Tag: Mitch McConnell

The Repubicans running in the Congressional and Senate races in Kentucky face a serious dilemma. Aside from Brett Guthrie every one them were around and voted for the very failed policies that have led to our economic debacle. No matter what their vote on the bailout, every Repubican in the Kentucky delegation holds blame for the failing economy.  

An excellent article from the Lexington Herald-Leader last week really pounded home the fact of how intagled with this current failure all the major Republican candidates are. An excerpt:

Vice President Dick Cheney and other Bush administration officials hit Capitol Hill on Tuesday to sell the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, getting a mixed reception from lawmakers who argued about the role of government in business.

But there was little dissent in 1999, when Sen. Mitch McConnell and the rest of Kentucky’s congressional delegation voted to deregulate Wall Street banking and investments. They – and most other members of Congress – brushed aside concerns that deregulation could create massive financial institutions that would be “too big to fail,” requiring a government bailout if they started to stagger.

The Kentucky delegation went on to collect millions of dollars in combined campaign donations from the financial sector, while the banking, securities and insurance industries merged into the creature that is now collapsing and calling for government aid.

Now that is a serious Problem!! When every candidate you have running for re-election except the one you have running for an open seat have a record of such failure, it is distressing. I submit that every member of the Kentucky Republican delegation has already shown the lack of judgement and leadership that negates any “Experience” and shows that they are not fit to hold office representing Kentucky.

Of course, as always with this bunch, money always clouds good judgement:

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. $4.3 million

Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky. $2.4 million

Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Hopkinsville $697,116

Rep. Ron Lewis, R-Cecilia $551,266

Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset $406,765

Source: Center for Responsive Politics

http://www.kentucky.com/210/st…

Those are the donations to the Kentucky Republicans from the very sector they voted to deregulate so it could implode the Economy.

But it gets even worse in the case of Ed Whitfield, my Congressman. He voted no on the bailout in the House, but his reasons show that he still doesn’t realize what has crashed the economy, or how to fix it:

Whitfield, who represents the 1st District spanning much of western Kentucky, complained that the bailout plan puts unprecedented regulations on financial institutions and markets. He said some leading economists believe such heavy oversight might do more to hinder the economy than help it.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s…

It is amazing to me that for a sitting Congressman to have seen his vote for de-regulation crash our economy, and then submit MORE de-regulation as the solution is just mind-boggling.

This was not lost on Heather Ryan, who released this statement on Ed Whitfield’s vote on the Bailout Bill:

I find it interesting that Mr. Whitfield’s reason for opposing the compromised bail out legislation is because it imposes too many regulations on the banking industry.  Astonishingly, Exxon Eddie is one of the few who will admit that he still has a love affair with deregulation, the very reason the economy is in ruins now.  

Lest we not forget that when this bail out bill was but a mere $700 Billion Blank Check from George Bush on the backs of taxpayers, Mr. Whitfield was a gleeful supporter.  Only once consumer protections, ie. restrictions on how the massive amounts of money could be doled out to banks, were added did he suddenly oppose the bill.  

While I also oppose this bail out, I believe Mr. Whitfield’s motives are vial as he, yet again, sides with the rich special interests and ignores the middle class.  Perhaps someone can send a wake-up call to Exxon Eddie’s Florida estate soon to let him know that the Billionaire Boy’s Club isn’t very popular this election year.

Heather Ryan

Democratic Candidate

U.S. House of Representatives KY-01

Indeed!!! We ARE fed up with the Billionaire Boys Club that has bankrupted our state, and country.

We need to replace the constant De-regulate at any costs vote of Ed Whitfield, and replace it with a young, energetic voice of common sense. Ed Whitfield has not only failed, but he will continue to vote against any Progress for working Americans if given the chance.

