Mitch McConnell

Speaking Out: Olmstead Honors McConnell

Special to Page One from Harold Trainer, USAF RET

Next Friday night at the Henry Clay Hotel the Olmstead Conservancy, a supposedly non-political organization, will honor Senator McConnell.

Senator McConnell is an avid supporter of the Iraq War which has directly contributed to the deaths of almost 4,000 American military and several hundred thousand Iraqis.

The Conservancy’s honoring of McConnell gives support to a war that was a huge mistake, executed incompetently and continues to kill our military and Iraq civilians with no end in sight.

The Conservancy’s support for McConnell is a quid pro quo for McConnell’s federal funding for the Olmstead’s park projects. His ability to provide this funding is closely related to his support for Bush’s unjust war. This clearly makes the conservancy willing to ignore this terrible war in exchange for McConnell’s monetary favors.

Monday Morning Propaganda

Still on strike. Hundreds of nurses at Appalachian Regional Healthcare hospitals are still fighting for their voice. They’re heading for their third meeting with company officials in hopes of ending their strike. [H-L]

Using religion as a wedge issue. Ernie gets excited, freaks out over the Ten Commandments, tries to scare Henderson residents into believing Steve Beshear hates God, Jesus, babies. [Gleaner]

C-J calls spineless Democrats out for caving to Mitch McConnell and George W. Bush on health care for children. “If the House Democrats are who they claim to be, they won’t let George W. Bush push them, and needy children, around on this issue.” [C-J]

More gambling. Ernie just can’t get off his anti-gambling kick, runs through Ashland preaching the evils of casinos. And he’s still bitter over his merit hiring scandal– blaming Greg Stumbo every chance he gets. [Daily Independent]

Flip-flopping? Ernie changes his mind, now believes equine feed and supplies should be tax-free. Something Fletcher supporters used to attack Beshear. [WLEX18]

Mitch McConnell’s stance on SCHIP is pretty wide, isn’t it? He’s being criticized again. Can’t have your cake and eat it too. [PolWatchers]

Sen. Mongiardo is being praised for his experience in and passion for health care. The AP says he’s still engaged to Allison Patrick, though we hear that’s no longer the case. Speaking of Mongiardo: Where is he? Put him in a commercial or two! Bring him out of hiding. [AP via H-L]

Doing what’s right. John Yarmuth stands up for free speech and freedom of the press. Continuing to give us the right to protect your anonymity when you forward us private e-mails and dish the dirt about political happenings or office-paid vacations for an elected official’s mistress. [C-J]

Republicans for Beshear. Tons of Republicans showed up in Corbin this weekend to stand in support of Democrats Steve Beshear, Daniel Mongiardo and Bruce Hendrickson. Not good news for Fletcher in former Republican strong-holds. [H-L]

More endorsements. Kentucky Enquirer endorses Steve Beshear and pokes fun of his lack of a plan if gambling should fail. And the Kentucky Post endorses him. Doesn’t look like Northern Kentucky’s in the bag for Ernie anymore. [Enquirer, Post]

McConnell-swift-boats-the-kid, Ernie Sinks

In perhaps the funniest, most honest piece of journalism to delve into both Kentucky’s gubernatorial race and Mitch McConnell’s… um… whatever it is he does– Stephen George gives us the bird’s eye view of the McConnell-Fletcher non-campaign campaign stop at the UPS Worldport last Friday.

When they get out among a group of workers, they can hardly ignore each other more; I half expect one of them to start pissing on a hardhat or two, just to mark the territory. They don’t appear to speak to each other, and instead pass about 10 minutes impressing the hayseeds with their suits and wondering aloud how long this important Kentucky project will take to wrap up.
…
Turned out to be a lie. Turned out the right-wingers ate it. Turned out McConnell’s office was in on the whole thing, trying to turn the mainstream media onto the idea that the Dems had blown the PR by recruiting a rich kid to speak for the poor. After all, who needs the truth when the highest Republican office in Congress will write the storyline for you?

The pair to spare ignored each other like they always do and feigned their way through an entire press event designed to make three or four people believe Ernest Lee is gittin-er-done. And Mitch successfully dodged all questions about swift-boating sick kids. Yes, the McConnell story is getting bigger.

Why Kentucky Can’t Have Nice Things Dept

Blast from the past. Candidate for Treasurer Todd Hollenbach takes his dad on the campaign trail. People all across the state remember him so it’s boding well for the name ID factor. [AP via H-L]

Tough choices ahead? Rep. Ben Chandler furthers the myth that all terra-ists are “Islamic fundamentalists.” He also says there’s no free lunch and that it’s time to tighten our belts. [State-Journal]

Weird omen. Somewhere in Kentucky lives a losing filly bred by Brereton Jones. The name? First Lady Glenna. No kidding. Talk about an omen for Ernie. [KHR]

Captain Obvious. Jim Bunning says Trey Grayson and Richie Farmer face tough races thanks to Ernie’s (ahem) “endeavors.” Rare moment of Bunning clarity. Don’t blink. [Daily Times]

Ship jumpers. More than 250 former Fletcher supporters have contributed and contributed heavily to Steve Beshear. Does anyone think they’ll regret their contribution come November 6? Not likely. [PolWatchers]

Didn’t take long. Even CBS and The Politico are on the McConnell child-hating snafu. Hating kids doesn’t work. [CBS]

Both sides. Letter writers in Elizabethtown highlight their hatred of all things Democratic and the vivid McConnell-Fletcher dishonesty. Takes all kinds. [News-Enterprise]

McConnell Knew, Courier-Journal Chimes In

As we reported last night Senator Mitch McConnell lied to WHAS11’s Mark Hebert.

Could this story get any bigger? Talking Points Memo, Think Progress, Crooks & Liars, FireDogLake, CourtTV have all covered it. Now the Courier-Journal’s James Carroll gives it some legs.

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell knew last week — at a time when he was denying it — that his staff had sent e-mails encouraging reporters to look into the background of a 12-year-old boy used by Democrats to support expansion of a health-care program.

In an interview Friday with WHAS-TV reporter Mark Hebert, the Kentucky Republican said his staff had not been involved in trying to push reporters to look into the financial situation of the boy’s family.

But McConnell’s communications director, Don Stewart, said in an interview Monday with The Courier-Journal that he had told McConnell about the Oct. 8 e-mails sometime around Thursday, the day before the interview with Hebert.