Friday, 29 July 2005

Fletcher Administration Kicking Ass Despite Mistake.

Fletcher came out yesterday and admitted making mistakes in hiring practices at the beginning of his administration. Since then he, like any good CEO, has made the appropriate corrections to rectify the problem.

Of course this apology should be the end of the story. But no, the witch hunt over the merit-less case from Stumbo's office continues. Moving happily onward in pursuit of more heinous misdemeanors.

The Democrats and MSM are creating this sad smoke screen in an attempt to hide the real accomplishments of this administration. Just this week, Fletcher announced a $214 million dollar budget surplus this year. $64 million of the surplus was gained from frugal spending of available funds.

It also appears the administration is begining to get a handle on state owned vehicles. It turns out that under previous administrations many of the state owned vehicles were either in a state of disrepair or in people's home driveways. Fletcher's team is in the process of reducing waste by creating a single car pool to more effectively manage the state's cars. No telling how much this will save Kentucky taxpayers.

My messsage to the Fletcher team. Keeping on kicking ass and taking names. If you do, the Democrat's smoke screen will eventually drift away along with their aspirations for retaking the governor's mansion.

Posted by elendil at 5:03 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Tuesday, 26 July 2005

Congratulations Lance

I want to congratulate Lance Armstrong on his record 7th victory of the Tour de France. His win shows that the American Dream is still alive and kicking.

Lance Armstrong wasn't born wealthy or naturally gifted. Yet, he dreamed of being the best cyclist in the world. He dedicated his life to being the best. When cancer almost claimed his life, he didn't give up. He rededicated himself to his goals and trained harder than anyone else. Finally, he was able to achieve his dream with not just winning one, but seven Tour's.Lance is truly an inspiration for anyone who is working to achieve his or her dreams.

Thank you Lance for showing the rest of us the way!

Posted by elendil at 11:14 AM in Sports Topics
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Wednesday, 20 July 2005

Kentucky Attorney General Stumbo is a Disgrace

It appears that Stumbo has finallyachieved a class D felony indictment in the Merit-lessinvestigation. Stumbo's team convinced the grand jury to indict Dan Druenthis week for attempting to influence the testimony of his former secretary.That means the indictment has nothing to do with the alleged abusesof the Merit system, but with how individuals responded to theinvestigation. So we still have zero felony indictments for abuses of the Meritsystem.

The disturbing part of this entire debacle is that resources are being divertedfrom pressing state legal issues to continue "Captain Ahab" Stumbo's attackon the Governor. Now there is proof that the AG has beenfailing to do his real job.

The Health and Family Services Cabinet is severing a longstanding $1.4million-a-year arrangement with the attorney general's office toinvestigate welfare fraud, calling it "a bad business deal."

Cabinet Secretary James Holsinger said that the cabinet instead willhire more internal investigators and work with the Kentucky State Policeto look into cases of employee embezzlement and welfare recipient fraud.

In addition, the cabinet will work directly with county prosecutorsrather than the attorney general's office to shepherd the casesthrough court.

It appears that the Health and Family Services cabinet referred around 600cases to the AG's office in the previous year and only 90 of them wereprosecuted. That comes to $15,555.56 per prosecution. A ludicrous amountby any standard.

The worst part is that 500 cases of fraud costing untold millions of dollarsof taxpayer money goes uninvestigated while Captain Ahab Stumbo continueshis fruitless search. What a disgrace!

Posted by elendil at 11:42 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Tuesday, 19 July 2005

Supreme Court Choice is Made

After much anxious waiting, Bushhas selected John Roberts as his nominee to succeed Justice O'Connoron the Supreme Court.

Roberts currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for DC.Although Roberts has only been a judge for two years he has extensiveexperience soliciting before the Supreme Court. He has argued 39 casesbefore the Court winning 25 of them. A remarkable accomplishment highlightingnot only his competence as an attorney but his thorough understandingof the principles of law.