All Kentucky Republicans running this year are hurting bad over this. Whitfield is especially vulnerable, if Heather can get her message out. She has called a press conference Wednesday morning at her headquarters at 4905 Clark’s River Rd. in Paducah, please help us by writing the Paducah Sun and asking them to report it here:

http://www.paducahsun.com/cont…

Please consider supporting Heather in this race, we are going to be fighting hard in the last month, including our first radio and T.V. spots, and we need your help!!:

Here is the link to the Kentucky ActBlue page, with many candidates who can all win:

http://www.actblue.com/directo…

Kentucky Republicans have a record. Help us expose it!!

(crossposted at Barefoot and Progressive)

Last week, SUSA shook KY and America with its poll showing Mitch “Wall St.” McConnell and Bruce Lunsford in a statistical tie at 49-46%. The poll was a 9 point plunge for McConnell, despite the fact that Democrats were severely undersampled.

And what do we have today? From Mason-Dixon’s new poll:

The latest Courier-Journal Bluegrass Poll shows that Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race between Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democrat Bruce Lunsford is a statistical tie.

The telephone survey of 717 likely voters taken last week showed that McConnell and Lunsford are in a dead heat when respondents were asked who they would vote for if the election were held “today.”

McConnell moves ahead by one point when those who are undecided are asked which candidate they are leaning toward. The Bluegrass Poll, which was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

No, that’s not KY rain you feel, that’s Mitch McConnell sweating bullets…

The exact #’s will be out soon, I’ll update you.

Have you seen this: http://a5.vox.com/6a00d4142880… ?

Well, I discovered that in a Facebook group about nerd jokes a while back, and apparently, it’s pretty well known around the internet.

But doesn’t that remind you of something?  Don’t elephants tend to get in the way…politically?

Well, here’s an excellent opportunity to highlight that!  What if someone stuck someone’s face–how about that of lead obstructionist Mitch McConnell–onto the elephant?  Well, he’s already an elephant, and he’s in the way, so why not?

Unfortunately, I don’t have Photoshop, and I’m no good with MS Paint either.

So, would someone like to do this?  Go upload it somewhere and post about it in a diary of your own.  Then we can start spreading this around the blogs, and have fun with it!

(I’ll also post about any more stupid political joke ideas I come up with. 😉 )

Here in Kentucky, we are saddled with two of the worst of the lot in Republican “leadership”. While Mitch McConnell needs no introduction, a lot of national Democrats don’t know about my Congressman, Exxon Ed Whitfield, who is best known for protecting the profits of Big Oil. It seems these two got together this week to plot the demise of Democrat Heather Ryan.

In the latest episode of the “Bag Eddie” series, McConnell and Whitfield get together for drinks, and strategy:

As you can see, these two have it all figured out!!

If you missed the other installments of “Bag Eddie”, here they are:

It seems though, that Mitch and Eddie do disagree on something. After his election year Renaisance, Exxon Eddie has returned to his Dark Ages form, and voted against the Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008:

http://www.congress.org/congre…

I guess his house in Florida must be paid for!! Unfortunately the only house he has in the district is his daddy’s house in Hopkinsville. I knew he was an underachiever in Congress, but a man his age that still lives with his dad?

We need your help and support in Kentucky’s First District to retire Congressman Whitfield to Florida where he lives. He has plenty of stock options to fall back on, as he has become a millionaire in his tenure representing this district. Help us defeat a sitting Republican Congressman and expand our Congressional majorities here:

Best wishes Democrats!!

Thought Mitch McConnell was just going to slide back into the Senate this November? I have news for you. He has met his match.

Bruce Lunsford? No.

Billy.

Right here in KY, following in the long proud tradition of successful politicians from one of America’s finest cinematic endeavors and political schools, Predator, I give you…

Sonny Landham, aka Billy from Predator.

Sonny Landham, perhaps best known for his role as “Billy” in 1987’s Predator movie, has called a press conference in Frankfort for 1:45 p.m. Wednesday in which he will announce that he is running for U.S. Senate as a Libertarian Party candidate.

**********

Landham, 67, would join Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford in the race.

And believe me, Jesse and Arnold have nothing on this guy.

Just check out this guy’s courage in the face of a fierce alien beast.

