BluegrassReport.org

Shocking -- More Fletcher Fraud Discovered

I think we should get used to this, as we unpeel the Fletcher onion and understand the facts, not the fictions that the Fletcher-Rudolph campaign tried to spin this year as they trailed by 20 points in the polls:

Today:

"Most notably and despite claims last summer that the Medicaid budget was balanced, the truth is otherwise," Beshear said. "We are facing a current year shortfall of $389 million." About a third of that comes from general funds.

June 2007:

Medicaid Is Back In Black, Official Says

The state Medicaid program that was bleeding cash several years ago is now in the black, largely thanks to broad reforms that are beginning to take hold, Health and Family Services Secretary Mark Birdwhistell said today.

After updating a legislative committee on the progress the Medicaid program has made, Birdwhistell told reporters from the Herald-Leader and the Louisville Courier-Journal that the state will make its budget when the 2007 fiscal year ends on Saturday without having to push back some of its costs to the next budget cycle.

“We’re going to pay all the bills,” he said. “I feel very good about where we are.”

What's even more noteworthy about this dishonesty was that Fletcher named his own Chief of Staff, Stan Cave, acting budget director in September and apparently Cave's loyalty to his boss, and desperation to keep his job, trumped providing the public with honest and accurate data about the state's finances.

Crooks.

What Happened To That $700 Million Surplus Fletcher Told Us We Had Earlier This Year?

In case you weren't sure how big of a charlatan former Governor Fletcher (R) and his merry band of crooks really were:

Fletcher during the April 2007 KET Debate:

“Look at what I started off with a projected $1 billion shortfall at least by some accounting, $700 million at least by others. It was said there’d be a $1 billion shortfall, we’ve had over $700 million surplus now.”

And this e-mail from the Fletcher campaign during the Republican gubernatorial primary:

Dear Friend,
You may have recently received an e-mail from Anne Northup attacking Governor Fletcher yet again. It is unfortunate that her entire campaign is based on repeating arguments championed by the Democrats and attempting to use them for her personal ambitions.

As the first Republican Governor in 32 years, Governor Fletcher has begun to turn state government around. After inheriting a $1 billion deficit, we now have an over $700 million surplus.

Today:

Gov. Steve Beshear said today that the state is facing a $434 million budget shortfall this fiscal year and what he called a “budgetary crisis” over the next two years.

Rep. Geoff Davis (R) -- First-Rate Hypocrite

It's so sad that someone in the public trust would so deceive the voters into the type of congressman he would become if elected. What a fraud.

U.S. Rep Geoff Davis (R), December 2007:

U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis ranked among the biggest congressional spenders of tax money to send mailings to constituents last year, which coincided with a tough re-election campaign for the Republican.

Davis, who represents the 4th District in northern Kentucky, sent out 716,803 pieces of mass mailings in 2006. His use of the congressional franking privilege carried an overall cost of $165,316 to taxpayers.

In the 435-member House, Davis was outspent on total mailing costs by four congressmen, all fellow Republicans.

Candidate Geoff Davis (R), August 2002:

At a press conference today, Boone County businessman and Republican candidate for Congress Geoff Davis issued a strongly worded challenge to Congressman Ken Lucas. Lucas has come under fire recently for using the Congressional privilege of taxpayer-funded mail, or franking, to send what amounts to full-color campaign literature.

...At the conference, Mr. Davis showed the clear pattern of increased spending during election years. Mr. Lucas spent $80,828 on franked mail in 2000 on postage alone, then only $21,389 in 2001 according to figures available at the Congressional Office of Budget and Management.

"Ken Lucas has violated the trust of Kentucky's hard working families by this obvious abuse of tax payer dollars," said Geoff Davis, Republican candidate for Congress.  "As Congressman, I will not use the hard-earned money of taxpayers to fund my campaign. I believe that the 4th District's next Congressman should help working families, not abuse their trust. In a time when many families are struggling, this shows how out of touch Mr. Lucas is with the District," remarked Mr. Davis.

Shameless hypocritical fraud.

This isn't the first time Davis has flaunted this pledge. Click here and the media's reaction here.

UPDATE (5:59 PM): Pat Crowley asks:

The mailings coincided with his re-election campaign against Dem Ken Lucas. What say you, conservative voters? Is Davis keeping his constituents informed or abusing the privilege in an election year?

