That Ol’ Kentucky Blue
As expected, one-term Kentucky governor Ernie Fletcher was solidly defeated yesterday by resurgent democrat Steve Bashear. The Republicans’ o’-so-familiar penchant for corruption and the failures of the GOP across the board were too much to overcome, even with such piddling, pandering tactics as the “Foundation of American Law and Government.”
…Governor Ernie Fletcher has directed that the “Foundations of American Law and Government” display be placed in the Capitol, following a ruling today (Nov. 6) by U.S. District Judge Joseph M. Hood that the display is not covered by a previous injunction.
“The ‘Foundations’ display contains a variety of historically significant documents which are meant to educate our citizens about the foundations of our law and government,” said Governor Fletcher. “I’m pleased that Judge Hood has ruled that the previous injunction does not apply to this display.”
On Oct. 29, Governor Fletcher asked the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky to clarify a 2006 order pertaining to the display of a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol Grounds. The motion asked the court to stipulate that a previous order enjoining the display of the monument does not apply to the “Foundations” display, noting that the “Foundations” display has a predominately secular purpose.
The request was made after the “Foundations” display was donated to the Governor’s Office by a private citizen. In addition to a King James version of the Ten Commandments, the display includes a copy of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta, the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner, the national motto, “In God We Trust,” the preamble to the Kentucky Constitution, the Bill of Rights and a picture of Lady Justice.
What I’d like to know is WHAT THE FUCKIN’ HELL DOES THE KING FUCKIN’ JAMES VERSION OF THE TEN FUCKIN’ COMMANDMENTS, THE LYRICS OF THE STAR SPANGLED FUCKIN’ BANNER AND “IN GOD WE FUCKIN’ TRUST” HAVE TO DO WITH THE “FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN LAW AND FUCKIN’ GOVERNMENT???
Anyways…
From the Louisville Courier-Journal:
… Beshear won nearly 60 percent of the vote in defeating Fletcher, a Republican seeking to become the first member of his party to serve two terms as governor, by a margin of 18 percentage points.
… Beshear won traditionally Democratic counties that he was supposed to win and made it close in those where Republicans have typically run well.
… In all, Beshear carried 92 of the state’s 120 counties. Four years ago, by contrast, Fletcher won 86 counties.
Most of the counties Fletcher carried this year were in south-central Kentucky. He even struggled in Republican-performing Northern Kentucky, where he won only Boone County.
Beshear carried Eastern Kentucky, which normally votes Democratic, and Western Kentucky, which has been trending Republican in recent years.
In Jefferson County, where Fletcher lost by just 5,536 votes in 2003, Beshear won by roughly 67,000 votes.
Of course, in keeping with the modern republican theme, Fletcher did this to himself…
… The election was clearly a repudiation of Fletcher, who was seriously damaged by a scandal over his administration’s hiring abuses in the state merit system. Fletcher refused to testify before a grand jury, was indicted on three misdemeanor counts — later dismissed — and pardoned those around him who had been charged.
… Republican strategist Ted Jackson, who supported Northup in the primary, said last night that Fletcher should not have sought re-election because he never stood a chance.
“The guy could not be re-elected. It was not a close call,” said Jackson, who added that the pardons were something the electorate could not forgive. “Ronald Reagan could not have pardoned his entire administration … and be re-elected.”
And, of course, the modern republican theme of turning on each other when you can…
… Larry Forgy, the 1995 Republican gubernatorial nominee, blamed Northup, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Lt. Gov. Steve Pence, who chose not to run again with Fletcher, for the loss.
“It is the result of the primary. We spent $5 million among Republicans fighting over almost nothing except the desire of three or four people in Louisville and party headquarters — including Sen. McConnell, including Steve Pence, Anne Northup and others — to essentially run this man out of office.”
The grass is looking bluer in Kentucky. Hopefully this bodes well for 2008. No, I don’t think the Dems can carry this state for the White House, but with Sen. Mitch McConnell’s close ties to Bush, and another Fletcher lacky running for the only shaky democratic House seat, we may see some gain, or at least no loss, out of Kentucky come ‘08.
JMJ