Could McConnell take that blade across his chest??? No effin way, dude. He might get his staff to smear the Predator’s family to the press, but come on, he’s the fucking Predator, man. He’d have you hanging by your own intestines before you could even reach one reporter.

And how about the abs/pecs? Could Senator Billy siphon off the woman vote away from Mitch? Well, as we can see from Billy’s long porn career in the 70’s, the ladies seem to be, uh, into him.

Some of his porn work includes, Steam Heat (1979), Misbehavin’ (1979), The Trouble with Young Stuff (1977), The Honey Cup (1976), Hot Shots (1976), Slippery When Wet (1976) and Virgin Snow (1976) which is described as being an “avalanche of scorching porn!” Fantastic! I haven’t seen any of these but maybe there needs to be some sort of viewing party in Lexington or something.

And check out the man in “action” here. Now that’s some political outreach, if i’ve ever seen it.

Yet…. this might be a problem. From his website’s homepage:

The legal page is the report on the activity that is presently consuming my life, and has consumed my life since 1998. The legal will explain how a mentally ill wife and a liberal guided federal government railroaded me into federal prison.

uh-oh. and this too.

During divorce proceedings in 1998, Sonny’s wife Belita ran to a women’s abuse center, due to her fear of losing money and custody of their daughter, Priscilla. Even though Sonny had never struck his wife or children (Rachel Landham is a step-daughter) [the foregoing statement was made by Belita and Rachel], the fascist women’s abuse groups of Kentucky and the federal government through judicial terrorism framed Sonny, and he did thirty-one (31) months in federal prison

Ok, so women might have a problem with someone who did federal time for beating his wife and kids. Not counting it out, but might…

But what other constituencies could Senator Billy tap into? Well, as we saw in Kentucky during the primary this May, some of us aren’t that into black folks. And based on Billy’s friendly past with white supremacists, Billy might have a base ready and waiting for him.

CLARKSVILLE, IN–The Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), a white supremacist organization that has strong ties to the mainstream via members that are elected officials, will be holding their annual conference next month in a Holiday Inn near Louisville, Kentucky. This will be the second time this year that a major hotel chain was the location of a white supremacist conference, and this event is listing as speakers a former actor who has worked with Eddie Murphy and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a Canadian fascist who was most recently seen at National Vanguard’s Conference in Elmwood Park, NJ on Mother’s Day Weekend.

June 16 and 17 is when the CCC is to hold their 2006 National Conference at the Clarksville, Indiana Holiday Inn. This is considered a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky, which in recent years has seen a rag tag group of Klan members attempting to organize that reports say may put together a rally in the near future with the National Socialist Movement. The CCC event had been announced months ago, but it was only recently that the location was published on one of their websites.

The Conference boasts a slate of speakers that are considered conference regulars. CCC member and author Brent Nelson. Col. Robert Slimp, and lawyer Sam Dickson, who once represented Daniel “KKK Guy” Carver from the Howard Stern Wack Pack, will be among those regulars speaking. In addition Minuteman and CCC member Joe McCutchen will also be on hand to speak at the conference.

Co-hosting the event will be actor Sonny Landham, who has appeared in 48 Hrs., Predator, The Warriors and a string of porn films in the seventies. He is a new member of the CCC and has been very active particularly around the issue of immigration.

And just to emphasize the white supremcy wisdom that Billy has for the masses, check out this bitchin white power infomercial, complete with Rousseau bashing! (yes, he’s apparently part native american, but don’t tell him… it’d be like that Chappell Show episode of the black klan leader. We didn’t say the guy was smart, right?)

So… anyway.

Look out Mitch. Look out Bruce. And look out deadly alien beasts who dare venture into Appalachia.

Because Billy is here to save the day.

For all things Billy, be sure to check in at Barefoot and Progressive.

