While Jack Conway has been keen to publicly embarrass himself by saying the pill problem in Kentucky is going away? Uh, well, take a look at those indicted:

Jason Allen Ware, 34, Frankfort, Ky Debra Q. Baker, 61, Frankfort, Ky Jodi L. Ware, 38, Frankfort, Ky Jeffrey Keith Ware, 31, Frankfort, Ky Henry Earl Penn, 47, Frankfort, Ky Jeff Allen Carrier, 43, Frankfort, Ky Elizabeth A. Cummins, 57, Frankfort, Ky Jessie Taylor Quire, 34, Frankfort, Ky Artis Ike “Peter” Quire, 43, Frankfort, Ky William Risque Beeler, 43, Frankfort, Ky Jason Corde Smith, 40, Frankfort, Ky Willis Earl Bickers, 31, Frankfort, Ky Douglas Robert Smith, 22, Frankfort, Ky Kelly Ray Smith, 38, Lexington, Ky Andrea Sue Corman, 33, Frankfort, Ky Aimee Denise Hockensmith, 27, Frankfort, Ky John Charles Herman, 30, Lawrenceburg, Ky Jason Thomas Dezarn, 32, Lawrenceburg, Ky Brian Keith Bobbitt, 41, Frankfort, Ky Michael Lee Baker, 44, Frankfort, Ky Floyd Thomas Quire, 49, Frankfort, Ky Angela Michelle Shelton, 41, Frankfort, Ky Mark Allen Perkins, 43, Frankfort, Ky John Wayne Wiley, 43, Frankfort, Ky Joe Quire, 28, Frankfort, Ky Shelly L. Hopper, 37, Lawrenceburg, Ky Bronson Dwayne Masters, 34, Frankfort, Ky

Feeling frisky, reporters? Click here to see photos of many of those indicted.

Operation Untouchable was a six month investigation into the illegal sale of Oxycodone via the Florida pipeline. They estimate that 36,120 pills were illegally distributed in Franklin County by the criminal syndicate between December 2010 and January 2012. That’s 885,450 milligrams of Oxy. Something like $920,000 worth of drugs.

The name “Operation Untouchable,” though? Comes from the druggies themselves. They made t-shirts bearing the words “The Untouchables.”

What was that, again, about Jack Conway drying up pills in Kentucky? Because his office had nothing to do with what was going on in his own back yard.

Walter Blevins, Jr. has decided not to seek re-election. Eastern Kentuckians aren’t happy about it. [Ruh Ro]

The local press in the Fourth District is paying close attention to Thomas Massie’s candidacy to replace Geoff Davis in the U.S. Congress. [Ashland Independent]

Poor people in the United States pay way more for care insurance than the wealthy. Don’t act like you’re surprised in the least. [HuffPo]

Mitch McConnell’s new revisionist history is about the worst we’ve seen out of him in a long time. [TPM]

One of the sad things about Greg Fischer’s lack of any sort of experience is watching EMS workers like this guy suffer the consequences. [The 'Ville Voice]

Did you know that February is EARTHQUAKE AWARENESS MONTH in Kentucky? The more you know, kids. [SoS]

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services received a $600,000 federal grant – handed over by the Governor’s Office of Electronic Health Information – to connect behavioral health and primary care providers. We can’t help but wonder if those funds wouldn’t be better spent making sure social worker caseloads weren’t outrageous. [Press Release]

Will Warshington do the right thing and stop insider trading by lawmakers? [The Consumerist]

Dear Kenny Coleslaw: You should have included quotes from Steve Beshear saying we WOULD NOT consider tax reform in Kentucky. That would maybe prove he’s lying his ass off about flip-flopping. And it’s not just now that people are talking about this. [WFPL]

Former Rand Paul staffer Chris Hightower filed today to run for the State House. Mainstreamers are clamoring for the opportunity to interview him so they can dredge up the Paul campaign history. They likely won’t mention that all of the shenanigans were caused by David Adams and will attempt to lay all blame at the feet of Hightower. [Page One]

