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LOUISVILLE /JEFFERSON COUNTY

DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

Week of December 16, 2007

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Updated on a regular basis

Bulletin Board:

The Louisville/Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee meets the 4th Wednesday of every month at 5:00 pm at Democratic Headquarters,
640 Barret Avenue .

VOTERS, YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT

DITCH MITCH

GOP Senate Leader McConnell Appears To Belittle Deaths Of American Troops, By Greg Sargent

Uh oh -- looks like GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell has got a problem on his hands. Check out what he said about the death of American troops in Iraq in a meeting with constituents this week, according to Kentucky's Grayson County News-Gazette:

“Unfortunately, most of our friends on the other isle are having a hard time admitting things are getting better; some days I almost think the critics of this war don't want us to win. Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers."

It's hard to read this as anything but belittling the importance of the deaths of troops because they're "professional soldiers." What McConnell is basically saying here is, "hey, they signed up for this."

Mitch McConnell Doesn't Know Sacrifice

By now, we've all heard about Mitch McConnell's abhorrent comment on courageous soldiers dying in Iraq:

Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers.

Well, somebody who knows something about military service and sacrifice, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Horne, has responded to McConnell's repugnant comment:

"I would say that Mitch McConnell owes every member of our service and the families of the fallen an apology, but no apology from him can take back the venom he has spewed at our troops, this time. For anyone to believe that casualties of war are somehow more acceptable because they were not draftees is disgusting. For the Republican leader in the United States Senate to say that is beyond repugnant." READ MORE

The next time Mitch McConnell goes to Fort Campbell for a photo op, maybe he'll think of some of these names.

Not to demonize religion or offend anybody, but doesn’t Geoff Davis have anything better to do?

One would think a sitting Congressman may have important work to accomplish. Like helping the country’s thousands of new veterans pouring out of Iraq or providing children with health care. But not Geoff Davis. Nope.

The only thing he has to do is try to legislate Christmas and Christianity as more important than all else. He’s a co-sponsor of House Resolution 847 that is for “Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.” The dirty liberal war on Christmas must have gotten to him. Read the resolution and you’ll know what we’re talking about.

What’s next? A resolution supporting our favorite puppies and rainbows? Maybe small children?

And can you even imagine what would happen if someone tried to pass a resolution recognizing the 1.5 billion Muslims in the world?

We’re all for expressing one’s beliefs. But come on. Legislating them? Kind of short-sighted. Source

Comments to the Editor:

The buzz is increasing regarding the biggest question in Kentucky politics.

It seems like everyone is wondering which Democratic candidate will step forward to take on Mitch McConnell, the Republican Minority Leader of the U.S.

Senate (also known as "the Grim Reaper" since he brags that his chamber is the place where bills go to die.) http://pageonekentucky.com/2007/11/30/mcconnell-the-grim-reaper-video-update/

I wrote to folks a while back asking them to encourage two great people, Crit Luallen and Andrew Horne, to step up and take on Mitch. Since that time, Crit has taken herself out of the running, choosing instead to focus on her role as Auditor and spend time with her family.

That means our best hope for victory over "the Grim Reaper" is retired Marine Lt. Col. Andrew Horne. Something tells me that McConnell's nickname doesn't worry Horne too much. I have been a Horne supporter since his initial foray into politics in 2006, but don't take my word for it. Prominent political bloggers across the state have been writing about how formidable Horne would be in a contest with McConnell.

http://pageonekentucky.com/2007/12/07/andrew-horne-is-preparing-for-battle

http://theruraldemocrat.typepad.com/the_rural_democrat/2007/12/andrew-horne-or.html

http://ditchmitchky.com/

http://bluegrassroots.org/showDiary.do;jsessionid=214C61047BA69407AEFDFF7541D3A526?diaryId=686

Matthew Barzun (a nice rich guy who supports Democrats - especially Democrats named Barack Obama) has been pushing a little-known fellow named Greg Fischer. While I appreciate Barzun and his giant pocketbook (Matthew is the reason why Obama has been here twice,) I'm unsure why Matthew thinks he knows better than the Democratic grassroots who should challenge Mitch. I'm confused that someone as savvy as Matthew would think a Louisville businessman like Fischer would play better out in the counties than a seasoned military veteran like Horne. I just hope that if we succeed in convincing Horne to run, after Horne beats Fischer in the primary, Barzun will remember to write Horne a big fat check for the general election. Hey, we all gotta kiss and make up after primaries!

http://bluegrassroots.org/showDiary.do;jsessionid=214C61047BA69407AEFDFF7541D3A526?diaryId=685

http://blueinthebluegrass.blogspot.com/2007/12/chuck-schumer-can-bite-me.html

So this is the deal. We have one last chance to visit http://drafthorne.org/ and encourage our best hope for victory in 2008. Andrew Horne, please run!

