TV Programming Alert

If you are like myself and historically prefer not to watch the annual State of the Union address to the nation by the President of the United States, well, you are in luck if you have cable.

Thanks to Super Tuesday on ESPN, you can watch Indiana take on Illinois in Big Ten conference play at 7 eastern. After that, it's time for SEC conference action with Alabama taking on Auburn right after the first game.

Say what?!? Jack Wood switched parties!

Jack D. Wood, a former judge and Republican attorney general candidate, has filed to be a candidate for the State Treasurer's race in 2007.

So far, there are two candidates in this race. I fully expect that there will be several more candidates and I certainly hope that former interim state party chairman and Henderson County Attorney Steve Gold is one of them!

As for the Attorney General's race, Hebert's blog states that if Richards/Brown falls through, former Secretary of State John Y. Brown III will likely run for Attorney General even if Jack Conway runs.

It's most certain, for the Republicans, that the primary will consist of Northup-Hoover, Harper-Wilson, and Fletcher-Rudolph.

Catching up...

I've been busy over the long weekend and thus, posting was very light to where I hardly had the time to blog.

If Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is trying to say that he wants to work with Democrats, he's done a bad job at doing so. McConnell is a Republican that isn't out to cooperate with the Democratic Party. In fact, I have no idea where I would agree with him other than on issues relating to Eretz Yisrael. Senator McConnell delivered this speech on the Senate floor last week which pays tribute to Alben Barkley, a Democrat.

Evan Bayh has recently taken a trip to Iraq to survey the situation on the ground.

A news release issued by Clinton’s office quotes Bayh as saying he wants “to hear from Iraqi officials about how they plan to stem the violence there and start making some of the tough decisions necessary for this country to succeed. I’m also looking forward to speaking with our military leaders and troops to thank them for their service and get feedback from them about the situation on the ground.”

I'm all about debating the issues but why does former president Jimmy Carter continue to refuse to debate Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz.

"The book departs from the president's traditional position of mediator and honest broker," said Atlanta businessman Steve Berman, one of the 14 who left. "He has embraced one side."

The group said the book, now No. 5 on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller list, portrayed tension between Israel and its neighbors as one-sided, with Israel "holding all of the responsibility for resolving the conflict."

Dershowitz, a Harvard Law School professor who has successfully defended O.J. Simpson and other unpopular figures, said he would take Carter to task when the former president addresses a forum at Brandeis University near Boston on January 23.

"I will have my hand up the minute he finishes. It will be polite. It will be dignified but it will be tough," Dershowitz told Reuters. "There are some very, very hard questions that have to be asked to him. "

Dershowitz said he wanted to ask Carter why he had accepted money from Saudi Arabia and why the Carter Center, an Atlanta-based humanitarian organization, had criticized Israel while not looking into human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia.

"He claims that Jewish money buys the silence of politicians and the media, and yet he denies that Arab money has bought his silence," said Dershowitz.

Not surprisingly, the former president's spokesperson did not comment. It does speak measures though when fourteen members of the board at the Carter Center resign over the book especially since the book is so one-sided!

Had he still been alive, last Thursday would have been the 100th birthday of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.

As Americans pause to mark King’s memory Jan. 15, the Jewish community is gearing up to honor the legacy of one of the 20th century’s great Jewish thinkers on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

In March, Brandeis University will host a two-day symposium on Heschel, who was born Jan. 11, 1907, and over the next 65 years became one of America’s most prominent rabbis, renowned for his political activism and his innovative writings on theology and the Jewish prophets.

Other events are scheduled at the Manhattan school that bears Heschel’s name, at a spiritual retreat center in Connecticut and in cities as far afield as London, Berlin, Milan and Krakow.

King’s birthday has become a national holiday and an occasion to reflect on America’s interracial relations, but at the Jewish Theological Seminary, the institution where Heschel taught for the last 27 years of his life, no public memorials are planned.

Heschel’s relationship with JTS is said to have been fraught with tension. But the seminary’s incoming chancellor, Arnold Eisen, says a two-hour meeting he had with Heschel in his book-laden office around 1970 was personally transformative.

“It overwhelmed me,” said Eisen, adding that he considers Heschel the most important Jewish thinker of the 20th century.[...]

Nevertheless, Heschel’s legacy has aged well. He is the most frequently cited rabbinic source on issues of social justice and perhaps is most widely remembered for the arresting photo of him marching beside leaders of the civil rights movement in Selma, Ala., in 1965.

His influence is felt everywhere from the National Mall in Washington, where thousands of Jews of all denominations gathered last summer to protest the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, to the slums of the Third World, where American Jews now volunteer through groups like the American Jewish World Service, an organization whose leader was influenced by her childhood encounters with Heschel.

“He was very much a person who enjoyed his Judaism and his scholarship and made a huge effort to apply it to the times in which he lived,” AJWS President Ruth Messinger said. “And that had a real impact on young and not-so-young Jews at that time. And that’s something that we at AJWS continue to do.”

While it was unusual in Heschel’s era to see bearded rabbis marching with black leaders, Jewish leaders are now routinely active on the most pressing issues of the day, a change many lay squarely at the feet of the soft-spoken professor with thick black glasses and an unruly, Einstein-esque shock of white hair.

Heschel was ahead of his time in other ways, too. He was among the first rabbis to energetically reach out to leaders of other faiths, meeting with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in 1964 and becoming, in 1965, the first rabbi appointed to the faculty of New York’s Union Theological Seminary, a liberal Christian institution.

Like many, I do believe that Iran is a threat to Israel, as well as the entire world. This threat should be taken very seriously.

Senator Joe Lieberman did not endorse his fellow Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd with regards to the presidential election in 2008 as of yet. Dodd campaigned for Lieberman in 2004 and in the 2006 Senate primary.

"I've worked closely with Chris Dodd for 18 years," he said. "His experience, his ability makes him a very credible candidate for president. I wish him well. I've had a lot of politics over the last two years. I'm staying out of any presidential campaign for a while."

Dodd appeared with Lieberman on the program and laughed as his colleague began to answer the question. "Oh, don't put Joe in that position," he told moderator Tim Russert.

Whether or not he will actually run or not, I do not know. However, Illinois Senator Barack Obama will be filing papers with the FEC this week to form an exploratory committee in order to test the waters.

Back to the issue of Iran, this piece of news is very important and I am glad to see such legislation in Congress.

The nonbinding resolution brought last week to the House’s Foreign Affairs Committee and initiated by Reps. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said statements by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for the destruction of Israel amount to crimes according to the 1948 Convention on Genocide.

The convention not only provides for punishment for genocide, Rothman and Kirk wrote in a letter to their colleagues, but “also prohibits ‘direct and public incitement to commit genocide.’

It further provides that individuals committing genocidal crimes shall be punished ‘whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals.’

Ahmadinejad’s hateful rhetoric calling for the elimination of Israel, a Member State of the United Nations, qualifies as inciting genocide.”

The resolution has garnered 22 sponsors.

The text of the legislation can be found here. The list of sponsors are to be found here.

Attention, Mr. Hall...

I don't know how I was placed on your email list but it should be noted that the account named on all of Melinda Wheeler's campaign emails DOES NOT EXIST.

Yes, I emailed brett@melindawheeler07.com to remove me from that list and got an immediate message failure in my inbox saying: "The e-mail message could not be delivered because there are no users here by that name."

Like I said...

Former Vice President Al Gore is not running in 2008 for the White House.

2007 (64th Annual) Golden Globe Winners

Doubtful I'll be posting quotes unless there are some hilarious ones like last year with George Clooney and Steve Carell. We're in for an interesting night.

While I favor Carell for Best Actor in a TV Comedy, it's a hard choice since they are all equally talented.

It's very fitting that Charlie Sheen introduced the clip for Bobby, which his older brother, Emilio Estevez, wrote and directed. His dad also had a role in the film.

Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture): Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Best Original Song (Motion Picture): "The Song Of The Heart," Happy Feet
Miss Golden Globe - Lorraine Nicholson
Best Supporting Actor (TV Series): Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I
Best Actress (TV Drama): Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Best Supporting Actress (TV Series): Emily Blunt, Gideon's Daughter
Best Actor (TV Drama): Hugh Laurie, House "Nobody offers you a free acceptance speech."
Best Animated Feature Film: Cars
Best Actress (Motion Picture Comedy): Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada "I think I worked with everybody in the room...oh, shut up, it's not that long!"
Best Miniseries or TV Movie: Elizabeth I
Best Supporting Actor (Motion Picture): Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Best Actor (Miniseries or TV Movie): Bill Nighy, Gideon's Daughter
Best Actress (Miniseries or TV Movie): Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I
Best Screenplay: Peter Morgan, The Queen
Best Actor (TV Comedy): Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock "I'm glad this isn't too heavy because I just had hernia surgery December 21st...I would like to thank my daughter for her artistic inspiration."
Best TV Comedy: Ugly Betty
Best Foreign Language Film: Letters From Iwo Jima
Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, The Painted Veil
Best Actress (TV Comedy): America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Cecil B. DeMille Award: Warren Beatty
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Best Actor - (Motion Picture Comedy): Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan
Best Motion Picture Comedy: Dreamgirls
Best TV Drama: Grey's Anatomy (HEROES WAS ROBBED!!)
Best Actress (Motion Picture Drama): Helen Mirren, The Queen
Best Actor (Motion Picture Drama): Forest Whitaker, The Last King Of Scotland
Best Motion Picture Drama: Babel

2007 Golden Globe Predictions

Motion Picture
Best Picture - Drama: Bobby
Best Actor - Drama: Will Smith, The Pursuit Of Happyness
Best Actress - Drama: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby
Best Picture - Comedy: Little Miss Sunshine
Best Actor - Comedy: Johnny Depp, Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Best Actress - Comedy: Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Best Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland
Best Supporting Actress: Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada
Best Animated Feature Film: Happy Feet
Best Foreign Language Film: Letters From Iwo Jima (Japan, United States)
Best Director: Clint Eastwood, Flags Of Our Fathers
Best Screenplay: Patrick Marber, Notes On A Scandal
Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer, The Da Vinci Code
Best Original Song: "Never Gonna Break My Faith," Bobby

Television
Best Series - Drama: Heroes
Best Actor - Drama: Kiefer Sutherland, 24
Best Actress - Drama: Patricia Arquette, Medium
Best Series - Comedy: The Office
Best Actor - Comedy: Steve Carell, The Office
Best Actress - Comedy: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine
Best Mini-series or Made-for-TV Movie: Mrs. Harris
Best Actor - Miniseries: Robert Duvall, Broken Trail
Best Actress - Miniseries: Annette Bening, Mrs. Harris
Best Supporting Actor: Masi Oka, Heroes
Best Supporting Actress: Sarah Paulson, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

UK back in Top 25

The University of Kentucky Wildcats have made their way back into the Top 25.

About time!

Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

(On Monday, we observe the anniversary of the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. This is my way of paying tribute to the late civil rights activist. On the issue of civil rights and tolerance, I recommend seeing Freedom Writers.)

I Have a Dream
Delivered August 28, 2963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Jon Stewart to report for WaPo?

The Washingtonian has more on this subject of Jon Stewart possibly reporting on the 2008 election for the newspaper.

Sources who are part of the talks report that the Post’s Web site is talking with Comedy Central about joining forces with The Daily Show to cover the 2008 presidential campaign. These sources say that washingtonpost.com CEO & publisher Caroline Little and editor Jim Brady have been part of the conversations in New York.

No one could be reached to confirm the talks.

The prospect of mixing Jon Stewart’s brand of irreverence with Dan Balz’s serious analysis could draw more readers to washingtonpost.com.

Stewart and his zany crew covered the last presidential campaign with a mocking tone that delighted the coveted 25- to 34-year-old demographic. Their DVD—The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Indecision 2004—was a big seller. Many viewers thought that Stewart and crew at the conventions were much more entertaining than the talking heads on the evening news—or on cable.

This will be interesting.

Mr. President, I ask of you...MOVE THE EMBASSY

Consider this an open letter, if you must, to the 43rd President of the United States of America, George Walker Bush.

Mr. President,
I recently read this article from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in which it states that you met with Jewish leaders for the annual White House Chanukah celebration only hours after you, yourself, relieved your presidential administration of an obligation to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In 2000, when you first ran for president, you made a campaign promise in which you said that you would move the embassy. Year after year, you refuse to do so.

It is unfortunate that other than the Zionist Organization of America, no other Jewish group has come forward. I don't speak on the behalf of others and I have never said, to my knowledge, that I do. However, this is an issue that is of importance to me because I don't take campaign promises lightly. I take take them very seriously and it disturbs me when politicians don't fulfill their campaign promises. While it's understandable if a legislator promised something but legislation gets blocked, there is no fundamental excuse for an executive to ignore such a promise which does not need, last that I checked, congressional approval.

Just a few hours earlier, Bush had signed a document relieving his administration from the obligation — and his own campaign promise — to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as required by the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act.

Since identical waivers have been invoked like clockwork twice a year since the law took effect, the president’s action hardly came as a surprise, certainly not to the pro-Israel lobby. Indeed, with the Zionist Organization of America as the one glaring exception, no major Jewish group uttered as much as a whisper of disappointment, let alone protest.

Here's some further background from the article I have linked to...and I have met Morton Klein while I was a student at Bradley University.

But what about Governor Bush of Texas, the foreign policy novice who was intent on improving on his father’s weak showing in the Jewish community? Here it gets interesting.

When ZOA President Morton Klein met with Bush for several minutes at a Newark Airport hotel in 2000, he raised only one point: Would a President Bush move the embassy?

“No,” was the reply, since it would “screw up the peace process.”

When those views hit the press, the Bush campaign staff went into full damage control, insisting with straight faces that their boss must have been misunderstood.

A short time later the handlers were in full command as Bush, now more Catholic than the pope, promised thousands of faithful at the AIPAC conference that he would move the embassy “as soon as” he took office. To punctuate the pledge, he assured the Republican Jewish Coalition that he would do this on his very first day as president. Apparently the messiah had arrived, and he hailed from Crawford, Texas.

Last month’s waiver marks, by my count, the 12th time this president has certified that honoring his braggadocio campaign promise would not be in our nation’s interest. Where, I ask, is the sense of outrage from Senators Kyl and Brownback and the others who had been like bulldogs in attacking a previous administration? Is only one party capable of “bad faith” or “contempt” of Congress?

I do hope that the House and Senate chairmen of the International Relations committees loook at this.

There may be a way to bring this to a head: The House International Relations Committee, chaired by Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), or the Foreign Relations Committee under Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) should hold hearings on why George Bush has not made good on his bold and repeated campaign promise.

Thank you and take care.

Explosion in Iran

While reports are still unconfirmed as to whether the explosions were related to nuclear testing, there were explosions in the southern portion of Iran.

Three strong explosions jolted southern Iran on Thursday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, but gave no information about possible casualties.

"Three explosions were so strong that they shook windows of houses," the agency said, adding that the explosions happened in Khorramshahr in the border province of Khuzestan.

Khuzestan, the heartland of Iran's oil industry, has been simmering with unrest among the province's mostly Arab population for more than a year.

Here is one blogger's report of what might have happened.

Denver to host 2008 Democratic National Convention

This arrived in my inbox earlier today:

Citing the Denver host committee's strong bid and growing Democratic gains in the Rocky Mountain West, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today announced that Denver will host the 2008 Democratic National Convention Monday, August 25 to Thursday, August 28.

Dean issued the following statement:

"I am delighted to announce that the city of Denver will host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. I congratulate Mayor Hickenlooper, Governor Ritter, Senator Salzar and the members of the Denver Host Committee for assembling an outstanding bid that demonstrates the community's commitment to organizing a first-rate national convention that will put our nominee on the path to victory in 2008.