An eye-popping Rasmussen poll (5/22, likely voters) this morning shows Democratic senate candidate Bruce Lunsford leading Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell– yes, you read that right, leading McConnell:

Bruce Lunsford (D): 49

Mitch McConnell (R-inc): 44

(MoE: ±4.5)

Granted, it's a long way from here to election day, and McConnell is already tying Lunsford to Barack Obama, who, as we all know, is not especially popular in Kentucky.  Still, the fact that a Democratic candidate is polling this well against the senate minority leader, in a blood-red state, is a heartening development.  I'm just hoping that Tom Daschle's iPod includes James Brown's "The Big Payback" . . .

Update (James): It’s worth noting that earlier this month, Lunsford trailed McConnell by 36% to 48% in a poll commissioned by the Lexington Herald-Leader. Rasmussen’s been giving us an awful lot of good news lately. Maybe too much good news.

Update II (James): Like clockwork, the McConnell campaign has released an internal poll conducted around the same time showing the Senator leading Lunsford by 50%-39%.

Recently the small Western Kentucky town of Sedalia had their “Sedalia Days”, along with a parade. This was an excellent chance for candidates to get to walk the parade route along with the people they wish to represent, and indeed to meet the voters and hear their concerns. Unlike their opponents, Bruce Lunsford, Mitch McConnell and Exxon Ed Whitfield, Heather Ryan and Greg Fischer proved they can truly represent these citizens, by meeting them and listening to their concerns firsthand.

Here is Heather Ryan meeting with grassroots voters:

The great thing about Heather meeting with grassroots voters is when she does, they support her. This couple soon volunteered the services of their Mustang to ride in the parade for Heather:

Thats Heavan, Heather’s daughter and America’s favorite Mitch McConnell antagonist with the sign.

Here is Heather meeting some more of Western Kentucky’s voters, and giving them a Ryan for Kentucky sticker!!:

The parade route was indeed Ryan for Kentucky red and white!!

Here is Heather, husband Carl, and Heavan with another new grassroots Ryan for Kentucky supporter!!:

Not to be outdone by any Mustang, here is the Ryan for Kentucky van, proudly riding the parade route:

See the lastest thoughts of Heather from the campaign trail here:

I recently started Americans for Ryan to raise $1500 for Heather by May 20. I am now over two-thirds of the way there!! To celebrate I have decided that anyone who contributes to Americans for Ryan by May 20 will be entered into a drawing to win these pinback buttons from the 1960 campaign of JFK:

Win a piece of history by helping us to make history!! Enter here:

http://www.actblue.com/page/am…

Now, Heather Ryan is not the only candidate to expand our Congressional majorities here in Kentucky. Greg Fischer, the Progressive candidate in the Democratic primary to Ditch Mitch McConnell, also found time to meet the average voter in Western Kentucky by coming to Sedalia.

Here is Greg meeting with a senior citizen of Western Kentucky to hear his concerns:

And again, meeting with potential voters:

Here are grassroots supporters of Greg Fischer walking the parade route:

Of course they have a lot to be excited about!! Fischer recently outraised his competition in the Democratic Primary by 2 to 1 among voters.

Here is Greg Fischer’s new ad called “The Change” detailing what kind of change we need!!:

Please help keep this ad up and keep our momentum going, not to mention supporting the only Progressive option to Mitch McConnell here;

http://www.actblue.com/page/ka…

We simply must fight for our great Democrats wherever they are!! Please help us keep our momentum in Kentucky going by supporting two awesome Kentucky Democrats!!!

Best wishes fellow Democrats!!

Special thanks to kilowat for the awsome pics!!!

Here in Kentucky’s First District, during the failed do-nothing 109th Congress and well before, Exxon Ed Whitfield served as a loving rubber-stamp to every failed policy of Mitch McConnell and George W. Bush. In Iraq, these three managed to send our troops into the wrong country on the wrong mission. Worse than that, they showed the ultimate in disrespect to our troops by sending them there without proper training, planning, and most important for the welfare of our troops, equipment.  

