So this weekend I was in Boston/Waltham/Cambridge visiting some friends up there and I was pleasantly surprised to meet a girl who has never lived in Kentucky but is very interested in Kentucky politics.  Her family is most recently from Texas and she goes to school at Brandeis, but she can name every single Senator and most of the Representatives for every state.  She made calls for John Yarmuth in 2006 and was asking me all kinds of questions about Mitch McConnell and his race.  It was pretty inspiring to talk to her because it always surprises me when people other than Kentuckians care about Kentucky politics and this made me realize that our people do matter on the national level.

 As a side note: this could possibly lead to a tie in that we could do for another CDKY event because she might be able to get some other people to come down and help us in the fall.

 Sarah

Yes, I have more to say. Don’t get used to it.

First, I was reading barefoot and progressive, like I do, and decided to give a shout out to MediaCzech’s post about our upset victory in LA-6 last night. Hooray for Democrats, Woody! Hooray for US!

Now, closer to home, I want to turn everyone’s attention to Scott County. This Tuesday they are having the organizational meeting for Scott County Young Democrats at the home of David Davila, and we are trying to help them get people out. There will be free food, great people, a local candidate, and a primary to watch I hope to see a few of you out.

The event will be held at 104 Josie Trail in Georgetown Kentucky. The starting time is 7 pm. The facebook event is live, so be there, or when the revolution comes, they may start asking questions…

Finally, the most important… Check out Kentucky women. There is information there about a great fundraiser for breast cancer research. Join Diane, and please help make a difference.

Hey y’all, I was reading blogs before I decide to go out before work, and read what Ben Carter has to say over at BlueGrassRoots. I thoroughly enjoyed what he had to say, and I think all of you will agree with his writing.

Before I begin, I want to apologize for my previous post. That post could have been misconstrued as an endorsement by UK College Democrats of Barack Obama. We have not, and will not, be endorsing anyone in the presidential primary. I am personally a supporter of Senator Obama, but our organization supports the Democratic party, not one person from the Democratic party. Which is exactly why Senator Clinton should stay in.

I, as an Obama supporter, would not mind if Senator Clinton endorsed Senator Obama after Tuesday, but should she win in either North Carolina or Indiana, it is hard to see why she would. Senator Clinton has done a great job of mounting a comeback, relying on winning all the states she must win. Senator Obama has done the same, but has, since after super-duper-tsunami-tidal-wave-I-can’t-believe-this-phrase-or-this-race-is-still-going-on- Tuesday, been the front runner. He has yet to deliver the knock-out primary or caucus victory, and until all of the primaries are decided, she should stay in and fight.

Why would someone supporting Senator Obama say this? It is just as the Senator said to CBS in February, “Whoever wins this Democratic primary…they’re the toughest, baddest candidate on the block.” I like both of our candidates. A lot. And yes it is awful to watch them needlessly bloody and attack each other, but at the end of the day, none of what either will do to each other is as nasty as what Karl Rove or a host of other nasty GOP strategists will do. Surviving the Democratic primary proves that whoever our nominee can weather any storm, and still come out on top.

Both Clinton and Obama have had to weather storms during their poitical careers. Whether it is Rev. Wright, HillCare, Monica, drugs, or a misstatement, it is clear that each candidate can bounce back. To suggest that if this goes on that neither candidate can win if they finish this primary out is just plain wrong. Just look at the opponent that we face.

Senator McCain proves this is one election we can afford this fight. He, as the Republican candidate, has stated that he does not understand the economy, wants to remain in Iraq for 100 years, wants to fight against insuring more people, has flip-flopped on taxes and torture, and has acknowledged the shrinking of his own base. It has become clear that John McCain is not a candidate of change, he is a candidate who has changed.

- Joe G.

For all of you acolytes of The O.C. out there, guess who is coming to UK on Thursday? That’s right, Benjamin McKenzie! (Who apparently supports US Senator Obama for President) Ben McKenzie will be coming to lend his help to the Obama campaign, appearing at UK from 3-5 on Thursday in the Cats Den. So, if you can afford to, drop the books, pick up your camera, cause we’re going to have a whole lot of fun! (Anyone catch the Fish Cheer reference? No?)

As MediaCzech says, “as McKenzie goes, so goes the state of Kentucky.”

(First Carson Kressley, then Chelsea Clinton, and now this! Man, who is going to meet with UK College Democrats next?)

- Joe G.