"There is no question that the West is important to the future of the Democratic Party. The recent Democratic gains in the West exemplify the principle that when we show up and ask for people's votes and talk about what we stand for, we can win in any part of the country. Additionally, we have a number of strong Democratic leaders in the West who will be a part of showcasing the vision of Democratic leadership for America as we introduce the next Democratic President in the Rocky Mountains.

"New York is a wonderful city but in the end, it was the strength of Denver's bid that made it the best choice. From the state-of-the-art facilities to the commitment of community leaders to hosting an outstanding event, Mayor Hickenlooper and the host committee made clear that the Denver convention will be a great one. We thank the team for its hard-work during this process and look forward to working with them over the next year and a half to put on the best Democratic convention in history."

On the Escalation plan...

John Edwards is asking you to sign a petition that will be given to Congress. The text of the petition is as follows:

I am opposed to President Bush's plan to send additional troops to Iraq. Congress must act now to block funding of Bush's escalation of the war — and demand that the President provide a plan to leave Iraq.

That said, I agree that the plan to send more troops is not just wrong for the people of Iraq but it's wrong for us as Americans. I've joined the Senator with my vocal opposition on the president's escalation plan.

Okay, this next part is not as political but if you remember last year, and I hate to bring it up again, but I created the worst comedy video ever. Anyway, SNL had another digital short last month and a spoof from Philly has popped up. Here's a link from an interview with the creator of "My Box in a Box." You can view the video here. As of press time, there were 581,325 views of the video on YouTube which is impressive.

Previously, I would have told you that we have no chance against Senator Mitch McConnell when it comes to the issue of his re-election chances. However, things have changed and I would say he is now vulnerable. Look at this, for example.

Kentucky's senior lawmaker, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell voiced unqualified support for the president's three-pronged approach.

McConnell said a "hasty retreat" from Iraq would guarantee "strategic failure" across the region and threaten U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait and Israel.

"The president should be commended for adapting to the reality on the ground in Iraq," said McConnell.

Democrats differed from McConnell in their response.

"This modest, short-term military increase of troops is not going to begin to address the long-term intractable political problems we are facing in Iraq," said Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Ky. "The president said it himself; this is more than a military problem. It is time for the Iraqis to assume control of their own country."

Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., newly elected to his first term, said he hoped to hear a new strategy for success, but instead heard a "repetition of the same failed policies."

"The escalation the president called for tonight is not a change of course, but the acceleration of an ill-conceived occupation," Yarmuth said.

Evan Bayh had the following to say.

"Only the Iraqis can make the hard decisions to save their country. For three years, we've stood by them in the hope that they would. That approach is not working, and the president's approach, in substance not rhetoric, seems to be more of the same. I will also be looking for benchmarks for progress, timelines for meeting them, and accountability for a failure to do so. Without this, the Iraqis will never do what needs to be done."

Mayor Abramson on expanded gaming

Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson recently spoke to the Frankfort Rotary Club and an issue that came up was the highly controversial issue of expanded gaming.

Abramson did discuss the issue of providing expanded opportunities for gambling in Kentucky. A member of the audience asked Abramson what kind of social and economic impact the Indiana-based riverboat casinos have had upon Louisville. Abramson said he had not seen any negative social effects, but said the casinos were draining much-needed tax-dollars out of Kentucky.

"All the roads in Indiana have been paved, and all the schools have been rebuilt with Kentucky dollars," he said. "We are the big losers."

When he has attended special events at the casino, Abramson said, 80 percent of the cars in the parking lot have displayed Kentucky license plates. He said he would support any proposal that would help keep the gambling revenues in Kentucky.

"I don't care if its downtown or at the racetracks or at a casino," Abramson said. "Whatever passes is the way it should be."

At least one bill has been filed in the Kentucky Senate that would amend the Constitution and provide for additional gambling opportunities. However, Abramson said the issue will probably not be a hot topic during the short legislative session, which reconvenes in February.

"There's just not enough momentum," he said. "It would take a full session to really roll out the vote the people in Kentucky would have to undertake."

Although the gambling issue is very relevant to county governments along the Ohio River, Abramson said it would be difficult to convey the relevancy to residents further inland. He said they don't see every day how the casino revenues are leaving Kentucky and benefiting communities in other states.

"We have to carry the message to them," Abramson said.

This is an important issue that should not be taken lightly. I hate that Kentucky is losing out on increased revenues because people thing gaming is wrong. There's nothing wrong with it in my opinion. You have your moderate gamblers and then you have the ones with an addiction. If done correctly, Kentucky will benefit from expanded gaming. I suggest you contact your state senators and representatives and ask them to vote in favor of House Bill 27 and Senate Bills 16 and 17.

More Carter resignations...

JTA reported that 14 more members of President Carter's staff at the Carter Center have resigned due to the recent book that the former president wrote.

In a letter to Carter obtained by JTA, the group wrote Thursday that he had abandoned his role as peace broker in favor of malicious partisan advocacy, portraying the conflict as a “purely one-sided affair” which Israel bears full responsibility for resolving.

“This is not the Carter Center or the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support,” the letter said.

“Therefore it is with sadness and regret that we hereby tender our resignation from the Board of Councilors of the Carter Center effective immediately.”

The Forward has full text of the letter.

Here is a JTA op-ed by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a former student of Carter's while attending Emory University. She believes that Carter is now practicing reverse racism.

Isaac to teach American Government in Lawrenceburg

Brian Smth of The Anderson News managed to get an exclusive interview with former Lexington mayor Teresa Isaac. The article does mention the possibility of a statewide run and a possible run for Congress.

Students taking the American government course at the Lawrenceburg campus of Bluegrass Community and Technical College will get a unique insight into the political process this semester.

Former Lexington mayor Teresa Isaac, who lost her re-election bid in November to attorney Jim Newberry, will teach the introductory-level course on Thursday evenings.

“I've always tried to teach, practice law and participate in politics,” Isaac said. “I've tried to juggle all three.”[...]

“Many people have forgotten this, but she was an adjunct professor at the Lexington campus before she was elected mayor,” he said. “She has also taught political science at Eastern Kentucky University in the past as well.”[...]

Isaac confirmed she is looking at running for statewide office in the near future, and a potential congressional run later on. “I'll be making that decision soon,” she said

Unless she's running in the fifth district, I don't see anyone challenging Congressman Ben Chandler anytime soon.

Minumum wage bill passes House

The minimum wage bill passed the house 315 in favor to 116 in opposition.

Bush speech to delay UK game on tube?

Here's an article from today's Courier-Journal detailing what could happen with the President's speech and it's impact on the television coverage of the Kentucky-Auburn game, which will be televised on the Lincoln Financial Sports Network.

University of Kentucky fans in Louisville tuning in for Wednesday night’s basketball game against Auburn should be aware that President Bush's speech could impact the broadcast.

The Wildcats' game will air on WAVE-3 in Louisville beginning at 8 p.m. President Bush will address the nation at 9 p.m., and WAVE will cut into the UK game to air NBC coverage of the speech.

If the president's speech ends early in the second half of the game, WAVE likely will return straight to live action, Dan Foos, the station's operations manager, said Tuesday.

The station could show tape-delayed footage if it goes longer but by that point, the game would be over. I would imagine most fans will turn on the radio broadcast of Tom Leach and Mike Pratt.

Consult your local listings. In Northern Kentucky, the affiliate is the CW on channel 25 WSTR on Channel 11.

Here is what will happen in the Lexington viewing area.

During the presidential address, Lexingon viewers can continue watching the Kentucky game on the CW channel (Insight-5).

The game begins at 8 p.m. The presidential address starts at 9 and is expected to last 30 minutes.

Coverage of the game on WKYT-27 will resume after the president's speech.

Here is an online alternative although it is delayed by five seconds to a minute at most.

Congress has decided to file a bill that will back even more recommendations from the 9/11 commission. I think this is likely good news.

