October 2007 Archives

Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson says he's been worried about Ernie Fletcher's coattails dragging him down on election day. But Grayson believes his ad campaign will give him better name recognition with voters and, perhaps, help him avoid democratic straight ticket voting.

>> Continue reading: Will Grayson Go Down With Fletcher?

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With Governor Fletcher trailing Steve Beshear in the polls, I decided to see how a Beshear landslide might rank among the past 36 years of gubernatorial elections.

>> Continue reading: Past Election Margins

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Steve Beshear has a 23 point lead over Ernie Fletcher in the latest Courier-Journal Bluegrass State poll.

>> Continue reading: C-J Poll Mirrors WHAS-TV Poll

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Steve Beshear has widened his lead over Ernie Fletcher and appears headed toward a double digit win in the Kentucky governor's race. Here's my story from Tuesday when I followed Fletcher and Beshear on the campaign trail.

>> Continue reading: Beshear's Lead Widens - Survey USA

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Governor Fletcher may have tipped his hand that he thinks the election might be over. It may have happened before and during the governor's news conference on Peabody Energy on Monday.

>> Continue reading: Fletcher Politically Tone Deaf??? UPDATED (2)

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Governor Fletcher's campaign is accusing Steve Beshear's campaign of making illegal calls to state employees.

>> Continue reading: Beshear Campaign Calling State Offices?

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I know it made headlines, including a big story on our station, but there really wasn't much news out of today's announcement from Governor Fletcher and Peabody Energy Corporation.

>> Continue reading: Peabody Not a Done Deal, Fletcher Happy, McConnell Silent

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The home county of Ernie Fletcher and Steve Beshear is giving big money to the challenger, according to an analysis by Fletcher's former press secretary.

>> Continue reading: Beshear Getting Big Money From Three Counties

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The only person who was ever charged with a crime in the Paul Patton-Tina Conner scandal has lost her legal appeal.

>> Continue reading: Tina Conner Loses Appeal

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The Lexington Herald-Leader is reporting that Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell is trying to earmakr federal money to a defense contractor that's the focus of a bribery investigation.

>> Continue reading: McConnell Helping Firm in Bribery Probe

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Although candidates from Louisville can't seem to win the governorship, candidates from Kentucky's largest city always seem to do well in the down ticket races.

>> Continue reading: Conway Cruising in A.G. Race

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It looks like there really is a chance that being a republican candidate in Kentucky this fall may be enough to get one beat.

>> Continue reading: Grayson in Tight Race - WTVQ/H-L Poll

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The first public poll on the Louisville library tax referendum shows supporters far outnumber opponents. But the biggest number, in terms of impact, is the undecideds.

>> Continue reading: "Yes" Has Big Lead in Library Tax Vote

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Steve Beshear crushed Ernie Fletcher in fundraising over the past 15 days but doesn't have much more that Fletcher left in the bank for the closing days of the election.

>> Continue reading: Beshear Outraises Fletcher 4:1 in Last 15 Days

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Another employee of Greg Stumbo has been arrested, this time for allegedly stalking a female co-worker.

>> Continue reading: Another Asst. A.G. Busted

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It looks like Peabody Energy is finally going to pull the trigger and announce that they plan to build a coal-to-natural gas plant somewhere in Western Kentucky.

>> Continue reading: Peabody Finally Coming?

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Ernie Fletcher and Steve Beshear are both is Louisville today, Fletcher at a prayer breakfast attended by about 75 people, Beshear at a rally at a union hall tonight (about 200 people). Here's my story.

>> Continue reading: Fletcher and Beshear Campaigning UPDATED

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The AFL-CIO and Governor Fletcher's former press secretary have new polls out that tell us what we'd expect a poll from those respective groups to say.

>> Continue reading: Polls With Half the Story

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A series of recommendations which are about to be issued by a Lexington task force on immigration has apparently sparked a firestorm of controversy.

>> Continue reading: Immigration Report Is Political Fodder

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The Lane Report's October issue shows Secretary of State Trey Grayson locked in a dead heat with Democrat Bruce Hendricksen.

>> Continue reading: Month Old Poll Shows Grayson Tied

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State lawmakers haven't been allowed to ask Frankfort lobbyists for campaign donations to their own campaigns since the post Boptrot ethics reforms. Now lawmakers can't ask lobbyists to contribute to their political parties either.

