT]

This is why Kentucky can have nice things. Go read about this Lexington non-profit ASAP. [H-L]

$7 gas prices in the United States? Here we go again with the fear-mongering. YAY! [PR Newswire]

Poor Morgan County just can’t catch a break. Bad bits of news after bad bits of news, then tornados and now more traffic accidents. [WKYT]

A raft of new medicines pushed spending on drugs modestly higher last year, but the gains were curbed by weak prescription use as Americans avoided doctor visits, according to a report released on Wednesday. That increase in spending was still at $320 billion, though. [Reuters]

Why does B. Hussein Nobama hate America and why is he trying to inject himself into this? Why is he trying to make a book about…. race… all race-y? Lawwwd, the mouth-breathers are freaking out over the President’s introduction of To Kill A Mockingbird. [Wonkette]

You can’t even go to Lexington these days without being shot in a drive-by shooting. [WLEX18]

President Barack Obama called for campaign finance reform but left out Citizens United. [HuffPo]

You already know the foreigns laugh at the U.S. Congress. But how do they feel about the Supreme Court of the United States? Haha, the same, of course. [The Economist]

Democrats – particularly those affiliated with the Senate – are taking the fight against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the local level. [Politico]

Have you seen the latest from Greg Fischer’s “compassionate” Metro Government in Louisville? This involves an EMT who had his leg amputated. Shenanigans abound. [The 'Ville Voice]

Remember how Rick Perry was insane during debates? Then you’ll probably pee a little bit when you read this story about him, well, peeing. [Wonkette]

Campaign finance on a federal level is about to get a lot more dicey after this fancy ruling. [HuffPo]

Did Lexington maybe burn to the ground last night? Because local media there is 100% focused on how crazy people behaved. [WKYT]

Ronnie Ellis must have completely disappeared from CNHI papers. Was he abducted? He’s been MIA since February 24. [Missing Journalist Alert]

Maybe Louisvillians would be less angry at their embarrassingly bad mayor if he was winning awards for something other than his use of FACEBOOK AND TWITTER? Jesus H. [FOX41]

What do you do when you’re the mayor of the state’s largest city and have egg all over your face for sinking that city’s animal services agency into the ground while covering it up? Promote a different story like crazy and pretend to love animals. That’s what. [The 'Ville Voice]

Now Rand Paul wants to tour tornado-ravaged areas of Eastern Kentucky. Pro-tip: It’s now April. [H-L]

Oh, here you go, the national press is laughing at Kentucky as it goes insane over a basketball game. [HuffPo]

Remember when Rand Paul was queening out about energy efficient light bulbs? Turns out efficiency is a huge deal in the rest of the world. [The Economist]

The Robert Felner culture of corruption continues at the University of Louisville. No one bats an eyelash. [Page One]

You know you have a serious problem in your state when your governor tells the press that a basketball victory will “help with economic development” and puts the state on an “international stage.” [Twitter]

Mitch McConnell is queening out yet again. This time? It’s bad for President Barack Obama to speak out about the Supreme Court but it’s okay for Mitch to do so. [Politico]

CLICK FOR DETAILS

The least healthy? Owsley.

All those dark green colors are the least healthy counties.

Way to go, Eastern Kentucky. Thanks for proving that poverty leads to health issues. Again.

Don’t miss Comment on Kentucky tonight at 8:00 P.M. Eastern on KET. Scheduled guests: Bill Estep, Joe Gerth, Greg Stotelmyer. It’ll likely be boring this week but you don’t have anything else to do. Just drink bourbon and watch it. [KET]

Here’s a shocker: Kentucky made the Final Four in debt. That’s something else you can be proud of. [Business Week]

What was that, again, about forcing a prescription for Claritin D? Bob Stivers probably cried a little when he realized he couldn’t participate in the Hal Rogers Circlejerk with those shenanigans. You can still lawfully buy medications containing pseudoephedrine without a prescription in Kentucky. Thank goodness some common sense folks realized the gram limit should be lowered. [Bluegrass Politics]

Osama bin Forgotten’s widow is revealing new details about the al Qaeda leader’s life on the run. [HuffPo]

Who cares the most? Check out this graph of voter turnout rates in the most recent election in several countries. You won’t be happy with what you see. [Click the Clicky]

While this Earth Hour thing is a fancy idear? Steve Beshear’s decision to participate will end up costing taxpayers extra cash. Turning the lights off and back on actually costs more money than it does to leave them running. [WLEX18]

Sorry, Greg Fischer, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell your “Cardinal Red Day” set a world record. You’re the damn laughingstock of the national mayoral scene and this doesn’t help matters. [WFPL]

Republicans have retreated on gay marriage because they’ve discovered they can’t profit from hating the gays politically. Pure and simple. And it doesn’t help that there are so many closet cases in Warshington. [Politico]

Eric Crawford wrote a special column for CNN about the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. It’s worth a read. [CNN]

You already know Michele Beard Bachmann is dumb as hell because it takes a special brand of stupid not to know that man is a screaming queen. But now she’s saying people without health insurance should be free to “roll the dice” of life. [Wonkette]

Mormon cultists just can’t help but throw millions of dollars at hating the gays (and non-whites, still?). You should expect much more from a cult that believes in some white salamander and in a human prophet or something. Sister wives, also. In 2008, Mitt Romney’s political action committee made a $10,000 donation to the National Organization of Marriage at a time when the anti-gay rights organization was seeking repeal of a California law legalizing marriage equality. [HuffPo]

A grand jury will review the murder case of an EKU student and Iraq war veteran. [H-L]