In less than 30 minutes we will begin Finals Week. As I sit preparing for my two finals tomorrow on the 2nd floor of W.T. Young, in case anyone reads this in time to visit me, I just wanted to thank everyone for making this semester and this year a success. That, and I decided that my time would be better served blogging about tomorrow than actually preparing by rereading a report on Kentucky’s economic growth by the Gatton Report, and thinking about how to relate that to the book The Creative Class. (If you really want to know what I’m talking about, either take Kentucky Government and Politics or visit the class blog…)

That said, I want to wish everyone luck! May you keep in decent enough economic standing to come back, and help us march forward toward progress, with whoever our nominees are for President, Senate, and *insert local race that would take away more power from the monied interests that continually screw over the majority of our state*.

- Joe G.

John Lott has a solution for crime. It’s simple. We’ll give all old ladies guns. No killer will see that coming. And people who plan on attacking people will stop using guns, and start using bombs. Win win, yes?

Not quite. What, for instance, do we do for bombings? To follow Israel’s model we clearly would not solve the problem. After making this point, of course he moved on.

Of course I kid. The man, from what I first saw, spoke about the media’s negative slant toward guns, outside of small towns that is. He then went on about the problems of the Safe School Act, and the overall idea that if you ban guns, only criminals will own guns. Jack Bauer scenarios where people can’t wait a week for their gun. (What if the terrorist is stalking you around campus, and corners you by your dorm? If you had a concealed carry on campus you totally could blow that suckers head off!)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against the 2nd Amendment. I believe everyone has the right to a hand gun in their private homes, on private property, and away from children. To go hunting, go for it. For self-defense, fine. But bringing them on campus will not work. And allowing children to play with guns unsupervised should not be advised.

Lott spoke about kids with guns. Guns make it easier for bad things to happen, but also make it easier for good things to happen. Kids with guns can defend themselves, but they can also pull a Clay Shrout. For every kid who saves himself and his grandma, there is another troubled kid like Mr. Shrout.

I think I will pick up his book. He makes great points, and he is well researched. I do want to look at his research. I, obviously, agree with banning assault weapons. Unfortunately, I have not heard his point on this.. though, I have a guess. He seems the Ron Paul type.

Speaking of which, at the end he went on a rant about courts. The attack centered around free speech, and of course he took on corporation free speech via McCain-Feingold and not real free speech such as the inherent problems of the FEC. Using Mc-Fein as an example, he presented his argument that the courts want murky laws to generate business bothers me, for everyone I know who wants to work on the law has a respect for the law, and feel that the law is in place to protect the maximum number of people. I take issue with the idea that the Court’s goals are simply the expansion of court power.

Update:

Captain Kevin Franklin, of UK Police Department, comes out against Mr. Lott’s point of view. He speaks of his real experiences, and his service to our community. He does a great job, though not nearly as polished as Mr. Lott, of showing the importance of banning some guns. He makes a point of the ease of getting a license.

I admire his speaking to this crowd, which is loaded with the ‘let us carry our damn guns on campus’ crowd. Makes a point that most people can’t pull the trigger, and that over a quarter of police officer’s are killed by their own gun.

- Joe G.

It appears we will not have another special session this year, barring any unforeseen circumstances. The houses proposed budget was severely gutted by the senate and the conference committee. The result? Instead of a more progressive tax structure, or any additional revenue at all, we will see cuts in education, legal services, and health services.

The Kentucky Education Association, according to a polwatchers article, asked lawmakers to vote against. While I would have voted for it, I can’t blame the likes of Senators Perry Clark and Ernesto Scorsone for voting no. By refusing to help the likes of Senators Westwood, Thayer, and Williams, they showed that the needs of average Kentuckians mean more than the needs of the moneyed elite. I want to applaud those Senators and Representatives who stood up to the bullies in the State Senate.

The result of the compromise budget (read: the Senate’s version) is a 6% cut in education in services. We will have another 9 percent increase in tuition, see no wage gains for the people from Physical Plant Division, the cleaning crews in the dorms, the people who serve students food, etc. A freeze in professor raises I could understand, but the idea that these people working the basic jobs that make the University work do not deserve raises is preposterous.

I personally know a man who works full time for the university, then puts in 20 hours a week at Moe’s. I know several students working multiple jobs, some for the University, who don’t make enough to pay the bills. This, like so much of what the State Senate does, is nothing but another attack on working people. Of course, what should we expect from the people who work for the party that celebrates, as F. Scott Fitzgerald put it, the fact that the rich get richer, and the poor get children.

Update:

Captain Kevin  Franklin, of UK Police Department, comes out against Mr. Lott’s point of view. He speaks of his real experiences, and his service to our community. He does a great job, though not nearly as polished as Mr. Lott, of showing the importance of banning some guns. He makes a point of the ease of getting a licence.