>> Continue reading: Lawmakers Can't Ask Lobbyists for Donations

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As part of our televised debate Sunday night, we asked Survey USA to poll some hot button issues for us, so we might use some of the results during the gubernatorial debate. Here are some of the results:

>> Continue reading: Gays, Casinos, Bridges and Schools

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A new article in Roll Call suggests that Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio won't be the political battlegrounds that they were in 2006.

>> Continue reading: Kentucky Not A Battleground

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I don't know about you, but my intrusion on to Mark's political blogosphere looks scary to me.

>> Continue reading: Boy is my head that much bigger than Hebert's?

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Is the library tax increase proposal a way to bail the city out of growing health care and pension costs?

>> Continue reading: New Wrinkle in Library Tax Plan UPDATED

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Here's some more of the information and breakouts on the Survey USA/WHAS-TV poll released today. UPDATE: Video of story I did at 5 on Tues.

>> Continue reading: More on Survey USA/WHAS-TV Gov's Poll UPDATE

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The new Survey USA/WHAS 11 poll is not kind to Governor Fletcher's reelection chances.

>> Continue reading: Fletcher Losing Ground - Survey USA

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I know comedian Stephen Colbert isn't serious about running for president, but there is a pretty funny possibility out there if he manages to file proper papers.

>> Continue reading: Colbert With FEC Probs???

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This story that I did last week didn't make it to our web page, so I thought I'd share the guts of it with you web surfers.

>> Continue reading: Fletcher Hirings Not As Political As Portrayed

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First, an apology to Governor Fletcher. As you watch the debate you'll see I challenged his recollection of the fate of the "Boni Bill" during the 2007 legislative session.

>> Continue reading: Fletcher/Beshear Debate

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Former Deputy State Transportation Secretary Dick Murgatroyd has been gone from the Fletcher adminstration more than two years. But today he was hit with ethics charges in connection with his actions while he was in Frankfort.

>> Continue reading: Murg Hit With Ethics Charges

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Kentucky finally has its first female african american judge, courtesy of an appointment from a Republican governor.

>> Continue reading: Glass Ceiling Punched By Judge Clayton

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I'm trying to figure out why Greg Stumbo is happy with a ruling from a Franklin Circuit judge, allowing the Executive Branch Ethics Commission to go forward with an investigation of his office.

>> Continue reading: Stumbo Pleased With Defeat

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Well isn't this a stick in the eye of the Transportation Cabinet?

>> Continue reading: I.G.'s Employee Wins Ethics Award

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We need your questions for the debate Sunday night between Ernie Fletcher and Steve Beshear.

>> Continue reading: Live Debate on Sunday Night

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If you want to watch one of Al Smith's last hostings of KET's Comment on Kentucky, you can watch live in Louisville this friday.

>> Continue reading: Comment On Kentucky Audience Avail

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It appears lots of folks who gave money to the candidate who promised to "clean up the mess in Frankfort" in 2003 have decided to give money to the candidate who's pledging to "stop the corruption" this time around.

>> Continue reading: Fletcher Loses Donors to Beshear

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The Old State Office Building, where hundreds of political deals were cut in the old Transportation Cabinet offices, has been refurbished and is about to reopen.

>> Continue reading: S.O.B. Back in Action

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A Survey USA/WHAS-TV poll of Kentuckians shows they would narrowly pick Fred Thompson or John McKain in a head to head matchup with Hillary Clinton.

>> Continue reading: Kentuckians Favor Thompson, McCain Over Hillary

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Jim Carroll of the C-J has more on the continuing controversy surrounding the criticism of Graeme Frost, the 12-year-old boy who democrats used to help boost their case for passage of the S-Chip bill.

>> Continue reading: More on McConnell and Controversy

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Former Fletcher administration official Erwin Roberts reports raising more than $100,000 since he filed to run for the 3rd District Congressional seat currently held by John Yarmuth.

>> Continue reading: Roberts Raises Over $100,000 For Congressional Bid

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President Bush's job approval rating among Kentuckians sits at a low 41%, according to the most recent Survey USA/WHAS-TV poll.

>> Continue reading: Kentuckians Like Pres. Bush More Than Rest of America

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Sen. Richie Sanders made it official today, he's quitting at the end of his term in 2008.