Now it seems that Exxon Eddie is praising the failed efforts of himself, and his mentors Mitch McConnell and George W. Bush. From Ryan for Kentucky:

Paducah, KY – April 11, 2008 – Representative Ed Whitfield chose April 10th, 2008, just after General Petraeus was grilled by the Senate Armed Services Committee, as a convenient opportunity to remember Kentucky’s men and women in the military.  He expressed his disapproval of any withdrawal plan to bring our troops home from the ill-conceived war in Iraq by repeating the administration’s talking point that “gains brought on as a result of the surge can just as easily be lost should Congress fail to give our commanders and troops the authority and tools they need to complete their mission”.  Indeed, this Bush administration tag line is a strange “concern”, as our troops were never given the “tools necessary to complete their mission”.

Luckily for our troops, not everyone running for this office is too good to meet them personally and hear their concerns. I would like to share a story from our troops told to Heather on the campaign trail:

While on the campaign trail, I spoke with an Army Veteran who shared a story which exemplifies that our troops have been ill equipped from day one.  Last summer this Army Veteran and his friends stopped at a gas station in Cadiz, KY on his way home from the Fancy Farm Political Picnic.  There they met a woman and her husband, a 101st Airborne soldier from Ft. Campbell, KY. This soldier’s unit was preparing for their third deployment to Iraq while the soldier was leaving for his first tour.  The veteran wished him luck and out of genuine concern, asked him if he and his fellow soldiers had all the equipment they needed to fight.  The soldier laughed and said that that very morning his company had visited a civilian junkyard in order to scavenge donated scrap metal to weld to their Humvees.  The 101st Airborne, an aggressive front-line unit on their third deployment, did not have enough uparmored vehicles to help their troops survive IED attacks.  Remember, this was at a time when Congress was essentially giving the administration blank checks to prosecute the war.  This is just one instance of the lack of respect that Mr. Whitfield and the Bush administration have for the safety of our troops in combat.  These two entities are lock step in acknowledging armed service members when it is convenient to their agendas, but tend to forget their needs while in combat and after their service.

It is disgraceful that Whitfield, Bush, and McConnell are more than willing to stand in front of our troops for a photo-op while they deliver their empty talking points on Iraq, and respecting our troops. Unfortunately the truth they won’t admit is from day 1 this Administration, rubber-stamped by Whitfield and McConnell have disrespected our troops in every way possible. Whether or not you believe in the mission in Iraq, the fact of the matter is these men sent our troops into this country without the training, equipment and planning to do their jobs. While our troops have performed wonderfully, their leaders in Washington, including Whitfield and McConnell FAILED!!

Whitfield and McConnell were too busy being partisan hacks, and upholding every failed vision of the Bush Administration that they failed our troops in their most important solemn duty to them. They FAILED to provide any kind of oversight into the blank check they issued President Bush, and they FAILED in holding him accountable for his actions. They FAILED our troops and allowed our injured to come home and heal with cock-roaches in Walter Reed at the whim of the failed policies of this administration.

They were so busy with their partisan hackery, nothing, not even the welfare of our returning injured troops was more important than desperately attempting to validate the failed policies of President Bush, policies they had provided no oversight on, and ideed, policies they had rubber-stamped.

However, Whitfield’s blatant disregard and disrespect for our troops did not end there. It appears while praising the troops in Iraq, Exxon Eddie forgot some others:

In yet another gross act of disrespect, while praising the Ft. Campbell soldiers serving in Iraq, Whitfield completely ignored the 7,200 101stAirborne soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan.  Today, on the 101st day of 2008, the headquarters of the 101st Airborne Division took command of NATO’s Regional Command East sector of Afghanistan from the 82nd Airborne Division.  It is not surprising these brave soldiers slipped Whitfield’s mind.  They are fighting a forgotten enemy, Osama bin Laden, in a forgotten war.  They deserve our praise and support as well, and they deserve the leadership that will allow them to complete their mission and return home to Kentucky.