Democrats say that the House proposals would implement nearly all the remaining reforms recommended in 2004 by the bipartisan commission on the 2001 attacks, including ways to beef up funding and training for first responders as well as calls to rewrite many U.S. policies for controlling weapons of mass destruction and nuclear proliferation.

Former congressman Lee H. Hamilton (D-Ind.), who served as vice chairman of the panel, estimated that the previous Congress had enacted half the commission's recommendations, including creating a director to oversee the federal government's intelligence agencies. He said the "American people will be safer" if the remaining proposals become law.

"It carries out the recommendations that we have made," Hamilton said at a news conference yesterday with House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and other Democrats. "And if this bill is enacted, then almost all of the recommendations of the commission will have been put into law."

Some highlights are below:

• Substantially increase the share of homeland security grants that are provided to states based on risk and threat.

• Establish an emergency communications grant program at the Department of Homeland Security.

• Increase federal assistance to state, local and tribal governments to foster a unified command system during emergencies.

• Require screening of air cargo, provide more support for airport security, and improve redress process for people wrongly put on the “no-fly” list.

• Require all containers leaving the largest overseas ports to be scanned before being loaded onto a ships destined for the United States.

• Authorize $10 million to help combat human smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism travel.

• Require the homeland security secretary to conduct annual vulnerability assessments of the national infrastructure.

• Require the homeland security secretary to create within 90 days a program to improve private-sector preparedness for terrorism and other disasters.

• Codify sanctions against individuals involved in the illegal trade of nuclear technology and prohibit the United States from providing aid to countries that do business with these individuals.

Will the United Nations finally stop acting lazy and actually do something about this?!? The UN isn't even doing their job of actually implementing the resolutions that have been enacted.

Hezbollah is rearming and United Nations forces are doing nothing to prevent it or disarm them, Israel’s military intelligence chief said.

Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that the Lebanese terrorist group is rebuilding its rocket-launching capabilities.

He also said the Syrian army had lowered its alert level to what it was before last summer’s war with Lebanon.

In Israeli news, Ehud Barack is getting involved again and is hoping to be in the leadership of the Labor Party. He's done a complete 180.

Bill O'Reilly will appear on The Colbert Report. This should get interesting.

Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly will appear on "The Colbert Report" at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, as a guest on the show. Colbert, who plays his O'Reilly-like commentator to the hilt, will return the favor by appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor" earlier in the evening at 8 p.m. EST.

Colbert, a longtime contributor to Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," got his own show in October 2005. O'Reilly has had the top cable news show for more than five years and has been with the Fox News Channel since its start in 1996.

"I'm really looking forward to speaking to a man who owes his entire career to me," O'Reilly said in a prepared statement.

John Yarmuth will be ready when he runs for re-election in 2008.

Here's a look at the behind-the-scenes of getting money from the Bayh donor network. Bayh's network is similar to that of the president's pioneer network.

Democratic White House hopefuls such as Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.), Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) are rushing to capitalize on an impressive national fundraising network Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) built in the mold of President Bush’s pioneers program. The strength of Bayh’s connections could boost his profile when the Democratic nominee selects a running mate next year.

In December, a few days after Bayh announced his decision not to run for president in 2008, about 160 of his biggest donors were scheduled to fly to Washington to craft a fundraising campaign. Several of Bayh’s advisers said that “well over” 150 donors in his network had pledged to raise $150,000 each for the campaign, and a smaller group of fundraisers had promised to raise $500,000 apiece.

A unique quality of the network, say the advisers, is that it includes many donors — a group cultivated by the lawmaker, who has strong ties to the business community and espouses centrist policies — that are not in other national candidates’ databases. Combined, the donors helped stockpile more than $10 million in cash on hand to Bayh’s reelection fund, which can be transferred immediately to a presidential campaign and would enhance the senator’s viability as a vice presidential nominee.

“He was always a top-tier candidate and he should be for reasons of message and his moderate stance, but in addition to that he not only will have in excess of $11 million or $12 million on hand, he has a tremendous network of people willing to raise millions of dollars for him,” said Joe Andrew, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and member of Bayh’s network who himself pledged to raise half a million dollars for the senator.

Bayh’s chief fundraising aide, Nancy Jacobson, who helped to build the network, already has signed on to Clinton’s presidential campaign. But Edwards and Obama are also trying to snag a piece of Bayh’s pie.

“I have a feeling she will guard our list pretty strong, but I heard that Sen. Edwards has made inroads with some of our people,” said Richard Gordon, a member of Bayh’s kitchen cabinet who first met Bayh during his father’s presidential campaign.

Bayh’s network is especially valuable because many of its members are not “regular David donors,” in the words of one Democrat.

Outside observers agree with Bayh’s advisers that his fundraising prowess would be valuable next year after a candidate wins the Democratic nomination. That is because the nominee is widely expected to forego public financing for the primary and general elections, which would free him or her from spending limits that have constrained candidates in past years.

“Bayh could be exactly the kind of vice presidential candidate who could be most valuable in 2008 because of his established fundraising abilities,” said Michael Toner, who served as Federal Election Commission (FEC) chairman last year. “In the past, the candidates at the top of the ticket didn’t look to vice-presidential candidates to be major fundraising magnets.

“That’s mainly because past presidential candidates have taken public money for the general election,” he added. “If we’re headed in 2008 to candidates turning down money for the general election, the ability of a vice-presidential candidate to be instrumental on the fundraising side has never been more important.”

In total, Bayh’s fundraising network consists of about 500 major donors, ranging from supporters who promised to raise $25,000 to those who pledged to collect $500,000.

Senator Bayh is co-sponsoring a bill to raise the minimum wage. With a DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY, it's essential that we get the minimum wage increased. I've not yet taken a look at the economic advantages and disadvantages but from a personal standpoint, a lot of working young adults don't make that much with regards to income and the current standards of living. Here is the press release from Bayh:

.S. Senator Evan Bayh today announced that he cosponsored legislation to support working Americans by raising the federal minimum wage for the first time in 10 years. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, sponsored by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Harry Reid (D-NV), would raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour over the next two years.

“Every day, countless Americans work full time but still struggle to make ends meet,” Senator Bayh said. “This is the longest Congress has gone without raising the minimum wage since it was introduced, and too many families are struggling as a result. By enacting a long-overdue increase in the minimum wage, we can help ensure that every American who works hard and plays by the rules is able to support a family.”

Because of inflation, the current federal minimum wage only buys about 80 percent as much as it did when the last increase was enacted in 1997. In addition to the impact the decreased buying power has on working families, some economists suggest that businesses suffer when wages fail to keep up with inflation, leaving consumers with less money to spend.

A report released last year by the nonpartisan Fiscal Policy Institute showed that small businesses in states that have raised the minimum wage above the federal level of $5.15/hour since 1997, have actually outperformed small businesses in states that have lower minimum wage rates in a number of ways, including the hiring more workers.

Senator Bayh has consistently championed the need to support workers by increasing the federal minimum wage, including cosponsoring legislation identical to the current bill in 2005 and voting for it three times as an amendment. Bayh also was one of 11 cosponsors of the Standing with Minimum Wage Workers Act, which would tie future increases in the minimum wage to increases in Congressional pay.

The House will be voting on their version of the bill to increase the minimum wage.

Miller-Maze hire Wiley Pearson

The following is a press release from the Miller-Maze campaign.

The gubernatorial slate of Jonathan Miller and Irv Maze announced today that retired Lt. Colonel Wiley Pearson will join the campaign as manager. As Director of the Ohio Democratic Party's Coordinated Campaign in 2006, Pearson played a major role in winning races for both U.S. Senate and Governor in a neighboring state.

Pearson, 58 years old, retired as a Lt. Colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1992, after serving in the military for 22 years, and since then has been actively involved in all facets of politics and public policy.

In 2004, Pearson also worked in Ohio and helped coordinate the AFL-CIO campaign efforts in the presidential race. Prior to that he was on staff at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) for eight years, where he developed policy initiatives and organized grassroots action, legislative and political, among other things.

