Draft Forgy

Was Mitch McConnell Aide In Violation Of Election Laws?

2008-02-03T06:36:00.001-08:00

If the tape that Chris Thieneman provided for WHAS in which Mitch McConnell aide Larry Cox says he was calling Thieneman from his office is true, it appears that Mitch McConnell may have a problem:

Campaign work by congressional staff. Subject to the restriction on handling federal campaign funds (see discussion below on “political fund designees”), Senate employees are free to engage in campaign activity on their own, as volunteers or for pay, provided they do not do so in congressional offices or otherwise use official resources and provided they do not neglect their official duties.

It is also important to note that this prohibition also appears to pertain to actions on behalf of campaigns beside their own employer, such as the Congressional campaign of Anne Northup:

Members and staff should be aware that the general prohibition against campaign or political use of official resources applies not only to any Member campaign for re-election, but rather to any campaign or political undertaking. Thus the prohibition applies to, for example, campaigns for the Presidency, the U.S. Senate, or a state or local office, and it applies to such campaigns whether the Member is a candidate or is merely seeking to support or assist (or to oppose) a candidate in such a campaign.

Larry Cox Still Refuses To Answer Questions On Whether McConnell's Office Broke Federal Electioneering Laws

2008-02-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

Mitch McConnell staffer Larry Cox allegedly called Chris Thieneman from his office on behalf of McConnell puppet Anne Northup this week, possibly in violation of federal electioneering laws. Thieneman produced tapes of the message to WHAS radio, in which Cox said he was calling from his "office." Now the wait is on for Cox to explain if that office was in McConnell's government office. Cox better be hoping Thieneman's phone records confirm he has another office or a major investigation could be under way and Larry Forgy could be the next independent Senator from Kentucky.

Thieneman Produces Evidence That Mitch McConnell's Office Broke Federal Electioneering Laws

2008-01-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

Chris Thieneman left the 3rd District Congressional race today, but not without playing a tape recording in which it appears that Larry Cox violated federal electioneering laws by conducting campaign activity from Mitch McConnell's government office:

He referred to a series of phone messages from a member of Senator Mitch McConnell's staff as evidence of the pressure.

Thieneman said, "They are so smart, they know how to send a message without saying anything."

He played part of a phone message he received.

"Chris, this is Larry Cox. It's 1:45 on Monday. Chris, give me a call as soon as you can at my office," the caller said in his message. "Obviously, I've got some concerns about this foolishness that went on."...

"I would really like to have a conversation with you, particularly before you have an interview with (W)HAS radio, and would be real grateful for a return call. I'm sitting right in my office," Cox went on to say in his message.

Unless Chris Thieneman's phone records show that Larry Cox has a new office and was not calling from Mitch McConnell's office, Thieneman may be on to something and federal electioneering laws could have been broken. Expect a major story from Joe Gerth, Ryan Alessi, Patrick Crowley, or Mark Hebert to break shortly. Major complaints could be filed, and we may not have heard that last of Chris Thieneman and Larry Forgy in this campaign cycle.

Rep. Ron Lewis Warns Mitch McConnell To Stay Out Of Congressional Primary

2008-01-30T19:32:00.000-08:00

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Rep. Ron Lewis issued a stern threat to Mitch McConnell yesterday, when he told him stay stay out of the primary between Daniel London and Brett Guthrie:

Lewis told the Herald-Leader that Guthrie "is a fine young man" but said he hoped McConnell wouldn't weigh into the primary.

"Senator (McConnell) can make choices about what he wants to do, but I would think with his own election, he probably wouldn't want to create any divisions in November," Lewis said.

One would think Mitch McConnell would have learned his lesson when he destroyed our party last year by stabbing Governor Fletcher in the back and forcing the Governor to waste precious dollars defending himself from brutal attacks by McConnell's puppet Anne Northup. Now McConnell is undermining conservative hero Chris Thieneman in Louisville and Brett Guthrie in Bowling Green. Its time to send McConnell home to Louisville where he belongs

Courier-Journal: Thieneman Says Mitch McConnell Pressured Army To Call Erwin Roberts Up To Active Duty

2008-01-29T18:19:00.000-08:00

The Courier-Journal had a potentially groundbreaking story this morning, when Congressional candidate Chris Thieneman said he believes that Mitch McConnell pressured the Army to call up Erwin Roberts to active duty in an attempt to pave the way for Anne Northup.

If true, potential laws could have been broken, and this could spell disaster for Mitch McConnell's chances against the John McCain-backed Larry Forgy in November. The Courier-Journal reports:

Thieneman fired his first shots at Northup yesterday. He claimed in an interview that people working on her behalf have "threatened" him in an effort to get him out of the race -- including Larry Cox, who runs Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's office in Kentucky.
He said the threats weren't of a physical nature. But he added that he had angered Northup and other Republicans and that the race would be ugly...

He said that one state representative told him he has "stirred up Anne's hornet's nest," and that Cox told him "you're going to be in a fight like you've never been in before, and it's going to be nasty."...
He also accused McConnell of being behind efforts by the party last year to clear the field for Roberts. He said "no one is going to convince me that Mitch McConnell didn't have Erwin supposedly called up."

Mitch McConnell Undermines Republican Party Again By Making Threats On Behalf Of Anne Northup

2008-01-28T20:51:00.001-08:00

If the reports that Mitch McConnell is threatening Republican hero Chris Thieneman to drop his bid to take on John Yarmuth are true, than we can only hope that future Republican Presidential nominee John McCain can talk Larry Forgy into defeating the Louisville liberal McConnell.

Why would anyone want to give Anne "Benedict" Northup a chance to lose 3 elections in 2 years? Anyone who cares about the Republican prospects in November knows Northup is a career politician who is turning into a career loser.

Its time to rally behind Chris Thieneman and Larry Forgy.

John McCain Waiting On Larry Forgy's Decision

2008-01-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

John McCain is on the verge of winning the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, but he still refused to endorse Mitch McConnell's reelection campaign. It now appears he will wait until Larry Forgy makes a final decision on whether to challenge Mitch McConnell.

McCain is battling Mitch McConnell over the liberal's economic stimulus package that McConnell supports. Forgy joined McCain in opposition.

Larry Forgy is also speaking out once again against the Las Vegas casinos that are in bed with Mitch McConnell. Don't think that John McCain has forgotten when Mitch McConnell backed the Las Vegas casinos in efforts to stop McCain's anti-gambling legislation.

Finally, McConnell is the arch-enemy of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform. But Larry Forgy can defeat Mitch McConnell on the cheap. With the help of McCain advisor John Weaver, and future President John McCain, we may just see Senator Larry Forgy in the near future.

Herald-Leader: Larry Forgy Blasts McConnell-Backed Casino Gambling In Kentucky

2008-01-24T20:51:00.000-08:00

Larry Forgy was in the Commonwealth's Capitol today to speak out against plans to allow casino gambling in Kentucky. Remember that Mitch McConnell refused to speak out against the Las Vegas casinos that he has carried water for in Washington, when it was at the top of Governor Fletcher's platform. Now Larry Forgy will make McConnell pay the price:

Those who spoke on Wednesday said casinos in Kentucky will look like financial misery.

"(Casinos) create no economic development -- except pawnshops," said Larry Forgy. But the longtime Republican politico, who also fought against a statewide lottery, said he expects proponents to pump up to $20 million into the casino battle.

"With $20 million behind it, (voters) might well support a repeal of the Lord's Prayer," Forgy said.

John McCain, Club for Growth, and Heritage Foundation Fight The McConnell/Bush Economic Stimulus Tax and Spend Plan

2008-01-23T19:01:00.000-08:00

Senate Conservatives led by John McCain and Jim DeMint are teaming up with conservative groups such as the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation to fight Mitch McConnell and George Bush's economic stimulus plan. Once again, Mitch McConnell is getting rolled over by Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats:

Fiscally conservative Republicans in the House and Senate are complaining bitterly that GOP leaders are shutting them out of the bipartisan effort to quickly pass an economic stimulus package...
“Washington politicians are always tempted to buy votes by handing out checks, but we know that won’t grow our economy,” said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who has made a name for himself by waging war on spending and earmarks since Democrats took control. “It makes no sense to create more debt to encourage more spending.”..
“Maybe we need to send them back to supply-side economics school,” said David Keating, executive director of the Club for Growth. Lawmakers seem more concerned “about being seen as trying to do something.”

This complaint has been echoed by economists at other conservative organizations, such as the Heritage Foundation, and numerous conservative pundits. On the campaign trail, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has dismissed the economic stimulus proposal as Washington just trying to spend its way out of a recession.

We need a leader like Larry Forgy who will stand up and fight for Conservatives alongside President John McCain. Send John McCain's arch-rival Mitch McConnell back to Louisville with his fellow liberals so we can elect someone who doesn't get rolled over by Harry Reid:

In the Senate, Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have agreed to stand back and let the House take the lead in the talks with the administration.

Will Former John McCain Advisor John Weaver Run Larry Forgy's Campaign?

2008-01-21T16:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is just a rumor at the moment. But the word on the street is that John McCain's chief political strategist John Weaver will enter serious negotiations to run Larry Forgy's U.S. Senate campaign against Mitch McConnell.

Remember that Weaver left his official role with the McCain campaign after a dispute with Rick Davis earlier this year, but remains close with John McCain, who has made no secret of his desire to defeat Mitch McConnell.

With John McCain as the likely Republican nominee, this could be a huge development. Look for Mitch McConnell to start scrambling in fear that our Presidential nominee will be supporting a true conservative, Larry Forgy.

Al Cross: Flashback To Larry Forgy's 1991 Announcement

2008-01-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

In his Sunday Courier-Journal column, Al Cross brought us back to the historic 1991 campaign announcement by Larry Forgy. However, the pinnacle of Larry Forgy's powers are yet to come:

On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.
BRUTUS, in "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare
The words seemed a bit odd coming from Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, in his State of the Commonwealth address, because they were favorite campaign lines of Larry Forgy, the state's leading Republican orator not so long ago.
They seemed particularly strange because Beshear was quoting Brutus' advice but not following it. He didn't take advantage of being at "the height of my powers" -- as Forgy described himself in his dramatic declaration for governor in 1991, and as Beshear was Monday night, when he addressed legislators and a statewide television audience in the wake of a landslide election.

RedState: Will Mitch McConnell Stab Us in the Back?

2008-01-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

One of the leading national conservative websites is reminding voters across the country that Mitch McConnell is willing to sell out conservatives for his own special interests:

At a time when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell should be rallying his Republican colleagues around the issue of fiscal responsibility, the Kentucky appropriator is showing his true colors as a big spender intent on saving his pork-barrel projects.

President Bush appeared intent on issuing an executive order canceling lawmakers' earmarks in the wake of the $555 billion omnibus spending bill last month. But sources tell me that it's unlikely to happen as a result of an intense lobbying effort organized by McConnell and carried out by other Republican appropriators.

McConnell's behavior is somewhat surprising given his tough re-election bid this year and his promise to rebrand the GOP as good stewards of taxpayers' money. He has certainly done himself no favors with the conservative base and now threatens to further alienate members of his own caucus by standing in the way of Bush's order.

Although the situation does not look good for an anti-earmark executive order, conservatives are clinging to the slightest hope that McConnell will back down before Bush makes his decision public on Tuesday. Taxpayers' groups in Washington are planning to refocus their efforts on McConnell, viewing him as the linchpin.

Mitch McConnell's Arch-Enemy John McCain Could Win New Hampshire

2008-01-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

It is hard to imagine how Mitch McConnell gets reelected if the Republican nominee is not only someone who personally dislikes him, but also refuses to campaign for him and is likely to endorse an independent or write-in bid by Larry Forgy.

