Obviously, there have been some good laughs that came from Fancy Farm itself and even more from Jack Conway’s rich language that set off a faux firestorm of “controversy”. There are understandable suspicions that the Daniel Mongiardo campaign was behind a couple videos on YouTube that poked fun (actually worse) at Conway and and his “tough hide”. This is my personal favorite and the most controversial:

Note: My hair is almost exactly like Jack Conway’s, minus the color changes (legit or not, as according to Jake at PageOne) so the ending stepped on my toes a bit.

Anywayyy… This is positively ridiculous. I don’t praise liberals very often, but when I do, I’ll likely do it in spades. The liberals who realize that this is a non-issue are right. If it’s mentioned on The Colbert Report, you know it’s dumb. Why can’t Mongiardo and Conway debate Cap and Trade, the 2nd amendment, or even who’s got a fancier website? Anything, anything, would make more sense than this. Fow what it’s worth Conway’s even apologized.

I’m moving on, and I hope everyone else can too.

Here’s some quick videos of the speeches at Fancy Farm this year:

Daniel Mongiardo (D):

Jack Conway (D):

Rand Paul (R):

Trey Grayson (R):

As I’m sure many Kentuckians are aware, today marks the beginning of the Fancy Farm event. Fancy Farm, a picnic and carnival for entertainment is also known as the starting point for the political season in Kentucky. Pork is swallowed in as few seconds as possible and elected officials and candidates speak in what is also a political event.

This year, the noteworthy attendees are big names, Trey Grayson (R, candidate for senate), Rand Paul (R ,candidate for Senate), Bill Johnson (another R) as well as democratic candidates Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo, primary opponent Jack Conway, Darlene Fitzgerald Price and Maurice Sweeney.

Once the Senate candidates speak, state Auditor Crit Luallen, Treasurer Todd Hollenback, state Sen. Ken Winters and state Reps. Fred Nesler and Steven Rudy will give a speech, in that order. Lt. Gov. candidate in 2011, Jerry Abramson will be attending but not speaking. The governor is on vacation.

Source: KyKurmudgeon

At a Republican meeting last night in Calvert City, leading up to Fancy Farm, Grayson (R) responded to what many see his major flaw, he was a Clinton supporter in 1992. To ease suspicions on his conservatism, Grayson said to the group, “Some people in college tried pot. I tried Clinton.” Funny, but the humor tells me you might not be taking the accusations seriously enough. Reportedly, Grayson did meet with challender Rand Paul (R) earlier, as well.

Source: Bluegrass Politics

With the Democratic primary for next year’s U.S. Senate race likely taking top billing at this year’s Fancy Farm political picnic, the party faithful were preaching unity at Friday night’s bean supper sponsored by the Marshall County Democratic Party.

Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo and state Attorney General Jack Conway, the top two vying for the Democratic nomination next year, were the main attraction at the bean supper, which is in its 14th year and is a Fancy Farm kick-off for the party.

Both spoke for about 10 minutes each, with Conway not mentioning his opponent other than to thank him for a recent note of congratulations. Conway’s wife recently gave birth to a daughter.

Conway recounted his achievements as attorney general over the past two years, and touched on a broad range of issues, including the so-called “cap-and-trade” energy bill that is currently moving through Congress. The bill would limit carbon emissions at coal-fired power plants, which will likely drive up energy prices in Kentucky and have an impact on coal production.

“I will not vote for cap and trade,” Conway pledged.

In the only sign of tension between the two candidates, Mongiardo said he was glad to hear Conway pledge to oppose the bill, saying that earlier reports in the Lousville Courier-Journal indicated otherwise.

Mongiardo focused solely on the energy bill and health care in his remarks, saying that as a surgeon, he’s better qualified to push for health care reform in Washington D.C.

Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Charlie Moore followed the two candidates, and said each had committed to not run negative campaigns against each other leading up to next May’s primary election.