I admire his speaking to this crowd, which is loaded with the ‘let us carry our damn guns on campus’ crowd. Makes a point that most people can’t pull the trigger, and that over a quarter of police officer’s are killed by their own gun.

Hey y’all, we are getting ready to get this party started, but before we do…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE HOPKINS!!! (from Joe)

(fyi, my comments during the piece will be in GREEN)

***

So this is Richard. I took over Joe’s computer. We’re just chillaxin’ in room 211 of the good ol’ S.C. I have bronchitis, but it’s ok, because we’re having a BLOGGER FORUM!!! Jim Pence is “en route,” and Dr. Rice just commented on the fact that I’m liveblogging Pence’s tardiness.

But now Pence is here! We can get this crazy party going!!!!

-Richard

PS -> HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE

UPDATE: Happy birthday Stephanie!

Robert is talking… Idea got hatched in early January, and dates kept changing. Probably shouldn’t have picked date before Thunder over Louisville.

Ben Ray (www.bluegrassroots.org), Ralph Long(www.ralphlong.com), Jim Pence(www.hillbillyreport.com), Jake Payne(http://pageonekentucky.com/) and Sarah Glen(www.bluegrassroots.org and http://ky88thld.blogspot.com) all are in attendance. Dr. Rice then introduces the event by discussing his love for blogging, and how important and great it is that we are here to have a conversation about blogging. It is great for Kentucky’s blogosphere to have this discussion.

Dr. Rice: When and why did you start blogging? (answers paraphrased)

Ben: After a couple of abortive attempts, I started in my freshman year. I was a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, and started a cavalier attitude blog… Got tired of their six page playbook. Started writing for an environmentalist blog, and then www.bluegrassroots.org. Hooked up with otherbloggers that way. And whatsrequiredky.com.

Dr. Rice: But why do you blog?And why at multiple places?

Ben Ray: I like advertising myself. And I like hooking people into the 2nd biggest political blog in the state, next to Jake. Something about citizen journalism that really brings me in. Insights or protections based upon your own opinions. I can form my opinions pretty much the same way you do. I feel like reporters are all talking to you, where as we are talking with you.

Dr. Rice: Why and when?

Ralph Long: I started blogging 4 years ago. I ran against Stan Lee after retiring from 30 years of working for the state. I ran against Stan Lee (never give up the good fight, Ralph!). I decided to blog, because I had nothing to do, and it allowed me to express my opinion about what I knew best. Started blogging at BlueGrassRoots because Ben Carter bugged the hell out of me. I like how we don’t have the arch-conservative blogs here. Until this time tomorrow, I will be the legislative chair for the district I live in. And after that I will not have to deal with that.

Dr. Rice: And you Jim?

Jim Pence: Thank you for inviting me. It really warms my heart to be here. I have grandchildren older than you are. My main thing is video, and I do on Ditch Mitch. Why? Because I was very concerned about George Bush being elected President of the United States of America. After the election, I was very depressed that he got elected as POTUS. There was a site that said “I’m sorry” about Bush winning again. So I decided to go out and video tape people, and have them talk to Bush themselves. Let them spread the word, and give regular folks a chance to spread the word. I knew when I got into this I would be asked questions, and was asked to resign from the Hardin County Democratic Party Executive Committee, and I did. I wrote down why.. but I forgot. I decided to fight so that I can look into the sparkling eyes of my grandchildren, so that before I take my last breath I did my best to make this country better than it was when I found it.

You know sometimes, when you’re really upset about something George Bush, or even Democrats said, you write it down. And it’s like a drug. 3 weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with this idea. I got up, set up my video camera, sat in my rocking chair, and created a video called “If I were a terrorist.” It has had 46,000 views on You Tube. And each of you has all of this power at your fingertips. At the Obama event, it was all about getting real people saying, “Lexington Kentucky, go Obama go!” (Which Richard and I are in, fyi…) And I did that for the Hillary people too.

Dr. Rice: Jake?

Jake Payne: I’m not going to lie, it pays pretty well. We started a media company. We started a page because there’s a lack of humor, honestly, and conversation in the blogosphere. There was no way for people to get people to be critical of Democrats. We don’t want to suffer until we’re in our 50s, and just explode like Ralph does. I started a company, and here I am. Not inspirational, but that is how I make my money. It is very attractive, I will not lie.

Dr. Rice: Sarah G?