Now with John McCain rising to the top of the New Hampshire polls, it looks like Mitch McConnell's cataclysm may come true:

Republicans – NH Tracking 12–31/1–3–2008
McCain 34%
Romney 30%
Huckabee 10%
Giuliani 9%

Mitch McConnell appears to be using the same tactics as he employed in backstabbing Governor Fletcher. He reportedly encouraged our Congressional delegation to endorse his fellow liberal Mitt Romney. Then we saw Fred Thompson enter the race and flop. Now his Mitch McConnell's worst nightmare is coming true.

Can't wait until McConnell's Armed Services records are compared to our potential nominee John McCain's...

Update: For a reminder of the bitter rivalry between Mitch McConnell and John McCain, check the Herald-Leader or the old Meet the Press debate:

A leader in the field of tapping the wealthy for campaign cash, McConnell also led the opposition against efforts to rein in such donations through campaign-finance reform -- a fight that has taken him to the U.S. Supreme Court and put him toe-to-toe against another emerging Republican leader, presidential hopeful McCain.

Herald Leader Editorial Urges Larry Forgy To Run Against Mitch McConnell

2008-01-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

The Lexington Herald Leader editorial board took a nice step today in encouraging Larry Forgy to make the plunge and take on Mitch McConnell in the Republican primary:

A Little Advice For The New Year

Here are resolutions for some of 2007's newsmakers.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell: Use that gold-plated health care to have your hip surgically separated from the decider-in-chief's.
Larry Forgy: Go ahead. Run. Maybe the fourth time's a charm.

Hawpe: Mitch McConnell and his merry band of big-spending Republicans

2008-01-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

It looks like the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell can't fool members of his hometown press. Courier-Journal columnist David Hawpe exposed the hypocrite after the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, has been going after the big-spending McConnell:

Don't take my word for it. Just listen to what the most influential collection of conservative navel-noodlers in Washington says. The Heritage Foundation's stated mission could double as the Republican Party's: "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense." Just last week, it issued a broadside that differed dramatically from McConnell's assessment of the first session of the 110th Congress...
The bill Congress rang up, according to the Heritage Foundation, is "$20 billion more than lawmakers would have you believe."
The way Heritage economists figure it, this Omnibus Appropriations Bill in which McConnell boasted about "defending Kentucky priorities" (1) was irresponsible in failing to keep discretionary outlays within President Bush's cap of $932 billion; (2) resorted to "budget gimmicks and loopholes to fudge the numbers"; (3) classified non-emergency spending as emergency items; (4) "piled on the pork by earmarking billions to more than 11,300" pet projects for members, and (5) "put the government more than $20 billion over budget."
This is the judgment not of some effete, lib-symp moral relativist -- some redistributionist-friendly class warrior of the Democratic left. Rather, it comes from McConnell's friends at the most powerful Republican-friendly think tank in Washington.

Sore Loser McConnell Still Refuses To Endorse Fletcher/Forgy-Backed Webb-Edgington

2007-12-27T11:04:00.001-08:00

You would think the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell would have learned his lesson after the backlash he experienced from conservatives when he undermined Governor Fletcher. But now McConnell is at it again. After his former aide Kelly White lost the nomination for the northern Kentucky special election to Alecia Webb-Edgington, we heard that McConnell supporters were hesitant to rally around the campaign. Now we know why: Mitch McConnell is still refusing to lift a finger for our conservative nominee, Alecia Webb-Edgington. Not surprising that the Louisville liberal McConnell refuses to endorse her:

Endorsements like these are fairly routine in contested races, but a list of the some GOP heavy hitters are supporting Republican Alecia Webb-Edgington in Kenton County's Jan. 8 special statehouse election.

Wheres Mitch? Looks like the Kentucky Republican Party is going to have to support another Larry Forgy backed candidate without the help of Mitch McConnell.

The Wall Street Journal Goes After Mitch McConnell

2007-12-24T14:42:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal is now joining the Washington Times and other national conservative-leaning news outlets that are committed to outing the hypocrisy of the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell. With the Club for Growth leading the way, Mitch McConnell will finally be called out for his irresponsible tax and spend agenda:

Asked by CNBC's Larry Kudlow last week about earmarks, GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell replied that, "Well, there certainly have been some bad earmarks in the past. But you've got to remember, you can knock out all the earmarks, and it wouldn't save any money."
Well, $7.4 billion is real money where we come from, and that misses the way in which earmarks have become opportunities for corruption (felon Duke Cunningham) and an incentive for logrolling that increases overall spending. Mr. Bush and the GOP can take one more step toward restoring their fiscal credentials by striking a blow against "nonlegislative" earmarks.

John McCain's Climb Will Be Mitch McConnell's Demise

2007-12-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

John McCain has made no secret of his goal to get rid of Mitch McConnell. With John McCain's rise to the top of the New Hampshire polls, it is increasingly likely that either he or Mike Huckabee will be our nominee.

McConnell's obstructionist tactics over campaign finance reform infuriate John McCain, who is the strongest Republican candidate among Kentucky GOP voters. Now with Larry Forgy already starting with a strong conservative base, John McCain could be at the top of the ticket to help Larry Forgy win enough independents to claim a 3-way general election.

This Republican Presidential primary is shaping up to be terrifying for Mitch McConnell, but with either John McCain or Mike Huckabee at the top of the ticket to boost Larry Forgy, it could be the catapult we need for Kentucky's conservatives.

Mitch McConnell's Arch-Enemy John McCain Is Strongest Republican In KY

2007-12-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

Mitch McConnell must be shaking in his heels right now as his arch-enemy John McCain is surging into the lead in the New Hampshire primaries and now has a path to the nomination.

Now Mark Hebert of WHAS reports that John McCain is the strongest Republican candidate in Kentucky.

Clearly not good news for the Louisville liberal McConnell. Especially considering that John McCain will likely be endorsing Larry Forgy for the United States Senate.

RedState Lining Up Against Mitch McConnell

2007-12-19T23:04:00.000-08:00

One of the nation's leading conservative blog may soon be rallying the grassroots all across the country behind the Senate candidacy of Larry Forgy. Check out what Erick Erickson wrote about the cowardly acts of Mitch McConnell in the budget battle this week:

Let's look at the budget battle today.

Pull back the curtain a bit and you see a GOP in Congress that is totally caving in on fiscal responsibility. Instead of supporting an omnibus that is $24 billion over budget and that contains the second highest amount of earmarks in history, the GOP should have gone for a continuing resolution and made the Democrats fund the troops anyway. We would have won that. Instead, we let the Mitch McConnells of the world go the earmark route.

It is okay to cheer the GOP on for making Democrats cave on troop funding, but we need to hold our guys accountable when they promise a big spending fight all year long and then back down like little girls.

While you can see this so called budget victory for the GOP as a short term victory because of troop funding, it is a long term failure because it is an abandonment of the GOP's fiscally conservative base.

Heritage Foundation Leader Hammers Mitch McConnell Again

2007-12-19T22:54:00.001-08:00

Robert Bluey is doing the good work on behalf of conservatives around Kentucky and the United States whop are fed up with the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell's tax and spend agenda that will run up the debt of our childrens' generation for years to come:

It’s hard to understand why Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was so shortsighted. In exchange for giving up his coveted earmarks, McConnell could have held the growth of government to 2% next year. Instead, it will increase between 4% to 5% under the omnibus. Even House Minority Leader Roy Blunt admitted today during a lunch with conservative bloggers that a continuing resolution would have been catastrophic for the Democrats in comparison to the omnibus.

For as frustrating as it is to watch McConnell roll over, what’s even more disappointing is that President Bush is willing to sign a bill (assuming troop funding for Iraq is added) that violates so many of the principles he’s been fighting for all year. The bill is nearly $20 billion more than Bush’s top-line numberwhen “emergencies” are factored in and comes nowhere close to slashing pork projects in half.

Why Is Mitch McConnell Terrified of Governor Mike Huckabee?

2007-12-17T20:43:00.000-08:00

Governor Huckabee is a preacher.
Nobody seems to know the last time Mitch McConnell went to church.

Governor Huckabee represents family values.
Mitch McConnell's own daughter does not even speak to him.

Governor Huckabee opposed the Bush/McConnell amnesty bill.
Mitch McConnell tried to shove a bill giving amnesty to illegal aliens down our throats.

Governor Huckabee will create a Veterans Bill of Rights.
Mitch McConnell thinks its OK when "professional soldiers" are killed.

Governor Huckabee believes in balancing the budget and fiscal responsibility.
Mitch McConnell support pushed Senate legislation in support of Las Vegas casino gambling.

Governor Huckabee sounds a lot more like Larry Forgy, dont you think?...

Conservative Leader Calls Out Mitch McConnell For His Tax and Spend Agenda

2007-12-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

Heritage Foundation leader Robert Bluey penned a column in TownHall this week that hammered the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell for his tax and spend policies. Bluey also pointed out what we learned from McConnell's backstabbing of Governor Ernie Fletcher: Mitch McConnell is willing to throw conservatives off the bridge if it will help him gain a few political points. Hopefully Larry Forgy will be soon be calling more attention to McConnell's tactics! Bluey writes:

These actions alone bring the total to $23 billion more than Bush requested -- and that’s before anyone has even seen the actual omnibus itself. How did the extra money get through without the Capitol Hill press corps even noticing?

It’s partly the fault of partisan Republicans, who relish the opportunity to kick Democrats while they’re down. It doesn’t help that several of the GOP’s Senate leaders, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are veteran appropriators who might swallow more spending if it means another week’s worth of bad headlines for Democrats. House Republicans appear more likely to hold firm, launching a "Butcher Shop” to expose the pork projects in the spending bill.

McConnell May Cost Us Special Election

2007-12-15T22:38:00.001-08:00

It appears McConnell's Louisville liberals are starting to grumble that Larry Forgy may be making significant inroads in Northern Kentucky after Mitch McConnell's failed attempt to push his former employee Kelly White for the GOP nomination to fill Jon Draud's seat. Instead, Northern Kentucky Republicans selected Fletcher Homeland Security Director Alecia Webb-Edgington and reports around the blogosphere are that many McConnell/White supporters are staying home instead of supporting our conservative nominee.

If Mitch McConnell does not start campaigning hard for Webb-Edgington, you can look for Larry Forgy to carry Kenton County by a nice margin come election day!

Stumbo Poll Shows Larry Forgy In Close Race

2007-12-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

Reports are circulating through Kentucky this week that Greg Stumbo will soon release his poll numbers and they are extremely encouraging for true conservatives around the Commonwealth. Rumors are that Stumbo included a 3 way polling question to test how he stacked up against Mitch McConnell and Larry Forgy. The results appear that Larry Forgy is nearly within the margin of error (+/- 4.5 percent):

28. If the election for the U.S. Senate were held today, for whom would you vote?

1. Republican Mitch McConnell - 34 percent
2. Democrat Greg Stumbo - 31 percent
3. Independent Larry Forgy - 27 percent

The Democrats appear headed to an expensive primary with Greg Stumbo, Andrew Horne, and Greg Fischer. True Conservatives already know this is our big chance. With a little help from the Club for Growth, Larry Forgy will be taking the lead in no time!