Roberts is a honors graduate of both Harvard University and Harvard Lawschool. He has clerked for Chief Justice Rehnquist as well as worked as asolicitor for both the Reagan and Bush administrations. Roberts isundoubtedly a qualified candidate to sit on the Supreme Court. The realquestion is where does he stand with regards to originalism and theConstitution?

I am heartened by the fact that the left wing groups are already showing signsof going into melt down mode over the pick. It is also nice to see the conservativesgenerally thinkingwell of Roberts. But the reality is he has only been a judge for two years. Wedon't know for sure what his opinions are. That makes me nervousconsidering the disaster that was and is Judge Souter. Especially consideringhe could serve 30-40 years on the court.

Currently, I am upbeat about the selection and look forward to thenominating process. It will be fun to watch and report on the melt down fromthe left.

Posted by elendil at 11:47 PM in National Politics
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Friday, 15 July 2005

Witch Hunt Continues

On Tuesday, the state Republican Party chairman Darrel Brock Jr,Basil Turbyfill, Fletcher's personnel adviser, and Bob Wilson, deputypersonnel secretary were indicted on a single class B misdemeanor charge ofcriminal conspiracy to violate state merit system laws.

At this point it has become quite obvious to even the most gullible readerthat the merit investigation is nothing other than a political witch huntlead by the Democratic Attorney General. How else do you describe the formation of a grand jury to indict the state Republican Party chairman witha single misdemeanor. Not only is this investigation a joke, it is massivewaste of taxpayer money.

The best solution for solving the problem with state hiring practiceswas put forth by Fletcher earlier this week. Fletcher has assembleda task force to look into removing the ambiguity which plagues the current state merit system laws. This simple action will prove much more effective in bringingabout needed reform than a political witch hunt. And it will be a lot cheaperas the tax payers shoulder the legal bill for this debacle.

Leave it to Senate President David Williams to put this investigationinto proper perspective.

Williams repeated complaints made previously by Fletcher and many leadingRepublicans that no similar investigations had occurred during yearswhen Democrats controlled both the governor's office and the attorneygeneral's office.

"For 20-something years not one Republican was ever hired under themerit system," Williams said. "I guess these whistle blowers had sand intheir whistles."

Amen brother Williams!
Posted by elendil at 12:50 AM in Kentucky Politics
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Thursday, 14 July 2005

Where is the Main Stream Media?

There is good news in a recent poll from the Middle East. AReuters story has the results from a Pew research poll releasedThursday. The survey polled people from multiple countries to determinepublic opinion on Osama bin Laden and suicide bombings. The results showthat support for both bin Laden and suicide bombings has fallen sharply inmuch of the Muslim world.

Isn't this good news? Doesn't this show that our policies in the MiddleEast are working? Shouldn't the main stream media be touting oursuccesses? Oh wait, I forgot. This is good news for George Bush and we can'thave that now can we?

The liberals in the media need to get over there hatred of Bush and rejoicein the United States budding success at changing the hearts and minds ofthose in the Middle East. Isn't this what they claimed we needed?to do?

I doubt we will hear much about this in the media, because liberalscan't admit they were wrong about our mission to spread freedom. Theybelieved that Middle Eastern culture is too different and we need reach outand attempt to understand them. To touch our inner child or some such nonsense.It is beginning to look like peace and freedom might be the common threadnecessary for understanding one another. For all people regardless ofculture or religion desire the peace and freedom to follow their dreams.To bad the liberals can't or won't acknowledge that simple fact.

Posted by elendil at 11:58 PM in National Politics
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Friday, 8 July 2005

One Step Closer to Stupidity

A proposal for a smoking ban made it out of committee the other day.

It appears that the most intelligent comment from the hearing came from Democrat Mary Woolridge when she expressed concern for the rights of smokers.

"What has happened to freedom?" she asked. "Adults do not have to go into these restaurants."

Ironically, Mary was the swing vote to allow the the measure out of committee. I guess she is not for freedom after all.

Posted by elendil at 6:15 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Louisville Will Have A Mayorial Race

Republican Kelly Downard has raised more than $130,000 in the first three months of his campaign for Louisville mayor. Downard's initial fund raising prowess demonstrates he will be able to raise the money needed to fight a competitive race against "Mayor for Life" Abramson.

With Downard over the money hurdle, we should be treated to a fun and interesting battle for mayor. It will be the first time that Jerry Abramson will be seriously challenged since his initial election. But unlike previous mayorial races, the newly merged city/county government turns the race from an urban battle into a county wide battle that includes heavily Republican suburbs. In addition, Downards money will force Abramson to defend his abysmal record of failure as mayor that has been glossed over and covered up by the local media. Let the games begin!

Posted by elendil at 5:45 PM in Kentucky Politics
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Thursday, 7 July 2005

The Terrorists will Fail

Even though our allies were struck today by al-Qaeda, I have renewed hope that the United States, Britain, Australia, and the rest of our allies will see the terrorism vanquished. The ultra-liberal mayor of London, Ken Livingstone best stated our common cause today.

Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life.

I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others - that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail.

In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfill their dreams and achieve their potential.

They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don’t want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail.”

Livingstone is right. It is our unbending love of freedom that will carry they day. For it is the power of freedom which infuses people with the strength and ingenuity necessary to overcome and eradicate threats of force. We saw it in World War II. We saw it in the cold war. And we see it again today in the war on terrorism. I suspect the results will be the same. And just like Nazism and Communism, Islamic fascism is destined for the ash heap of history.

Posted by elendil at 6:10 PM in National Politics
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London Bombing

My sympathy and prayers go out to the families of those killed in London today by the cowardly thugs of al-Qaeda.

Posted by elendil at 5:53 PM in Announcements
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Friday, 1 July 2005

Now the Fun Begins

Sandra Day O'Connor has tendered her resignation as of the end of the current session. O'Connor spent 24 years on the Supreme Court where she became a lynch pin for the squish middle. Her career is being hailed for her abilities as an independent thinker on the court. Which of course is a euphemism for jumping from one side to the other on a whim.

Now, President Bush has the ability and duty to replace her wobbliness with someone more rooted in the interpretation of the Constitution. Someone similiar to Scalia or Thomas. Such an appointment will tip the balance of the court in favor of conservatism and the Constitution. Allowing us to close the book on the tyrannical days of judicial activism that has wreaked havoc on our nation over the past 40 years. It will finally align the court with the conservative majority that has led this country since the 80's.

Of course the court system is the last vestige of power for the left, and they will not go quietly. I am sure they will get really shrill and desperate as there last defense is wiped away. The battle lines are already being drawn.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, said: "We would expect the president to maintain the critical balance of the court that Justice O'Connor fought so long and hard for by nominating a consensus, mainstream nominee.

"We should replace Justice O'Connor with a consensus candidate, not an ideologue."

My response to Schuemer is SCREW YOU. We the majority no longer want your balanced or consensus candidate on the court. We know those are code words for liberal. I am sick and tired of listening to the left define themselves as middle of the road while insulting average American conservatives ala Howard Dean.

Message to Schuemer and the rest of the Democrats!Your party is in the minority. You lost the last presidential election. In fact you have consistently lost local, state, and national elections since the 1970's. You do not get to define what is a balanced nominee. Your time of dominance has passed. So go ahead and bitch, moan and whine. But at the end of the day you will need to get your sorry asses out of the majority's way.

Posted by elendil at 2:43 PM in National Politics
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Quote of the Week

This week we are left with a wonderful quote from Tom Cruise

"Before I was a Scientologist, I never agreed with psychiatry," Cruise said. "And when I started studying the history of psychiatry, I understood more and more why I didn't believe in psychology. ... And I know that psychiatry is a pseudo science."

Hey Tom, isn't that kinda like Scientology being a pseudo religion. Although, I find myself agreeing with his quote. I do find the irony quite funny.

Posted by elendil at 8:58 AM in Cultural Events
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