Repugs Think If They Ignore Their Opponents, the Voters Will Too

I swear the rapidly approaching Obama tsunami is causing serious mental illness among republican candidates even in supposedly "red" states like Kentucky.

How else to explain the toddler-level behavior of Mitch McConnell, Ed Whitfield and Geoff Davis in refusing to play nice with Kentucky Educational Television and debate their Democratic challengers?

Especially since their temper tantrums handed the challengers the stage all to themselves - an hour of free television time to field questions from local journalists.

The first to make the most of the opportunity was Dr. Michael Kelley, seeking to take the Fourth District Congressional seat from Geoff Davis.

Watch the video of the debate (in three parts) here.

Kelley's an obvious political neophyte, unpolished but determined to make his points and not afraid to call the republicans out for the lying nation-destroyers they are.

(Note to Kelley's campaign staff: stop trying to teach Kelley to talk like a politician; sit back and bask in the warmth of genuine, passionate integrity.)

You can get more of Kelley's outspokenness in the answers he gave to the Courier-Journal for its Voter Guide. (Do I need to add that Davis never responded to the Courier's questions?)

Some choice excerpts after the jump:

Republican mismanagement has severely damaged our economy. I will support Barack Obama's efforts to repair the damage caused by the Republicans and get America's economy back on track.

SNIP

We need to get our army out of Iraq starting now. By ending our occupation of Iraq we will start to rebuild our tarnished image in the region. We then need to launch a full-blown national effort toward breaking our addiction to oil - an Apollo Project for energy independence. Once we no longer are addicted to Middle East oil we will no longer need to prop up repressive oil-rich dictatorships. Much of the hatred of America stems from our support of these repressive governments.

Let's remember, Saddam Hussein was once protected by the U.S.A. - and he had been a brutal dictator the entire time we were protecting him. Once we no longer need middle eastern oil, we will no longer be held hostage by this region of the world.
Iraq will fall apart whether we leave now or a decade from now (or 100 years from now as McCain suggested.) The Shia, Kurds, and Sunni hate each other and always have. We cannot force peace upon them - they have to want peace enough to earn it for themselves

SNIP

I oppose mountaintop removal (coal mining), which is a practice that damages our waterways while despoiling our mountains. I am running because I want my children to inherit a community that is in a condition at least as good as when we inherited it. I don't see how mountaintop removal achieves that goal.
Furthermore, any talk of "clean coal" is currently wishful thinking. ... I believe it is time for our country to focus on moving beyond fossil fuels altogether. Global warming is real. We also suffer under frequent smog alerts. Let's move to clean solar, wind, and biomass.

SNIP

(On gas prices:) There is no short term solution aside from consumer-driven conservation. For the 30 years since our last oil crisis, our leaders have spent their time doing exactly nothing to push America toward a sustainable energy policy. Thanks to this failure of leadership we find ourselves with crushing energy prices. It's time to do what we should have been doing all along - and what Carter tried to get us to do - use less fossil fuels.

SNIP

(On universal health insurance:) I am a practicing family doctor and I know healthcare can be affordable for all Americans. Other developed countries spend half what we do on healthcare with quality at least as good as ours.

(SNIP)

(On the financial bailout:) If I was going to ask the taxpayers to hand over 700 Billion (on top of our approximately 10 Trillion debt,) then I would prefer that we invested in infrastructure (such as fixing our crumbling bridges, sewers, power transmission and rail networks, etc.,) conservation, renewable energy, research, and possibly education. Those kind of investments increase the wealth-building capacity of our nation, help us live more safely and sustainably, and result in the creation of jobs.
Bailing out irresponsible lenders and borrowers is not my idea of an investment, especially when the bailout contained no regulations to prevent this from happening again.
President Bush's attempts to force the bailout through with fear-mongering and panic flew in the face of the traditions of responsible governance. This rush-job smells a lot like the rush-job that landed us in the mess in Iraq.

Read the whole thing, and be sure to watch watch the video of the debate.

Cross-posted at Blue in the Bluegrass.

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Michael Kelley: Kentucky's Best-Kept Progressive Secret

Wishing you lived in Western Kentucky so you could vote for Real Democrat Heather Ryan? If you live in Kentucky's Fourth District, which runs through Northern Kentucky east from Louisville to Ashland, you're in luck!

You've got a Democratic Congressional Candidate you can be proud of.

On September 18, I sent an emailed question to the four people in Kentucky who are running as challengers on the Democratic ticket for a seat in Congress: Bruce Lunsford (Senate), Michael Kelley (KY-4), David Boswell (KY-2), and Heather Ryan (KY-1).

I asked each of them the same question:

I would be very interested in your response to the following excerpt from Senate testimony this week, particularly in how you, as a new Member of Congress, would work to restore Congress' Article One power and responsibility.

(At that link, long-time former GOP Congressman Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma testified before a Senate hearing on the rule of law and excoriated Congress for abdicating its Constitutional responsibilities of oversight and balance of power.)