Club For Growth Ready To Back Forgy

2007-12-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Louisville liberal must be shaking at the thought of press releases like these from the Club for Growth. We hear an announcement from Larry Forgy is imminent and it looks like he has some friends with several million dollars to spend ensuring that a tax and spend liberal cannot masquerade as a Republican Senator from Kentucky:

Club for Growth Criticizes McConnell Plan on Omnibus

Washington - In response to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s press conference this afternoon on the Omnibus bill, Club for Growth President Pat Toomey issued the following statement:

“It is a shame to see the highest ranking Republicans in the Senate move to the left of the Democrats on earmarks. For weeks, House Republicans stood strong against wasteful spending, resulting in a victory when Democratic Representative David Obey proposed eliminating all earmarks from the Omnibus Appropriations bill in order to reduce the bill’s price tag to meet the President’s request. We think this is a fantastic idea and applaud Obey for recognizing that earmarks are the least worthy component of the Omnibus bill.”

“Unfortunately, Senator McConnell and Trent Lott are perpetuating the practice of wasteful pork-barrel spending. Rather than part with his own and his colleagues’ pet projects, Senator McConnell announced his intention to offer an amendment that will reduce spending in the Omnibus bill by about two percent across the board, including earmarks. Trent Lott jumped to Senator McConnell’s defense, arguing that ‘Earmarks are justified and legitimate . . . I wouldn't give up my earmarks.’ We disagree. The earmarking process is inherently abusive. The earmarks are not subjected to committee hearings, competitive bidding, or other normal vetting processes. This is why the earmarking practice must end. We have even recently seen earmarks famously abused as a currency of corruption. Senators McConnell and Lott’s support for pork projects in the Omnibus is a sad statement about the priorities of the Republican Leadership in the Senate.”

Fletcher/Forgy Backed Webb-Edgington Defeats McConnell-Backed White For GOP Nomination

2007-12-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

A huge victory for the Larry Forgy camp over Mitch McConnell's Louisville liberals today. Northern Kentucky will be huge for the GOP Senate primary since Forgy will likely carry central Kentucky by a huge margin and McConnell will be favored in his hometown of Louisville. However, it looks like northern Kentucky is trending towards Forgy as his favored candidate for the Jan. 8 special election to the State House defeated another Mitch McConnell puppet:

Webb-Edgington was chosen by a secret ballot of the Kenton County Republican Party Executive Committee. She is running for the Kenton County suburban seat vacated by Edgewood Republican Jon Draud, who on Monday became Kentucky Education Commissioner.
She was nominated over former Kenton County Commissioner Steve Arlinghaus – a surprise, late entry into the mix – and Kelly White, a former aide to Kentucky U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Special Election Pits Conservative Fletcher Aide Alecia Webb-Edgington Against Former McConnell Aide Kelly White

2007-11-30T22:08:00.000-08:00

Its important for Kentucky's conservatives to get out and support the candidate of the Fletcher/Forgy wing of Kentucky's Republican Party, Alecia Webb-Edgington, as she battles for the 63rd District House Seat of Jon Draud.

Many of you are well aware that McConnell's Louisville liberals are trying to shove former McConnell staffer Kelly White down the throats of Conservatives, but this is the chance to give the latest dagger to the reelection hopes of Mitch McConnell.

A vote for Webb-Edgington is a preview of Larry Forgy's victory over Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate primary.

RedState: McConnell Likely To Lose Leadership Position

2007-11-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

The leading national conservative blog RedState has a post that suggests the Republicans in the U.S. Senate will overthrow the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell from his leadership position if the weasel somehow squeaks by Larry Forgy:

After 2008, McConnell either wins or loses. If he loses, John Kyl will probably become Minority Leader, moving up from Whip. If McConnell wins, he might still face a coup if the GOP Senate conference feels the need to go in a new, more conservative direction after a disastrous 2008 election cycle. If the GOP does get slaughtered at the polls, it will likely be moderate Senators bearing the brunt of the voters anger, making the remaining GOP caucus more conservative and more willing to vote their own into leadership. So, Kyl might take the reins then too.

With Kyl as leader, Cornyn will run for Whip, with a reduced number of Republican Senators, but a more conservative group. Sessions will get to Policy, which is what he wants, and that leaves DeMint available to be the Party's message guy in Conference Chair. That'll leave open a slot as VP for Conference, which a good conservative could fill.

Imagine, post 2008, having the top Senate Republicans be, in order: Kyl, Cornyn, DeMint, Sessions, and an as yet to be determined conservative.

McConnell is going to need much greater tricks than his current ads featuring a sexual harasser to tout his leadership position, because it doesn't look like he'll be Republican leader much longer.

McConnell Has "Giuliani Problems"

2007-11-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

No, we aren't not talking about his impending support (also reported by Brett Hall) for his fellow liberal's presidential campaign.

No, we aren't referring to the multiple marriages and divorces of McConnell and Giuliani.

No, we aren't referring to reports of Miss McConnell or Miss Giuliani.

Well, we are referring to a different Miss McConnell and Miss Giuliani. The liberal candidates' own daughters who refuse to support their campaigns! National news stories have been reporting that Giuliani's daughter is supporting Barack Obama, and after hundreds of corporate donors have signed up for Mitch McConnell's campaign, he still has not received the support of his own daughter.

McConnell Furious That Robbie Rudolph Refuses To Endorse Him

2007-11-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

Reports are that Mitch McConnell and his Louisville liberal camp of Anne Northup and Ted Jackson are furious that Robbie Rudolph refuses to go on the record with his support for McConnell's reelection. After desperately scrambling to gain Rudolph's support, the word is that McConnell is now threatening Republicans who join Rudolph and Stan Cave in supporting Larry Forgy's campaign. Governor Fletcher did a superb job at fulfilling his commitment to the backstabbing McConnell by saying he supports McConnell in a primary but of course he did not say he'd support McConnell when Larry Forgy runs as an independent.

Mitch is getting desperate and was steaming after the Governor went on to say he doesn't have the time to discourage Forgy from making a bid! While Robbie Rudolph and others from the Fletcher camp are currently laying the groundwork for Forgy behind the scenes, look for several of them to come out publicly in the coming months.

Hawpe Slams McConnell In Courier-Journal Column

2007-11-14T07:34:00.001-08:00

The Courier-Journal's David Hawpe points out that sexual harassment is not the only area where Mitch McConnell has been engaging in historical revisionism lately. It appears Mitch also failed to mention that Kentucky native Earle Clements served as Democratic leader in the Senate and had far more in common with the pork barrel spending liberal McConnell than Alben Barkley ever did. Perhaps that is why the Club for Growth recently slammed McConnell's spending and could be sending Larry Forgy to the U.S. Senate. Hawpe writes:

Speaking of hacks, self-seekers and misdeeds, the aforementioned new McConnell campaign commercial celebrates his mutually supportive relationship with Barkley's grandson, Alben Barkley II.
Does McConnell think everybody has forgotten that Barkley II, as state secretary of agriculture, was involved in a sensational sexual harassment incident? A secretary in the ag commissioner's office, Ann Hester, told the Personnel Board that Barkley once asked her to be his "lover," that he asked to look down her blouse, that he put his arm around her waist and hugged her, and that he often told her she looked "sexy."
McConnell is being endorsed for re-election in his TV ads by a man the Personnel Board found guilty of sexual harassment -- in the same case that became infamous when ag official Gerald Deatherage was required to apologize to female employees for a joking reference to the "little man in the boat." (Used in a salacious way, that's a reference to a part of the female sex organs.)
One election down, another under way. Isn't politics fun?

Crowley: "A Problem For Mitch"

2007-11-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

Looks like heads will be rolling at the McConnell campaign as one can imagine Mitch will be none too happy with his campaign staff's lack of vetting and research behind this first ad debacle.

But one has to wonder: How did McConnell not know that Barkley was a convicted sexual harasser? Its only a matter of time until he is pressed on this. Patrick Crowley of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports:

The Huffington Post is reporting that Alben Barkley II, the grandson of Truman VP Alben Barkley and the star of KY U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's first campaign ad, was convicted of sexually harassing a secretary in 1981 while serving as KY Ag Commissioner.

Politico: "Whats the connection between Mitch McConnell and Alben W. Barkley II?"

2007-11-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

The national media is starting to pick up on the story that the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell is airing a TV ad featuring a convicted sexual harasser. The Politico reports:

Wha?!

GOP heavyweight Senator Mitch McConnell, reports Huffington Post, has some ads that "feature a convicted sexual harasser."

"Back in 1981, the Barkley grandson was convicted of sexually harassing a young secretary. According to an April 7 UPI article from that year:

"Alben W. Barkley II, [then] 36, asked his secretary, Ann Hester, to be his lover, asked to look down her dress on several occasions, once hugged her, and commented she looked 'sexy.''"

"At the time Barkley was serving as the state's Agriculture Commissioner. Because he was an elected official, the Kentucky Personnel Board personnel board said it did not have the authority to punish him. The secretary said the incidents "forced her to seek a transfer to another state department."

McConnell Airs Ad With Convicted Sexual Harasser

2007-11-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

The Louisville liberal McConnell has truly reached a new low. No folks, this latest stunt did not feature our beloved Alben Barkley. McConnell's new ad featured Alben Barkley II, a convicted sexual harasser. The liberal blog Huffington Post reports:

The problem: Barley II is not world's best spokesperson.

Back in 1981, the Barkley grandson was convicted of sexually harassing a young secretary. According to an April 7 UPI article from that year:

"Alben W. Barkley II, [then] 36, asked his secretary, Ann Hester, to be his lover, asked to look down her dress on several occasions, once hugged her, and commented she looked 'sexy.''"

The Nutroots better not get too excited on their blogs. Kentucky's conservatives have an alternative. We have Larry Forgy.

Message To Mitch: 101,328 Is A Little More Than 1

2007-11-11T14:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, that is nearly 30,000 more votes than the McConnell puppet Anne Northup carried in the 2007 primary. Of course, when you consider what happened outside of Louisville, the vote for Fletcher/Rudolph was a blowout of historic proportions.

Its not even close. The votes outside of Louisville aren't there for McConnell. The next U.S. Senator from Kentucky will be Larry Forgy. The Associated Press reports:

But McConnell could face a challenge from his own ranks.
Republican Larry Forgy, who barely lost to Democrat Paul Patton in the 1995 gubernatorial election, is considering a Senate run next year as an independent.
Forgy believes McConnell and some other top Republicans abandoned Fletcher, who was indicted during his term on misdemeanor charges that he rewarded politically connected Republicans with jobs at the expense of Democrats. The charges were dropped in a settlement with prosecutors, and Fletcher later maintained the investigation was a witch hunt.
McConnell was silent about Fletcher during the probe and later when the governor fought off a tough challenge from former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup in the GOP primary.
The senator made a few appearances with Fletcher during the fall campaign, saying the governor had done a fine job and deserved another term. Forgy said the damage was already done, and largely blamed McConnell and a few others for the divisive primary.
Some of Forgy's critics have dismissed him as a "one-man party." Forgy replied that "I'd rather be a one-man party than a party of one man. And the bottom line is McConnell needs some critics. If I am one, then that's the way it is."

Governor Fletcher Gives Forgy The Nod

2007-11-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

The Courier-Journal is reporting what everyone in the Fletcher camp already knows: While Governor Fletcher will make good on the pledge to publicly support McConnell after the Louisville liberal McConnell appeared at fundraisers in the general election, Governor Fletcher will not encourage Larry Forgy to give up his bid for the U.S. Senate. The Courier-Journal reports:

Fletcher, for his part, said he's supporting McConnell and encouraged Republicans not to challenge him in a primary or as an independent. But when asked if he would talk to Forgy and urge him not to run, Fletcher said he's going to be awfully busy over of ther the next few months, trying to transition out of the governor's office and find a job in the private sector and all.