Can you hear them now? The Federal Reserve is making its views heard loudly and clearly. [The Economist]

Remember the McDonald’s incident in 2004 where a crank caller talked a manager into forcing an employee to strip? There’s a film about it. It premiered at Sundance. [Sundance]

A hearing over redistricting maps will be held Monday. So the filing deadline has officially been put on hold in Kentucky. [Ryan Alessi]

Wow, we’re still pretending that Frankfort isn’t bought and paid for by king coal, payday loan sharks and associated pals? And Kerri Richardson still feels comfortable officially lying? Hope she’s able to stay on long enough to get a good retirement – at least enough to make up for what’s sure to eat her conscience. [C-J/AKN]

Here’s the smart politician’s guide to avoiding scandal. Start with don’t being stupid. [NPR]

This is why the mortgage industry is a flipping disaster. It’s why America can’t have nice things. [Pro Publica]

Just cold caught in the net? Alabama’s immigration law is proving too strict and too costly. [The Economist]

Teabagger Phil Moffett officially filed to run for the State House in the 32nd District. [SoS]

Why groups like the ASPCA and Humane Society take what they can and give nothing in return. [Nathan Winograd]

Morehead State University’s president is skeptical of the University of Pikeville shenanigans. [Ryan Alessi]

This is the wet dream of Steve Beshear and Greg Fischer. The absolute tops for them. You know they’re aching to pull this stunt. [Mother Jones]

While Jack Conway has spent the past few weeks proclaiming Kentucky’s prescription pill mill problem water the the bridge, the war rages on in, you know, the real world. [HuffPo]

Will Kathy Stein joining the redistricting lawsuit matter at the end of the day? Who believes this will change anything in Kentucky? How fitting that Greg Stumbo and Larry Clark – two of the people who have worked since 2008 to remove Kathy Stein from office – would join the suit in support of all their shenanigans. [H-L]

Proposed anti-bullying legislation in Kentucky is horribly flawed and will likely die on the vine. Again. Bullying shouldn’t be illegal just for protected classes – it should be illegal AND IMMORAL to bully any child. This isn’t a gay-only thing. Or a race-only thing. This story about Rutgers student Tyler Clementi’s suicide illustrates it perfectly. [New Yorker]

A burning issue. Tighter regulation, bountiful natural gas and declining installation costs for renewable energy herald the end of America’s coal era. [The Economist]

HAHAHA PEE ALERT. The Muppets finally attacked Faux News. Miss Piggy lookin hongry. [Wonkette]

Here’s your reminder that this silly welfare drug testing legislation was withdrawn in Indiana after it was amended to include testing for legislators. This should happen in Frankfort ASAP. [HuffPo]

Quick, let’s pretend the Energy and Environment Cabinet cares about Earth Day! [Click the Clicky]

The state is now appealing the decision to release child abuse records. We repeat, Steve Beshear’s administration is now appealing the decision to release child abuse records. That’s how quickly they flip-flop and waste your tax dollars. [Debby Yetter]

And just like that, ANOTHER attorney was hired at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. [SoS]

Jerry Abramson desperately wants to run for the U.S. Senate. Or for Congress. So papaw is floating him all over the state to sound official. [State-Journal]

Andy Barr says he’s raised $425,000 in his second bid against Ben Chandler. [Press Release]

Apparently the Council on Postsecondary Education didn’t pay attention to what President Barack Obama had to say in his State of the Union address. [C-J/AKN]

Do you want to read another story about people suing over the ridiculous Greg Stumbo-Damon g…Thayer redistricting poop? Of course you do. [Ronnie Ellis]

Maybe you want to read yet another story about the redistricting lawsuit. So. Here you go. [H-L]

Oh, nope, you need another story about it all. The case will be heard at 10:30 A.M. on Monday by Judge Phillip Shepherd, who will hopefully strike down this bogus mess. But don’t hold your breath. [AP/Amanda Van Benschoten's Replacement]