Mike Bailey, co-organizer

DFA Change for Kentucky

DAILY GRILL

“I didn't say that we should quarantine." -- Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, 12/9/07, on AIDS patients

VERSUS

"If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague." -- Huckabee, 1992

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"[V]ideotaping stopped in 2002." -- CIA Director Michael Hayden, 12/6/07

VERSUS

"[A] lawyer representing a former prisoner who said he was held by the C.I.A. said the prisoner saw cameras in interrogation rooms after 2002." -- New York Times, 12/11/07

Quotes of the Day

"The Republicans still control the (Kentucky state) Senate 21 to 16, with one independent," Bunning told reporters this morning in a conference call. "There's nothing changed in Kentucky except that there's a Democratic governor. We still have two constitutional offices."

"Mitch McConnell will be probably a landslide winner in 2008," the senator continued, "and my gut feeling is that we will hold on or expand our margin in the Kentucky state Senate and probably pick up (state) House seats. So I feel very optimistic about the Republican Party's direction in the commonwealth."

"The Republican Party is alive and well and will thrive in '08, believe me," Bunning said.

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Recent Senate Votes

United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act - Vote Passed (77-18, 5 Not Voting)

The Senate gave final approval to this bill to improve the United States’ trade relationship with Peru.

Sen. Mitch McConnell voted YES
Sen. Jim Bunning voted YES
Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Vote Passed (88-5, 7 Not Voting)

The Senate passed this House bill to fix the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for one year, without introducing new tax revenues that would pay for it.

Sen. Mitch McConnell voted YES
Sen. Jim Bunning voted YES

Recent House Votes

Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act - Vote Passed (235-181, 16 Not Voting)

The House passed this energy legislation Thursday evening in an attempt to make steps towards energy independence.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted NO
Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

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HUMOR

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IRAN -- PERINO DEFENDS BUSH'S NIE LIE: 'THE PRESIDENT WAS BEING TRUTHFUL!': Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino attempted to defend President Bush's lie about when he first learned that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program. On Wednesday night, Perino conceded he was told in August that Iran's program "may be suspended." Yesterday, Perino tried to claim that when Bush said he didn't know what the information was, he actually meant that "he didn't get any of the details of what -- what the information was, in terms of what the actual raw intelligence was." Perino added, "I can see where you could see that the president could have been more precise in that language. But the president was being truthful." As The Progress Report reported, The New Yorker's Seymour Hersh said that Bush spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert about the NIE on Monday, Nov. 26. CNN's Ed Henry asked Perino, "How could he brief Olmert on Monday about a report that he found out about on Wednesday?" Perino responded, "I don't -- I will check...it's possible that he knew that there was information coming."

IRAQ -- PETRAEUS CAUTIONS AGAINST CHENEY'S IRAQ VICTORY DECLARATION: In an interview with Politico this week, Vice President Cheney predicted that by the middle of Jan. 2009, Iraq will be a true "democracy in the heart of the Middle East," he declared. Gen. David Petraeus, however, quickly cautioned against such rhetoric from Washington. "There's nobody in uniform who is doing victory dances in the end zone," Petraeus said. "Nobody says anything about turning corners, seeing lights at the ends of tunnels, any of those other phrases." Several other Iraq war supporters including Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) have rushed to declare victory in Iraq, defying the advice of generals on the ground. "Security progress" in Iraq is "significant yet still fragile," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

MEDIA -- O'REILLY CALLS PRO-CONSTITUTION AD 'BLATANTLY ANTI-AMERICAN': The Center for Constitutional Rights recently produced an ad called "Rescue the Constitution" that criticizes the Bush administration for "destroying the Constitution" through the use of tactics like renditions and torture. Fox News refused to air the ad, claiming that it needed "documentation" that the Constitution "is indeed being destroyed." While discussing NBC's initial refusal to run an ad from the White House front group Freedom's Watch, Fox News's Bill O'Reilly explained that "Fox News turns down blatantly anti-American ads. We just turned one down recently." It is not anti-American to believe Bush has shredded the Constitution. In fact, 55 percent of voters believe Bush "has abused his powers in a way that rises to the level of impeachable offenses." Fox previously refused to run an ad that was critical of then-Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. The decision was seen as an "effort to shield President Bush's choice for the high court

Attempting to break a congressional impasse on appropriations legislation, Rep. David Obey (D-WI) advocated eliminating all congressional earmarks. While Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said she was open to the idea, the plan "ran into deeply skeptical senators from both parties."