Sarah G.: I started with different interests, and with a background in languages. Once upon a time there was a series called the Dark Over series, and a friend started the Dark Over Enquirer. He wanted to stop doing it, so I started writing for it. He died, unfortunately, and his vitual wife let us keep it. So we did some crazy stuff there, and then we had some civil conversation. And if you’re gay, or not Christian, there will be someone ready to do something to screw with you. And I’m both. And my calls and letters didn’t matter. I accidentally went to a Precinct Convention, became politically involved. I met Ben Carter. And he pushed this blogging thing. I have this online thing about people who are gay and pagan. And then he went to Palau. And I started keeping several blogs about all of my interests. Focus on the 88th, the 88th legislative district. Very weird people live out there, so does my best friend from high school, out in the burbs. I’d burst into flame if I lived in Stan Lee’s district like Ralph. I post on the 88th, what’s relevant, etc. I like to look up pre-filed bills, and advocate for one session every two years so they can’t make more crap. Robert and I disagreed about this.

I’ve learned about a bunch of other issues, and have started blogging more. I’ve been given administrative powers to promote people on www.bluegrassroots.org, because Ben is gone. He’s been wanting to create more discussion on the blog.

Update: 7:44pm

Richard’s back. Dr. Rice is asking about what platform the bloggers use and what their “voice” is. Ben Carter uses Wordpress, Rice notes that he is one of the few KY bloggers that uses that platform. Carter: “I’ve been substantially more snarky in the last few days than usual.” Carter called Anne Northup the Chupacabra. Spends his whole morning writing for his environmental website, and tries to do “long range forecasting” with his political blogging. Rice mentions the split in the BluegrassRoots community (See www.barefootandprogressive.com)

Ralph Long: I cut and paste, and just put it on the blog. There is no conflict. I was hesitant because I didn’t want to deal with 3 other contributors and an editor. You have to have a thick skin to run for office, or be a blogger. Because they’ll take issue and vilify your mother.

Honestly, just reading the Lexington Herald-Leader is enough to motivate me until 2 pm. The article on the death penalty (see my previous post), an editorial, etc.

Jim Pence: I used typepad. I’m not happy with it, but I’ve got so much in it I don’t want to switch. You can do this for free, but the typepad I use costs 14.95 a month. You can get it cheaper. I use it because it’s simple.

I heard someone say something about Stan Lee, and I was told to turn Stan Lee to Ned Flanders. So I put a video together of Stan Lee, Ned Flanders, and Larry Craig tapping their feet to happy feet. Video about Senator McConnell calling Senator Vitter asking for diapers and a copy of the ten commandments so that I can hang the 10 commandments around Senator Craig’s neck while I give him a blow job.

Long: BBlogger is free. So you should use it.

Jim Pence: Joe Sonka, barefootandprogressive, gave me the idea.

Jacob Payne: “We’ve had around 16 million page views so far” and so we use a higher-end platform for PageOneKY. He says he’s “not entirely sure” what his voice is…”I’ve been told I come across as a bitter gay dude with good shoes.” Says he’s like Jim (Pence) with words; use mean nasty humor sometimes when it’s warranted. Has gotten calls from party and government officials in both parties upset with him over something he’s said or done on his blog. Notes that he’s the only one who could get away with using the word “homo” on a blog in Kentucky.

Sarah Glenn: If it looked wrong, I had to fix it. I used HTML. Then I learned this new medium. I just blodjfaoblofjal and why write 20 pages if you can fit it into 1 or 2. I used a sarcastic at times. Sometimes I go ‘duh duh DUH!!’… sometimes I hear things online or in the paper, and I pimp them online. The stuff they talk about at the county level can be very very boring. I think they get money for staying awake.

I was given power at bluegrassroots and Change For Kentucky because mostly everyone left for jobs or Palau. I think my voice is the way I am. LiveJournal is where I utilize live blogging. I leave the relevant stuff for other blogs. As long as it works, I don’t care.

UPDATE: Ben Carter: Bluegrassroots(tired of linking… sorry guys) actually uses SoapBox which requires more html knowledge.

DR. Rice: How do you feel about the KY blogosphere

SG: Blogtopia…

Dr. Rice: How do you view yourself, the blogosphere, and how do you think it will improve…

Ben Ray: The reason we’re always linking to each other is because we’re all watching the same series of events, and it continues the broader conversation. Talking to you, talking to each other. Everyone is speaking from their district (Jake in the Ivory Tower), and so you know where everyone is coming from. The especially cool thing about BlueGrassRoots is that you can link to each other quite well, and everyone links to each other because we’re all pretty active, pretty angry. There is the Obama rally, and everyone is there. KDP invited a lot of people to their thing. I crashed from them. It’s interesting. We convert our internet friends to people we know.