Maybe it’d be easier to just watch a video about the redistricting mess. [WKYT]

Yes, a bridge over Kentucky Lake was struck by a tugboat last night and it partially collapsed. No one died, though, so calm down. It’s not earth-shattering news and there’s no need for us to write 45 times about it. [Press Releases/Email Blasts]

When Jerry Abramson says small businesses should have a large role in tax reform in Kentucky? He means gigantic businesses that employ thousands and operate outside the state. [Business First]

Newspapers in Eastern Kentucky are on fire this week over pill mill busts throughout the region. Just a week ago, Jack Conway was saying the problem was disappearing. Funny how that works. [The Morehead News]

This Thursday at 10:00 A.M., Commissioner of Agriculture Jamie Comer will attend the State Fair Board meeting in Louisville. Comer needs to bring up the fact that the state still owes Ed Hart millions of dollars that he put up to get the Kentucky Kingdom deal going. It’s time for the state to start screwing people over like that. [Press Release]

Rand Paul’s staff is hitting back over the TSA’s semantics play with today’s Nashville detainment/delay/whatever. [Daily Caller]

Remember when he was angry over TSA pat downs?

Now Rand is getting super-suspcious and is going all “time for a Senate inquiry” on the TSA. [TPM]

Jack Conway spent most of last week claiming that Kentucky’s pill problem was drying up. Then the State-Journal ran a story that was, ahem, quite the contrary. This Wednesday is grand jury day in Franklin County and we hear even more pill indictments will roll out. Expect a big story in that paper on Thursday about pills and organized crime. Jack would have known about this massive problem that’s getting worse in Central Kentucky if he’d bothered to work with Sheriff Pat Melton. [Whoopsiedaisy]

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the government violated privacy rights in its GPS tracking case. [ACLU]

Remember Todd Lally? Now he wants to run for the newly-created 10th District State House seat in Eastern Jefferson County. [Ryan Alessi]

Neither Jim Gray nor Greg Fischer are joining their colleagues in the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry. [Here & Here]

Who exactly are the 1 percent? The very rich in America increasingly work in finance, marry each other and care about politics. [The Economist]

Go read this story about Super PACs and how crazy they are. [Pro Publica]

80% of Americans want full disclosure of meetings between Congresspeople and regulators. [Rasmussen Reports]

Maybe Jamie Comer should think twice about firing the state apiarist to give the job to one of his friends. [H-L]

Here’s Steve Beshear cutting mine safety funds just months after mining deaths. This is why Kentucky can’t have nice things. It’s entertaining watching outsiders act all surprised that this sort of thing goes on in Frankfort. [Think Progress]

“I certainly get a sense that the Florida pipeline is starting to close off,” Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway said.

At that same moment, a story hit about a pain pill dealer in Jack’s back yard was getting arrested:

A Frankfort man was arrested last week after sheriff’s deputies found him with hundreds of prescription pills to sell in Franklin County.

-SNIP-

He sold an additional 248.5 Percocet pills on Jan. 13 to a confidential witness working with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Cleveland said. Later on the same day, Ware was arrested when there was an arrangement for him to sell 50 more Percocet tablets, Cleveland said.

-SNIP-

There are about 900 pills total in the case.

-SNIP-

Since October, local law enforcement officers have arrested about 50 suspects related to large drug sale operations.

Woopsiedaisy?

We hear Franklin County has had a tough time getting anywhere with Jack’s office. Now may be a good time to correct that issue.