“We need to come out (of the primary) not bloodied by our own brothers and sisters,” said Moore, a Waverly attorney who practices in Owensboro.

Upon taking the stage, Moore noted that the program’s for the bean supper had a misprint, indicating that former state party chairwoman Jennifer Moore was slated to speak instead of him.

Another light moment of the night was Conway’s response to earlier comments by state Treasurer Todd Hollenbach, who told a story about the sound of cats apparently fighting in a barn, only to find later find a litter of kittens.

Conway noted that he and Mongiardo were “making babies” not making kittens. Mongiardo’s wife, Allison, is pregnant.

Along with the Senate race, Democrats focused on gaining seats in the state Senate. A special election is scheduled in late August for a seat left vacant by Republican Charlie Borders, who left the body earlier in July after being appointed to the Public Service Commission by Gov. Steve Beshear.

Beshear isn’t going to attend Fancy Farm, opting instead for a family vacation, but his newly chosen running mate, Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, hammered home the importance of a Democrat winning that state Senate seat, as did state Auditor Crit Luallen.

“We can do it this year,” Luallen said to applause.

Both parties will host breakfasts Saturday morning before the political speeches kick-off at Fancy Farm at 2 p.m., with former Courier-Journal reporter Al Cross, who now heads the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at UK, as emcee.

Following Jim Bunning’s announcement to the political sphere that shocked really no one, several politicians are responding to the news. Here’s a list below, along with their statements.

Daniel Mongiardo (Democratic Candidate for Senate): “Our campaign’s never been about Jim Bunning; it’s about fighting for affordable healthcare, affordable energy, and good jobs for Kentucky’s hard-working families. Today’s announcement does not change that,”

Jack Conway (Democratic Candidate for Senate): “Jim Bunning should be thanked for his many years of service in the public arena. I wish him and his family well in the next chapter of their lives. As for the political race in 2010, I look forward to facing whomever the Republican nominee will be next fall. “

John Yarmuth (Dem. Rep.):“I know Jack Conway is going to win this race, and I suspect that Senator Bunning realized that, too.”

Brett Guthrie (GOP Rep.): “Jim Bunning always focused on doing what is best for Kentucky and because of that our commonwealth is better off. Throughout his entire career, he never wavered on his conservative principles or passionate service. I have always admired Senator Bunning, and thank him for his commitment to people of Kentucky.”

Hal Rogers (GOP Rep.): “I want to commend Senator Bunning for his great service to our nation and for always fighting for our American principles and Kentucky values. His voice will be sorely missed in the halls of Congress. I look forward to working with and campaigning for the eventual nominee of our party in 2010.”

Mitch McConnell GOP Senator):“Jim has enjoyed two Hall of Fame worthy careers, and I am honored to have worked by his side in the Senate for the past several years. His steadfast focus on serving the people of the commonwealth has been as unwavering as his conservative ideals.”

“Kentucky is a far better place because of his service,” the Senate GOP leader continued. “While he may have decided not to run for reelection, I am confident that he will continue to be a valued member of our conference and contribute in meaningful ways for years to come.”

I’ll post my own pontifications in the morning.

Via Mark Halperin at The Page (and USA Today here), it seems that longtime Repug Senator Jim “High And Tight” Bunning has taken the hint from John Cornyn, Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao and his other “peeps” and, at long last, decided to fade into the GOP sunset.

(Hey, Bunning looks absolutely honorable compared to his fellow Repug Sen. John Ensign and South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who would have long since given up their respective public lives had they a shred of decency.)

However, since we are talking about Jim Bunning here, you can be sure that his departure will not be graceful; according to the statement published in USA Today, he blamed “some of the leaders of the Republican Party in the Senate (who) have done everything in their power to dry up my fundraising” (tee hee). Also, according to Bunning, “Kentuckians should know that I will continue to be a strong voice against the domestic policies pushed by the White House and Congress that – if enacted – will put this country on the path to socialism.”

