Political news for the evening

News from Dr. Ted Schlechter's the Bridge:

Hot rumors: Denise Bentley will soon leave the Metro Council. She is looking for a job in D.C. I also heard
that she may have some legal problems. I hear that Marget Harris and Reginald Meek's daughter are the favorites to replace her.

Jean Marie-Lawson of Bowling Green has the inside track for the Kentucky Democratic Party's Vice-Chair.[...]

Heather French Henry is thinking about a run for Congress. The question is it going to be against Annie or against the newly elected congressman in Northern
KY. Heather and Steve just bought Rosemary Clooney's old home in Maysville.

Tony Miller is considering NOT running for another term as Clerk of Jefferson County Circuit Court. If this happens, Russ Salsman, a long-time aide of Tony's, will be the Dems candidate for this position. Rusty will make a good Clerk of the
Jefferson Circuit Court.

How does Dr. Ted feel on Jerry Lundergan as state chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party?

Jerry Lundergan was not my first, second, or third choice for the Ky State Chair. My first choice would
have been the charismatic Jack Conway; my second choice would have been Ed Hatchett, who is one of the most decent people that I have ever met in politics; my third choice would have been Audrey Haines who withdrew after the nominating committee couldn't decide between Jerry Lundergan and her. The political philosophy of these three people is much closer to mine than is Mr. Lundergan's.

Yet, I have no problem with the election of Mr. Lundergan to the State Chair. This election was a fair and open process. The nominating committee requested information from all interested Democrats. THE BRIDGE contained articles delineating this
nominating process. It also provided the names and e-mail addresses of members of the nominating committee.

I also believe that Mr. Lundergan deserved to win this election. He represents the Stumbo wing of the Democratic Party, which worked real hard for candidates throughout the State. In fact, many of Dr. Dan's key advisors were Stumbo associates. Bill Garmer, the former Chair, was more aligned with Crit Luallen and Jonathan Miller than Stumbo. And, Democrats did not fare so well in 2004.

Who knows, Mr. Lundergan might just be what the KY Democratic Party needs. Like Greg Stumbo, he will get in the Republicans' face. I also believe that Mr. Lundergan's political philosophy represents the typical Democrat outside of Jefferson County and
Lexington. I also agree with Mr. Lundergan that Democrats need to do much better in Western Kentucky if they are going to win state-wide races. Let's then give Mr. Lundergan a chance...

Nationally, Senator Evan Bayh is beginning to look like the presidential contender I want him to be when he joined the brave 13. MSNBC explains:

The big political news in Wednesday’s Rice vote was that strongly pro-Iraq war Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana voted against her confirmation.

“She has been a principal architect of policy errors that have tragically undermined our prospects for success in this endeavor,” Bayh told the Senate. “Those in charge must be held accountable for mistakes; we must learn from them, correct them, so that we may succeed in Iraq.”[...]

Looking to 2008?
But just as likely, it was the next election in 2008, not last November’s, that set the background for the vote on Rice and the one next week on Gonzales.

In electoral terms, Bayh’s vote seemed confirmation that he is running hard for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

“If Bayh is calculating that a vote against Rice would sit well with Iowa Democrats, he would be correct,” said Iowa Democratic activist David Loebsack, who teaches politics at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

“Opposition to the war has grown here as well across the country, especially among Democrats.”

Loebsack added, “There is a palpable concern among activists that Bush will drag America into more and deeper conflicts in his second term. It clearly would behoove any potential ’08 Democratic candidate to be very aware of these concerns.”

Last May, Bayh, who voted for the 2002 Iraq war resolution, said, "our cause is morally superior to our adversaries’," a statement many on the left of his party would find hard to accept.

Intriguingly, the woman who may be Bayh’s chief rival for the 2008 nomination, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, voted to confirm Rice.

Senate Democrats find themselves divided over Rice and Gonzales: 32 Democrats voted for Rice, while only 12 voted against her.

GO EVAN GO!