Governor Fletcher can leave the public face of the Forgy campaign to Robbie Rudolph, Stan Cave, the Club for Growth, and others. But we all know that the Fletcher machine that trounced McConnell and Northup in the primaries will be fully at work for Larry Forgy.

Rudolph, Cave Continue Laying Groundwork For Forgy Campaign

2007-11-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

In phone calls leading up to the Republican Central Committee meeting today and in private meetings around the event, Robbie Rudolph, Stan Cave, and the Club for Growth are sending signals to Governor Fletcher supporters to keep up the work for Larry Forgy. Make no mistake that public calls for unity were simply concessions to the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell for his appearance at fundraisers during the general election.

However, Larry Forgy gave Mitch an ultimatum: Deliver votes in your hometown of Louisville for Governor Fletcher. The Louisville liberal McConnell failed to deliver.

In even further updates, we are getting word that it is not only the Fletcher faction that is withholding support for McConnell: Billy Harper has refused to give McConnell his endorsement as well and could deliver significant votes in McCracken County and Western Kentucky for Forgy.

Even more shocking, reports are the McConnell's own daughter is not supporting his reelection campaign as well. More to come...

Robbie Rudolph May Endorse Forgy Next Week; Will Make Pence Atone For Aiding Beshear

2007-11-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

This will be a major development in the 2008 Senate race, and one that will not make the Louisville liberals smile. Reports are the Robbie Rudolph is furious with Mitch McConnell and Steve Pence for not doing enough in Louisville, and now for Steve "Peanuts" Pence actually serving on Steve Beshear's transition team!

Rudolph is expected to tell Republican activists at the central committee meeting on Saturday that he will not be endorsing Mitch McConnell. This should mean only one thing: Look for Rudolph to line up behind a true conservative, Larry Forgy!

Forgy Appears Ready To Run For Senate

2007-11-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

It is clear that Larry Forgy is running the numbers and finding out that he can hold onto the bulk of Governor Fletcher's support and Billy Harper's support, while ceding the Louisville liberal vote to McConnell. However, McConnell wouldn't even help Governor Fletcher in his hometown of Louisville and even the McConnell loyalists there cannot be happy with four years of Governor Beshear. WHAS news reports:

So what's next for Kentucky Republicans after Ernie Fletcher’s loss?

Prominent Republican Larry Forgy says the party is fractured...
But prominent Republican Larry Forgy is not moving on to forgiveness just yet. “The party is fractured today, and it was fractured by a few people at the Republican headquarters in Louisville. This did not have to happen.”

Forgy says he is angry with Northup, Senator Mitch McConnell and Lieutenant Governor Steve Pence. He calls Northup's primary challenge a "fratricidal war," which drained energy and $5 million from the Fletcher campaign...

Forgy says the time for party unity was years ago, at the outset of the merit hiring investigation...
Meanwhile, Larry Forgy tells me he might run against McConnell next year.

McConnell Fails To Help Governor Fletcher In Louisville

2007-11-06T19:45:00.001-08:00

The Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell was warned by Larry Forgy that he could redeem himself by helping the Governor in McConnell's hometown of Louisville. McConnell refused to do more than a token appearance...The results in Louisville with 99 percent of precincts:

Beshear 65.5 percent

Fletcher 34.5 percent

Simply disgraceful. The Louisville liberal is to blame. A 30 point loss in a county where George W. Bush got 49 percent of the vote in 2004:

Kerry 50 percent

Bush 49 percent

If anyone believes McConnell when he says that he helped Governor Fletcher in Louisville, they have to be kidding themselves. Its time to rally around a true conservative, Larry Forgy

Forgy Hammers McConnell On KET For Backstabbing Governor Fletcher

2007-11-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

One thing is clear tonight. The Republicans need a true conservative to hold onto the U.S. Senate seat. Mitch McConnell cannot win reelection. He's alienated over half of Kentucky's Republicans by backstabbing Governor Fletcher and he just gave the liberals the Governor's Mansion.

McConnell is sending out his Louisville liberals to beg Forgy not to run. Maybe he should have thought about this before destroying Kentucky's Republican Party and turning his back on rural conservatives. Its a good thing this hypocrite is being exposed. It won't be long until Senator Forgy is sworn in. The Courier-Journal reports:

But Larry Forgy, the 1995 Republican gubernatorial nominee, blamed Northup, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Lt. Gov. Steve Pence, who chose not to run again with Fletcher, for the loss.

“It is the result of the primary. We spent $5 million among Republicans fighting over almost nothing except the desire of three or four people in Louisville and party headquarters — including Sen. McConnell, including Steve Pence, Anne Northup and others — to essentially run this man out of office.”...

Forgy said earlier tonight that he blames U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and other Republicans for dividing the party.

Williams, in an exasperated tone, pleaded with Forgy not to run against McConnell in the 2008 election.

Forgy Ready To Defeat McConnell

2007-11-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

Three strikes and you're out. Tonight marks the second of three losses for Mitch McConnell. His puppet Anne Northup lost in May. Governor Fletcher and our Republican Party faces a historic loss today because of the Louisville liberal.

And next year, a true conservative named Larry Forgy will send McConnell packing back to Louisville...

The Lexington Herald Leader reports:

And then there's the matter of Larry Forgy, the notoriously sharp-tongued Republican former gubernatorial candidate.
Forgy, who went through a bruising and bitter GOP primary race against former U.S. Rep. Larry Hopkins in the 1991 governor's race, wouldn't say last week whether he'll get in the race against McConnell as an independent.
A three-candidate race would add whole new equations to the already complex political calculus of McConnell's re-election bid.
"My mother was a fifth- grade teacher for 45 years. She always told me not to talk about serious matters when I'm angry," Forgy said. "I'm an angry man right now."
Forgy has been unhappy for months with McConnell's level of support for Fletcher over the past few years and said he expected McConnell to work tirelessly for the governor in Louisville, where McConnell got his start in politics.
"I think Ernie Fletcher is one of the finest men I've ever known and he's taken more knives in the back than he has in the front. That's what I'm mad about," said Forgy, who declined to offer details.

Tradecoat Trey Already Making Moves To Unseat Senator Bunning?

2007-10-24T20:37:00.001-07:00

The former Bill Clinton volunteer Trey Grayson already showed Kentucky's Republicans that he does not care about the conservative wing when he attempted to run against Governor Fletcher in the primary and then held a fundraiser in northern Kentucky at the same time as Governor Fletcher's during the general election. Now rumors are flowing out of northern Kentucky that Tradecoat Trey Grayson is already trying to get activists to commit to his camp for the 2010 senate race since he looks to be unable to pressure Senator Bunning to step aside.

Tradecoat Trey, there is a reason Senator Bunning is in the Hall of Fame and you are losing to a candidate nobody has ever heard of. True conservatives don't stab their own in the back. Republican activists should keep this prospect in mind when Tradecoat Trey begs for our support in the coming weeks.

Forgy Can Defeat McConnell As An Independent

2007-10-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that many central Kentucky conservatives have been pleading with Larry Forgy to look past the Republican primary and defeat Mitch McConnell as an independent in 2008. There are several reasons this scenario may easily come true:

1. Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are not true conservatives and there is no reason for Larry Forgy to run on the same ticket as them. They're pro-choice and anti-family views will bring down Mitch McConnell and allow Forgy to hold the conservative vote.

2. Governor Fletcher's endorsement. With the endorsement of the Governor, Larry Forgy will hold onto the central Kentucky and rural faction of the Republican Party and have a campaign structure that was already tested by the Louisville liberals led by Northup, McConnell, and Jackson and pounded them in the primary.

3. Greg Scumbo. This is the main reason for Forgy to run as an independent. A large faction of the Democratic Party is not happy with the publicity hound who is not raising any significant money. Even in eastern Kentucky, Forgy will carry a significant portion of the conservative Democratic vote.

4. Bill Harper. There is no secret that Harper can help Forgy carry western Kentucky and his people are not fans of McConnell's.

5. Club for Growth. They are making it clear that the Louisville liberal McConnell will be forced to pay for his support for two tax and spend budgets while pretending he is a conservative...

6. Ask Larry Hopkins. The former Congressman who showed his true colors by endorsing Steve Beshear can best remember what Larry Forgy can do on the stump. Forgy nearly defeated Hopkins with almost no money. This time around, the Club for Growth shows the money will be flowing in freely.

Tradecoat Trey Grayson Supports Casino Gambling In Kentucky

2007-10-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

This is really disgraceful. The former Bill Clinton volunteer refuses to support the main tenet of Governor Fletcher's platform, and has the nerve to try to coerce conservatives around the Commonwealth to abandon Governor Fletcher's campaign for his own fundraisers.

An investigation into previous comments made by Tradecoat Trey Grayson turned up this excerpt in a August 21, 2006 Lexington Herald Leader story where Grayson voiced his support for exploring Vegas-style casino gaming in Kentucky:

Democratic Attorney General Greg Stumbo vaulted the issue into the headlines at an Aug. 5 Democratic breakfast in Graves County. He said he'd like to see the state approve casino gambling, and that he wants the first $100 million of revenue from it to wipe out the property tax on vehicles -- one of the most-loathed levies in Kentucky.

That idea has stirred up a buzz on both sides of the aisle as wannabe candidates weigh their options as well as their chances of beating Ernie Fletcher, the Republican incumbent next year.

"I'm wondering if that might change the debate," said Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who is considering a run for the Republican nomination for governor. "I don't remember anyone pushing any kind of tax cut. In the past, people just talked in terms of using the (casino revenue) money to pay for services."

Incredible...Not only does this Tradecoat Trey support casino gaming, but he voiced support for a plan by Greg Scumbo at the same time the Attorney General was in the middle of his witch hunt on Governor Fletcher! Tradecoat Trey goes on:

Grayson said he was intrigued by Stumbo's pitch because he has been considering ways to eliminate the car tax, which brought in $101 million in revenue to the state last year.

Sounds like Grayson needs to add ethics to his civics plan....

Breaking: Tradecoat Trey To Refuse To Appear With Governor Fletcher

2007-10-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

Conservatives are now buzzing that word is out that Tradecoat Trey Grayson will refuse to appear on the campaign trail with Governor Fletcher over the next four weeks, but even worse is word that he is planning to publicly condemn the Governor's platform. Sounds like Grayson is trying to bring light to the Greg Stumbo witch hunt to distract the press from Grayson's own scandals. Check back for more details on what Grayson's upcoming speech may contain.

Club For Growth Shifting Anti-Giuliani Funds To Kentucky?

2007-10-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Reports are circulating that former Congressman Pat Toomey has been extremely enthusiastic about Larry Forgy's chances in recent weeks, and is now raising money for the Club for Growth's 2008 efforts. While the Club for Growth was set to get involved in the Republican presidential primaries, a recent lobbying effort by Steve Forbes on Rudy Giuliani's behalf may have appeased some of their concerns. However, that means good news to Kentucky's conservatives as the Club will have more funds to spend in going after the Louisville liberal McConnell and bringing Larry Forgy, a true conservative, to the U.S. Senate.

"Club for Growth sees wealth of opportunities in 2008 cycle"

2007-09-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

Mitch McConnell better start making calls to his fat cat lobbyists and I'm not talking about dialing for campaign cash. Mitch McConnell better start calling for a new job. Once Pat Toomey and the crew at Club for Growth see the Forgy/Fletcher field plan, there will be more than enough funds coming in to expose the Louisville liberal McConnell and his fake conservative masquerades. The Club for Growth made it clear in their press release this week that McConnell is willing to spend government handouts faster than Steve Beshear at a Vegas roulette table. Now another story in The Hill reports the Club for Growth is poised to send McConnell packing:

As for congressional races, the Club has suggested it would like to dabble in some GOP Senate primaries if opportunities present themselves.