Only Dr. Michael Kelley, Democratic nominee for the Fourth Congressional District seat of incumbent Geoff Davis, bothered to send an answer. In thanks and due respect, I am posting his response in full:

(More after the jump.)

We have seen a failure of duty in all the branches of our government. We have seen the executive branch veer off wildly into uncharted territory. Territory in which the Constitution, human rights, civil rights, and the Geneva Convention are no longer respected.

The Judicial branch went off the rails right from the start when they selected the president in 2000 in a decision that was both bold and indefensible.

The "fourth branch" of government, the press, has similarly let us down by backing such nonsense as "Saddam masterminded 9-11" and "warrantless wire tapping is somehow needed to fight terror."

When seen in this light, it seems that Congress' failure to up hold their constitutional duty to serve as a check and balance to an administration run amok is only moderately contemptible.

The fear of being accused of "being soft on defense," being a "defeatocrat," "unpatriotic," failing to "support our troops," to name a few, turned congress into a grouping of boot-lickers. As long as the majority of congresspersons care more about their own job security than the nation's long term well-being, this will not be the last failure they will produce.

I am a family doctor who is running in hopes of straightening out some of these messes. I'm not taking PAC money, lobbyist money, or bundler money. I'm not taking one red cent of special interest money. This makes my odds longer, but if elected I'll get in with no strings attached. If elected I will not forget Congress' "power of the Purse," and I'll not ever place my own self interest before the nation's best interest.

That's how a real Democrat talks, y'all. Tomorrow, more on the outspoken Dr. Kelley.

Cross-posted at Blue in the Bluegrass.

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A Kentucky Candidate Says No to Big Tobacco

Rep. Geoff Davis, R-KY4, isn't known for either intellect or political smarts. But by voting against federal regulation of tobacco when his Democratic challenger is a physician, he may have surpassed his own record of stupidity.

In response to Davis' vote, Dr. Michael Kelley wrote:

... So who would be opposed to a common sense idea such as FDA regulation of tobacco? Our current U.S. Representative, Geoff Davis. Once again Representative Davis has come out on the side of his big corporate campaign donors at the expense of the American public. He has voted against this bill which would protect Americans, and instead voted to protect Big Tobacco. In doing this he has voted for higher healthcare prices and for worse health for Kentuckians. (Kentucky has the highest adult smoking rate in the nation and 25% of Kentucky teens smoke.)

Davis claims that his ‘no’ vote was simply an effort to help the poor, overworked folks at the FDA, which “struggles to handle its current responsibilities.” How kind of him! But Davis and his ultra-conservative allies in Congress are partly to blame for the under-performance of important government agencies - since the conservative philosophy is to defund government until it is “small enough to drown in a bathtub.” Collapsing bridges, FEMA mismanagement, and an underperforming FDA are all linked to conservative distrust of, and under-investment in our government.

I am a practicing family doctor, and I see patients every day who are sick because of smoking. I cannot see how Representative Davis can stand to look at himself in the mirror after voting against common sense and the best interests of his constituents - unless he considers his true constituents to be his Big Money campaign donors. Geoff Davis’ voting record - one that proves he serves Big Money backers over the best interests of Americans - is why I chose to run against him. I can promise you this: if you elect me as your Representative, I will serve you – and never Big Money.

Read the whole thing.

If you don't live in a state where they grow tobacco, trust me when I say that in Kentucky opposing smoking, cheap cigarettes or Big Tobacco is an act of political courage. Although many Kentucky communities have banned smoking in public buildings and the amount of tobacco grown in the state has dropped significantly, opposing any part of the tobacco industry is still considered anti-farmer and anti-Kentucky, even by non-smokers.

Keep givin' 'em hell, Dr. Kelley.

Cross-posted at Blue in the Bluegrass.

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Apology Not Accepted

Sooner or later in this campaign, Barack Obama is going to have pull on the boxing gloves and start delivering some hard hits. He should start today by telling Rep. Geoff Davis, R-KY4, to shove his "apology" up his tight Canuck ass.

"My poor choice of words is regrettable and was in no way meant to impugn you or your integrity. I offer my sincere apology to you and ask for your forgiveness," Davis wrote in a letter that staffers said was hand-delivered to Obama's U.S. Senate office.

Davis, a Republican representing Northern Kentucky, continued: "Though we may disagree on many issues, I know that we share the goal of a prosperous, secure future for our nation. My comment has detracted from the dialogue that we should all be having on legitimate policy differences and in no way reflects the personal and professional respect I have for you."

How excruciatingly polite. Makes it sound like Davis criticized the Illinois Senator's choice of ties. Maybe even implied Obama was color-blind.

But of course, that's not what Davis said. What Davis said was a racist slur about an inch and a half short of the n-word. And he said it in front of hundreds of people at the biggest Republican politican event of the year in Northern Kentucky. Said to the laughter, applause and cheers of the filthy rich and disgustingly lily-white audience.