Pearson has worked on Capitol Hill as well, where he served as Legislative Assistant for Defense and Foreign Policy for U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD). He holds a degree in Political Science from DePauw University and a Masters in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.

"We are very pleased to have found Wiley," said Jonathan Miller. "He has the political and professional experience to help us deliver our message of change throughout the Commonwealth. Irv and I couldn't be more thrilled."

"I am excited to join the Miller-Maze campaign and to work with two leaders of such considerable vision and integrity," Pearson said. "I am particularly grateful to Treasurer Miller for his work in support of military families; I thank him on behalf of all veterans."

I think that this is pretty awesome news for the campaign. I do thank Lt. Col. (Ret.) Pearson for serving our country for 22 years.

Yarmuth to make first floor speech

I don't know the exact time but this was emailed to me earlier today:

Still in his first seven days in the House of Representatives, Rep. John Yarmuth (KY-3) isn't wasting any time. Seizing his new position on the Education & Labor Committee, Rep. Yarmuth has thrust himself into the center of the new Congressional leadership's ambitious agenda. When the House votes Wednesday on whether or not to raise the minimum wage for the first time in nearly a decade, Yarmuth will be among the handful of members urging Congress to pass the bill.

Throughout his campaign, Yarmuth stressed the need to raise the minimum wage from $5.15/hr to $7.25/hr over a two year period. Legislation, which is nearly identical to Yarmuth's plan, will be put to a vote shortly after his speech and is expected to pass the House quickly. The Senate and President Bush have also indicated they will approve the measure.

"We have a unique opportunity and a moral obligation to dramatically increase the well-being of 13 million low wage workers and jump-start the economy in one stroke. I am proud to play a part in advancing this long overdue measure," Yarmuth said of the bill.

Due to receiving his committee preference as a member of the Education and Labor Committee, the Congressman will continue to play a prominent role in the 110th Congress. He will personally work on all workforce and education issues, allowing him to be a influential player on many of his top priorities from the 2006 campaign.

Bloggers for Miller-Maze

Reminder that you can find the campaign site at MillerMaze.com.

Other than myself, here is a list of other Kentucky bloggers that have announced their support of Jonathan Miller and Irv Maze:
Ralph Long
Hillbilly Report (Jim Pence)
Bluegrass Report (Mark Nickolas)
Ohio River, Left Bank, MP 606 (Jeff Noble)
Blue Dog Jabbering (Rick Malek)

Just take that FWIW.

Conway is out, Luallen files for re-election

In political news, Louisville attorney Jack Conway will not be a candidate for Governor in 2007. Mark Hebert reported the following earlier:

Conway says he would feel "very comfortable" as attorney general. Conway says he's waiting for current a.g. Greg Stumbo to decide on his reelection plans. If Stumbo doesn't seek reelection or decides to run for another office, Conway says he'll likely jump into the attorney general's race.

Conway says he talked to his new wife, Elizabeth, over the holidays and decided that a run for governor would require too much money out of their pockets. Conway says having fellow democrats Jonathan Miller and Steve Beshear already raising money hurt his chances to generate big money from donors outside Louisville. Conway also recognized that he's little known outside the Gene Snyder Freeway and would have to spend millions of dollars just to get decent statewide name recognition.

State Auditor Crit Luallen will be a candidate for re-election.

“I have received overwhelming support from across the state to continue the good work my staff and I have accomplished as State Auditor. It has been a very rewarding experience and it is more critical than ever that Kentucky have an independent watchdog committed to protecting the taxpayer’s money.

I hope to continue to bring competence, vision, and integrity to the debate concerning Kentucky’s long-term challenges,” Luallen said.

Ms. Luallen’s first term accomplishments include finding multiple cases of fraud and abuse, leading to the indictment and conviction of several public officials. This includes the largest ever case of fraud uncovered by the State Auditor’s Office, the theft of over $900,000 in utility receipts in the City of Providence. In addition the office has expanded the use of performance auditing to determine that Kentucky state government could save over $70 million a year with the reimportation of prescription drugs and an analysis showing Kentucky’s school dropout rate is not accurate.

It was earlier reported that Audrey Haynes would be the candidate for Secretary of State. It is unlikely that she will be running at this point as she is waiting on what Vice President Al Gore decides to do.

Hall of Fame Voting Results

Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. were elected by the BBWAA to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, several good candidates did not recieve the required 75% and Goose Gossage was only 4% shy of induction.

Mark McGwire recieved about 23% of the vote.

Will Steve Gold run?

I say: DO IT!

The Henderson Gleaner reported this morning that Steve will be deciding in the next week.

Local attorney Steven R. Gold said he expects to decide in a week or so whether to become the first Hendersonian in more than 30 years to seek statewide office by running for state treasurer.[...]

Gold, 33, said he is "humbled" to have been asked by a number of fellow young Democrats around the state to seek the office.

But he hasn't decided whether to run. "I'm still weighing it," he said. "A statewide race would mean time away from Henderson and time away from my family."

"Having a young child and my wife (Holly) being from Henderson, Henderson is where our roots are," Gold said. "Any decision to uproot should not be taken lightly."

Current Treasurer Jonathan Miller, who plans to seek the Democratic nomination for governor, has raised the profile of the state treasurer's office, making it more attractive than it has been traditionally.

Indeed, Gold said it was Miller who perhaps unknowingly triggered the possible candidacy when he playfully pinned a "Gold for Treasurer" pin on him in early 2004, after Gold served two months as interim chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party.

Although this would be his first race for public office, Gold is a veteran of politics.

He served as president of the Kentucky Young Democrats in 1997-98 and since 2000 has served on the state Central Executive Committee, the governing body of the Democratic Party.

Those roles, in addition to his temporary chairmanship of the state party, has made him familiar to Democratic politicians and supporters around the state, if not to average voters.

I think it's time we put Gold in the Treasury.

Congrats, Florida!

As a fan of the Kentucky Wildcats, I have to offer congratulations to the Florida Gators of the SEC even if they crush us every year.

Initially, I was mixed earlier in the week as I have connections to both universities. I later decided to root for the Florida Gators as they are in the SEC.

MPA or MPP?

Following up on this post from September, I have it narrowed down to applying for an MPA or MPP.

Hall of Fame to announce voting results

For the third year in a row, MLB.com will air the results live during the Hall of Fame Election Show at 1 PM eastern on Tuesday.

For the third year in a row, the announcement will happen right here during the MLB.com Hall of Fame Election Show, beginning on Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET. At 2 p.m., Hall president Dale Petroskey will be in Manhattan at the MLB.com studio to make the live announcement of the voting results by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

The question last year was whether Petroskey would have any names to utter, and whether it would be the first voting shutout in 10 years. Then a massive audience of MLB.com users watched him say:

"It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Baseball Writers' Association of America -- with the largest number of ballots ever cast -- have elected Bruce Sutter, the outstanding relief pitcher of the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves."

Now the question is whether it will be more than simply the seventh class featuring multiple first-ballot inductees. Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr., who played in a combined 31 All-Star Games, are widely considered first-ballot locks by the BBWAA constituency. Will four-time home run champ Mark McGwire get the required 75 percent of votes as well, or did voters choose to also ignore the past? Will a Jim Rice or Goose Gossage -- tantalizingly close in 2006 -- get over the hump this time?

Had I been a member of the BBWAA, I would have voted for Andre Dawson, Goose Gossage, Lee Smith, Don Mattingly, Jim Rice, Cal Ripken Jr., Tony Gwynn, and yes, even Mark McGwire.

Indiana native's album is due out this month...

In case you aren't tired of all the John Mellencamp music during the Chevy ads, here's some news. His new album is due out this month.

"'Our Country' is the most John Mellencamp-sounding record on it," he says. "I think people are gonna go, 'Wow!,' or they're gonna go, 'What is he trying to do?"' Elsewhere, Joan Baez duets with Mellencamp on the track "Jim Crow."

So I'm really backed up...to like January 2nd!

A while back, the Herald Leader reported that House Democrats plan to shut out the GOP. We shall certainly see if that will be the case.