>> Continue reading: Sen. Sanders Is Retiring. Who Will GOP Run???

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Boy, alot of you are really interested in Senator Mitch McConnell's answers to my questions about his office's role, or non-role, in the whole Graeme Frost controversy.

>> Continue reading: The Raw McConnell Video On-line

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Senator Mitch McConnell's job approval rating has dipped to its lowest point since Survey USA began tracking his ratings more than two yeas ago.

>> Continue reading: McConnell's Approval Rating Lowest Ever NEW INFO!!!

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It appears State Senator Richie Sanders may call the 2008 Legislative Session his last.

>> Continue reading: Sanders Quitting?

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was in Louisville on Sunday night and Monday, talking to students in the McConnell Scholars program.

>> Continue reading: Reid on Iraq, Bush, Working with McConnell

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The Frankfort State Journal is reporting that the man whose information started the merit hiring investigation of the Fletcher administration, will not be forced to answer questions from Transportation Cabinet attornies.

>> Continue reading: Doerting Won't Get Grilling By DOT

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I'd been working on a story about a former Monroe County P.V.A. who was convicted on a corruption charge, getting a promotion in the Fletcher administration.

>> Continue reading: Sometimes You Just Get Beat

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Governor Ernie Fletcher says one entry on Steve Beshear's campaign spending report proves Beshear recognizes same sex marriages, which are barred in Kentucky.

>> Continue reading: Fletcher Says Beshear Finance Report Proves Support For Gay Marriage

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It looks like the investigators in the Attorney General's office want to stop an investigation of their tactics.

>> Continue reading: Stumbo's Office Tries to Stop Investigation

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Here are some quotes from U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell today on Al Gore, Fletcher and allegations that one of his aides prompted the GOP's criticism of a 12-year-old boy.

>> Continue reading: McConnell On........

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Steve Beshear has a new TV ad on the air which is designed to counter the bashing Fletcher is giving him on the Kentucky Central issue.

>> Continue reading: Beshear Ad Features Misspelled Name, Dem. Activist

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The two candidates for Kentucky governor squared off for the first time since the release of that secret report on Kentucky Central Life Insurance Company's problems.

>> Continue reading: Beshear/Fletcher Battle in the West

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Political reporters see alot of funny news releases. Some are intentionally funny, some are just so ridiculous that one has to laugh.

>> Continue reading: Beshear Loves Gay Money - Fletcher

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The Democrats trotted out a 12-year-old boy named Graeme Frost to give their response to President Bush's radio address over the weekend.

>> Continue reading: McConnell Staffer Linked to Criticism of 12-year-old

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Another Republican state senator could be facing a serious challenge next year.

>> Continue reading: Dems Smell Blood In Water

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That $5.3 million that Steve Beshear reported in contributions today includes a big chunk of non-cash, in-kind contributions from the Kentucky Democratic Party.

>> Continue reading: Beshear's Cash Collection Short of $5 Million

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An independent 527 committee continues to do the dirty work on Governor Fletcher that we haven't seen in ads from Steve Beshear's campaign.

>> Continue reading: Bluegrass Freedom Fund Doing Dirty Work

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David L. Who? That's what Kentucky Democrats must be saying because their party leaders have certainly forgotten that they have a candidate for Agriculture Commissioner.

>> Continue reading: Do Dems Have Ag. Commissioner Candidate???

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Two republican former state lawmakers from Jefferson County announced their endorsement of Steve Beshear for governor today.

>> Continue reading: Lile, Casebier Endorse Beshear

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Governor Fletcher has narrowed the margin in the governor's race, but not much.

>> Continue reading: Beshear Still Up 16 In SurveyUSA Poll

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There may be a logical explanation, but it appears that the Republican Governors Association is using the exact same video for one of its TV ads that Governor Fletcher used in one of his TV ads in the May primary.

>> Continue reading: Demo Blogger May Have Caught RGA Red Handed UPDATED RGA RESPONSE

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Unless the Beshear folks have been purposely inflating their fundraising numbers over the past few weeks, it appears that Steve Beshear will easily outraise a sitting governor.

>> Continue reading: Fletcher's Finance Report Is In UPDATE

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Governor Fletcher has launched another TV ad bashing Steve Beshear over the Kentucky Central Life Insurance liquidation.

