Friday, February 25, 2005

Just breaking: McConnell presents $1.5 million check

I just got back from meeting Sen. Mitch McConnell at the Otto Budig Theatre at Northern Kentucky University. Sen. McConnell is the Republican Whip in the United States Senate.

McConnell was on hand to present a $1,500,000 check to Northern Kentucky University for a new digital science initiative: taking astronomy to the students.

I managed to speak with the Senator, ever so briefly, but for a longer period of time than Governor Ernie Fletcher, and shorter than with State Senator Daniel Mongiardo, MD.

Upon welcoming him to campus on behalf of the Northern Kentucky University College Democrats after getting my photo taken with him, the Senator remarked, "That will get you in trouble!"

Following the presentation which was the Senator's first two plaque and a dragon day, I was able to speaker for a few minutes with Senator McConnell.

I asked if he saw The Daily Show with Jon Stewart when Stewart joked about his comments on Condoleezza Rice's confirmation in which Stewart said he voted for her because her last name is a food you eat with beans. McConnnell laughed but said he did not watch that show.

I thanked him for his strong support of Israel and urged him to get the President to fulfill his pledge to move the embassy to the true capital of Jerusalem instead of Tel Aviv. He said that every President that has pledged to do so has not done so.

I mentioned that Bush has done a good job but not good enough with supporting Israel. McConnell followed up by saying that President Bush would have been elected Prime Minister in Israel.

As to Social Security and Medicare, I did not have enough time to get those questions in but his time was short.

Education funding is a non-partisan issue so I was glad to meet him on an occasion like this.

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