It issued a poll last week showing Stevens losing handily to Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and this week criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) votes for the Democrats’ appropriations bills.

Stevens does not have a major potential primary challenger at this point, while some Kentucky GOP activists are trying to recruit former gubernatorial nominee Larry Forgy (R) to challenge McConnell.

The Hill: Club For Growth Poised To Endorse Forgy

2007-09-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

The conservative grassroots in Kentucky are now getting our message out to the rest of the country! The Hill reports today that former Congressman Pat Toomey is speaking out against the Louisville liberal's spending as he masquerades as a conservative. Now we have a true conservative, one of the all-time great Kentucky stump speakers, and a candidate who nearly defeated Larry Hopkins on the cheap. Just imagine what Larry Forgy will do with the backing of the Club for Growth:

And the influential anti-tax group Club for Growth signaled Wednesday that it might play a role in a primary fight against McConnell.
The Club remarked in a statement Wednesday that the Republican leader “is looking more and more like his counterpart across the aisle, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)” on spending issues.
McConnell has backed all four of the appropriations bills that the Senate has considered this year, three of which face White House veto threats.
“If Republicans want to convince taxpayers that they are fiscally responsible, they are going to have to start backing up their words with some votes,” said Club President Pat Toomey, a former House Republican.

Tradecoat Trey Backstabs Governor Fletcher Again

2007-09-24T05:36:00.000-07:00

As if the former Bill Clinton campaign volunteer Tradecoat Trey Grayson has not hurt Governor Fletcher's campaign enough by carrying the Democrats message during his early publicity stunt, now Grayson is hurting the Governor's fundraising once again by holding an event in northern Kentucky at the same time as the Fletcher-Rudolph campaign. Patrick Crowley reports:

Now Grayson, the Kentucky secretary of state and a Boone County resident, and Fletcher are running for re-election and sharing space on the statewide ballot. Each claim that any friction or disagreements have evaporated as they pursue re-election.
So why have the Fletcher and Grayson campaigns scheduled their major Northern Kentucky fundraisers on the same night - Tuesday - at roughly the same time and in the same county?...
Even some Northern Kentucky Republicans have privately scratched their heads, wondering how the situation arose
Some wonder if there is a concern by the Grayson camp that Fletcher's poor polling numbers are a drag on the rest of the GOP ticket and Grayson may be distancing himself from the incumbent governor.

This is really remarkable that these tradecoats can be blaming Governor Fletcher when Tradecoat Trey Grayson and Mitch McConnell were the ones that ran the smear campaign that placed the Governor behind in the polls to begin with. Grayson should make a pledge not to hold any other fundraising events on the same day as the Governor's campaign, because he is in for a huge surprise when true conservatives find out about his own ethical issues before election day.

Breaking: Grayson Co-Defendant Faced Past Criminal Charge

2007-09-19T22:16:00.001-07:00

Well, either Tradecoat Trey doesn't read his local newspapers or he simply doesn't mind helping a questionable character deal with his client's will:

A bitter legal fight has ended over some $1 million that former Kenton County Attorney John Elfers banked after leaving office in 1994.
Garry Edmondson, the current county attorney, said he and Elfers formally agreed on Wednesday to settle a lawsuit over the money. Elfers will pay his successor about 10 percent of the disputed money.
When he left office at the end of 1993, Elfers took with him $964,269, saying he had earned it over the previous 17 years collecting delinquent child support...
The agreement leaves one important loose end. Edmondson's fight to gain access to the money was a civil case; Elfers also faces a criminal charge of mingling his private funds with public money.

Is this the kind of judgment we want from our Republican Party leaders? Its time to stand up to corrupt officials masquerading as conservatives and support our true Conservative leaders like Ernie Fletcher, Robbie Rudolph, and Larry Forgy.

Grayson Allegedly Took Advantage Of Dying Cancer Patient

2007-09-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we always knew Tradecoat Trey was not loyal. Just ask the Democrats about former Bill Clinton volunteer Trey Grayson. Just ask Governor Fletcher about his former strong supporter-turned almost challenger Trey Grayson. Or it looks like you can ask the daughter of one of his former clients:

The daughter of a deceased Northern Kentucky home remodeler is suing former Kenton County Attorney John Elfers, claiming he took advantage of her father to benefit from his multimillion-dollar estate...

Bridget Hofler-Saunders of Independence filed a civil suit this month in Kenton Circuit Court, saying the will of her father, William T. Hofler, was changed two months before his death as a result of “undue influence” by Mr. Elfers.

Ms. Hofler-Saunders said she believes Mr. Elfers and others named in the suit took advantage of her ill father, who had only a third-grade education and put more trust in people with higher educational levels. She said her father was aggressively being treated with chemotherapy and the painkiller OxyContin and could not have been of “sound mind and memory'' to change his will in March...

The lawsuit also names as defendants Charles Grayson III, co-executor of the estate

Well, it looks like Tradecoat Trey Grayson is going to have a lot of explaining to do before election day...

Major Scandal Investigation Brewing Over Tradecoat Trey?

2007-09-17T16:10:00.001-07:00

Everyone in the Commonwealth always knew that former Bill Clinton volunteer Trey Grayson was never a true conservative. Then Tradecoat Trey's true colors came to light again when he stabbed the Governor in the back by exploiting Greg Scumbo's publicity stunts to raise money on the false pretenses that he would run and be the better Republican candidate for Governor. Mitch McConnell even attended a Grayson fundraiser. Now the Louisville liberal McConnell will have to pay for it when Larry Forgy defeats him in the Republican primary.

But what is the price that Grayson will have to pay? Republican sources unhappy with Grayson say that reporters have started calling about scandals coming back to light involving Tradecoat Trey, one of which may involve a former client filing ethics complaints against him. We'll have updates as this story develops...

Does Mitch McConnell Go To Church?

2007-09-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

Our guess is no. He certainly doesn't represent Christian values. But what is most interesting is that nobody in Kentucky seems to know if Mitch McConnell is even a member of a church. Certainly, it would be interesting to hear him discuss his experience and his frequency of attendance on Sundays. Thankfully, the Commonwealth has another candidate who truly represents our values: Larry Forgy.

Forgy Set To Enter Senate Race As Majority of Northup/McConnell Voters Still Support Beshear

2007-09-13T14:53:00.001-07:00

Larry Forgy has been warning Mitch McConnell all summer that he is ready to enter the senate race if the Louisville liberal McConnell does not turn out his base for Governor Fletcher. Now we have another poll that shows a majority of Northup/McConnell voters still support Steve Beshear. Sorry Mitch, but a few photo ops at fundraisers after you refuse to deliver real dollars is not going to help you keep your seat in Washington. Especially when the Louisville liberal McConnell is refusing to back the Governor over the signature issue of the campaign: keeping the casinos out of Kentucky. Hebert reports:

More bad news for Fletcher: Despite hammering on Beshear's pro-casino stance, 79% of those polled say they want to vote on the gaming issue. Just 19% don't.

Of those who say there should be a vote on casinos, Beshear leads 64-32. Of those who don't want a vote, Fletcher leads 59-36.

Mitch now has a choice. Either get on board with the Governor on opposing gambling and turn out the vote in Louisville or face an early entry into the Senate race from Larry Forgy

Novak: "McConnell Could Be In Danger"

2007-09-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

This is not the first time the legendary conservative columnist voiced his opinion that Mitch McConnell is vulnerable. And given his past history of touting a potential primary challenge to McConnell, I don't think Novak was talking about Greg Scumbo. The national pundits are starting to catch on to Larry Forgy's growing grassroots momentum:

The decision not to run by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) now raises to five the possible losses of Senate seats by Republicans. Democrats also are targeting Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) for a sixth seat. If 2008 turns into a Democratic landslide, Senators Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) and even Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could be in danger.

Hebert: Rep. Henley and Dedman to Switch Parties; Fear McConnell Will Hurt Their Reelection Hopes

2007-09-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

This is exactly why we need a strong conservative candidate like Larry Forgy on the ballot next November. Larry Craig and Mitch McConnell can no longer represent our values and McConnell's corruption can only hurt good conservative local candidates back home in Kentucky. WHAS's Mark Hebert reports:

Keep in mind that two house members, James Carr and Tom Kerr switched from democrat to republican. That was when republicans were flying high, both nationally and in Kentucky. It appears the tide has turned, politically, and some moderate GOP state legislators may not want to be on the ballot with Sen. Mitch McConnell and the republican presidential nominee next year.

Forgy Slams Duncan After Lack Of Leadership During Corruption Scandals

2007-09-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Larry Forgy made it clear today that he will not sit idly by and watch the Republican Party descend into corruption under the watch of Mitch McConnell and Larry Craig. Recent weeks have brought us the scandals of Ted Stevens, David Vitter, and Larry Craig, while Mitch McConnell and Mike Duncan stayed quiet and utterly failed to lead the party:

Duncan's critics say he is loyal only to those who can help him
politically.

"He's not a particular friend of mine," said Larry Forgy, a former
gubernatorial candidate who is considering challenging McConnell in next year's
Republican primary. "I ran for governor twice and I don't remember his
involvement at all. I lost his home county ... and Duncan lived there. That
characterizes my relationship with him."

It could be only a matter of time until Duncan comes under investigation himself after the RNC now claims that it has lost emails sent from the former McConnell Political Director Scott Jennings while he was working in the White House. Its only a matter of time before Kentucky conservatives realize that the corruption of McConnell and Duncan lost the Republicans control of Congress in 2006, and vote to replace McConnell with Larry Forgy in 2008.

Breaking: Steve Nunn Will Not Endorse Mitch McConnell

2007-09-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

It has been speculated for months that former Republican Governor candidate Steve Nunn will do the honorable thing and refuse to endorse Mitch McConnell for re-election. Now reports are that he will do just that. While some observers thought Nunn may enter the Republican Senate primary himself, it appears he will not do so and leave the field clear for Larry Forgy. The only thing left is for Nunn to officially join the Forgy camp. Be sure to send your encouragement!

Bunning Hammers Mitch McConnell Over Larry Craig Fiasco In Senate Chambers

2007-09-06T07:45:00.001-07:00

It is only a matter of time until more of Kentucky's conservative leaders take their issues with the Louisville liberal McConnell before the public. CNN has a story on how Jim Bunning scolded Mitch McConnell in Senate Chambers over his mishandling of the Larry Craig situation:

Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Michael Enzi of Wyoming voiced their dissatisfaction with the response of GOP leaders in the chamber, according to one senator who was at the luncheon and two aides familiar with the meeting...
He was joined by Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming, who also "wagged their finger" at the leadership, in the words of one of the aides.

Did Larry Craig Blackmail Mitch McConnell?

2007-09-05T16:27:00.001-07:00

That is the question on the minds of many Kentucky conservatives today. Do Arlen Specter and Larry Craig have something on McConnell that forced him to change his position? What transpired during their phone call this morning and why is Mitch McConnell now shifting his position to allowing Larry Craig to possibly return to the Senate:

If he is able to get the case favorably disposed of in Minneapolis, it would be his intention to come back to the Senate, to deal with the Ethics Committee case that he knows that he will have, and to try to finish his term.

What is our party coming to under McConnell's (lack of) leadership? Why is McConnell not pushing ahead with investigations and ensuring strong Republican nominees to keep these seats in Alaska and Idaho. Because if he sits around, he can be sure that Kentucky will have a strong nominee who represents conservative values in Larry Forgy.