>> Continue reading: Fletcher Has New TV Ad on Kentucky Central

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Kentucky's Personnel Secretary Brian Crall has stuck a finger in the eye of one of his governor's closest allies, Bill Nighbert, as well as one political nemesis, Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Jonathan Miller.

>> Continue reading: You Can't Say He's Playing Favorites

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I couldn't figure out why any presidential candidate (including John Edwards) would visit Kentucky for something other than a fundraiser. The Huckabee campaign must have just figured out they wouldn't get much mileage out of coming to a college campus in a state that will likely play no role in the outcome of the party nominations.

>> Continue reading: Huckabee Bails on Centre

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Minnesota Public Radio has created a quiz that is designed to tell you which presidential candidate has views closest to your own. You can find it at a Quad Cities TV station's web site.

>> Continue reading: Pick A Presidential Candidate CORRECTED

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Lowell Reese of Kentucky Roll Call says there's evidence that Kentucky Auditor Crit Luallen may be looking past her reelection campaign.

>> Continue reading: Kentucky Roll Call - Luallen Considering U.S. Senate Race

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After reading all of the versions of the Kentucky Central Life Insurance report stories that I could find, it appears to me that the Lexington Herald-Leader's story is the toughest on Beshear.

>> Continue reading: H-L Story Toughest on Beshear

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The 12-year-old investigative report on Stites and Harbison's conflict of interest in the Kentucky Central Life Insurance liquidation has produced no "smoking gun" that Steve Beshear did anything wrong.

>> Continue reading: Report Finds S and H, But Not Beshear Made Mistakes

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Steve Beshear's attempt at humor rubbed a Glasgow reporter the wrong way and she wrote about it in the Glasgow newspaper.

>> Continue reading: Smart Aleck Beshear May Lose Female Vote

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I still think of him as a young radio reporter. But for folks on both sides of the political aisle, Scott Jennings has become so much more.

>> Continue reading: Jennings Leaving Controversy, D.C. for Louisville

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The Kentucky Enquirer's Pat Crowley has talked with Steve Beshear about the expected release of that secret report on Kentucky Central Life Insurance.

>> Continue reading: Crowley - Beshear Thinks Report Will Be Negative

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Isn't this a hoot? Former sportswriter Billy Reed is now on the staff of Attorney General Greg Stumbo.

>> Continue reading: Billy Reed Lays Bet on Stumbo

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Attorney General Greg Stumbo has won the first round in what's expected to be a long legal battle with Marathon Oil over the attorney general's price gouging lawsuit against Marathon and Speedway SuperAmerica.

>> Continue reading: A.G. 1 Marathon Oil 0

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Kentucky's House and Senate leaders voted today to stop any investigation of the Director of the Legislative Research Commission, Bobby Sherman.

>> Continue reading: Legislators Won't Investigate LRC Director

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Caroline Pitt Clark, the newest member of the Kentucky Public Service Commission, is seeking an ethics ruling on cases involving her former law firm.

>> Continue reading: New PSC Member Seeks Ethics Ruling

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We all make mistakes, but in a story I just aired about an Office of Education Accountablity investigation of the Jefferson County school system, I referred to former school board member Patrick O'Leary as JOSEPH O'Leary.

>> Continue reading: Quick Apology

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Steve Beshear has been hording his cash for one reason.......to combat the expected onslaught of attack ads from Governor Fletcher.

>> Continue reading: Beshear Punches Back on KCL Problems

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If it's the "Senator from Clairol," as Rush Limbaugh derisively calls John Edwards, coming to western Kentucky, it's the "Governor from weight loss" coming to Danville and the Republican "Congressman from withdrawal" is coming to Ft. Mitchell.

>> Continue reading: Huckabee Coming to Danville/Paul to N. Ky.

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The former state employee whose binder full of e-mails and documents started the investigation of Governor Fletcher's hiring practices is now volunteering for Steve Beshear's campaign for governor.

>> Continue reading: Doerting Working for Beshear

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As reported here first several weeks ago, former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev will be speaking in Louisville this wednesday.

>> Continue reading: Gorby Tix Available/Colin Powell Coming In '08

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The WestKyPolitics website has more information on John Edwards' visit to Columbus later this week.

>> Continue reading: More on Edwards Visit to Columbus

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