Fletcher Named "Biggest Electoral Embarrassment of 2007" By Rothenberg Political Report

Another lump of coal for former Governor Fletcher (R), this courtesy of the widely-respected Rothenberg Political Report:

Biggest Electoral Embarrassment of 2007

Nominees:
• Ernie Fletcher (R-Ky.)
• Robin Weirauch (D-Ohio)
• Vladimir Putin (UR-Russia)
• Bart Peterson (D-Ind.)
• Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R-Va.)

The winner: Peterson’s defeat for re- election as mayor of Indianapolis was the stunner of the year, but Fletcher’s was the most embarrassing. Fletcher.

Fletcher Received Only 3 Contributions From Frankfort Residents In Final Weeks

Looks like former Governor Fletcher (R) didn't have many friends in the state's capital in the final weeks. He received a donation from just one person whose last name wasn't Fletcher, compared to the 114 who gave to Governor Beshear (D):

Just 3 Here Gave To Fletcher In Last Weeks Of Campaign
By Paul Glasser (State Journal)

Campaign finance records show local support for Ernie Fletcher dropped sharply during the final weeks in the gubernatorial campaign against Steve Beshear.

Fletcher only raised $1,400 from three individuals, including his brother Harold, between late October and Nov. 6. Candidates are only required to report contributions of more than $100 and individuals can only give $1,000 per candidate in each election cycle.

During the same period, Beshear raised about $43,000 from 116 Franklin County supporters, according to the records with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

...The short list of contributors that supported Fletcher at the end of the campaign include: financial manager Rachel Fletcher, 2267 Cardwell Lane, $500; physical therapist A. Nitz, 132 Farmbrook Circle, $500; and architect Harold Fletcher, 2267 Cardwell Lane, $400.

Fletcher Becomes Patton -- Part 2

In light of Governor Fletcher's (R) latest frenzy in appointing his cronies to boards and commissions in his final day in office (see here and here), I thought it was worth re-posting this item from last week:

--------------------------------------

Recall Governor Fletcher's (R) anger in 2003 when -- in the weeks before leaving office -- then Governor Patton (D) appointed new members to the Kentucky Racing Commission. So furious was Fletcher that he immediately disbanded the commission upon taking office and replaced it with the Kentucky Racing Authority with new members which he appointed.

Listen to how they whined:

Republicans and their incoming governor, Ernie Fletcher, are crying foul. Although Patton has the authority to pack seats with anyone he chooses until Dec. 9, that-doesn't mean he should, they said. Fletcher is urging recent Patton appointees to decline to serve.

"Any additional appointments will be disappointing as Kentuckians overwhelmingly gave us a mandate to bring-real change to state government, and that includes boards and commissions," said Daniel Groves, Fletcher's chief of staff.

[...]

Yesterday, several Senate leaders came out fighting and accused the lame-duck governor of unseemly arrogance.

"I actually admired Paul Patton and even considered him a friend until last week, when he decided to push for keno and make all these appointments, all at the last minute," said Sen. Charlie Borders, R-Russell, the Republican caucus chair.

"It's like he's somehow more important than the commonwealth," Borders said. "It's like his ego is more important than allowing the next administration to start finding its voice."

-------------------------------

Any surprise that Fletcher would morph into Patton in his final hours? So pathetic.

Time To Step-Up And Help KDP!

For those of us that railed for years about needing a true revitalization of the Kentucky Democratic Party -- we got it! The party is now led by some of our young superstars in Chair Jennifer Moore and Vice-Chair Nathan Smith.

But now we need to do what we can to help the new party thrive and provide them the resources it needs to even more effectively compete with the McConnell machine as we try to take back the U.S. Senate seat held by the man who continues to carry water for the disastrous Bush Administration, not to mention taking back the state Senate, and aggressively pursuing the competitive congressional races that present themselves.

We got what wished for. Jennifer and Nathan agreed to serve and have been unanimously elected. Now we need to help make it the success we know it can be, and we have a chance to do so on Monday night -- Inauguration Eve -- with the new KDP's first fundraising event called Put the Blue Back in the Bluegrass State (see ad on top right margin) to celebrate the inauguration of our new Democratic Governor, Steve Beshear.