Club For Growth Set To Help Larry Forgy Take Down The Louisville Liberal McConnell

2007-09-03T21:32:00.001-07:00

Many Kentucky conservatives may not yet be familiar with the Club for Growth, but it looks like this will soon change. Former Pennsylvania Congressman Pat Toomey and other Club For Growth leaders did a tremendous job in 2006 in helping conservatives in Republican primaries, guiding Tim Walberg to victory in Michigan and nearly knocking off Senator Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island. Recently, the Club for Growth set up its organization in Kentucky to put the pressure on pork barrel tax and spenders Anne Northup and Mitch McConnell. The Club was extremely successful in exposing these tradecoat Republicans during the primary for Governor:

The ‘Northup Trifecta’ of failed fiscal policy dates back to May 2002, when Citizens Against Government Waste named Northup “Porker of the Month” for her efforts at funding a Louisville-based foundation she started with taxpayer dollars.

Now, it appears that the Club for Growth is gearing up to make huge waves once again in several U.S. Senate primaries. Reports are that its members are already organizing for former Governor Jim Gilmore in his battle against Tom Davis in Virginia, and will rally behind Larry Forgy after Governor Fletcher is victorious in November.

Update: The Club for Growth also appears to be infuriated by McConnell's refusal to back Governor Fletcher on his opposition to gambling, one of the signature issues of the campaign.

RNC Forced To Call For Craig's Resignation After McConnell's Lack Of Leadership

2007-08-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

The RNC took steps yesterday to pressure Larry Craig to resign from the Senate after Republican leader (at least for the time being) Mitch McConnell refused to call for Craig's resignation:

The Republican National Committee took the unusual step Thursday of drafting statements calling on Craig to resign, GOP aides said, a rare move to force the third-term senator out.

Several Senators were outspoken on the need for Craig to resign, and reports are heating up that this was the icing on the cake for Conservative Senators who have been trying to gather support to replace McConnell as leader. Conservative Senators are already saying if this were a war, McConnell should be tried for "dereliction of duty." If Conservative Senators now force Craig out after McConnell refused, the Louisville liberal McConnell will look extremely weak.

New York Times: McConnell Continues To Refuse To Call For Larry Craig's Resignation

2007-08-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

One has to wonder what the Louisville liberal McConnell could be thinking. Did McConnell not learn anything from our losses to the Democrats last November following the Mark Foley scandal? The New York Times reports:

We asked the spokesman for Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for additional comment other than his remarks that the conduct was “unforgivable” and required an ethics investigation, but were told the senator had nothing more to say right now.

McConnell And Craig Are Destroying The Republican Family Values Platform

2007-08-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

As if it were not enough to envision the Republican party being forced to nominate a divorced Louisville liberal whose own daughter does not speak to him, now Mitch McConnell again refused to call on Larry Craig's resignation today. What is it going to take? Craig already plead guilty. John McCain called on him to resign. Norm Coleman called on him to resign. Our own Ron Lewis called on him to resign. What about Mitch McConnell?

Update: The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that McConnell continues to refuse to call on Larry Craig to resign:

LEXINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., repeatedly declined today to say whether he thinks embattled Idaho Senator Larry Craig should resign

Will McConnell Refund Kentucky Contributors For Money He Donated To Larry Craig?

2007-08-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

As the Louisville liberal McConnell still attempts to run and hide to evade answering any questions about his good friend Larry Craig, many Kentucky conservatives are wondering whether they will get a refund off their recent contributions to McConnell's Bluegrass Committee? McConnell has been raising money in Kentucky to earmark to several senators around the country and it now appears that much of this money was donated to McConnell's good friend Larry Craig.

While McConnell stands tight-lipped, Conservative Senator Norm Coleman continues his recent stance against the weak leadership of the Louisville liberal McConnell, and is calling on Republicans to separate themselves from donation s to Craig. Kentucky conservatives can only hope that McConnell will follow Norm Coleman's lead for once and calls on Larry Craig to resign.

Why Does McConnell Refuse To Condemn Larry Craig?

2007-08-29T08:25:00.001-07:00

This is the question on the minds of many Kentucky conservatives this week after the Idaho Senator admitted to pleading guilty for lewd conduct in a public restroom.

Perhaps everyone should take a look back to the amnesty debate when Louisville liberal McConnell used Craig to help him carry Teddy Kennedy's water:

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) said he already has told Senate GOP leaders he will not support the immigration filibuster any longer. "They've had ample opportunity," Craig said of the Republican dissenters who successfully rallied a majority of their Conference to block the bill last week. Craig added that he supports McConnell's efforts to goad the conservatives into capitulating

Its not clear what use McConnell has for his good friend Larry Craig now, and why he is remaining so loyal to him, even after additional information is now coming out that some of Craig's conduct may have been criminal:

Though the senator denied being gay, it was not the first time he has confronted sexually related accusations. In 1982, he denied involvement in a congressional page sex scandal.

Herald-Leader: Anti-Gambling Forgy Hammers Vegas Moneyman Mitch

2007-08-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

The Lexington Herald Leader ran another column today showing exactly why conservatives need to rally behind Larry Forgy and send Benedict McConnell back to Louisville:

Forgy has been rumbling all summer about potentially challenging McConnell, and last week he lobbed criticism at McConnell in a Washington Times article...
Forgy maintains that his frustration with McConnell stems from the senator's reluctance to endorse Fletcher during the GOP primary and unwillingness last week to echo Fletcher's opposition to casino gambling, which is the main message of the governor's re-election campaign.
"The reason I have strong feelings about Sen. McConnell is the way he's treated Gov. Fletcher. It's that simple. If he helps Gov. Fletcher in this campaign and doesn't sit down on him over there in Louisville, then he doesn't have a problem with me," Forgy said.

The grassroots need to make it clear: it is not enough for the Louisville liberal McConnell to show up at a few events after he splintered the Republican Party in half. Over half of the Northup/McConnell voters are currently supporting Steve Beshear. If Mitch McConnell does not turn out these voters for Governor Fletcher and if he keeps refusing to back the Governor on fighting against gambling, then we should rally behind a true conservative and send McConnell packing back to Louisville in May.

Alessi: Forgy Set To Face McConnell At Fletcher Event

2007-08-23T08:26:00.001-07:00

Ryan Alessi of the Lexington Herald Leader has a piece that will be amusing to many supporters of Ernie Fletcher and Larry Forgy, in which he notes that Mitch McConnell is finally attending one of their fundraising events. Of course, the Louisville liberal is now so belittled that his presence is a mere afterthought to which pundits are speculating to whether he will continue his childish backstabbing ways or acknowledge the man that will unseat him, Larry Forgy:

Perhaps most interesting about Tuesday's event in Lexington is that former GOP gubernatorial candidate Larry Forgy will be one of the fund-raiser's co-hosts. Having Forgy, McConnell and Fletcher all together should make for an interesting evening, especially in light of Forgy fanning the flames about a potential challenge to McConnell next year.

Forgy, most recently, was quoted in a Washington Times story on Monday talking about the problems McConnell faces even among Kentucky Republicans as he prepares for his 2008 re-election.

“The average Kentuckian feels we are giving away this country with both hands — jobs are going, essentially the primacy of the people who made this country great is going, and Mitch McConnell is lumped with the Washington types on this,” Forgy told the newspaper.

Forgy has been an outspoken supporter of Fletcher throughout the governor's term -- especially during the state hiring investigation that led to indictments, pardons and more indictments. McConnell, during that time, remained publicly mute about Fletcher and declined to endorse him before expressing doubt about the governor's re-election chances.

Fletcher, meanwhile, has stopped short of endorsing McConnell's re-election.

Anti-Gambling Forgy Will Defeat Vegas Moneyman Mitch

2007-08-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

The radical liberals that think they will be able to use McConnell's ties to Las Vegas casinos against Governor Fletcher should think again. Everyone knows that Ernie Fletcher and Larry Forgy have long been outspoken against gambling. One can look back to Larry Forgy's now famous KET debate where he took Governor Jones to the task on the Casinocrats hoping to profit off gambling or to then Rep. Fletcher's work against Mitch McConnell when the Louisville liberal McConnell tried to block the McCain bill to outlaw gambling on college sports and the Coats amendment to end federal tax deductions for gambling losses:

McConnell had pleased his Las Vegas donors earlier by persuading Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., to withdraw an amendment that would have ended the federal tax deduction for gambling losses.
The deduction costs the government millions. Coats wanted it replaced with a deduction for Americans who support scholarship programs for poor children. But the gambling industry said the deduction was crucial for its biggest bettors.

Washington Times: "McConnell's base of support erodes"

2007-08-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

The national media is continuing to pick up on the fast growing grassroots movement that is sweeping Kentucky to elect Larry Forgy and send Mitch McConnell packing back to Louisville in 2008. The latest story is from the Washington Times:

Sen. Mitch McConnell's close backing of President Bush on immigration and the Iraq war is costing him support among Kentucky Republicans, and, according to some party members, hurting his chances for re-election next year.
He even could face a primary challenge from former Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Forgy, who contends that Mr. McConnell's in-state problems are compounded by job losses to producers beyond America's borders.
“The average Kentuckian feels we are giving away this country with both hands —
jobs are going, essentially the primacy of the people who made this country great is going, and Mitch McConnell is lumped with the Washington types on this,” Mr. Forgy said.
“And the war in Iraq is less troublesome in Kentucky than in many other places, but it is not popular here, and Republican voters see Mitch's views as too close to the president's on the war,” said Mr. Forgy, a Lexington lawyer...
“The immigration issue is trouble for everyone in central Kentucky,” Republican state Sen. Tom Buford said. “The Iraq war is always difficult for all incumbents, even if they support pulling the troops out. It is a no-win situation when elections are at risk.”
A county party chairman who supports Mr. McConnell but asked not to be identified said Mr. McConnell's re-election next year is uncertain — despite the Capitol Hill clout he brings Kentucky — unless he shows the folks back home he understands their distrust of Washington on enforcing immigration laws.
The chairman said he has tried to tell Mr. McConnell that he needs to assure the party's base that he opposes Mr. Bush's immigration bill.

The Kentucky Republican Party, torn by the immigration issue, was further fractured when critics claimed Mr. McConnell had acted behind the scenes to back an ultimately unsuccessful primary challenge by former Rep. Anne Northup against Gov. Ernie Fletcher earlier this year. The Fletcher faction of the state Republican Party is backing the “draft Forgy” campaign.

The fact that Republican Party county chairman are afraid of going on the record is another indication that McConnell is threatening Republican activists with retribution, just as he did to those supporting Governor Fletcher against Anne Northup in the spring. If the Louisville liberal continues these tactics, he can rest assured that his fate will be similar to Anne Northup's come next May.

Nunn Should Get Behind Larry Forgy

2007-08-17T09:45:00.001-07:00

There has been much speculation as to what former state Rep. Steve Nunn will do in the Republican 2008 Senate campaign. Reports were that Nunn was none too pleased with former Rep. Larry Hopkins comments during the Governor's primary:

The party "had been so divided by Louie Nunn (a former governor who backed Forgy) and Larry Forgy, it was just impossible to put back together," Hopkins said.

Everyone knows these comments were ludicrous, since it was McConnell who tore the Republican Party apart, not only in 2003, but also in 1999 when he went back on his word of staying neutral:

Nunn said McConnell had told him he would remain neutral in the GOP primary, but Fletcher's selection of Bates "gives the appearance that McConnell is right in the middle of all this, and it's contrary to what he has said at least twice to me."