RL: Linking falls into two different things. Links on side bars are worth checking. You will not find *insert conservative blog* on there (I, Joe, refuse to link to them w/ out need…). I try real hard to attribute to whoever. If I link, it is because I used it, or because they have something else to say. I will go to rant sometimes, and see that someone else has said.

The successful ones do things differently. Video other stuff. KY is a 4 million person backwater. We’re the offramp to podunk on the information highway. I tried to build the on ramp get built, but alas… They, the media, may check Jake’s, but they won’t check mine. Every blogger can see who reads their stuff. I can get your credit cards.. (insert LOL Cat image) One of MY biggest readers in the RPK. The Department of Defense, the FBI… some of them are automative. Some stay too long to be automative. I think the community will develop more vision. More individual sites will not be checked out, but Blue Grass Roots may.

UPDATE: (whoops… 8:11, fyi) Pence: Links on the side, with PageOne, BlueGrassRoots, and DitchMitch. Every post I post links to several people, because they write so much, and I link to them because we are usually on the same page.

I view the blogosphere like Ralph does. Kentucky gets ignored on DailyKos. Most of my videos hits come from California and New York. I have a vision from here though that newspapers are dying, and the next thing will be something like blogs, if not blogs. Blogs can set and example. Bluegrassroots and PageOne will have the resources to get people out there to get things live.

The news media will videotape 20 seconds, I will video both the twenty seconds and the whole thing. Everyone remembers Derek Anderson, who went to Canada instead of Iraq because he did not want to go back. He turned himself in at Ft. Knox. The national media was there, but something else ended up taking precedence. The blogosphere is going there, which you can’t do on tv or the news paper. Especially Fox News

Jake: You can, but no one will hear you.

Jim: You can throw the brick at the TV.

Jake: KY has not much of a blogosphere. We’re at the earliest stages of new media across the state, and we get to develop the technology and platform across the state. I have sort of seen the inside of the newsrooms, and we have to catch up to break news faster. Dash cams. Live webcam of rain or whatever. Mark Hubert or Hugh Bryant.

Jim: He’s exactly right. We were at the UK/UofL game. Goes up on YouTube. We get a few thousand hits.

Jake: I can run this with my blackberry. The news crews can’t.

Dr. Rice: CNN and LA Times doing a lot to increase news blogging, and you all are leading the way. It’s nice to see people from KY helping lead the way.

Jake: If someone sues me, I run a company, and you’re going to get ass raped. Lunsford sued WHAS and B. Corp for 7.1 million dollars about false statements. We can exaggerate, and I do… quite often. 99 percent of the time. People can sue me, but I have a platform to fight back. I don’t have a reputation that’s good to begin with, so I don’t have to worry about my reputation.

McConnell’s Mark Hubert interview about Graeme Frost (SCHIP kid.) Was sued to google and youtube to take it down. For two weeks we fought for it, because I was in the right, as I always am, and took this corporation to task. The videos came back up after they stopped for awhile, and it created bad press for McConnell. I have freedom, and no one will pull their ads from my page.

Dr. Rice: Sarah, how do you see the blogosphere?

Sarah G.: Small town online that’s going to grow. As time goes on it will grow. It’s getting to the point where you can’t get a job unless you know how to use the computer. I’m honestly, personally, think better, when talking online. I meet people who I already know from online. Some of the stuff online is gossip, the fun stuff, and then there is the fun stuff. (Check focus for stuff on CentrePoint) I hope on bluegrassroots that enough people will be posting so that the community will grow.

A few years ago our group, Change For Kentucky, we did what we could to show how certain people weren’t showing up. It raised the profile of the group amazingly. It was a lot of fun. The most fun you can have.

Dr. Rice: Clay Shirky Here Comes Everybody. Blogs give everyone the tools to have their own say. It’s amazing. .

Pence: I’ve got a video on Lunsford. I’ll show it to you guys, and you can vote on it. (hopefully we’ll be seeing it soon)
Dr. Rice: We’ll end here. I really enjoyed this because of the diversity of the bloggers here, and the different approaches everyone takes.

—-

(Final update! 8:31) Various talking of egos and mingling. And, by the way, Happy Birthday Stephanie!

Oh, and links will be up w/ in the night… unfortunately, I’m going to actually meet the bloggers I read or watch so often.

OK, so I’m just now making my way around the Kentucky Blogosphere, and while I’ve been there a couple times, thought I should apply a link for our readers to Yellow Dog at Blue in the Bluegrass. He’ll be on our blog rolls, and y’all should check him out. Especially if you like dogs. (Kim.)

-Joe G.