Finding another candidate...

The only names being tossed around are John Y. Brown, III, and Gerald Neal. Get someone in that race, particularly John Y. Brown, III, now! The Courier-Journal has some reporting today on getting John Y. Brown, III, into the race. I hope he runs. I wished he ran for something in 2003 but he did not.

National Democrats immediately began trying to recruit former Secretary of State John Y. Brown III to run against Northup, R-3rd District. The Louisvillian is now in her fifth term.

In an interview, Brown said the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called him yesterday, shortly after Conway announced that he would not run.

Brown, vice president of special projects at ResCare and son of former Gov. John Y. Brown Jr., said the attempts to lure him into a race against Northup are "flattering," but said he has not made any decisions.

"I'm very happy in the private sector now," Brown said. "I enjoyed my time serving in public office, and I hope to re-enter public service at some time, but I would have to look long and hard at this race before making a commitment."

Bill Burton, communications director for the Democratic congressional committee, confirmed that national Democrats are trying to recruit Brown.

Burton said Conway's decision to not enter the race does not signal Democratic weakness, and he predicted that Northup would face a "vigorous challenge."

"Folks in Louisville are sick and tired of having a member of Congress who just rubber-stamps whatever George Bush and the Republican leadership want them to do," Burton said.

I'm sick of Anne Northup voting 98% of the time with the President. We need change. We need Secretary of State John Y. Brown, III, in Congress.

Tom Daschle thinks that Harriet Miers should have gotten a nomination hearing.

Dick Codey was interviewed by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It should be on within the next two weeks.

The Courier-Journal has an article on Fletcher's problems raising money. Well, he's not raising enough money because of his problems at the Capitol.

Fletcher's re-election campaign raised $218,165 in its first three months, according to a report filed yesterday with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

That's less than half the $509,360 Fletcher raised in one month after announcing his candidacy in December 2002.[...]

After the Louisville event in September, Fletcher fund-raiser Kelly Knight said the campaign raised more than $100,000 there.

Fletcher later told The Associated Press that the event raised about $150,000.

But yesterday's report shows that the Louisville fund-raiser collected closer to $80,000, which Kenyon said was not a cause for concern.[...]

State Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Lundergan likened Fletcher's fund-raising pace to that of a "snail," and said the figures also reflect the Republican governor's failure to get a state budget bill passed in his first year, the controversy over state employee health care, and his failed attempt to oust Republican Party Chairman Darrell Brock.

"This governor has not exemplified the leadership qualities that I think the people of Kentucky expected in him," Lundergan said.

I second what Jerry says. Fletcher cannot govern at all.

Indiana Congressman John Hostettler finally showed up on Friday to tour the damage in his district. My question is: what took so darned long? The Tornado hit on Sunday and you show up on Friday? Mitch Daniels showed up early in the week. So did Evan Bayh! I think Dick Lugar did, too.

His father laughed out loud, Williams said, and then put Hostettler on the phone with Williams. "I'm not looking to get any attention," Williams said Hostettler told him.

"If you didn't want attention, you kind of came to the wrong house," Williams replied. "The congressman let out a laugh.