Shimon Peres was a representative of Israel during last week's state funeral of former President Gerald R. Ford.

Pat Crowley recently wrote of The Compassionate Community.

In the book, Miller, the incumbent state treasurer and a Harvard-educated lawyer, discusses the role religion and values should play in politics. He touches on policy and his own political experiences and background.

Miller also talks about his Jewish faith and how Democrats shouldn't be nervous about discussing religion and morality, something Republicans have had success with in Kentucky and across the nation.

"I am a Democrat because of my faith," Miller said earlier this week during a campaign "meetup" he and his lieutenant governor running mate, Jefferson County Attorney Irv Maze, held in Crestview Hills.

"Over the past couple of decades the party, particularly on the national level, has lost track of its grounding of where it comes from," Miller said. "And while oftentimes (the party) has reflected some very strong values, it has failed to articulate where those values come from and has let the Republican Party have a monopoly.

"I'm gong to speak from the heart," he said. "I'm going to speak from my core."

Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence premieres this evening at 10 eastern on PBS across the nation. If football is not your cup of tea, then be sure to tune in.

The following is an excerpt of Congressman Ben Chandler's email to constituents:

Minimum Wage
One of the first priorities of the new Congress is to help working families by increasing the minimum wage. Despite bipartisan support, a direct vote on the minimum wage was denied in the last Congress. Current legislation would raise the minimum wage from $5.15/hour to $7.25/hour over two years. If passed, there are 135,000 Kentuckians who would directly benefit from this pay increase.

Education
Another important initiative for the new Congress is expanding educational opportunities for our young people by cutting the interest rates for student loans in half from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent. On average, Kentucky students are graduating with over $15,000 in debt as tuition at our universities continues to rise. By cutting interest rates in half, over 5 million students across America will see a significant cut to their student loan debt.

Healthcare
Another issue of great importance to be brought up in the first 100 hours of Congress is making healthcare more affordable for our elderly by repealing a law that currently makes it illegal for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for Medicare recipients. Changing this provision will save money for our seniors who are struggling to pay for their medicines.

Former Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe blasted John Kerry's presidential campaign in a new book.

Most Democratic Senators would have changed the way they voted for the Iraq War Resolution in knowing what they know now.

By ABC News' count, if the Senators knew then what they know now, only 43 -- at most -- would still vote to approve the use of force and the measure would be defeated. And at least 57 senators would vote against going to war, a number that combines those who already voted against the war resolution with those who told ABC News they would vote against going to war, or said that the pre-war intelligence has been proven so wrong the measure would lose or it would never even come to a vote.

For any Senate vote to switch from 77-23 in favor to essentially 57-43 against is quite remarkable, and far more so for a decision as significant as the one to go to war.

The issue was brought home last month by Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., who delivered an emotional address on the floor of the Senate, saying he regretted having voted for the war.

"I, for one, am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day," Smith said. "That is absurd. It may even be criminal. I cannot support that any more."

Twenty-eight of the 77 senators who voted to authorize the war in Iraq indicated, many for the first time, that they would not vote the same way with the benefit of hindsight. Six others indicated that, in retrospect, the intelligence was so wrong the matter would not have passed the Senate, or would not have even come up for a vote.

"This is very significant," said congressional scholar Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute. "If they were asked that question a year ago, I think the likelihood of getting anywhere close to a majority voting against the war would be impossible. What this tells me is that Gordon Smith's very stunning speech was in some ways the tip of the iceberg."

The list of those who say they would vote differently is a bipartisan group whose ranks include former and current Republican Senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, Peter Fitzgerald of Illinois, Bob Smith of New Hampshire, Olympia Snowe of Maine and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.

An overwhelming number of the Democratic senators who voted to authorize use of force indicated they would vote differently today, including former and current Democratic Senators Joe Biden of Delaware, Chris Dodd of Connecticut, John Breaux of Louisiana, Jay Rockefeller West Virginia and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota.

A few former Republican senators gave their answer surprisingly quickly when asked if they would cast the same vote.

"No, I would not," said former Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H. "I know now there are no weapons of mass destruction."[...]

Senators being senators, their answers were not always the clear cut "yes" or "no" the question might imply.

Daschle, the Senate majority leader at the time, would not directly comment, but a source close to him told ABC News that he would change his vote knowing then what he knows now.

Schumer told ABC News in a statement: "I believe that when the nation is attacked, you give the president the benefit of the doubt. Obviously, if we knew then how badly the president would bungle the war start to finish, we would not have given him the benefit of that doubt, and we certainly wouldn't again."

Schumer's office agreed that it would be fair to include him in the category of those who would vote differently with today's knowledge.

Former Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, D-S.C., would not answer the question directly, but clearly and repeatedly stated that he only voted for the resolution because of something the president said that Hollings now considers a lie.

Hollings said he was torn, and leaning against voting for the war resolution until President Bush said, just days before the vote, that "we cannot wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud."

"When the commander-in-chief said that, I knew he knew something I didn't know," Hollings told ABC News. That changed his mind and he voted for the war resolution, which he now says was a "mistake"

"I was lied to and now we all know that we were lied to," Hollings says.

Others did not return repeated calls and e-mails -- including former GOP Sens. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, Don Nickles of Oklahoma and Phil Gramm of Texas, as well as former Democratic Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia -- so ABC News categorized them as standing by their votes.

Unable to respond were three senators who voted to go to war: Former Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., died in 2003 and both Jesse Helms, R-N.C., and Tim Johnson, D-S.D., are medically incapacitated.

I encourage you to read the article in full if you have yet to do so already.

Some good news for the Miller-Maze campaign: Miller has raised the most amount of money in the filing period ending on December 31, 2006.

State House Judiciary Chairwoman Kathy Stein has vowed not to open extra debate on the issue of gay marriage.

The race for the White House is starting to heat up in the state of Florida.

State lawmakers have also called for an end of the death penalty.

"We've seen moves in other states to put some brakes on their machinery of death. There's plenty of evidence that a growing number of Kentuckians believe it's time to end the death penalty," Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, said at a Capitol news conference with four Democratic lawmakers and one Republican House member, David Floyd of Bardstown.

Burch, a veteran lawmaker who is chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee, pointed to a 2006 survey by the University of Kentucky Research Center that showed 67 percent of Kentuckians prefer sentences other than death for punishment in capital murder cases.

"Being locked up in a cell for years is a lot worse than execution," Burch said.

Is there a new Lennon-McCartney song in the works?

The New Yorker had an interesting article dealing with Senator Evan Bayh. I've yet to read it completely in full as I am still unpacking.

There's a lot of talk about Trey Grayson changing his mind yet again. We shall know for sure come January 30, 2007.

Work in progress...

Okay, this is mainly a blog post to let you know that, yes, I am still alive, and no, I did not forget you. I'm still adjusting to my new laptop and getting things back in working order on the computer. I know I said blogging should get back to normal but I'm still making sure that I transferred all the files over from the old one and I'm finding that some of the media players are the classic versions as opposed to the most recent versions.

Also, the Koufax awards are up this week. I ask that you nominate this blog for any category that you see fit. I prefer "Most Deserving of Wider Recognition." As to the Best Category, there are several blog interviews I've done in the past year.

Bobby Petrino is NFL-bound

Louisville Head Coach Bobby Petrino signed a 10-year, $25 million dollar contract before this season. So much for that idea. Petrino is heading for Atlanta, better known as Catlanta, to coach the Falcons.

ESPN.com's Pat Forde first reported the hiring and contract details earlier Sunday night.

"This is an exciting day for the Atlanta Falcons franchise," Falcons owner and CEO Arthur Blank said in a release. "Bobby Petrino is an extremely talented football coach who has done some tremendously innovative things as both an offensive coordinator and head coach, and he brings to us a record of success at the collegiate and professional levels. There is no question that he has a sharp mind, he is demanding and disciplined, and he is a motivator and developer of players. In short, he's a difference maker who will bring a strong identity to the Falcons -- one our team will buy into and take on as their own."