The mantra of The Party of No, my fellow prisoners…

Actually, the Repugs are getting off a bit lucky, considering that Bunning threatened to quit here in March, promising he “would get the last laugh. Don’t forget Kentucky has a Democrat governor,” one of the sources quoted Bunning as saying (meaning that, if Bunning walked, his replacement would surely have been a Dem).

Classy all the way, Jim…

And I’m sure his fellow party members didn’t want to see a repeat of the behavior described here from his 2004 campaign, which looked like a walk until Jim started “hearing voices,” thus trimming his once-insurmountable lead to a mere six percentage points…

First, (Bunning) compared (Democratic long-shot challenger Daniel) Mongiardo’s appearance to one of Saddam Hussein’s sons. Then he made an unsubstantiated claim that opposition staffers beat his wife “black and blue” at a political picnic.

… Bunning (also) backed out of a televised debate with Mongiardo, giving the relatively unknown Democrat 30 minutes of air time. Bunning joined another debate via a satellite hookup from Washington, where he read his opening and closing statements from a teleprompter. An executive of the TV station that broadcast the debate called Bunning’s use of a teleprompter “despicable,” according to the Washington Post.

And as noted here (from December ’08)…

Bunning was invited to a sports card show in Taylor, Michigan to sign autographs. “But Bunning was kicked off the schedule after he helped derail an auto-industry loan package in the Senate”

At least he was consistent in opposing both that and the TARP bailout, as noted here…consistently wrong, but consistent.

And as noted here, Bunning also held up the appointment of R. David Paulison as the head of FEMA in 2006 a month or two before the beginning of hurricane season (with the horrors of Katrina and Rita still fresh in everyone’s minds, to say nothing of the people whose lives were ruined in the process).

And who can forget, upon Senate passage of the so-called Patriot Act despite the brave, valiant opposition of Russ Feingold, Bunning’s remark that “civil liberties don’t mean much when you’re dead” here?

The Repugs could afford Bunning’s antics when they rode high and mightily roughshod over our political discourse and our national institutions of government, and many statehouses as well. They can ill afford them at this moment as our country marches in the opposite direction, leaving their precious coalition of “values voters,” government do-nothings and greed head capitalists hopelessly fractured.

As Bunning knows full well, all successful major league baseball pitchers (which he definitely was for a time) have to rely on guile (an effective curveball or slider) and power (the fastball) to be effective.

Well, there really wasn’t much craft in the positions he advocated or the government policies and legislation he supported (the subtle part, if you will). And considering that that left him with only one weapon, it was only a matter of time before he “ran out of heat.”

(And by the way, my compliments to another of Bunning’s departing Repug peers, Sen. George Voinovich, for echoing what I’ve pretty much been saying all along here.)

From The News & Observer:

WASHINGTON — Republican insiders are hedging their bets on the fate of Sen. Jim Bunning’s 2010 re-election bid as the rift between Kentucky’s junior senator and GOP leaders widens.

For the better part of a month, Bunning, a Hall of Fame pitcher, has thrown Republican leaders curveballs by feuding with his fellow Kentuckian, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s chairman, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, over support for his re-election efforts.

Original DVD cover.

Bunning also made a headline-grabbing blunder by predicting that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would be dead by year’s end.

Bunning apologized Monday for the Ginsburg statement. However, some Republican analysts want Bunning benched.

…snip…

On Tuesday, Bunning threatened to sue the National Republican Senatorial Committee if it tries to recruit a GOP candidate to challenge him. He then went on to accuse state Senate President David Williams of owing him $30,000 and questioned Cornyn’s honesty.

On Friday, Williams met with NRSC officials in Washington about a possible run for the U.S. Senate, a move that infuriated Bunning.

…snip…

This isn’t Bunning’s first brush with verbal faux pas.

During the 2004 campaign, Bunning said Democratic challenger Daniel Mongiardo, then a state senator from Eastern Kentucky and now the state’s lieutenant governor, looked “like one of Saddam Hussein’s sons.” Mongiardo is an Italian-American.

