Political BLOG

Mark Hebert
March 2008
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December 2007 Archives


Beshear Cleaning House in Labor, Other Depts.

5:10 PM Mon, Dec 31, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

The last non-merit employee left in the Kentucky Labor Department may need to turn off the lights and close the door.

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Yarmuth Admits Mistake, Backs Obama

4:54 PM Mon, Dec 31, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

In a wide ranging interview today, Congressman John Yarmuth admits that he made a political mistake in failing to vote for a resolution that praised the role Christmas and christians have played in American history.

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Ethics, What Ethics?

4:52 PM Mon, Dec 31, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

The new governor who talked about ethics and limiting a governor's pardoning powers apparently isn't making that a top priority of his first legislative session.

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Budget Probs Worse Than Gov. Says

9:15 PM Sun, Dec 30, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

From my vantage point, it appears Kentucky's budget problems are worse than Steve Beshear, or anybody else is talking about. It's the structural imbalance that's the biggest problem.

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Huckabee Fading, Edwards Peaking in Iowa

9:07 PM Sun, Dec 30, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

My wife keeps saying that John Edwards will be the democrats' nominee for U.S. President in 2008. Frankly, I think so too. Not a clue about the republicans though.

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Beshear, Mongiardo Meddling in Special Election?

9:24 AM Sun, Dec 30, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Ryan Alessi has uncovered what appears to be a big split in the Democratic Party in Dan Mongiardo's former senate district. And it looks like Mongiardo and Steve Beshear may be trying to steer the selection of the democrat they want running for Mongiardo's open seat.

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Davis Is Big Frank UPDATE and Another

12:39 AM Fri, Dec 28, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

From Larry Hopkins to Anne Northup to John Yarmuth to Geoff Davis, this has always been a sore spot for me, Congressmen spending tax money on mailers to keep their constituents "informed."

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Mere Pennies

12:34 AM Fri, Dec 28, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Apparently the new governor has figured out what all previous governors have figured out, the cupboard is bare. Gov. Beshear should look beyond the previous administration to the national economy and 138 folks on the 3rd floor of the capitol if he's looking to point a finger.

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Roger Thomas Back in the House

11:25 PM Wed, Dec 26, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

No, not that House, the Ag House. Former State Rep. Roger Thomas of Bowling Green has been appointed to a state job by Gov. Beshear.

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Emergency Road Fund Depleted

12:59 PM Tue, Dec 25, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

I apologize for not linking to this important story from Tom Loftus a couple of days ago.

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Kentuckians Have No Teeth, Literally

12:55 PM Tue, Dec 25, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

The N.Y. Times has a story today that is no joke about Kentuckians. It describes how one in 10 Kentuckians literally have no teeth and how we don't care about our dental care.

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Lunsford Inching Toward Running?

1:22 PM Mon, Dec 24, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

PageOneKentucky, which has ties to Bruce Lunsford, believes the Louisville businessman is inching toward running for U.S. Senate.

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McCall's Pay Causing Morale Problems

10:08 AM Mon, Dec 24, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

The Lexington Herald-Leader has a story this morning about the 600K+ salary of KCTCS President Mike McCall and how it's causing morale problems among staff and faculty at Kentucky community colleges.

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Comment on Kentucky Host

11:15 AM Sun, Dec 23, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

I know alot of you have been asking so here's what I know about the next host of KET's Comment on Kentucky.

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I'm On Vacation

12:30 AM Sat, Dec 22, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Except for one errant New Year's Eve shift, I'm on vacation until the 2008 General Assembly begins on January 8.

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Poll Shows Big Turnaround for McConnell

12:21 AM Sat, Dec 22, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

The latest Survey USA/WHAS 11 poll shows a huge turnaround in the approval ratings for U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell.

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Burnside Is New KRS Executive Director

10:27 PM Thu, Dec 20, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Governor Fletcher last Finance Secretary is the new head of the Kentucky Retirement System.

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McCain Looks Strongest in Ky.

10:17 PM Thu, Dec 20, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

A Survey USA/WHAS 11 poll appears to show Republican John McCain has the strongest support in Kentucky among the candidates for U.S. President.

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Fletcher Raises vs. Gas Money...Raises Win!!!!

10:00 PM Thu, Dec 20, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Governor Fletcher ordered $18,000/yr. pay raises for his appointees to the Parole Board on the day he left office. At the same time, his administration was telling some state employees they wouldn't be getting reimbursed for work-related travel because the state was facing a budget crunch.

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Beshear Says Budget Situation Worse Than Expected

6:20 PM Thu, Dec 20, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Kentucky's governor told reporters today that he'd soon be laying out a plan for dealing with Kentucky's budget crisis.