Petrino met with his Louisville players Sunday night to let them know he was going to Atlanta. The Falcons scheduled a formal announcement for Monday at 2 p.m. ET.

"I'm in shock right now," Louisville kicker Arthur Carmody told ESPN's Joe Schad Sunday night. "We're coming off a great Orange Bowl win and we were all thinking national championship. I didn't think this would happen. He said he enjoyed college football. He's a great coach and we're going to miss him."

Before the season, Petrino signed a 10-year, $25 million contract. Petrino had previously interviewed with Auburn, LSU, Notre Dame and the Oakland Raiders for other jobs, but announced in August that he would be at Louisville for the long haul.

In case you've been in a cave, Louisville can't keep their coaches. Since Howard Schnellenberger left, here's the roster:
Ron Cooper (1995-1998)
John L. Smith (1998-2003)
Bobby Petrino (2003-2006)

I know I shouldn't be talking as I am a UK fan and it seems like football coaches have very high turnovers but I thought the following stats were worthy of mention.

Frank Camp and Howard Schnellenberger have the longest tenures as head coach per Wikipedia.

Open Thread

Back on campus and unloading. Since I'm on a new laptop, it may take some extra time for blogging to return to normalcy.

Fletcher to come to NKU on Tuesday

This just arrived in my mailbox. I have class and will not be there.

Governor Ernie Fletcher will visit NKU January 9 to discuss Kentucky’s anticipated $279 million budget surplus and ways the surplus can be used. The town hall meeting will be at 5 p.m. in Otto Budig Theater. Student leaders are invited to attend and participate in the discussion. It is anticipated that this discussion will focus on facility needs such as housing.

With that, I'm off for the weekend and blogging will resume likely after I return to campus.

Open Thread

Just took the GRE's today so I'm relaxing now.

Update on 2007 Treasurer's race

Pol Watchers has this update for us. Brandon Smith is probably going to be a Republicann candidate, at least in the primary, and it doesn't look like he will be bashing the performance of current State Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Miller.

"Jonathan's done a fantastic job," Smith said. "I think we can build on that."

A host of people have expressed some interest in running for that open post, including several Republicans: former administrative office of the courts director Melinda Wheeler, revenue commissioner Marian Davis, Lexington lawyer Scott Crosbie and state Rep. Ken Upchurch of Monticello. So far, no Republicans have filed their official paperwork with the Secretary of State's office.

Patrick Dunmire, a Frankfort Democrat, already has filed his papers to run for that post. Other Democrats considering a run are Henderson lawyer Steve Gold, former Lexington mayor Teresa Isaac and Elizabethtown financial consultant and insurance agent Matt Wyatt.

I've made not secret of this. Should Steve Gold decide to run, he will have my support.

Humorous Quotes of the Year

This comes from This Week with George Stephanopoulos

Late Night with Conan O'Brien - October 8, 2006
Conan O'Brien: Earlier this week — true story — Bill O'Reilly did a piece about Mark Foley. This was the graphic. [graphic reads "Mark Foley (D-FL)"] Check it out. It said, "Foley, Democrat, Florida." The problem is, Mark Foley is not a Democrat. He's a Republican. … I assume it was a mistake. But I looked into it, and apparently this kind of mislabeling has happened on Fox News before. Take a look.

[video of Nixon resignation address with the graphic, "Richard Nixon (D), Wash D.C."]

President Nixon: I shall resign the presidency, effective at noon tomorrow.

[video of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il with the graphic "Kim Jong Il (D), North Korea"]

Voiceover: The regime of Kim Jong Il is a much more immediate danger.

[video of Michael Jackson with the graphic "Michael Jackson (D), California"]

Michael Jackson: I have been forced to submit to a dehumanizing and humiliating examination.

Late Show with David Letterman - July 31, 2006
David Letterman: Earlier today, former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Sen. Joe Lieberman. Clinton got the crowd so worked up that they had trouble sleeping through the Lieberman speech.

2008 Election Roundup

Newsweek takes a look at what Americans want in the next president. You know how I feel about this and my preferred candidate of choice exited the race.

Now that the 38th president has been laid to rest, the capital can take up the main business of 2007: trying to figure out who will be the 44th. What type of leader does the country want? Here is my sense of it, based on talking to politicians, strategists and voters here and around the nation.

In summary, Howard Fineman lists the following:
* No ideologues
* Serious student
* Washington experience not necessary
* No boomer obsessions
* Know the middle class

I would add the following: some experience with foreign policy. This is a must--especially in a world that is post-9/11.

Louisville Dog Ordinance

I'm a dog lover so it comes as no surprise that I am not a big fan of the animal ordinance that the Louisville Metro Council recently voted to enact.

The wide-ranging ordinance began as an effort to ban pit bulls and ended as legislation that rewrote many of the city's animal-control laws.

Council member Cheri Bryant Hamilton, D-5th, first proposed rewriting the dog laws in the fall of 2005 after a 2-year-old girl was killed by her family's pit bull.

About that time, a 65-year-old man was killed when two dogs -- at first thought to be pit bulls -- attacked him.

The new ordinance, which would go into effect over the next three months after the mayor signs it, requires all dogs to be spayed or neutered unless dog owners purchase a $50 permit.

It requires that all dogs impounded by Metro Animal Services be spayed or neutered before they are returned to their owners, and it limits the number of dogs that can be kept outside on residential properties of less than 2 acres.

Unaltered animals must be kept on short leashes or in cages while on city streets.

Animal groups almost unanimously oppose the legislation, arguing that it punishes responsible dog owners while doing little to protect people from truly dangerous dogs.

But Animal Services Director Gilles Meloche has said that changes in the law will make it easier for his officers to cite people for violations and will make it easier to ensure that dogs are properly registered with the city.

Last week, Jon Fleischaker, a lawyer representing the Louisville Kennel Club, sent a letter to council President Kevin Kramer, R-11th, saying the council should reconsider its action passing the ordinance because of an open-meetings violation.

Fleischaker says the council's Democratic Caucus violated the open-meetings law twice on the day that the council passed the ordinance.

Hamilton, the ordinance's sponsor, held a work session early in the day to go over changes in the ordinance, with the full caucus meeting at 4 p.m.

Fleischaker says the Democrats should have given notice of the meetings to the media and posted the notices conspicuously. Fleischaker, who often represents The Courier-Journal, is not representing the newspaper in this matter.

My family is responsible when it comes to our dog. Pit bulls are the ones that this bill should really be going after.

Light blogging...

Between work, watching sporting events, and studying for the GRE, blogging has been very light for the most part. I apologize for that but when it comes to money and educational priorities, blogging will usually get the shaft. After tomorrow's GRE exam, blogging should return to normal.

Despite pleading guilty, Turner keeps leadership post

With respect to the former president, I took the day off from blogging.

I thought Democrats were supposed to be better than this. I, for one, am disappointed in the entire caucus for voting to keep Johnny Ray Turner in his leadership post.

Turner expressed gratitude to his colleagues in the General Assembly.

"I would like to thank all the membership of the Senate, Democrats and Republicans alike, for all the support they have shown me," he said. "I would also like to thank all the people who have called me to congratulate me on getting all this behind me."

The potential candidates running against Trey Grayson have nothing bad to say against him according to Pat Crowley.

Lexington businessman Dick Robinson, who produces a sports talk show on radio, and state Sen. Rick Nelson of Middlesboro in southeastern Kentucky are considering challenging Grayson.[...]

"I'm thinking about it," Nelson, a retired school teacher elected to the Legislature in 2000, said Friday. "I'll be talking to some of my colleagues and I'll probably make a decision about mid-week. It's a big jump, running statewide, so I want to talk it over with some more people before I decide.

"I don't have anything bad to say about (Grayson)," he said. "I'd like to continue with the civics education he started and be innovative in the services the office can provide to businesses."[...]

Robinson is the creator and general manager of the "Joe B. and Denny Crum" radio show, which is hosted by former University of Kentucky basketball coach Joe B. Hall and former University of Louisville basketball coach Denny Crum.