Aside from great entertainment, come spend some time with soon-to-be Governor Beshear and Lt. Governor Mongiardo, Auditor Crit Luallen, Attorney General Jack Conway, Treasurer Todd Hollenbach, the House and Senate leadership, and our awesome former governors.

We all fought hard to help successfully put the party back on track, but that was only half of the battle. Now we need to support it and help it become what we imagine it can be. Tickets are only $100, so I really urge you to come to the event, or make a contribution even if you can't.

Quote Of The Day

U.S. Senator Bunning (R) restates the obvious:

"Brett Hall is a liar," Bunning said in a conference call with Kentucky political reporters.

Indeed, Hall is arguably pathological with his lies.

Aside from being an abysmal predictor of the political landscape, Hall -- Fletcher's former spokesman -- has no problem putting out complete falsehoods. He made-up poll numbers (that no one reported) to argue that Governor Fletcher (R) had tied Steve Beshear (D) with two weeks before Election Day (and then he lost by 18 as the real polls predicted), and he admitted he lied to the media earlier this year about how he obtained internal official records in an effort to smear Auditor Crit Luallen (D).

Besides, how bad do you have to be to be fired by Fletcher for inappropriate behavior? Seriously.

The Blowhard That Is Damon Thayer (R)

State Sen. Damon Thayer (R) is truly a first-rate blowhard who never lets the facts get in his way when it comes to his painful pontificating on all things political.

Case-in-point: Thayer's latest whining about the lack of reporting by 527 entities like Bluegrass Freedom Fund, which greatly contributed to Governor Fletcher's (R) lopsided ouster last month:

"We need to look at where the money is coming from so the laws governing the 527 accounts mirror those of our political parties as well as individual candidates," said Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown.

Thayer, who represents southern Kenton County including Independence and Taylor Mill, chairs the Senate State Government Committee, the panel that oversees election finance law.

Thayer said this week he will file legislation that will force 527s to more frequently disclose their contributors and expenditures.

"They need to report just like political parties, just like candidates do during normal election cycles," Thayer said, meaning the 527 groups would have to file campaign finance reports in the months and weeks leading up to an election.

So Thayer says he wants 527s to have to disclose like political parties do?

Well, that's pretty funny since the state's political parties haven't been required to disclose any campaign finance information since June 2007 on either a state or federal level -- and won't have to until next year. Seriously. Either Thayer is clueless or he's completely misleading the public into thinking that political parties file any reports "in the months and weeks leading up to an election" as he bloviates.

A quick check of the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance will show that the Republican Party of Kentucky has not reported any finance data since its June 21, 2007 report, the only reporting for an entire year:

And it's no better on the federal side, as the RPK's last FEC report covered the first six months of 2007, and it was their only reporting period of the year:

So, what in the world is Thayer talking about? The political parties (including the Kentucky Democratic Party) haven't disclosed anything since one month after the primary election. How about changing that law too?

How fun will it be to oust someone as dishonest (or clueless) as Thayer next year?

It would also be nice if the media called Thayer on his bullshit as well. They didn't.

A Ban On Political Robo-Calls?

Kudos to State Rep. Jimmy Higdon (R) for pushing for a law that would ban political robo-calls. This is a long overdue action and desperately needed, especially after the disgusting use of them by Governor Fletcher's (R) supporters last month.

But if I recall accurately, wasn't it the Kentucky legislature that exempted such calls from the "No Call List" in the first place? And do they have the courage to ban them now and possibly hurt their own re-election chances down the road? Intestinal fortitude has never been their strong suit.

Thoughts?

Fletcher Becomes Patton

Recall Governor Fletcher's (R) anger in 2003 when -- in the weeks before leaving office -- then Governor Patton (D) appointed new members to the Kentucky Racing Commission. So furious was Fletcher that he immediately disbanded the commission upon taking office and replaced it with the Kentucky Racing Authority with new members which he appointed.

Listen to how they whined:

Republicans and their incoming governor, Ernie Fletcher, are crying foul. Although Patton has the authority to pack seats with anyone he chooses until Dec. 9, that-doesn't mean he should, they said. Fletcher is urging recent Patton appointees to decline to serve.