Who would win in a slap fight? Kathy Stein or Damon Thayer? [Deep Slap Fight Thoughts]

Jack Conway says he’s got legislation that will save the Commonwealth of Kentucky from prescription drug abuse. [C-J/AKN]

Indiananner Governator Mitch Daniels will deliver the State of the Union response this year. That should be a failure of entertainment. [Politico]

Why is everyone afraid to talk about the judgeship Steve Beshear promised Kathy Stein if she agreed to run for State Senate? He still hasn’t delivered. Now he and his folks are ignoring the plan pushed forward by Damon Thayer to nix her seat. [Deep Senate Thoughts]

If you’re thinking about gay sex long enough to come up with this sort of… Santorum… it’s probably safe to say you’ve got a little bit of twinkle itching to get out. [HuffPo]

Can you imagine Mike Harmon carrying a concealed weapon with or without a permit? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. [WFPL]

This could be an interesting look at how the University of Louisville Board of Trustees operates. [The 'Ville Voice]

Berea has decided to completely fall apart after deciding it’s okay to hate the gays hardcore. Now the entirety of Madison County has turned into a drug den. [WKYT]

So let’s get this straight… Newt Gingrich wanted to have sister wives or something back in the 1990s? [Wonkette]

Great news for taxpayers! You’re now footing the bill for the Cabinet for Health and Family Failures’ shenanigans. $16,000 in fines and $57,000 in legal bills. [H-L]

Jeff Hoover is still upset that he was duped by Greg Stumbo after ignorantly believing his promises to protect him in the redistricting process. [WLEX18]

All of this Kentucky Retirement Systems corruption continues to go down while Frankfort turns a blind eye. [Page One]

Now that it’s convenient and safe to do so, Democrats are starting to complain about Citizens United and are begging for your support. [HuffPo]

It’s irresponsible of Sara Beth Gregory to use this child’s death in a push for requiring prescriptions for pseudoephedrine when she admits it was the Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ fault for not taking warnings seriously or bothering to investigate. [Ryan Alessi]

Misinformation is the name of the game in Frankfort when it comes to proposed prescription-only legislation. Misinformation driven by lobbyists and those paid to shill, no less. [Page One]

Jimbo Ramsey is on a mission to castrate Jack Conway for making one of the only decisions that isn’t suspect in a long time. So here’s Jack explaining his hospital merger position. [FOX41]

The Justice Department says that President Barack Obama’s recess appointments are constitutional. [HuffPo]

You can’t even walk around Richmond these days without getting robbed by two men on the street. [WKYT]

Greg Fischer delivered his State of the City Address from a members-only club in Louisville today. Check out the highlights and keep track of his promises. [The 'Ville Voice]

Kentucky’s bourbon trail netted a record number of tourists in 2011. But Frankfort still fails the industry and allows it to hobble along like a mish-mash of random clubs. [H-L]

Today Steve Hohmann was appointed commissioner of the Department for Natural Resources by the Energy and Environment Cabinet. He’s a former abandoned mine inspector. [Press Release]

Are you as excited as A Kentucky Newspaper that Jerry Abramson will keynote at the St. Matthews Chamber of Commerce gala? Because it’s been running non-stop like it’s the most important news in Kentucky. [C-J/AKN]

Rocky Adkins says he wants to make state schools greener – a good thing. Yes, that’s irony you’re feeling as your eyes roll back in your head. [Bluegrass Politics]

Here comes Judge Irv Maze, running for Court of Appeals. [SoS]

Frankfort is having all kinds of fun speculating about what Adam Edelen’s audit of Richie Farmer’s office will bring to the surface. So far, all of that speculation includes missing automobiles, hookers, more wasted money than you can imagine, sexscapades in the office and all-around stupidity. [Ronnie Ellis]

This is a really great read from Don McNay about Gatewood. It’s worth your time. [HuffPo]

Greg Stumbo proposes moving prescription drug monitoring to the attorney general. Because that would work so well! With Mr. Drug Brother Scandal. Hahaha. God. No wonder Kentucky is so screwed up right now. A non-partisan entity that isn’t trying to score political points needs to operate the system. [Bluegrass Politics]

Miss Governor Steve Beshear’s State of the Commonwealth Address last night? See our highlights along with the full remarks. [Page One]

Huh. Wonder where they got that story idear? [H-L]

Mitch McConnell hopes you won’t do the math when it comes to President Barack Obama’s recess appointment of Richard Cordray. [The Atlantic]