Davis spoke at the Northern Kentucky 4th Congressional District Lincoln Day Dinner, also attended by Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning.

Davis compared Obama and his message to a "snake oil salesman." He said in his remarks at the GOP dinner that he also recently participated in a "highly classified, national security simulation" with Obama.

"I'm going to tell you something: That boy's finger does not need to be on the button," Davis said. "He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country."

National media are dismissing this as at worst the kind of slip expected from southern politicians who forget themselves in front of friendly audiences.

Senator Obama: this was no "slip." This was the opening salvo in a planned campaign of "accidental" racist "slips" that will have you wasting all your time graciously accepting passive-aggressive non-apologies.

As Media Czech points out, Geoff Davis is about as southern as Ted Kennedy.

Where was Geoff Davis Geoff born and raised? In friggin Canada.

Where did he go to college? In the good ole southern town of Pittsburgh.

This cannot simply be dismissed as a slip of the tongue due to his southern upbringing. He is a Northern carpetbagger, through and through. This is an unmistakable code word, and it was quite deliberate.

The cowardly, racist bullies are laughing at you, Senator Obama, sure you will graciously forgive them this time. And the next time. And the time after that.

What they're not expecting and have no defense for is a fast fist to the mouth, followed by a nasty kidney punch and double-handed neck-chop.

Tell Geoff Davis you don't accept fake apologies from racist, carpetbagging, dumb-as-a-rock Bush-worshippers.

Cross-posted at BlueGrassRoots.

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2008 Year of the Novices?

A political novice has stepped forward to take on two-term Congressman Geoff Davis, Republican of Northern Kentucky.

New Kentucky political blog Page One Kentucky broke the story August 14, including the first interview with Dr. Michael Kelley, a physician from the northern Louisville suburbs.

Our sources say Kelley will not be a candidate just for candidacy’s sake— he won’t be the sacrificial lamb— that he’ll have support similar to that of Ken Lucas in 2006. If you remember the horde of commercials purchased on behalf of Lucas (and the $1.5Million the FEC says he raised that year) you realize this could potentially be big bucks— and aid— for Kelley.

According to a contact at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, “Kelley will garner strong support from the state and national party because he’s not a career politician. He’s not your average hack from Halliburton. He has a simple plan that hits home with the voters and he connects with people on a personal level that career-types like Davis cannot.”

Read the whole thing, but short version is Kelley wants the troops out of Iraq, major health care reform, and campaign finance reform.

Davis is an interesting case. Despite being an intellectual and political lightweight, valued primarily for his reflexive RWA, wingnut Smirky-worship, he's beaten two fairly strong Democrats.

In 2004, he ran for retiring Democrat Ken Lucas' open seat against journalist Nick Clooney. Yes, that Clooney - brother of Rosemary, father of George (DOWN, girls!) Not only is Nick just as handsome as his famous son, he's also just as smart, articulate and passionately liberal. You may have read George's comments that Nick's journalism career and First Amendment values inspired him to make Goodnight, and Good Luck.

2004, of course, was a bad year for Democrats, especially in Kentucky, and it didn't help Nick that Northern Kentucky is a conservative republican bastion.

In 2006, however, a grassroots draft persuaded former Congressman Ken Lucas to try to unseat Davis. 2006 was a good year for Democrats, as Proud Liberal John Yarmuth proved by defeating five-term incumbent Anne Northup in Louisville. Davis was considered so endangered that he was a recipient of some of Karl Rove's taxpayer-funded save-the-repugs media events, now under investigation. But conservative Lucas ran as republican-lite (DAMN you, Rahm Emmanuel!) and as always when given a choice between a fake and the real thing, people chose the real republican.

Now things are looking extremely bad for Kentucky republicans, with Governor Ernie Fletcher hurtling toward a historic crash-and-burn in November, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, up for reelection in 2008, looking weaker by the moment.

Dr. Kelley faces some serious hurdles. The Fourth District is, as Kentucky Enquirier columnist Pat Crowley notes, "a 24-county behemoth that stretches more than 200 miles along the Ohio River from Ashland to near Louisville to near Lexington." In other words, from Appalachian Mountain redoubts to liberal suburbs. Kelley may also suffer from "doctor fatigue" among Kentucky voters, who have a physician running for Lt. Governor, whose ticket beat another physician in the primary, against a physician who is the incumbent governor.

But if Dr. Kelley is able to stand tall for progressive values and resist DLC and DCCC advice to play nice, he should be able to unseat Davis in a year when republicans will be fighting for their political lives.

(Betcha didn't know George Clooney is a native Kentuckian, born in Lexington and raised in the beautiful Ohio River town of Maysville. Heard a rumor a month ago that George is considering running against Mitch McConnell. Waaaaaayy too good to be true.)

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