"Any additional appointments will be disappointing as Kentuckians overwhelmingly gave us a mandate to bring-real change to state government, and that includes boards and commissions," said Daniel Groves, Fletcher's chief of staff.

[...]

Yesterday, several Senate leaders came out fighting and accused the lame-duck governor of unseemly arrogance.

"I actually admired Paul Patton and even considered him a friend until last week, when he decided to push for keno and make all these appointments, all at the last minute," said Sen. Charlie Borders, R-Russell, the Republican caucus chair.

"It's like he's somehow more important than the commonwealth," Borders said. "It's like his ego is more important than allowing the next administration to start finding its voice."

So, aside from helping to force the scary Jon Draud (R) down the throats of Kentuckians as the new state school commissioner, we now see Fletcher's cronies quickly trying to hand out the final racing license before he leaves office -- knowing that such a license probably means a gaming license if expanded gaming is enacted:

The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority could decide before the end of the year whether to grant the state's last racetrack license to Sprint Racing Partners' proposed quarter-horse facility near London.

Authority Executive Director Lisa Underwood said one of its committees is scheduling a hearing for Dec. 10, but she doesn't know whether the application will be on the agenda for the Dec. 17 authority meeting.

...The timing of granting a license also could play a role in whether the track would be eligible for a casino, assuming the legislature places a constitutional amendment allowing gaming on the ballot and voters approve it. Bills to govern the awarding of casinos have limited some of them to tracks licensed by a certain date.

Apparently, it's okay if Fletcher does the very thing he criticized Patton for doing. A shameless hypocrite until the end.

I guess Governor Beshear (D) could always disband the Racing Authority if he so chose -- exactly like Fletcher did -- but that's just my two cents.

A Brand New Day

Based on Gov.-elect Beshear's (D) early decisions and comments, I think it's safe to say he gets it. The public wants a government that is focused on getting things done and not just taking care of political cronies and they want to keep politics out of the state's Merit System:

Beshear Promises to Toe the Line on Hirings
By Greg Stotelmyer, WTVQ-36

Kentucky's incoming governor says he will respect and follow the merit system. "The spot light will be on us and it should be on us because this is an area that has experienced some abuse," Governor elect Steve Beshear said. Beshear says "politics and the merit system simply do not mix."

[...]

Also today, Beshear announced a web site to accept applications from those who want non-merit jobs. People in those positions help the administration set and implement policy. Beshear says he will not check the party affiliation of applicants or whether they gave to his campaign.

"I don't plan on asking for any kind of blanket resignations of the non-merit people at all," Beshear said of how he will handle the political appointees from the Fletcher administration. "They'll be evaluated on a case by case basis."

So far, so good.

SurveyUSA -- McConnell With Lowest Approval Rating Ever

Not good news for U.S. Senator McConnell (R).

Turns out that the latest SurveyUSA numbers are in and his job approval rating is at its lowest level ever in the polls 31 months of tracking, and for the first time his disapproval is higher than his approval.

U.S. Sen. McConnell (R) Job Approval (10/12-14 results)
Approve 44 (49)
Disapprove 47 (45)

Says SurveyUSA:

For First Time, Kentucky’s McConnell Has Negative Approval Rating

In 31 months of SurveyUSA tracking, United States Senator from Kentucky Mitch McConnell has had job approval ratings ranging from a low of 48% to a high of 56%. His Net Job Approval, determined by subtracting disapproval from approval, ranged from Plus 4 last month to Plus 24 in June of 2005.

This month, for the first time, McConnell has a negative Net Job Approval — Minus 3. His approval rating is at 44%, the lowest since tracking began in May of 2005, and his disapproval is at an all-time high of47%.

Says Mark Hebert:

McConnell's job approval rating is lowest in his hometown of Louisville and 15 surrounding counties where just 40% of those polled think McConnell is doing a good job.

Fletcher Pouts?

Mark Hebert has this interesting item on how Governor Fletcher (R) isn't interested in following the leads of governors before him and doing interviews about his time in office before leaving it:

I did hear some disturbing talk at KET last night that I hope isn't true. Governor Fletcher was invited to the Al Smith affair and didn't attend. I don't know the reason for that. But I also heard that the governor had turned down KET's request for an end-of-the-administration interview with Bill Goodman. If that's true, I hope Fletcher will lick his wounds and reconsider. The purpose of the end-of-the-term interview is to preserve a governor's place in history and get their perspective on their four or eight years in office. There's usually not much news value except when governors who have no future political aspirations open up a little and tell about some of the funny and gut wrenching moments during their terms. Every governor has done the "post game interview" with members of the Frankfort press corps. I hope Fletcher can look to the future and realize he'll regret it if he doesn't do the same.