Governor Louie Nunn was a strong backer of Larry Forgy in his race against Larry Hopkins, but it is not a given that Rep. Steve Nunn will stay out of the Senate race and endorse Forgy. Remember that Steve Nunn is far more moderate than the true conservative Forgy, and Governor Nunn endorsed Bob Gable in the 1995 primary, recording a hard-hitting radio ad against Forgy. However, it is a good sign that Rep. Nunn has so far refused to endorse McConnell, and with some encouragement, he may be able to be persuaded to stay out of the race and back Larry Forgy for the Republican nomination in 2008.

Novak: Republican Senators May Revolt Against McConnell

2007-08-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Bob Novak reported in his weekly column this morning that several Republican Senators now may go public in their discontent with the lack of leadership from Mitch McConnell, leading to what may be his replacement as minority leader:

Discontent with the GOP leadership is growing within the slender band of Republican reformers in both the House and Senate. They are considering but have not decided whether to go public.

This comes as no surprise, since several Republican Senators have made no secret at their disgust with McConnell's shunning of conservatives over the past few months. One Republican Senator even told Novak that McConnell "should be relieved of command for dereliction of duty."

Republican Senator Norm Coleman recently went public over the Iraq debate, saying, "at this point, I can't even tell you where Mitch is." Trent Lott also slammed McConnell over carrying the liberals' water on lobbying reform and amnesty, saying "after the exhibition I saw on immigration, I don't suspect there's going to be a lot of strength and dynamic leadership here." It appears that its just a matter of time until the national conservative leaders join the growing movement in Kentucky, and get behind Larry Forgy to provide some real leadership in the U.S. Senate.

WHAS's Hebert: Forgy Still Exploring Senate Campaign

2007-08-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Mark Hebert reported today that Larry Forgy is still exploring a primary challenge to the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell. Forgy is now making it clear that if Mitch does not turn out the Northup/McConnell voters that are now supporting Beshear, McConnell can expect to be sitting in Louisville on the sidelines in May:

Larry Forgy wouldn't rule out, or in, a run against Mitch McConnell next year when I asked him about that prospect at the Fancy Farm picnic. Forgy says he's glad to hear McConnell is helping Gov. Fletcher's reelection bid and the senator's help is really needed in Jefferson County where Fletcher is particularly weak. In response, McConnell told reporters "I have nothing to say to Larry Forgy."

WKYT's Bryant: Forgy Keeps Door Open For Senate Campaign

2007-08-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

Bill Bryant reported this week that Larry Forgy is still considering a Senate campaign against Mitch McConnell this spring. Its more important than ever to encourage Forgy to run, now that polls are making it clear that the showboating McConnell is all talk and is doing nothing to help turn out the Northup/McConnell supporters in Louisville for Governor Fletcher:

FORGY KEEPS ADMONITION IN PLACE

Former Republican candidate for governor Larry Forgy is still indicating he could mount a primary challenge to McConnell next May. Forgy says he wouldn’t have to decide until after the November election and says it will depend on how vigorously McConnell supports Governor Fletcher’s re-election bid. Forgy disavows personal connection to signs boosting him for the senate seat at Fancy Farm and to a Draft Forgy website. But he is aware of those and other efforts to entice him into the race.

After narrowly losing the 1995 governor’s race to Democrat Paul Patton, Forgy went on to lose a race for the Kentucky Supreme Court. But he has remained active in politics and has frequently advised Fletcher.

McConnell, who has already raised millions for his race for a fifth term in 2008, is expecting a tough challenge next year.

Where's Anne?

2007-08-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

84 days since the May primaries and Anne Northup has refused to make a single appearance for Governor Fletcher. Mitch, she's your puppet. After the poll last week showing a majority of Northup/McConnell voters are supporting Steve Beshear, its time to step up to the plate. If Mitch McConnell refuses to get Anne Northup and her turncoats to go to bat for Governor Fletcher, he can expect to be spending a lot of time with them in Louisville after he is unseated by Larry Forgy next May.

Hey Mitch, Return The Money

2007-08-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Even after the news that the FBI raided the home of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, Mitch McConnell refused to return the $2,500 he received from Steven's Northern Lights PAC last cycle.

Conservatives have been calling on McConnell to help lead the charge in cleaning up the corruption that brought our party down in 2006, but the Louisville liberal McConnell simply will not listen. Sen. Trent Lott blasted McConnell again over the issue, saying:

“After the exhibition I saw on immigration, I don’t suspect there’s going to be a lot of strength and dynamic leadership here [to oppose the lobbying reform legislation], but we’ll see,” he said, referring to GOP criticisms of McConnell’s lack of visibility during the final days of the unsuccessful immigration debate in June.

Lexington Herald Leader: Governor Fletcher Refuses To Endorse Mitch McConnell

2007-08-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

Ryan Alessi had an interesting column today on the tension still remaining from Benedict McConnell's backstabbing of Governor Fletcher and Kentucky's conservatives:

While Fletcher says that he and Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell are friends again, the governor has stopped short of saying that he'll endorse McConnell for re-election in 2008...

Fletcher wouldn't say whether he'll discourage other Republicans from challenging McConnell.

It should be noted that Fletcher also said he didn't expect to draw a GOP challenger for his re-election and ended up with two.
Justin Brasell, McConnell's general consultant for his re-election bid, said whether Fletcher endorses or not is up to the governor. But he said reports of any animosity between the two GOP leaders are exaggerated.
"No, there's no source of frustration at all," Brasell said. "I think the governor and the senator are getting along just fine."

Yeah, right. Who does Brasell think he is kidding? The Courier-Journal reported that a poll last week showed a majority of Northup/McConnell voters are supporting the Democrat Steve Beshear. Apparently the Louisville liberal McConnell thinks he is getting along with the Governor so well that he doesn't have to work any of the Louisville voters that he talked into turning on Governor Fletcher. If he keeps this up, Larry Forgy will send McConnell packing back to Louisville himself next spring.

Moneyman Mitch Does Casino's Dirty Work

2007-08-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

After making an incredible comeback to trounce McConnell/Northup in the Republican primary in May, Governor Fletcher is now storming again by pounding the liberals over their plans to bring casino gambling to Kentucky.

This comeback by Governor Fletcher is only foreshadowing next year's Senate primary in which true conservative and anti-gambling candidate Larry Forgy will hammer the Louisville liberal and Mitch "Moneyman" McConnell, who has accepted over $14,500 in campaign cash from the casino gaming industry, including $6,000 from Harrah's and $3,000 from Mandalay Resort Group. Anyone think these donations have helped the Las Vegas casino owners push their legislative agenda?

Gov. Ernie Fletcher Refuses To Endorse Mitch McConnell For Reelection

2007-08-08T07:30:00.001-07:00

The Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell got what he deserved this week as Gov. Ernie Fletcher refused to endorse him, after the Governor was swept up in the excitement building in the upcoming campaign of his close friend, strong supporter, and true conservative Larry Forgy. After Mitch McConnell refused to support Governor Fletcher and stabbed him in the back by recruiting Anne Northup, carried Teddy Kennedy's water on the immigration bill, and continues his unethical ways, it should be only a matter of time until several top Republicans around the Commonwealth endorse Larry Forgy and send Mitch McConnell back to Louisville.

Alessi: Forgy Issues Warning To Mitch McConnell

2007-08-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ryan Alessi's column today in the Lexington Herald-Leader included a stern warning from Larry Forgy to Mitch McConnell that the Louisville liberal McConnell better deliver votes for Governor Fletcher in his hometown:

Among the 135 names on the list for the Aug. 28 event at the Lexington home of Dr. Russell and Jill Travis is Larry Forgy, a former GOP gubernatorial candidate and ardent Fletcher supporter who has criticized McConnell for not sticking up for the governor.
Forgy, who hasn't ruled out challenging McConnell in a primary next spring, said he's waiting to see what McConnell will do to promote Fletcher this fall, especially in the senator's hometown.
"He can be very helpful in Louisville," Forgy said.

It is no secret that McConnell's backstabbing of the Governor by recruiting Anne Northup to run against him has damaged his support in Louisville. Now, it is up to the Louisville liberal McConnell to deliver votes for Governor Fletcher in his hometown or he will face his own defeat to a true conservative, Larry Forgy, in 2008.

Lexington Herald Leader: Forgy Sees No Reason To Rule Out A Senate Run

2007-08-05T20:59:00.001-07:00

The Lexington Herald Leader reports that Larry Forgy is still considering a challenge to Mitch McConnell for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. In addition Forgy issued a stern warning to the Louisville liberal McConnell that he better deliver for Governor Fletcher in his hometown:

Some morsels from the 127th annual Fancy Farm political picnic:

Someone placed fluorescent fliers on car windshields in the picnic parking lot saying, "Vote for a straight Republican. Vote Forgy U.S. Senator '08."

There was no further explanation.

Forgy, who was attending the event, said he didn't know who was responsible, but said he was aware of a Web site, www.draftforgy.com, that's encouraging him to take on U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in a Republican primary next year.

Forgy said he wants to wait until after the governor's race is over in November before deciding whether to run. Specifically, he said he wants to see how McConnell helps Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher in the senator's hometown of Louisville.

But Forgy also wouldn't rule out challenging McConnell. "I don't see any reason to rule it in or rule it out," he said. McConnell declined to comment on his 2008 re-election or potential challengers.

Mark Hebert Reports A Huge Presence Of Forgy Supporters At Fancy Farm

2007-08-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

The excitement behind Larry Forgy's upcoming U.S. Senate campaign at Fancy Farm made it clear that the grassroots activists of the Republican Party are lining up behind Larry Forgy as he mounts a primary campaign against Mitch McConnell. Mark Hebert of WHAS reports:

Most talked about signs: On the two lane road to Fancy Farm, there were
three signs saying "Vote "straight" Republican. Vote Forgy. U.S. Senator '08."
At the picnic there were fliers placed on dozens of windshields saying "Vote A
Straight Republican. Vote Forgy U.S. Senator '08."

Mitch McConnell is married to U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and has
daughers from a previous marriage.

Forgy told me he had nothing to do with the signs but suspected one of his
supporters from Leslie County did. He said he was glad to see Mitch McConnell
actively supporting Ernie Fletcher, but wouldn't rule out, or in, the
possibility of running against McConnell in a G.O.P. primary next year.

State-Journal: Observers Note Forgy As One Of Fancy Farm's All-Time Greats

2007-08-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

The State-Journal had a great preview of Fancy Farm this week in which in noted that Republican Tom Utterback recognized Larry Forgy as one of the all-time great stump speakers:

Democrats will certainly attack Fletcher over the Merit System scandal
which resulted from the investigation of alleged violations of state hiring
laws, Forgy said.

"I think the governor's integrity is beyond reproach," he said.

He attended the picnic many times between 1966 and 1995, and Utterback
heard speeches from many candidates, including "Happy" Chandler. However, Forgy
is still one of the best stump speakers, he said.

Trent Lott Hammers McConnell's Lack of Leadership

2007-08-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

The National Journal's CongressDailyAM reported this morning that a furious Trent Lott slammed Mitch McConnell's lack of leadership in carrying Teddy Kennedy and Harry Reid's water for a second time. Now the Louisville liberal is trying to shove the Democrats' sham ethics bill down our throats to cover up his own personal baggage while he prepares for a race against Larry Forgy:

Asked whether Republicans could muster the votes to block cloture on the lobby bill, Lott seemed to suggest Minority Leader McConnell would not take a strong stance leading Republican opposition to the bill.

“After the exhibition I saw on immigration, I don’t suspect there’s going to be a lot of strength and dynamic leadership here [to oppose the lobbying reform legislation], but we’ll see,” he said, referring to GOP criticisms of McConnell’s lack of visibility during the final days of the unsuccessful immigration debate in June.

Republican aides privately criticized McConnell for putting his re-election concerns before the leadership needs of his party; the proposed immigration reform was deeply unpopular in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, where he has said his Senate seat is targeted by Democrats.

Hinderaker: McConnell Throwing Away Heritage To Join Unethical Democrats

2007-08-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

Leading Republican commentator John Hinderaker of Powerline blog wrote an important piece today highlighting Mitch McConnell's refusal to see how ethics problems are ruining the Republican Party's election hopes. As if Tom DeLay, Mark Foley, Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney, and Conrad Burns were not enough in 2006, now Mitch McConnell is conspiring with Harry Reid to allow Ted Stevens to keep his committee assignments while the Democrat leader is prolonging this embarrassment to the GOP and running laps around the Louisville liberal. Now Mitch McConnell is going to give the Democrats another victory by giving them the allusion of strength in passing a bill that is nothing but a condemnation of the Republican Party:

The "ethics reform bill" now making its way through Congress marks the end, for now at least, of any serious effort to reform the earmark process. This is a sad thing for the Republican Party. Through all of modern history, up until the last two or three years, the Republicans were the party of clean government. It was the Democrats who were associated with bribes, corruption, machine politics, and so on. The idea that the current Republican leaders in Congress--I am thinking especially of Mitch McConnell--are willing to throw away this heritage, and join with the Democrats in suppressing any serious effort at reform--is profoundly depressing.

Sabato: McConnell "Has Got To Be Worried"

2007-07-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

Mitch McConnell should be commended for finally deciding to return from Washington and campaign for Governor Fletcher. However, he should be well aware that Kentucky conservatives are not going to forget that even after Governor Fletcher won the nomination, Mitch McConnell decided to carry Teddy Kennedy's water for 3 months before lifting a finger for the Governor:

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said McConnell's active support for Fletcher in the fall campaign was a political necessity for the senator to ensure Republicans are united behind him when he runs for re-election in 2008.

"McConnell knows that at least until November his bread is buttered on the side of Ernie Fletcher," Sabato said Monday by telephone.

If Mitch McConnell thinks he can simply stop by a few Fletcher/Rudolph fundraisers for 10 minutes and regain the support of the Commonwealth's conservatives, he is sadly mistaken. McConnell has one last chance to hit the campaign trail and start knocking on doors, or the Republican nominee in 2008 is going to be a true conservative named Larry Forgy.

Rothenberg Downgrades McConnell's Reelection Chances

2007-07-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

On the heals of a new Survey USA poll that shows McConnell's support among conservatives is collapsing, national political analyst Stu Rothenberg has downgraded Mitch McConnell's reelection hopes. Rothenberg has traditionally listed the Louisville liberal's seat as "safe," but now only gives McConnell a clear advantage.

That advantage is quickly slipping away as Larry Forgy is gaining steam. McConnell now has a choice: Either deliver for Governor Fletcher or watch your own reelection hopes continue to drop like a rock.

Where's McConnell?

2007-07-25T13:48:00.001-07:00

Its been 60 days since the Republican "Unity Rally" and the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell has yet to praise Governor Fletcher a single time.

Sounds like its about time for Larry Forgy to enter the race...

McConnell Approval Rating Among Conservatives Falls 12 Points In July

2007-07-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

Can you even imagine how much farther the Louisville liberal's rating will be when he is exposed by Larry Forgy? McConnell has fooled Kentucky's conservatives for years by saying one thing in Kentucky and doing another in Washington. Now its time to put this to a stop. According to Survey USA, McConnell's approval numbers among Conservatives have fallen from 77 percent on June 11 to 65 percent on July 16.

In Eastern Kentucky, home of our legendary conservative Congressman Hal Rogers, McConnell's approval rating has now fallen to 42 percent approval and 52 percent disapproval.

In McConnell's hometown of Louisville, his approval numbers have fallen to 44 percent approval (down from 51 percent last month) and 49 percent disapproval (up from 44 percent a month ago).

McConnell "Has Some Skeletons In His Closet"

2007-07-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

With the entry of Democrat Attorney General Greg Stumbo into the 2008 Senate race, it is more clear than ever that the Republican Party needs a nominee that does not have McConnell's ethical challenges, to provide a clear contrast to Stumbo:

In 2001, a woman sued Stumbo, claiming that he had fathered her child while he was married to another woman and then reneged on an agreement to pay support. A court later ruled that there was no agreement between Stumbo and the woman, but DNA tests proved that the child was Stumbo's. He later began paying support.
In 1991, while opposing tougher drunken-driving laws in the General Assembly, Stumbo pleaded guilty to public intoxication and paid a $100 fine after his car ran into a ditch.

However, McConnell is the last person that will be able to run on ethics as Stumbo made clear:

"I think Senator McConnell has some skeletons in his closet too. If he chooses that route, I promise him that it will be a two-way street."

Time: "McConnell Is Digging His Own Hole"

2007-07-24T08:10:00.001-07:00

The leading conservative site RealClearPolitics.com has recently partnered with Time Magazine to provide excellent analysis of the 2008 campaigns. This article made it clear that last weeks events that saw McConnell undermining General Petraeus by playing political games with our troops will not help his reelection hopes:

We wrote recently about some potential electoral trouble in which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could find himself, should Iraq remain in a bad state and Congressional Republicans continue to be so unpopular.

Today, more bad news for the Kentucky senator, as the state's Attorney General, Greg Stumbo, has formed an exploratory committee and is thinking about a bid in 2008. But Democrats should be warned, the race will not be a slam dunk.

They are right on. The race will be far from a slam dunk after we nominate a true conservative in Larry Forgy. Recent stories note that while Kentucky is likely to go Republican, the odds are far greater if the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell is not the nominee:

However, serving in Kentucky, a state likely to go strongly for the Republican Presidential nominee, may make arguments about McConnell's obstructionism moot. But if the presidential race hinges on Iraq, it could be that, by refusing to let Democrats make decisions about the war, therefore giving them responsibility for its progress, McConnell could be digging his own hole from which he'll have to extricate himself next year.

McConnell "Went Home For A Nap" During Iraq Vote

2007-07-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

These are the types of theatrics that are simple embarrassing to the Kentucky Republican Party. Mitch McConnell decided he was too tired to lead the Senate Republicans during the Iraq vote last week so he went home to take a nap:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Louisville, also skipped the 5:13 a.m. vote. During the first half of the night, however, he held court in his leadership office, meeting with lawmakers and even serving dinner to many of them and their staff members. Finally, however, McConnell needed his rest.
"He went home for a nap - had to take a break from the 'theatrical display' organized by the Dems," said his spokeswoman, Julie Adams.

Blitzer Cuts Off CNN Interview After McConnell Lies About Ignoring The Petraeus Report

2007-07-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Wolf Blitzer cut off his interview with Mitch McConnell on CNN's Late Edition today after McConnell lied about listening to the advice of the generals on the ground. The Louisville liberal McConnell made claims about other Senators pledging to ignore the report of General Petraeus, when it was in fact McConnell himself who has made such pledges in the past week:

McConnell said he doesn't know what Petraeus will say in September..."I don't know what's going to happen in September," he said. But if there's a stampede by Senate Republicans defecting on Iraq, he said, "No, I'm not going to lead it."

Its clear that the Republican Party needs leadership on Iraq since McConnell has again been MIA over the Iraq debate. Not only does Kentucky's Republican Party need Larry Forgy, but the national GOP does as well.

New York Times Editorial Board Slams McConnell's "Political Showmanship"

2007-07-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

The New York Times compared Mitch McConnell to Tom Daschle this morning, sparking mroe conversation that his scenario is growing increasingly similar to the former Senate minority leader who lost his reelection bid in 2004. Only the Democrats were not smart enough then to replace him and nominate someone who can win. In 2008, Kentucky's conservative voters will have a choice: nominate a sure loser in the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell or elect a true conservative in Larry Forgy. The editorial board writes:

The minority leader, Mitch McConnell, notes the Democrats engaged in similar guerrilla tactics when they were in the minority. But Mr. McConnell should keep in mind that voters can tell the difference between principled resistance and political showmanship. The Democrats’ former minority leader, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, lost his seat three years ago when he was roundly attacked by the opposition for running a partisan, obstructionist minority.
The Iraq war stands apart as a watershed issue — a downward spiral that the public increasingly sees as a colossal waste of the nation’s blood and treasure.

McConnell Undercutting General Petraeus After He Uses Him For Cover

2007-07-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Fred Barnes has an interesting story in the Weekly Standard in which it becomes clear that Mitch McConnell is using General Petraeus for cover. McConnell has repeatedly said that we need to wait until we hear from the Generals on the ground:

At least until September, he told me, "the president and the military are going to have total latitude." It's in September that General David Petraeus will report to Washington about the success of the so-called "surge" of American forces in Iraq. That's "the critical moment," McConnell said.

However, McConnell is now saying that he doesn't care what the Petraeus report says:

McConnell said he doesn't know what Petraeus will say in September..."I don't know what's going to happen in September," he said. But if there's a stampede by Senate Republicans defecting on Iraq, he said, "No, I'm not going to lead it."

We already know the Louisville liberal will not be leading the Republicans on anything. In fact, it appears he is headed to a no-confidence vote by Republican Senators after his failure to lead on amnesty and now disappearing during the Iraq debate. By saying he will refuse to support a change in strategy even if recommended by General Petraeus, McConnell is undercutting our Generals on the ground. Its time for Larry Forgy to step up and provide the Republican Party with real leadership and give us someone who stops saying one thing at home and doing another in Washington.

Conservative Sen. Norm Coleman Can't Find McConnell

2007-07-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

It is becoming more and more clear that Mitch McConnell has not only lost the support of the Kentucky Republican Party, but has lost the confidence of the Republican U.S. Senators. Conservative U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman told the AP:

"At this point, I can't even tell you where Mitch is on some of these" Iraq-related amendments, Coleman added. "This is an issue that is so transcendent - there hasn't been a lot of herding."

Privately, however, some Republicans and their top aides express alarm that McConnell has recently hung back on more divisive issues, allowing party rifts to be highlighted and weakening Bush's position where he can least afford it.

In many cases, Sens. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., who chairs the party's communications operation, and Trent Lott, R-Miss., the whip, have instead taken the lead.

Kentucky's own Al Cross also noted that Mitch is increasingly vulnerable after his failed attempt to push through Teddy Kennedy's amnesty bill:

"McConnell knows he can't take anything for granted, and he doesn't," said Al Cross, who runs a rural journalism center at the University of Kentucky. "The immigration vote was the real signal that he knows he's not a shoo-in for re-election."

Where is McConnell?

2007-07-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

He was MIA from the McConnell-Kennedy Amnesty Bill debate. He is still MIA from Governor Fletcher's reelection campaign. And now Mitch McConnell is absent from the Iraq debate:

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell was conspicuous by his absence when key Republicans met with White House officials last week on how to limit party defections on Iraq.
And weeks earlier he had raised eyebrows among some of his colleagues by disappearing into the woodwork in the immigration debate, then voting against President Bush's plan.

Where is McConnell?

2007-07-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Its been 51 days since the Republican "Unity Rally" and the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell has yet to praise Governor Fletcher a single time.

Sounds like its about time for Larry Forgy to enter the race...