Yesterday, Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) wrote to Attorney General Mike Mukasey requesting that he "immediately appoint an independent counsel to investigate the circumstances surrounding" the destruction of interrogation tapes by the CIA.

ENERGY -- SENATE CONSERVATIVES BLOCK ENERGY BILL: This morning, the Senate failed to invoke cloture by one vote on a groundbreaking energy bill that has already passed the House. The bill would have raised corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards and create significant incentives towards renewable energy for the first time in 30 years. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said the Senate would take up the bill again today after taking out the provision shutting off tax loopholes to oil companies, which faced objections by Senate Republicans and President Bush. After the vote, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), said, "The future just failed by one vote. ... The oil companies now are celebrating in their boardrooms. ... They continue to have a deathgrip on this Senate." "The bill represents a historic opportunity to ease America's dependence on foreign oil and to take steps in the battle against global warming, and its passage would send a message to the worlds' negotiators in Bali that Washington is at last getting serious about climate change," The New York Times noted. The Senate's vote today will likely add to others' frustration with the U.S delegation in Bali, as European nations at the conference on climate change have "threatened to boycott U.S.-led climate talks next month unless Washington" agrees to specific targets for reducing greenhouse gases. Former vice president Al Gore said today that the United States "is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali."

IRAN -- THOMPSON CALLS THE NIE 'FOOLISHNESS': On Glenn Beck's radio show on Tuesday, former senator Fred Thompson said he doesn't care what the new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran says. Iran is "undoubtedly intent upon nuclear weapons. ... I don't care what this latest NIE says." The former actor then dismissed the intelligence that Iran has halted its nuclear weapons program as "foolishness." Thompson's baseless analysis seems to come straight from his gut rather than any established facts. On the Charlie Rose Show last week, Thompson conjured a conspiracy theory, claiming that Iran "leaked" the intelligence to "divert our attention a little bit." In a posting on Red State, he mused that the NIE was "awfully convenient for a lot of people." Since its release last week, neocons -- who don't have access to the intelligence -- have been questioning the NIE because it doesn't fit their world views. As the National Security Network pointed out, Thompson and his fellow hawks are doing everything they can "to generate smoke where there is no fire" regarding the NIE's credibility. In doing so, they disregard the fact that the intelligence was heavily vetted and overseen by a Bush administration appointee. Even Vice President Cheney has said he doesn't "have any reason to question" the NIE's findings.

NEED COMPUTER ASSISTANCE??

Democrat Activist Mike Bailey is now providing “Professional Computer Support.” He can be contacted at 502-558-4026, or mikebailey2000@usa.net.

Think Fast

With just a week before News Corporation takes control of Dow Jones & Company, Rupert Murdoch plans to remove many executives in the "upper echelon at Dow Jones" and replace them with his "trusted lieutenants."

Late last night, the Senate "passed a one-year fix to the alternative minimum tax (AMT), setting up a potential confrontation with the House, which passed a much different version of the bill earlier." Due to GOP and White House pressure, the bill that passed does not offset the $50 billion cost of the patch.

Appearing on NPR's quiz show "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me" over the weekend, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino revealed one of her most stressful moments on the job. During a White House briefing, a reporter referred to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Perino "panicked a bit" because she didn't "know about" it. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure," she said. When she told her husband about the incident, he simply said, "Oh, Dana."

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INTERESTING

Sweeney to Congress: We Need to Turn Around the Economy, by James Parks

The nation needs an economic turnaround package of policies that address the long-term problems of stagnant wages and growing inequality, while in the short-term providing immediate relief for families who are facing tough times, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney told some of the nation’s top economic and political leaders today.