I suspect Fletcher still blames the media for his loss and isn't willing to sit-down with them any longer.

Either that or he's not interested in explaining what happened to the fat and happy state economy he boasted about just a few weeks ago.

The Incompetence And/Or Dishonesty Of COS Stan Cave

In light of yesterday's revelations by Governor Fletcher (R) of the "discovery" of significant and serious budget shortfalls facing various parts of state government -- despite his constant assertions of wonderful economic times while campaigning -- is the "coincidence" of this gubernatorial announcement just two months ago:

Governor Fletcher's Chief of Staff to Serve as Acting Budget Director
Press Release Date: Monday, September 17, 2007   

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Governor Ernie Fletcher has asked his Chief of Staff, Stan Cave, to act as budget director until a permanent director is named.

Cave will continue to serve as the Governor’s Chief of Staff. His salary will remain the same.

“As our cabinets and agencies begin to prepare for the 2008 budget session, it is critical that we have a leader in place to ensure that those preparations run smoothly and efficiently,” said Governor Fletcher. “Stan’s experience in the Kentucky Legislature and his knowledge of all aspects of state government make him a great fit to act as budget director until the position is filled on a permanent basis.”

Why is this relevant? Two reasons.

First, while Cave is the inner-most of Fletcher aides, and was so actively involved in his re-election campaign, isn't it noteworthy that Budget Director/Chief of Staff Cave waited until after the election to advise the public of the real economic news -- not the fictional world they spun on the campaign trail?

But maybe more noteworthy is how nearly impossible it is to conclude that Cave isn't just lying to the media. Here's what he told Mark Hebert yesterday:

Cave says he can't speak for the governor but he doesn't believe Fletcher was aware of the financial problem while the campaign was ongoing.

This means either Budget Director/Chief of Staff Cave didn't bother to tell the governor -- with who he spent every waking hour for the past year -- of the true depths of the state's financial problems until last week, or he's every bit the liar we've come to believe.

Based on Cave's dismal performance over the years, five bucks says he's lying...once again.

Crooks until the bitter end...

How Many More Things Will We Learn That Fletcher Lied About?

Now that his landslide ouster is complete, we're finally learning what we suspected -- Governor Fletcher (R) lied through his teeth about the state of Kentucky's economy.

Earlier today Gov.-elect Beshear (D) told reporters that after having a chance to review some budget data, things aren't as rosy as Fletcher said:

Gov.-elect Steve Beshear has started reviewing the state's financial situation and is predicting "tight times" could be ahead, he said Monday.

Beshear, who takes office on Dec. 11, said he's looking both at the state's current financial situation and at what lies ahead. It's among the many areas his administration has to rein in before taking office.

"It is going to be some tight times financially, it looks like right now," Beshear said.

...On top of that bad news was this blockbuster which Mark Hebert just reported :

...the Cabinet for Health and Family Services submitted its budget request which included asking for a whopping $389 million to cover a shortfall in the medicaid budget THIS fiscal year. That request was submitted, as required, on November 15th, nine days after election day. It was an election in which Fletcher repeatedly bragged about his administration bringing the medicaid budget under control.

...And then this:

“I think you would have to ask the governor what he would mean by saying we had Medicaid under control,” said Beshear Cabinet Secretary Larry Haynes.

On top of the hole in the Medicaid budget, WHAS11 News has learned that four state agencies -- Corrections, Juvenile Justice, Veterans Affairs and Parks -- are all currently in the red.

Wasn't it just a few months ago that Fletcher wanted to call a special session to spend his fictitious budget surplus on his pet projects during the general election?

Looks like our ordained-minister-turned-politician was every bit the charlatan that we suspected. Good riddance to these crooks.

P.S. -- And please don't go looking for those 100,000 new jobs that Fletcher claims to have created either. They don't exist. Did even come close. But that's one item we've been on top of for quite a while.