Now, this sort of spells out Whitfield’s view on this “War on Terror”. He stubbornly rubber-stamps partisan hackery, disrespecting our troops all along the way to desperately justify a failed policy. Then, he forgets the troops in Afganistan, who are actually trying to find and fight the entities that actually attacked us on 9-11. I have a message for Whitfield, McConnell and Bush. You may have forgotten Osama bin Laden and let him walk away scot-free, to make video tapes mocking our troops and their sacrifices, but Americans and Kentuckians surely haven’t.

The best way Americans can honor the sacrifice of our troops and veterans is to elect leaders that will respect them. Heather Ryan wants a sane policy in Iraq:

The War in Iraq:

As a veteran of the United States Navy, and an active member of the American Legion, my dedication to the men and women in uniform is unyielding.  The current service member is highly skilled, highly trained and highly ignored by this administration.  The American people

were duped into an ill-conceived war under false pretenses and the administration continues to over utilize a national guard system which was never intended to be used for sustained combat missions.  Congress must insist that an exit strategy be planned and implemented immediately.  By the Bush Administration’s own account, the nation will be forced to reinstate the draft system again should we continue to over-tax our National Guard with sustained combat.  I am not a supporter of reinstating the draft for as history clearly shows us, the draft is merely for those of us who are not wealthy enough to buy our way out of

active duty.  We must not allow this ill planned and ill executed war to continue to destroy the brave men and women in our armed forces while simultaneously placing our nation at a heightened risk with a limited national guard.

http://www.ryanforkentucky.com…

Better yet, Heather Ryan as a veteran believes we should respect ALL our district’s service men and women serving, and our veterans that have served:

So, to the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Division Airborne (Air Assault); to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, Division HQ, and the 101st Sustainment Brigade, currently serving in Afghanistan as part of Combined Joint Task Force 101. And to the Division’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams, currently serving in Iraq: We keep you in our hearts and thoughts, always.

Being a veteran after proudly serving her nation in the United States Navy, this issue is not a talking point or a photo-op to Heather, it is personal.

We need Heather Ryan in the Congress to fight not only for a sane policy in Iraq, but to fight for the benefits and respect our troops and veterans have earned. We need sane voices that will provide oversight into any future wars and the funding for them, instead of blindly following in a partisan trance. We need REAL leaders in Washington, not the failed policies of rubber-stamping partisan hackery.

We can win this race in Kentucky’s First!!! All we need are the resources to introduce the 63% of registered Democrats to the horrible record Exxon Ed Whitfield has amassed in their names. A record of FAILURE for our troops, veterans, and citizens. Please help us get the resources we need to get the word out on our great candidate, Heather Ryan, and our FAILED Congressman Exxon Ed Whitfield.

I have set a goal of raising $1500 for Heather online by May 20, and am very close to halfway there. Won’t you please chip in and help us get our message out? Your generous contribution will go to work immediately to expand our Congressional majority with an awesome grassroots Democrat who isn’t afraid to fight for us!! Please go here and help, no amount it too small:

http://www.actblue.com/page/am…

With your help Heather Ryan will be fighting alongside our next President for a sane policy in Iraq, and will provide much needed leadership in our Congress!!!

A lot has happened in the Democratic Primary for the Senate seat of Kentucky. Already, we have seen Greg Stumbo and Andrew Horne step aside. The consensus now seems to be that Bruce Lunsford should be the nominee for Kentucky’s Senate race. However, it seems another candidate has stepped foward as a true Democratic voice in this race. Now, it seems Greg Fischer is making his move in this race.

First, Greg Fischer has showed that he can raise funds. One of the main reason I believe that Lunsford was recruited was because he could self-fund. However, this story shows that Fischer can self-fund too, and raise seperate funds to boot:

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Greg Fischer says his upcoming campaign finance report will show that he’s collected more than $500,000 from donors in addition to the $510,000 of his own money he has pumped into his bid.