Greg Stumbo just cam’t stop pushing the University of Pikeville. Now he says coal severance funds will pay for it. So you know he’s awaiting a massive payoff of some sort. [CN|2]

Can these ads shock us into caring about childhood obesity? They need to. [WaPo]

Fracking is being blamed for earthquakes in Ohio and the state has shut down an injection well after 11 of them in the past year. Meanwhile, the drilling industry tells us everything is puppies and rainbows. [Slate]

After a dramatic, confusing night of suspense in the Republican Party’s Iowa caucuses, the big winner may well have been a Democrat: Barack Obama. [Reuters]

Holy crap – a whopping two percent of voters thought Mitt Romney’s real name was Mittens. [The Wire]

The U.S. Constitution is no longer original enough for mouth-breathers in New Hampshire. We can’t wait for the fun to spread to the Commonwealth. [Wonkette]

Kentucky State Police say there were fewer highway deaths in Kentucky in 2011. Maybe because fewer people could afford to drive. [C-J/AKN]

Yesterday, Greg Fischer appeared flippant on the radio, told everyone that there was absolutely no one who made appointment decisions within his administration. And then we were able to run two big stories about the buying and selling of administration jobs handled by more than Tommy Elliott. Whoopsiedaisy? [The 'Ville Voice Here & Here]

“For the last several months, I have consulted with Attorney General Jack Conway, State Auditor Crit Luallen, officials from the University of Louisville and the proposed merger partners, health care and finance experts, and concerned citizens from across the Commonwealth on a proposal to merge University Hospital and Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Healthcare in Louisville with those owned or controlled by Catholic Health Initiatives in Kentucky, in order to create a statewide network of health care facilities.

University Hospital provides high-quality health care services, and I greatly appreciate their efforts to improve those services, improve the health status of Kentuckians and find ways to grow and expand the mission of the University health care system.

Significant legal and policy concerns have been raised about this proposed merger, including constitutional and public policy questions about the influence of a religious entity on a publicly-owned institution, especially regarding reproductive issues. In addition, if for some reason in the future the merger partners were forced to separate, the potential costs of that unwind could be significant and have a detrimental impact not only on University Hospital, but also on the taxpayers of this state.

However, most troubling to me is the loss of control of a public asset. University Hospital is a public asset with an important public mission, and if this merger were allowed to happen, U of L and the public would have only indirect and minority influence over the new statewide network’s affairs and its use of state assets. Many of these issues have been raised and analyzed in a report from Attorney General Jack Conway, who recommends not going forward with the merger.

U of L and the other merger partners have worked hard to address the concerns that have been raised, and I appreciate those efforts.

However, after exhaustive discussions and research, I have determined that this proposed transaction is not in the best interest of the Commonwealth and therefore should not move forward. In my opinion the risks to the public outweigh the potential benefits.

I understand that the changing health care industry has caused significant challenges for both University and Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Healthcare. I am committed to assisting both facilities in reaching our shared goals of providing quality care, especially to our poorest and most vulnerable citizens, as well as finding ways to ensure both facilities remain on strong financial footing. These hospitals provide critical services, and we stand ready to help them fulfill their missions and succeed in a changing health care economy.

Here’s Jack Conway’s:

“My staff and I conducted a thorough and comprehensive review of the proposed hospital merger. This presented an unprecedented combination of entities and a myriad of legal and public policy issues. Some of those issues were addressed by the parties, but many of them were not resolved. Of particular concern was the loss of control of a valuable state asset and the services it provides to the public.

It is my opinion that the Governor should not at this time approve the proposed new affiliation agreement and new lease. I support the University of Louisville and its mission, but it is a public agency with an obligation to inform and work with state government regarding the control of a public asset such as University Hospital.

I appreciate Gov. Beshear’s careful analysis of this merger, and I believe he ultimately made the appropriate decision on behalf of the Commonwealth’s interests.

I am committed to working with all parties to ensure that our hospitals continue to fulfill their missions as leading trauma centers, teaching hospitals and nationally renowned research facilities.”