The Now NATIONAL Embarrassment Of State Rep. Jim Gooch (D)

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth highlights how the shameful ignorance of State Rep. Jim Gooch (D) to chair a Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee hearing to dispute the growing consensus on global warming -- and only invite global warming deniers to testify -- has quickly made its way to the national stage.

Turns out he was invited as a guest on Good Morning America on Sunday to discuss this latest travesty of Kentucky political leadership:

By the way, despite this shameful display, the Herald-Leader notes that:

But, despite the grumbling of some rank-and-file lawmakers, Democrats said, they don't plan to remove Rep. Jim Gooch, D-Providence, as chairman of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, where he has defended the coal industry and stopped environmental reforms for years.

Why the hell not?

To allow this man to continue to have a bully-pulpit and mock science and obstruct efforts to pass mine safety legislation in order to protect his coal company interests is an offense to every Kentuckian, and is a microcosm of what is wrong with our political system. Democrats should be demanding that Speaker Richards (D) remove Gooch from this post, and not settle for anything less.

Hypothetically, imagine if Gooch was chair of the education committee and held a hearing to promote a view that black students were genetically inferior to whites (and refused to allow an opposing view to testify at the hearing). Would we allow him to continue as chair? Of course not.

Imagine if he chaired a health-related committee and held a hearing on a hypothetical view that HIV does not cause AIDS (like a few loons still believe). Would we let him keep his powerful post? Hell no.

So, why is his current mockery of committee work being tolerated? This is a complete farce, another example of the joke of the Kentucky General Assembly, and yet another national chuckle at Kentucky's expense. Simply amazing.  Can we please find a primary challenger in Gooch's district?

Meanwhile, The New York Times recently published a story on the joining of forces by both Republican and Democratic governors across the country to create regional pacts on climate change. The story focused on the efforts of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R), and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D).

Kentucky's Clear Blue Shift

One of the recent signs that have made more predict that U.S. Sen. McConnell (R) is in for a rougher re-election fight than expected is the fact that President Bush's (R) job approval numbers in Kentucky have plummeted to a disastrously low 35% approve and 65% disapprove.

Indeed, those numbers do suggest that the man who has proudly defended and advanced the Bush agenda ought to be very concerned. But a closer look at those numbers tell an even more problematic story for McConnell.

You see, while Bush is becoming less popular in Kentucky, he's also getting less popular in the other 49 states, so simply using Bush's plunging numbers in Kentucky only tell part of the story. But where things are much more instructive is to see where Bush has dropped more than elsewhere over the past few years.

When you do that, you'll notice that in only one state (New Mexico) has Bush's job performance tumbled more than it has in Kentucky -- among those states which SurveyUSA has been testing monthly since May 2005 -- when you compare the differences in President Bush's net rating (approval minus disapproval):

State	Nov 2007	May 2005	Diff
New Mexico	-35 (32/67)	-4 (46/50)	-31
Kentucky	-27 (35/62)	+2 (49/47)	-29
California	-44 (26/70)	-15 (39/54)	-29
New York	-54 (22/76)	-25 (35/60)	-29
Minnesota	-30 (34/64)	-2 (47/49)	-28
Massachusetts	-54 (22/76)	-26 (35/61)	-28
Virginia	-32 (33/65)	-6 (44/50)	-26
Kansas	-21 (38/59)	+4 (49/45)	-25
Washington	-35 (31/66)	-10 (42/52)	-25
Oregon	-36 (31/67)	-13 (42/55)	-23
Alabama	-16 (41/57)	+6 (50/44)	-22
Wisconsin	-33 (32/65)	-12 (42/54)	-21
Missouri	-28 (35/63)	-10 (42/52)	-18
Iowa	-33 (32/65)	-17 (39/56)	-16
Ohio	-29 (34/63)	-20 (38/58)	-9
AVERAGE	-33.8	-9.9	-23.9

That - along with the plummeting of new Kentucky Republican voters over the past two years and this month's landslide defeat of Governor Fletcher (R) -- really paints a picture that a political realignment is happening here in a noticeable way and these dynamics couldn't be happening to McConnell at a worse time.

Does that lead me to believe that Kentucky is becoming a Democratic state again? No, I wouldn't go that far.