Of course, Greg was encouraged by the numbers:

“Dollar by dollar, voter by voter, momentum is growing stronger in every region of the state. We are confident that our campaign is positioned to defeat Bruce Lunsford on May 20,” Fischer said in a statement. “Voters are beginning to realize I am the real Democrat offering real change.”

http://www.gregfischer.com/ind…

Fischer is going to begin running T.V. in the state soon, about a month before the May 20 primary. I think when Kentucky Democrats get to know him a little better, they are going to like what they see.

Greg has also spoken out for a sane policy in Iraq. He recently took McConnell to task on that issue:

In 2002, Mitch McConnell handed President Bush a blank check for operations in Iraq – a war that was ill-conceived, ill-advised and terribly mismanaged. We have now been in Iraq longer than we were in World War II. To date, there have been more than 4,000 American military casualties. Over 30,000 U.S. soldiers have been injured. By the end of 2007, the war in Iraq cost American taxpayers more than $500 billion. Kentucky’s share of the bill: $3.5 billion – money that could have been invested in our economy, built 358 new elementary schools, provided 593,000 Kentucky students with college scholarships, delivered health care benefits to 970,000 Kentuckians, built miles of new roads and bridges or saved thousands of homeowners from foreclosure.

Today, Mitch McConnell still supports President Bush’s never ending war in Iraq, while continuing to play partisan political games and obstructing every opportunity to reach a bipartisan plan to end the war once and for all in Iraq.

Greg Fischer believes it’s time to bring our soldiers home from Iraq in a swift, safe and responsible manner. Our brave men and women have done everything we have asked of them and are still fighting a courageous fight. They put their lives on the line for us everyday and we owe them and their families an end to this war. Washington has failed them.

Although Greg will fight to begin a responsible draw down of our forces in Iraq and end the war, he knows we need to refocus our efforts in Afghanistan where Al Qaeda and Taliban are experiencing a resurgence.  That’s where Osama Bin Laden and the real war against terrorism is and needs to be fought.

He has endorsed A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq found here:

http://www.responsibleplan.com/

Greg also believes we must respect our returning heros. He endorses the G.I. Bill for the 21st century:

For our returning Veterans, Greg will make it a top priority to ensure that when veterans return home they are treated like the heroes they are. He will work to provide them and their families with benefits designed to meet the needs of today’s soldiers and their families. That is why Greg supports the bipartisan G.I. Bill for the 21st Century.  

The G.I. Bill for the 21st Century would repeal unfair tax burdens on military families and provide Veterans with the benefits they deserve; affordable health care, education and job training, strengthen our support for our men and women in uniform, and improve benefits for our National Guard and Reservists.

Most importantly, it will modernize and enhance the GI Bill Education and Job Training Programs to provide the full cost of tuition and fees, and a living allowance for 36 months of schooling, for those who enlist for four years of active duty military service. They have fought to defend our freedoms. They have fought to defend our families. Our Veterans deserve it.

The G.I. Bill for the 21st Century has been endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), the Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA), the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

http://www.gregfischer.com/ind…

After the disappointments of the early primary season, I think that Greg Fischer as emerging as a serious candidate. He has shown his ability to not only self-fund, but to raise funds as well. Most importantly, he is showing that he can be depended on to fight for a Democratic vision for this country.

I hope Kentuckians and Americans will get behind Greg to defeat Bruce Lunsford, and then Mitch McConnell in the fall. Although he is a political newcomer the last month is showing him to be a serious candidate who can make a serious run at Mitch McConnell. Best of all, he will do it as a Democrat.

Find out more about Greg Fischer here:

http://www.gregfischer.com/

Support Greg Fischer in his fight for Kentucky Democrats here:

http://www.actblue.com/page/go…

We can still have an awesome Senator from Kentucky so please join in the fight for Greg Fischer!!

Kentucky is a state that could make a huge difference in our Congress this year. Despite the circus that has become the Presidential Primary, Democrats simply must remember that no matter who wins, a Progressive direction is highly unlikely without expanded Congressional majorities. That is why this long, grueling primary may prove to be a disaster for our country. Not only are the last two candidates standing and their supporters hurting each other, they are stealing valuable oxygen and funding from our candidates who can truly change this country from the ground up, our Congressional and Senate candidates.