Robinson served as personnel secretary for Gov. John Y. Brown Jr., who held office from 1979 to 1983. He was also a member of the administrations of former Lexington Mayors Scotty Baesler and Pam Miller. And he was on the finance committee of Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry, who was elected Nov. 7.

"I probably will run," Robinson said Friday. "I'm seriously considering it and expect to announce my decision ... in late January."

Robinson said he respects Grayson and would be a "very worthy opponent."

"He is a very nice young man, a nice fellow to be around," Robinson said. "This is not a reflection on Trey Grayson, but more on George Bush, Ernie Fletcher and the Republican administrations in Washington and Frankfort."

Many Democrats believe voters are disenchanted with GOP leadership because of how Bush has handled the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and other matters, and because of the hiring scandal that resulted in criminal charges - which have since been dropped - against Fletcher.

"I believe the majority of Kentucky voters don't agree with the policies of George Bush, Ernie Fletcher and the Republicans," Robinson said.

Grayson issued a statement through a spokesman when asked to comment on the potential challenge.

"Secretary Grayson has demonstrated proven, innovative and ethical leadership during his tenure," spokesman Les Fugate said. "He has consistently shown his willingness to tackle difficult issues and to reach out across party lines to improve Kentucky. His independence and experience is precisely the kind of leadership that Kentuckians want in their state's chief election officer."

A few things...

A lot of interesting news took place over the weekend. Sen. John Edwards and his wife were on This Week yesterday in a pre-taped segment. You can read the transcript here. Stephanopoulos asked Edwards about the subject of global warming. It's an issue that this blogger cares about deeply and with the warm December temperatures, I am glad to see presidential candidates talk about the issues.

Stephanopoulos: And you also said that Americans have to be patriotic about something other than war. What kinds of sacrifices will Americans have to make to make us energy independent, to combat global warming?

Edwards: They're going to have to be willing to give up some of the vehicles that they drive and I, myself, have driven. They're going to have to be willing to conserve in the use of energy in their homes.

There may be other things that will be required. I mean, we have some very serious issues about our use of carbon-based fuels. There are intermediate steps that can be taken, trap-and-trade. There are a number of things that can be done to reduce the use of carbon-based fuels.

But at the end of the day, we may be faced with more serious choices. People are concerned about a gasoline tax, including myself, because of its regressive nature. You can't take it off the table.

Our carbon tax, which Vice President Gore has been talking about, is it a necessity? Not yet, in my judgment.

Stephanopoulos: But you are open to it?

Edwards: Not yet. I would never take those things off the table.

But people who think that global warming is a problem for our grandchildren are living in never-never land. If you're under the age of 60 and we don't change the course that we're on now, there's a significant chance that global warming is going to affect your life.

And the American people have got to engage on these kinds of issues. We can't stay at home, complain that somebody else is not doing their job, and hope somebody else is going to solve the problem for us.

Edwards does have one advantage over the already announced opponents so far. He won't be missing any votes in the Senate or the House during the campaign.

In other Edwards news, he's criticized the "McCain Doctrine," a doctrine that calls for more troops in Iraq.

For Democrats, Western Kentucky will be a huge region to focus on. For Republicans, it's the old 5th. That said, I don't think Democrats should ignore Northern Kentucky either as the region is growing in terms of the economy.

• Jefferson County and neighboring Oldham and Bullitt counties had about 173,000 registered Republicans, of which about 40,000 voted in the primary for governor -- a turnout rate of 23 percent.

• Less than 10 percent of the 95,000 registered Republicans in Northern Kentucky went to the polls to vote for either Fletcher, former Jefferson County Judge-Executive Rebecca Jackson or then-state Rep. Steve Nunn in that primary.

• And 38,000 --or 16 percent -- of the 231,000 registered GOP residents in the 23 most Republican southern Kentucky counties voted.[...]

After all, 16 percent of all voters who participated in the 2003 Democratic primary lived in one of the 23 counties in the far west. That gubernatorial contest was largely between then-Attorney General Ben Chandler of Versailles and House Speaker Jody Richards of Bowling Green.

So far none of the tickets that have entered the 2007 primary call Western Kentucky home.

State Treasurer Jonathan Miller is from Lexington, and his running mate is Jefferson County Attorney Irv Maze. And even though former Lt. Gov. Steve Beshear grew up in Dawson Springs, he's lived the last several decades in Central Kentucky. His running mate is Hazard's state Sen. Daniel Mongiardo. Otis Hensley, who ran a limited campaign in 2003, and running mate Richard Robbins are Eastern Kentuckians.

Candidates don't necessarily have to be from Western Kentucky to do well there. They just have to work to court those voters, said Danny Briscoe, a Democratic campaign consultant.

"I guarantee you they feel closer to Nashville than they do Frankfort," he said. "I think you go down there as a candidate and say, 'Let me tell you something: I'm going to come here once a month every month when I'm governor. I'm going to take care of infrastructure here.'''

It worked for Casey County native Wallace Wilkinson in 1987 when he took two dozen trips to Daviess County alone.

"Wilkinson carried every precinct in Daviess County," said Briscoe, who consulted for Wilkinson in that race. Wilkinson defeated three other Democrats who carried Daviess County in previous statewide contests: Paducah native and former governor Julian Carroll, former Gov. John Y. Brown Jr. and Beshear, who had won it as a candidate for attorney general and lieutenant governor.

John Moylan, an attorney from Columbia, SC, is running the South Carolina campaign for John Edwards.

Edwards is using many of the same organizers who helped him win here in 2004.

Columbia lawyer John Moylan is reprising his role running Edwards' South Carolina campaign, but Moylan says this time there is more interest early from volunteers who want to work on the campaign.

"I would rather be John Edwards with our organization than any other candidate in this state by far," Moylan said.

Since Edwards announcement, Moylan said Columbia Mayor Bob Coble and state Senate Democratic Leader John Land signed on for the second race.

"I'm absolutely for Edwards," Coble said, adding that he was "impressed with his making the fight against poverty more of a centerpiece of his campaign."

Land said "the country made a bad mistake not nominating him" in 2004. "He just brings a fresh approach to this whole country."

Barnwell lawyer Terry Richardson, one of the state's wealthiest trial lawyers, said Saturday that he's backing Edwards again.

In 2004, Edwards got his campaign off the ground with donations from lawyers like Land and Richardson. His "base of support this time is tenfold what it was four years ago. He's in a very different place - a very different starting place," Moylan said.

Congressman-elect John Yarmuth will be taping an episode with Stephen Colbert later this month.

U.S. Rep.-elect John Yarmuth thinks he has his answer if Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert asks him the ubiquitous question, "George Bush: great president or the greatest?"

Yarmuth, a liberal Democrat who many believe ousted five-term U.S. Rep. Anne Northup because of her support of Bush, said he'll probably respond: "Did you say gravest?"

I think that's about all for now.

Thanks, Mark!

I may not say this in public all that often but Bluegrass Report is one of the first things I check every day after waking up.

So thanks again.

Way to go guys in taking the initiative and getting up some original content like this. This is overdue, but I added Daniel's site to my links. Very good effort.

I fully appreciate every thing that Mark does even if he is more vocal in his efforts than I am.

Lincoln and King and 22nd Street

Not sure if you already saw it but for those of you who didn't, Steve Magruder wrote in to the paper with his suggestion for what to do with 22nd Street.

Lincoln and King
I have a simple, make-everyone-happy solution to the brouhaha over the idea for a Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard:

Turn 22nd Street into MLK Blvd. to the south of Market (as is now being pushed), and change 22nd into Abraham Lincoln Boulevard to the north of Market.

Imagine: An Abe Lincoln exit off of I-64 and a boulevard that flows from emancipator Lincoln into civil-rights activist King and ultimately intersects with the powerful favorite son, Muhammad Ali.

STEVE MAGRUDER

This is definitely an idea that should be looked into and I commend Steve on the idea.