But I do believe these trends tell us that Kentucky is much more politically comparable to the Midwest swing states than it is to the South, which is how the state seemed to behave for much of the past decade, until around 2005 when we began to see a subtle but steady change in the political attitudes of Kentucky voters, leading to John Yarmuth's (D) defeat of Anne Northup (R) in the 3rd congressional district and this year's defeat of Fletcher and plunging approval numbers for McConnell.

This is why McConnell should be even more concerned and why the environment is right for a serious challenge of both U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis' (R) and U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield's (R) congressional seat, as well as the take-back of the state Senate.

(Note: While SurveyUSA has conducted monthly Bush approval tracking in the states since May 2005, about a year ago it narrowed its month survey from all 50 states to 15 states, which is why the above chart only lists those states.)

More On McConnell's Vulnerability

Congressional Quarterly has an interesting story this morning on the efforts to oust U.S. Senator McConnell (R) next year. Even in Kentucky, voters are fed-up with McConnell being a shameless and dishonest apologist for the disastrous Bush agenda, that on top of his recent "gift" to the state of the disastrous Fletcher administration.

Here's an excerpt:

Dems Test Odds on Top GOP Sen. McConnell in ‘08 Kentucky Horse Race
By Jessica Benton Cooney, CQ Staff

The Democrats’ plans to stage a serious challenge to Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell , the current Senate minority leader, are still in their formative stages. Some national Democratic strategists are high on state Auditor Crit Luallen — she was easily re-elected in the state’s Nov. 5 election — and state Attorney General Greg Stumbo is another possible contender. Neither, however, has committed to the Senate race.

Democrats are, nonetheless, emboldened by Democrat Steve Beshear’s trouncing of ethics controversy-plagued Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher — a McConnell ally — in the state’s off-year election. And they are sounding increasingly confident that they can at least seriously test McConnell’s hold on his Senate seat, which until not long ago appeared an iron grip. CQ Politics currently rates the race as Republican Favored, but is closely watching developments.

Moreover, it appears that McConnell’s rise to the top of the Senate Republican ranks last January is hardly an unalloyed blessing as he prepares for his 2008 campaign. While McConnell will run on the prestige and legislative clout that his position as minority leader provides, the post also has made him a much more visible target for attacks from Democratic politicians and from Web-based activists allied with the Democratic Party.

Democrats portray McConnell as the leading congressional standard-bearer for the policies of President George W. Bush , whose approval ratings in Kentucky — as in most of the nation — have tanked since he swept to victory in 2004 with 60 percent of the vote in the Southern border state. A Survey USA poll taken Nov. 9-11 showed 35 percent of Kentucky respondents approved of the job Bush is doing as president, to 62 percent who disapproved, figures driven heavily by the sharp decline in public support for the prolonged U.S. military intervention in Iraq.

McConnell is accused by his critics of using filibuster threats and other parliamentary maneuvers to obstruct the will of the majorities Democrats won in both the Senate and the House in the 2006 midterm elections.

...Apart from deep policy differences, there are Democrats who are anxious for their party to go after McConnell just to give the Republicans a taste of their own medicine. The Republicans’ successful effort in 2004 to oust Democrat Tom Daschle, who then served as minority leader, from his Senate seat in South Dakota broke a longstanding (albeit unspoken) tradition by the parties of laying off each other’s top congressional leaders in the name of legislative comity. Democrats still fume over efforts by the Bush White House, led by adviser Karl Rove, to encourage the strong candidacy of Republican former Rep. John Thune, and the South Dakota visit by Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill First, then the majority leader, to campaign against Daschle.

The decline of the bipartisan “hands off” approach to legislative leaders is just one of the events that underscores how times have changed since McConnell last ran for re-election in 2002.

Beshear Taps Jennifer Moore To Be KDP Chair, Nathan Smith As Vice-Chair

This morning, Gov.-elect Beshear (D) has recommended that Jennifer Moore be elected Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party and that Northern Kentuckian Nathan Smith be elected Vice-Chair:

Governor-elect Steve Beshear today announced his intention to recommend the election of Jennifer Moore, age 33, as Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party and Nathan Smith, age 36, as Vice-Chair.  Moore, who has served since June as the Party's Vice Chair, would replace Jonathan Miller, who is resigning as Chair to assume his duties as Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet in the Beshear Administration.