One case in point is the Democratic race in Kentucky to find a candidate who will run to Ditch Mitch McConnell. We have already lost one fine candidate in this race, Andrew Horne because the netroots ignored him and didn’t give him the funding he needed. Now, Chuck Schumer and our party leadership have recruited a millionaire businessman, Bruce Lunsford to run so they don’t have to invest in Kentucky Democrats yet again.

Forget the fact that Lunsford has donated to many Republicans, including donating AGAINST John Yarmuth, our only pickup in 06. Add to that the fact that when he lost the Democratic Primary in 03 against Ben Chandler, he ENDORSED Ernie Fletcher, the corrupt Governor we just ousted, and actually managed his transition team.

Luckily, after the loss of Greg Stumbo and Andrew Horne to this race, we still have a good Progressive Democrat. His name is Greg Fischer and his campaign is gaining steam. Here is an email sent to me from his campaign today:

It is with great pride and gratitude that I announce today we have exceeded our first quarter fundraising goal and will report an impressive amount to the FEC next week.

Dollar by dollar, support is coming in from across the state. Our backing has been strong and encouraging. We’re confident that our campaign will have the resources necessary to defeat Bruce Lunsford on May 20 and we have set our sights on ditching Mitch in November.

Thirty percent of the contributions were received from folks like you who received an e-mail from a friend or the campaign and then went online to www.gregfischer.com to contribute. And, 44 percent of all contributions were for amounts of $200 or less. Every dollar counts.

Our support is multiplying each day. When people from Paducah to Covington learn about my candidacy, they realize I’m the contrast candidate with a clean record that has the best chance of defeating Mitch McConnell in the fall.

I am grateful for your encouragement and continued support.

Thank you,

Greg

If you don’t know Greg, here is some video of him:

Now, believe me, Bruce Lunsford in the Senate is not going to forward a Progressive agenda. With him replacing McConnell, we may have a Senator that votes with us half the time. Why should we settle for that? We need a Senator from Kentucky that will fight for our values, not back into them!!!

Please help the Greg Fischer campaign to defeat Lunsford and McConnell, two millionaires that will fight against us here:

http://actblue.com/entity/fund…

Now, on to the fight for my home. We have an awesome grassroots lady running here in Kentucky’s First Congressional District to unseat another millionaire and Mitch McConnell protege’ Ed Whitfield. We call Whitfield Exxon Eddie, because while Kentuckians and Americans are feeling much pain at the pump, Ed Whitfield is profiting handsomely with his Exxon and Chevron stock.

At Ryan for Kentucky, we believe we can do better. We believe we can find homegrown solutions for our dependence on foreign oil, and that we can have a Representative that votes for the betterment of our district, not the betterment of their own stock options.

Heather is a newcomer but is educated, passionate, and smart. We desperately need the resources to get our message out to the 63% of registered Democrats in this district who want to be invested in again. Many of them don’t know Heather, but look at the response she got recently when 3000+ of the people she is seeking to represent got their first look at her:

This was an event she was scheduled to speak at for a long time, and then Hillary decided to come too. From what I heard Heather and Hillary were the only two out of many that recieved standing ovations at this event.

Here her hear answering a Kossack about what it means to be a Democrat:

Yes, I know the feeling. George Bush makes me spit up too!!!

Now, we need your help in this race. Our district has long been ignored by the state and national party, despite being 63% registered Democrat. The Republicans have invested here, and all the Democrats here want is to be important to our party once more. If we get the resources we win, bottom line.

Please consider an investment in the expansion of our Congressional majorities here:

http://www.actblue.com/page/am…

With the help of grassroots Democrats, Kentucky can be what it always was for generations, BLUE!!!

Please consider helping out these two great Kentucky Democrats who want to make a difference for US in the next Congress. Our eventual nominee will thank you for it when they win the White House and have two awesome Democrats to work with!!

Best wishes fellow Democrats!!