Update on Lake Cumberland

An outside group of engineers wants an additional 30-70 feet lowered to take pressure off of the Wolf Creek Dam at Lake Cumberland. It will be interesting to see how this develops given the long-term effects on the economy as it is a seven-year project.

An outside group of engineers recommended a much more drastic lowering of Lake Cumberland than the 10-foot drop the Army Corps of Engineers began last week.

Those experts backed lowering the lake level an additional 30 to 70 feet to take pressure off the leaky Wolf Creek Dam as a safety precaution, according to a senior corps official.

But David Hendrix, manager of a project to fix the dam, said corps officials decided that an extreme drawdown wasn't necessary. They believed they could protect people who live downstream by lowering the water level to 680 feet above sea level, he said.

"Public safety is our No. 1 concern," said Hendrix, who is overseeing a $309 million, seven-year project to shore up the aging dam.

Two local Democrats and one Republican are playing big roles in the House of Representatives.

Charged with advising the party leadership and helping to round up votes are: Rep. John Yarmuth, D-3rd District, who has been appointed an at-large whip for the Democrats; Rep. Ben Chandler, D-6th District, who is an assistant whip for Democrats; and Rep. Geoff Davis, R-4th District, who is a deputy whip for Republicans.

I beg to differ with CQPolitics as to the status of Mitch McConnell's current seat in the senate. I would have probably differed in late 2005. However, the times have changed and circumstances are much different. Without the shadow of a doubt, McConnell is vulnerable. The Democrats will likely start the process to field a candidate after the 2007 gubernatorial elections. Things will be much different in 2008 for Mitch McConnell.

Speaking of the 2008 elections, Katrina Swett is one of the latest candidates to be looking to challenge Senator John Sununu in New Hampshire. Swett is the daughter of Congressman Tom Lantos and husband of former Congressman Richard Swett.

The military draft debate is starting to heat up yet again. Here's how some local congressman see the debate.

Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Versailles, said he wasn't in favor of reinstituting a military draft and that he didn't believe the American people were in favor either. Chandler said the way the issue has surfaced "is indicative of the strain our government is placing on our military and the growing dissatisfaction over the war in Iraq."

"I understand the point Chairman Rangel is trying to make with this bill, which is that the country is less likely to go to war if more of our citizens are required to participate," Chandler said. "With that said, this bill is not going to have my support."

Chandler said he thinks the country should focus on building up intelligence agencies, special operations forces and advanced equipment and technology. "While the draft would produce large numbers of military personnel, it does not lend itself to the years of training and motivation necessary for the well-trained military that I believe we need," he said.

The Army had 732,000 active-duty soldiers during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. It now has about 512,000 active-duty soldiers.