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UPDATED Joe Elliott. From Radio to Elective Politics?

6:02 PM Thu, Dec 20, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Former WHAS Radio talk show host Joe Elliott tells me he's seriously considering running for a Louisville Metro Council seat next year.

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Miller Will Be Next Health Services Secretary

6:39 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Sources tell me that Governor Beshear is looking to another state government veteran to fill his cabinet.

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Stumbo Met With Beshear Tuesday

6:31 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Governor Steve Beshear met with Attorney General Greg Stumbo on Tuesday, just before Rep. Brandon Spencer resigned, opening the door for Stumbo to run for his old house seat.

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Miller Responds to "Hurtful Innuendos"

6:13 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

State Finance Secretary Jonathan Miller says he's a happily married man and he's tackling what he calls "hurtful innuendos" head on.

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2 Gevedens Better Than One

6:07 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Governor Beshear has appointed another Geveden to a job in his administration.

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Yarmuth/McConnell Fry Bacon For Louisville

6:03 PM Wed, Dec 19, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Rep. John Yarmuth and Sen. Mitch McConnell have sent out a joint news release proclaiming themselves bearers to pork, er, money for projects in the Louisville area.

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Breaking News - Rep. Spencer Quits, Rep. Stumbo Back?

9:23 PM Tue, Dec 18, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

It appears the wheels have been set in motion for Attorney General Greg Stumbo to go back to his old House seat and abort a potential run for U.S. Senate.

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Fletcher Appoints Folks to Non-existent Boards

6:50 PM Tue, Dec 18, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

In his last 24 hours in office, Governor Fletcher appointed 169 people to various state boards and commissions. Three of those people were appointed to commissions that were abolished during Fletcher's term in office.

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Beshear's Budget Situation May Be As Bad As Fletcher's

6:43 PM Tue, Dec 18, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

The Consensus Revenue Forecasting Group has again revised its estimates downward, meaning Kentucky could be facing a $300 million dollar shortfall this fiscal year.

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Unbridled Appointments in Commerce

9:20 AM Tue, Dec 18, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

The Beshear folks have filled in the blanks in the Commerce Cabinet.

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Leonard Lawson Gets Big Last Minute Contract in Williams' District

8:25 AM Tue, Dec 18, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

In the waning days of the Fletcher administration, a road construction company partially owned by Leonard Lawson got a huge change order for a road project in the home county of State Senate President David Williams.

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Yonts' Pardon File Reads Like a Who's Who

12:19 AM Tue, Dec 18, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

The pardon file for Harrison Yonts includes a slew of letters from a Who's Who is Kentucky politics.

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Beshear May Have First Scandal on Hand

12:13 AM Tue, Dec 18, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Kentucky's new governor says he's not going to take any action regarding his new Finance Secretary, Jonathan Miller, leaving those issues to the state Personnel Board.

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Yeah, I Know The Page Has Been Down!!!!

12:05 AM Tue, Dec 18, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Now that all of you have rung up thousands of minutes on my cell phone bill telling me the WHAS web page and my blog was down, let me assure you I'M AWARE OF IT!!!

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Osborne Needed to Sleep On It

6:12 PM Sun, Dec 16, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

If Phil Osborne had hired a P.R. firm, like his own, to craft his notice of resignation as Governor Beshear's Communications Director, that firm probably would have told him to do something like this:

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Louisville Lawyer is New Head of Registry

1:57 PM Sun, Dec 16, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Former Louisville prosecutor Craig Dilger is the new chairman of the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

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P.S.C.'s Pitt-Clark Has No Direct Conflict

1:45 PM Sun, Dec 16, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Kentucky's Executive Branch Ethics Commission has concluded that the newest Public Service Commission member doesn't have a direct conflict of interest deciding cases involving the law firm where her husband works.

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GOP Files Complaint Against Alexander

1:36 PM Sun, Dec 16, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

A democrat who's not yet a candidate for an eastern Kentucky state senate seat is now the subject of a complaint from the Kentucky Republican Party.

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Miller Gave Female Employee Gigantic Raises

12:56 PM Sat, Dec 15, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

Ryan Alessi of the Lexington Herald-Leader has been working on a story on Jonathan Miller for some time.

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Notes and Updates

8:33 PM Thu, Dec 13, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

A few updates on postings over the past few days:

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Richards Will Campaign for Casinos

6:38 PM Thu, Dec 13, 2007 |
Mark Hebert

In a reversal of his earlier stance, House Speaker Jody Richards is now saying he'll fully support placing the legalization of casinos on teh ballot.

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