Sweeney was one of 11 union and business leaders and economists who met with the House Democratic leadership at an economic forum to address the state of the nation’s economy. According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the goal of the meeting was to discuss the best ways to:

grow businesses and keep good-paying jobs in America and to make us strong internationally from an economic standpoint.

During the discussions, led by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Sweeney said the recession that economists are forecasting would be devastating for working people who are still reeling from the last recession. He urged the congressional leaders to focus on strategies to:

Stop the mortgage crisis through a moratorium on foreclosures and a restructuring of subprime teaser-rate loans. (Click here to read about AFL-CIO Associate General Counsel Damon Silvers’s testimony yesterday on the mortgage crisis.)
Create a short-term stimulus program that would create jobs by investing in urgent needs such as rebuilding bridges, schools and roads.
Invest in energy-efficient buildings.
Reform unemployment insurance and trade adjustment assistance programs to reach more qualified workers.
Provide fiscal help for struggling states.
Extend and expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which President Bush vetoed.
Target any tax cuts to low- and middle-income families, not the wealthy.

Other participants in the forum included economist Jane D’Arista; Laurence Fink, CEO of the global investment company BlackRock; William Hambrecht, CEO of WR Hambrecht, an investment company; Eugene Ludwig, CEO of Promontory Group, which provides services to assist financial businesses; Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute; Felix Rohatyn, senior adviser to the CEO of Lehman Brothers and former ambassador to France; Lewis Sachs, partner of Mariner Investment Group; economists Allen Sinai and William Spriggs; and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

Rudy Self-Destructs on Russert, By M.J. Rosenberg

I have been watching Meet The Press since, I don't know, Estes Kefauver days and, I'm sad to say, Rudy Giuliani provided the worst performance I've ever seen by a major Presidential candidate.

Okay, I am not sad to say. I am delighted. I believe that, although I have my clear preference, none of the major candidates from either party would be a disastrous President except for Giuliani. Yes, some would be awful. Any of the Republicans would extend our long national nightmare.

But, in my opinion, Rudy is in a whole other category. Surrounded by crazy people like Podhoretz and Pipes, a Giuliani Presidency would guarantee one, two, three many Iraqs and jeopardize this country's survival.

So I was delighted to see his halting, nervous, scared, inarticulate performance on MTP yesterday.

And he had every reason to be scared.

Russert prosecuted the famed prosecutor, enumerating one Giuliani scandal after another. All Rudy could do was giggle. He reminded me of that ancient clip in which Bobby Kennedy grilled some miscreant at a Senate hearing and the bad guy laughed at every question. Bobby finally said: "Are you going to tell us anything or just giggle? I thought only little girls giggled?." Sexist, yes (it was 1959).

But it destroyed the giggly witness.

That was Rudy yesterday. All giggles and deer-in-the-headlights terror.

And with good reason. There are no good (or any) answers to the questions Russert posed about "Driving Miss Judy," Giuliani and Associates' client list, Bernard Kerik, etc etc.

And Russert didn't even ask about the priest-rapist on Rudy's staff.

Great television. Bye bye, Rudy. Watch Video

"House-Senate negotiators unveiled legislation Friday that would restore collective bargaining rights to unions at the Defense Department, permit the Pentagon to go forward with new pay rules and perhaps ease the angst of many Defense employees."

Corzine Stands Up for Paid Family Leave, by: Juan Melli

Corzine's statement:

"To re-emphasize the point I made yesterday, the proposed family leave insurance legislation has no new mandates on small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. The legislation contains no new requirements for any business, and has no requirement that a small business hold a position open while an employee is receiving family leave insurance benefits.

"If a small business chooses to deny family leave, the only way an employee can receive family leave insurance benefits is to quit the job - an option that is highly unattractive. Based on the experience of California, most workers faced with this impossible decision chose to remain employed and received no benefits. Having to choose to quit your job in order to receive family leave insurance benefits is really no choice at all.

"Ideally every worker should be able to provide care for loved ones and maintain a limited income during a time of family crisis, secure in their ability to return quickly to their job. I wholeheartedly support this legislation and its promise to provide financial support for workers who are in need of leave and have the ability to take it."

VIDEOS

Says the one and only Keith Olbermann: "Senator, you need to resign. And then you need to go look for a soul, so you can have it implanted in your body." VIDEO

ANDREW HORNE ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR U.S. SENATE IN KENTUCKY VIDEO

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Tim Longmeyer, Chairman
Ray Crider, Editor
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