Bunning later apologized for the statement, and the two may face off again in 2010.

Mongiardo issued a statement Wednesday calling on Bunning to withdraw from the Senate contest because Bunning is an “embarrassment to Kentuckians.”

…snip…

In the 2004 election cycle, Mongiardo lost to Bunning by a 1.4 percentage point margin.

Other Democrats considering the race include state Attorney General Jack Conway and state Auditor Crit Luallen. U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Versailles, has not ruled out a run.

In the meantime, the state’s Republicans are hoping to avoid a replay of the 2007 Kentucky governor’s race, when GOP Gov. Ernie Fletcher refused to step aside and lost in a landslide to Democrat and current Gov. Steve Beshear.

Ultimately, the true test of Bunning’s ability to mount a viable bid for a third term will depend on whether he is able to raise funds and fortify support, said Jennifer Duffy, a senior analyst with the Cook Political Report.

“It’s up to him. He promised to raise $2 million and they’ll hold him to it,” Duffy said.

So far, Bunning has banked only $150,000 in what could be a race that demands $10 million or more per candidate.

In a telephone press conference with reporters on Tuesday, Bunning had just four words for naysayers:

“I’m going to run.”

Oh goody! You have to run, Senator Bunning! Think of the children!

Is Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo another race baiting Democrat? If not, he’s certainly in the lead for this month’s Blue Jackass “Open Mouth, Insert Hoof” award, but it’s still early in the month.

According to a report from the Lexington Herald-Leader, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo said apparent lack of support in rural Kentucky stems from unfamiliarity with Obama and his policies, as well as ignorance and racial discrimination.

“I think it’s unfortunate that Kentucky is a state that exhibits discrimination such that we do because through the years we have been discriminated against,” Mongiardo said. “We have so many people who will not vote for Barack because of the color of his skin. Not everybody wants to talk about that, but it’s there.”

I guess Lt. Governor Mongiardo thinks rural Kentuckians never heard of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s sinister minister for 20 years. I’m sure that didn’t influence rural Kentuckians’ votes. Because I’m positive the countrified  Kentuckians agreed with Senator Obama when he said,  “I am sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, preists, or rabbis with which you strongly disagree.” Or maybe he thinks we haven’t heard about Father Pflegel’s fanatical antics, or Obama’s involvement with Bill Ayers, or the land deal with Rezko. Afterall, according to Lt. Governor Mongiardo, we are an ignorant people.

Just in case you want to check to see if your pastors, preists, or rabbis are saying things like Senator Obama’s Reverend Jeremiah Wright, watch the video below.

WARNING! The video below contains inappropriate language.

Mountaintop Removal in Kentucky

Apparently this is my week to be simply outraged by things, but I do hope, dear reader, that you will join with me on this one.

In a misguided and truly ignorant display of asshattery, our Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo has crossed over to the dark side (and by the dark side, I mean Big Coal.)

According to the article (for those of you who can’t be bothered to click the link), our buddy Mongiardo thinks that mountaintop removal is a grand thing and will be perfect for all the businesses, hospitals, and airports that are desperately trying to be built in eastern Kentucky.

In the local vernacular, HORSESHIT!  There are thousands of acres, literally, of mined land in eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, and western Virginia that have been flattened by this gross misuse of nature that sit empty, scarring the landscape, totally unused.  Ideally, they would be used for something, but they’re not.  They just sit there, completely empty like a soundstage on the moon, without viable options for re-growth and no economic possibilities on the horizon.

Mongiardo, you, sir, are an idiot!  Furthermore, being from Hazard, KY yourself, you should know the kind of destruction and devastation that this wreaks on not only the landscape, but the people and communities that are affected by this travesty of a business.  I can’t even begin to express the sincere outrage that I feel for your comments and the sincere sorrow I feel at both your ignorance and the poor policy decisions that might be a direct result of your idiocy.

See you in the funny papers!