Governor-elect Beshear will make his recommendation at the next meeting of the Kentucky Democratic Party's State Central Executive Committee which will be scheduled for Saturday, December 1, 2007. Pursuant to the Party's bylaws, Moore will serve as Acting Chair of the party until the State Central Executive Committee votes.

Obviously, I'm thrilled with the move as I've been a broken record over the past few years in highlighting the political rock-star that is Jennifer Moore -- as many of you have.

Also, I really love the move of recommending Nathan Smith to be Vice-Chair. Northern Kentucky Democrats have shown a great deal of muscle and organization of late in a political environment that is not in their favor. Despite the shifting landscape, NKY Dems have been very aggressive in targeting their efforts (recall the unexpectedly narrow losses in the state House last year by Randy Blankenship and Linda Klembara), and arguably the biggest story on Election Night this year was Beshear's double-digit margins in Kenton and Campbell Counties and losing the staunchly conservative Boone County by a stunning 300 votes, and Nathan has played a very large role in those successes.

As Vice Chair, Smith will be crucial in helping to recruit candidates to challenge both State Sen. Damon Thayer (R) and State Sen. Jack Westwood (R) next year, which is crucial to taking back the state Senate, the second biggest target out there next year for Kentucky Democrats after defeating U.S. Senator McConnell (R).

A great move.

Cillizza, WaPo: McConnell Now Among 10 Most Vulnerable Seats

It's official: U.S. Senator McConnell's (R) growing re-election concerns has finally landed him on a Top 10 most vulnerable list.

He debuts as #10 on Chris Cillizza's latest rankings on The Fix, his Washington Post political column:

10. Kentucky: OK, we admit we're intrigued by the prospect of a serious race in the Bluegrass State. While we believe Democrats are trying to read too much into how Ernie Fletcher's loss in the governor's race last week impacts Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R) reelection chances, there is clear evidence that the Senate minority leader could be in for a real race next fall. McConnell's decision to hit the television airwaves this month with ads touting his leadership role and what it means for the state is a tacit recognition on the part of his campaign that this race could be real. Much depends on the identity of the Democratic nominee. State Auditor Crit Luallen is the first choice of national Democrats, and a recent poll put her well within striking distance of McConnell. If Luallen decides against the race, Democrats will have to turn to a second-tier of candidates, including including state Attorney General Greg Stumbo, 2006 congressional candidate Andrew Horne and wealthy businessman Greg Fischer. Regardless of who Democrats nominate, McConnell will be ready. He is as tough a campaigner as they come, and this race will likely be expensive and bloody. (Previous ranking: N/A)

Also, recall what conservative columnist John David Dyche had to say last week:

A year ago, Kentucky Democrats had few thoughts of defeating Mitch McConnell next year. But times have changed.

“But is it possible that with the right combination of candidate and circumstances he could be beaten?” says Louisville attorney John David Dyche. “Sure he could.”

When There's No Difference Between Democrats And Republicans...

So freaking sad:

The interim joint Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to dispute the idea that the Earth is warming, at least in part because of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere produced by industrial activity.

Chairman Jim Gooch, D-Providence, a longtime ally of the coal industry, said he purposefully did not invite anyone who believes in global warming to testify.

"You can only hear that the sky is falling so many times," said Gooch, whose post makes him the House Democrats' chief environmental strategist. "We hear it every day from the news media, from the colleges, from Hollywood."

Neither of Gooch's invited panelists was a scientist.

I'm ashamed and disgusted that Gooch has a "D" after his name. What next, embrace teaching creationism in our public school science classes? Recall that Gooch also threw-up roadblocks last year when it came to mine safety legislation.

Gooch represents the type of Democrats that deserve a primary election.

Meanwhile, prominent national Democrats and Republicans are working together on the issue:

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and former vice president Al Gore "are planning a bipartisan presidential forum on energy and climate change in New Hampshire in December," USA Today reports.

FYI -- Jim.Gooch@lrc.ky.gov

Hebert: Governor Fletcher Claims He Didn't Grovel For A Job When With President Bush This Week

Pretty sad that such a question is even asked by the media, but it's one that I'm certain most of us were also thinking so I'm glad Mark Hebert asked it: