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Political BLOG |
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Joe Arnold
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September 2007 ArchivesThe two candidates for governor have agreed to another debate/forum on live TV. This one will air Sunday, October 21st at 7 p.m. on WHAS-TV in Louisville and WTVQ-TV in Lexington. ...The two candidates for Kentucky governor might get sick of seeing each other by the end of this week. Steve Beshear and Ernie Fletcher are scheduled to attend three forums this week. ...It's not a story that will have you slapping your forehead saying "you gotta be kiddin' me!" but Tom Loftus of the Courier-Journal has found plenty of donations to gubernatorial candidates that are questionable, at best. ...Governor Fletcher has launched what I consider to be his first "attack" TV ad of the fall campaign. ...State representative Jim Gooch (D) Providence says house leaders' demand that members return their pay from an ill-fated special session is "not leadership." ...Kentucky's state treasury got a $105,000 boost today from members of the Kentucky House of Representatives. ...The Bluegrass Freedom Fund is running a new TV ad against Governor Fletcher. ...The Herald-Leader has been doing a fine series on its web page, allowing Gov. Fletcher and Steve Beshear to ask each other questions and give answers on specific topics. ...The C-J has an interview with the new Kentucky Board of Education Chairman, who says he's pleased with the folks who have applied for the commissioner's job. ...The Democratic Party has filed a complaint against the Republican Governor's Association and Governor Fletcher. ...It appears the Fletcher-Beshear debate in Louisville on Thursday got a little testy. ...After months of inaction, Kentucky's House leadership has decided to launch an investigation of a hostile workplace allegation against Legislative Research Commission Director Bobby Sherman. But Senate President David Williams apparently has declined Speaker Jody Richards' request to support the probe. ...Remember that poll that had Steve Beshear ahead by just three points early in the campaign? That same poll now has him ahead by 10 with a huge number of undecideds. ...Governor Fletcher and Secretary of State Trey Grayson went head-to-head with fundraisers in Northern Kentucky on Tuesday. ...A northern Kentucky state representative is apparently doing well after a quick heart surgery. ...The latest approval ratings for Kentucky's U.S. Senators shows Mitch McConnell's rating has actually gone up in the past month, despite a flurry of McConnell bashing TV ads by anti-war groups. ...Any of Governor Fletcher's appointees to top posts in state government who haven't begun looking for a new job are probably being unfair to their families. ...A majority of Kentuckians don't think gambling is morally wrong according to a new Survey USA/WHAS 11 poll. ...A Survey USA/WHAS 11 poll has found that 83% of Kentuckians favor the death penalty. ...John Edwards will roll his presidential campaign onto the banks of the Mississippi Riiver on October 4th. ...Kentucky's junior U.S. Senator apparently thinks U.S. Presidents should be able to keep their presidential papers secret for as long as they want. ...It could lead to another banning of the death penalty across the United States, and it's a Kentucky case that will set the precedent. ...The Lexington Herald-Leader's Ryan Alessi has another story about Steve Beshear's involvement, or lack of it, in the Kentucky Central Life Insurance case. ...It looks like the late game air war will determine who Kentucky's next Attorney General will be. ...The attorney for Kentucky Highway Commissioner Marc Williams told a hearing officer today that she wouldn't hear any evidence that Williams violated executive branch ethics laws. Guthrie True also told the hearing officer that key witness Sam Beverage's failure to show up for the hearing was impeachable evidence and could kill the case against Williams. ...A media watchdog group says it's research shows Kentucky newspapers print more columns by conservatives than liberals. Here's the release from a group called Media Matters. ...It turns out that Steve Beshear's law firm paid for the conflict of interest investigation that Beshear says he doesn't recall. ...It appears there's a move by some House Republicans to get rid of the top two staffers at the National Republican Campaign Committee, including political director Terry Carmack. ...Steve Beshear apparently liked the "unbridled spirit" logo and p.r. campaign that the state of Kentucky is currently using. Steve Beshear picked up the endorsement of the Kentucky firefighters union on thursday which could be seen as a bit of a slap in the face to Governor Fletcher. ...The newest Survey USA/WHAS-TV poll shows Governor Fletcher's approval rating dropped to 38% in September, down two points from where he was last month. ...The bad news keeps coming for Ernie Fletcher from the independent pollsters who are following the Kentucky race for governor. ...Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ivan Potter to the political blogosphere! ...I've been saying privately for months that Ernie Fletcher could argue convincingly that he's the best governor Louisville has ever had in terms of state dollars being thrust into Louisville projects. ...The Kentucky Republican Party is trying to capitalize on the renewed hubbub over the Kentucky Central Life Insurance case by sending reporters a snippet of one of the judge's rulings in the case. ...The hardest hitting ad of the 2007 governor's race is about to hit the airwaves in Kentucky. ...20 of the 37 republican members of the Kentucky House of Representatives are supporting Fred Thompson's candidacy for U.S. President. ...Two Fletcher administration officials, Lt. Gov. Steve Pence and Personnel Secretary Erwin Roberts publicly endorsed Anne Northup's campaign against Governor Fletcher. ...It appears UK students forgot their cotillion classes before and after UK's football win over U of L on saturday. ...Most of you who read this blog are well aware of the tit-for-tat going on between Attorney General Greg Stumbo and Secretary of State Trey Grayson over the use of uncertified voting machines in Jefferson County. ...Folks in Louisville will get a chance to see Ernie Fletcher and Steve Beshear meet face-to-face on wednesday at noon. ...Louisville Metro government will get a big chunk of cash toward its $71 million communications system courtesy of homeland security grants announced today by Governor Fletcher's office. ...Looks like the two candidates for Attorney General have got some work to do in informing voters before election day. ...As reported here first, two former elected republicans are supporting Steve Beshear for governor. ...One more tidbit from the Herald-Leader/WTVQ-TV poll: Voters haven't been energized by Governor Fletcher's anti-casino message. ...Former Lt. Governor Steve Henry has settled a small claims action filed against him by a Lexington political consultant. ...The first poll from WTVQ-TV and the Lexington Herald-Leader shows a majority of Kentuckians think Governor Ernie Fletcher has a done a poor job. ...The Lexington Herald-Leader and WTVQ-TV in Lexington have teamed up to do some polling on the governor's race. Welcome to the club!!! ...As I've said before, I'm not convinced the voting public pays any attention to endorsements in political races. But some endorsements are interesting enough to write about. This entry falls into that category. ...Rep. Melvin Henley of Murray may be switching from republican to democrat as early as tomorrow. But before we close the chapter on Milward Dedman's switch, here are a final notes: ...The Louisville Bats Triple A baseball team used to have a guy named "Dancing Carl" who would climb up on top of the dugout and dance in between innings. ...As you might expect, Governor Fletcher's campaign has raised some questions about the Lexington Herald-Leader's story about possible conflicts of interest by Steve Beshear's law firm. The story says Stites and Harbison was the focus of a secret investigation concerning its handling of the Kentucky Central Life Insurance fiasco. ...The two candidates for governor have been trying to fly under reporters radar screens by not releasing their schedules of public events to reporters. ...Ryan Alessi has a potentially damaging story about a secret investigation of Steve Beshear's law firm and how it handled the Kentucky Central Life Insurance mess. ...David Hawpe's column in wednesday's C-J wsa the second place I've seen speculation that Brown-Forman Company's retiring chairman of the board, Owsley Brown II, is considering a run against Mitch McConnell next year. ...In two weeks we'll get a chance to see Steve Beshear and Ernie Fletcher do battle in Louisville. ...The U.K. Board of Trustees' election of Mira Ball as its new chairman appears to be a compromise.l ...Kentucky's Attorney General is ready to take on Governor Fletcher again. ...Steve Beshear still has a huge lead over Ernie Fletcher in the latest Survey USA/WHAS11 News poll released this morning. ...Sources tell WHAS 11 News that they expect two republican state house members to officially switch parties and register as democrats this week. ...It looks like the U.K. Board of Trustees meeting could be fun tuesday afternoon. Remember Barbara Erwin? Yeah, that Barbara Erwin. The one hired to lead Kentucky schools for the next several years? ...The Kentucky Broadcasters Association and The League of Women Voters have nailed down a date for a forum featuring the two candidates for governor. ...To noone's surprise, Governor Fletcher has appointed Court of Appeals judge Lisabeth Abramson to the Kentucky Supreme Court. Abramson was selected over Jefferson Circuit Court judges James Shake and Geoffrey Morris. For more on Abramson, check out my previous postings. ...Kentucky Roll Call is saying the city of Frankfort may be ready to start trying to collect occupational taxes from anyone who sticks their head inside the Frankfort city limits to do business. Laura Cullen and Lowell Reese do great work. Consider getting a subscription: 502-875-7745. ...What's the biggest question many of you have asked me in the past few months????? The first one is, "do you think Ernie has a chance?" The second one is "what are you hearing about Fletcher and Beshear's fundraising?" ...Apparently the brother of democratic U.S. Congressman John Yarmuth is not hosting an event for a conservative associated with Swiftboat controversy that dogged Sen. John Kerry's presidential bid. ...According to a close friend of former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice William McAnulty, the deceased judge said he wanted Lisabeth Abramson to fill his seat on the bench. ...A democratic-leaning political committee is launching a TV attack on Governor Fletcher. ...Kentucky is setting up a tourism office in Japan. I thought we already had one in Tokyo, but apparently not. ...The Kentucky Auditor's Office has completed a review of the agency that was set up to help fund potential economic development in high tech industries. ...The Associated Press' Bruce Schreiner has the platforms on senior citizens issues of the two candidates for governor. ...A judicial panel has nominated three Louisville judges to temporarily fill the Kentucky Supreme Court seat vacated by the resignation of the late William McAnulty. ...Another anti-war group is running TV ads, featuring young boys in fatigues, beginning tomorrow in Lexington and Louisville. ...Those of you who are politically junkies (and why would you be reading this if you weren't?) probably enjoy polling data. ...The University of Kentucky's student newspaper has a story today about the process the UK Board of Trustees used to nominate Steve Branscum as chairman. ...There's an interesting story on PageOne about Jewish Hospital cancelling a political event after a backlash from some doctors. ...Kentucky's Attorney General is now fighting republicans on two fronts, though both are on the first floor of the capitol building in Frankfort. ...While critics are accusing Steve Beshear of promising big new spending for lots of groups and issues, all tied to casino gambling, Governor Fletcher is trying to keep up with the promising game. ...For those of us in my generation, there's a "can't miss" speaker coming to Louisville in October. ...It appears the faculty and staff at the University of Kentucky aren't real excited about Steve Branscum becoming the chair of the U.K. Board of Trustees. ...Governor Fletcher's former press secretary Brett Hall has apparently put together, or found, a 30 second video that hasn't hit the airwaves yet, but is on YouTube. ...They're not going to Tennessee looking for Sam Waterston's autograph, they're headed to a campaign rally for Tennessee U.S. Senator Fred Thompson. ...Former gubernatorial candidate Steve Henry says he'll be getting together with running mate Rene True and some of his campaign staffers to figure out what the campaign owes and to whom. ...Tom Loftus has a story in the C-J this morning about the money from the sale of road bonds going to the districts of republican state lawmakers. ...The Lexington Herald-Leader decided to follow the lead of their brethren at WHAS-TV and travel to casino town to check out the good and bad. Crack political reporter Ryan Alessi went to Metropolis, Ill. ...There's a poorly written story on a liberal website about Surgeon General nominee James Holsinger, but I think it's worth reading. The bottom line of the story is an implication that Holsinger had a conflict of interest when he helped steer millions of dollars from a foundation to U.K. ...I had promised to give you my impressions of Aurora, Illinois, which provided the backdrop for Governor Fletcher's first anti-casino TV commercial. ...Tom Loftus has a good story in the C-J this morning about Kentucky state naturalists members getting ready to visit the Creation Museum in northern Kentucky. ... |
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WHAS11 Reporters blog the latest political news from the campaign trail and beyond. 
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