The Political Bridge

FromYahooNews:ThankstoGeorgeWtheEconomySlowstoWorstShowinginFourYears

WASHINGTON-Economicgrowthskiddedtoanearhaltinthefirstquarter,withtheworstshowinginmorethanfouryearsraisingconcernsabouthowlongthecountry'ssluggishspellwilllast.

ThecommercedepartmentreportedThursdaythatgrossdomesticproductincreasedbyjusta0.6percentpaceintheJanuary-through-Marchperiod,muchweakerthanestimatedamonthago.Governmentstatisticiansslashedbymorethanhalftheirfirstestimateofa1.3percentgrowthrateforthequarter.

Themainforcesbehindthedowngrade:thebloatedtradedeficitandbusinessescuttinginvestmentinsuppliesofthegoodstheyholdininventories.

"Wegotclose,buttheeconomydidnotslipunderthewavesinthefirstquarter,"saidJoelNaroff,presidentofNaroffEconomicAdvisors.

Whatlargelypreventedtheeconomyfromgoingunder:consumers,whoshowedanevenbiggerappetitetospend.

Fornearlyayear,theeconomyhasbeenenduringastretchofsubpareconomicgrowthduemostlytoahousingslump.Thatinturnhasmadesomebusinessesactmorecautiouslyintheirspendingandinvesting

THEDRAFTLARRYFORGYBLOGISAPHONY:PAYNOATTENTION

FromtheKYProgress--areputableconservativeblog

RasmussenReport:Beahear51-Fletcher35

KentuckyGovernorErnieFletcher(R)survivedaseriousPrimarychallengetoonceagainclaimhisparty’snomination.ButtheGovernorstartsthegeneralelectioncampaignasa16-percentagepointunderdog.FormerLt.GovernorStevenBeshear(D)leadsFletcher51%to35%inthefirstRasmussenReportstelephonesurveyofthe2007KentuckyGovernor’srace.

TheremnantsofadivisivePrimarybattleforFletchercanbeseeninthefactthathecurrentlyearnssupportfromjust63%ofRepublicans.Twenty-fivepercent(25%)ofGOPpartyvotersplantocrosspartylinesandvotefortheDemocraticchallenger.Beshearleadsbyelevenpointsamongmenandtwentypointsamongwomen.

Just15%ofKentuckyvotershaveaVeryFavorableopinionofFletcherwhile23%haveaVeryUnfavorableview.ForBeshear,17%haveaVeryFavorableopinionwhile8%expressaVeryUnfavorableopinion.

Fletcher,electedin2003onapromiseto"cleanupthemessinFrankfort",wasindictedayearagoinanallegedschemetorewardpoliticalsupporterswithprotectedstatejobs.Fletchercalledtheindictmentapoliticalwitchhuntandtheindictmentwasdismissedinanegotiatedsettlementwithprosecutors.

Beshear,alawyerandveteranpolitician,hasnothadhisnameonageneralelectionballotsincehelostaSenateracetoMitchMcConnellin1996.

THELOUISVILLEPEACECOMMUNITYWANTSYOUTOHELPFOLLOWACTIVISTCAROLTRAINER

Carol&HaroldTrainerorganizedLPACpeopletodistributemorethan3000anti-warleafletsattheAbbeyRoadconcertontheBelvederefromThursday5/24-Sunday5/28,andtheireffortswereverysuccessful. Theywereinvitedbytheeventcoordinatortodisplayan"EndtheWar"signonthestageandamongthecrowdattheevent. Carolwasfeaturedintoday'sC-JstoryonB1byDavidGoetz([email protected])andherexcellentpictureisonB2. Checkonlineifyoudon'tgetthepaper.

Unfortunately,shortlyafterCarol'sC-Jinterviewshewasarrestedfordisplayinghersign. Apparently,therewasacomplaintandthesheriffdeputiesapproachedherandaskedhertoremovehersign. Shedidn'tputthesignawayandwasputunderarrest. Ironically,MayorAbramsonwasjustafewfeetawayandCaroltriedtogethisattentiontostopit. HesawwhathappenedandlatertoldHaroldthathehadnotmadethecomplaintaboutthesign. CarolwasforciblyremovedfromthesceneandtakentotheCountyJailonLibertySt. We'llgetmoredetailslaterandwearegratefultoKenforhishelplastnight. Carolspentthenightinjailandwasreleasedonherownrecognizanceat5:30am. ThereareseveralthingsthatyoucandotohelpCarolatthispoint. Thanks.

1.  PleasecallJerryAbramson574-2003,andSheriffJohnAubrey574-5400,toaskforathoroughinvestigationofthisarrest.

2.  Carol'scourtdateisThursday,May30, 9:00am,HallofJustice,6th&Jefferson,Room304. ComeifyoucantosupportCarol. Itisjustenteringa'notguilty'plea.

3.  SendCarolanemail,[email protected],oracardto10529ChampionshipCt.,ProspectKY40059.

4.  WritealettertotheC-JaboutCarol'sarrestasafollow-uptotoday'sarticleaboutherpeacefullegalprotestattheAbbeyRoadconcert.

PaxTibi,

JamesH.PetersonIII

InTradeTradingExchange:KYTooClosetoCall

ThequotesonthistradingexchangehasbeenaveryreliablepredictorofU.S.Electionsinthepreviousyears

BesttoSell

B-BallStarJamesSaysNOtotheDarfur

TheconnectionbetweentheNBAandNikeisunholy...Ghettokidsarestealingforthoseover-pricedshoes.Also Nikehasbeenexploiteddevelopingcountriesforyears.(Themovie,TheCorporation,delineatesNike'sbusinesspolicies.)Andnowthis...

PASportsTicker

LeBronJamesmusthavegivenhundreds,ifnotthousandsofautographsinhisthreeyearsofNBAstardom.

Ittookjustonepolite"no"toadifferentkindofautographrequestrecentlyforthe22-year-oldforwardtostirupahornets'nest.

Jameswasaskedtosignanopenletter,writtenbyClevelandCavaliersteammateIraNewble,condemningChina'sgovernmentforcontributingtothegenocideofpeopleintheDarfurregionofSudan.

"Chinacannotbealegitimatehosttothepremierinternationaleventinthesportingworld-theSummerOlympicGames-whileitremainscomplicitintheterriblesufferinganddestructionthatcontinuestothisday,"Newblewrote.

ChinaisthoughttobuyahugeamountofSudaneseoil.TheAfricancountryisthensaidtospendmuchofthatoilmoneyonobtainingweaponsandtechnologyfromChina.

SudanisalsoaccusedofarmingtheArabmilitia,theJanjaweed,whointurnusetheweaponstomurderinnocentpeopleintheDarfurregion.

Newble'sletterwassignedbymostoftheCavalierplayers,butnotJames,whosaidhedidn'thaveenoughinformationabouttheissue,orDamonJones,whorefusedcomment.

JameshasahugecontractwithNike,acompanythathasbusinessinterestsinChina,whileJonesistoendorseproductsfromaChineseshoeandapparelcompany.

THEIMMIGRATIONDEBATE:IT’SABOUTTHEFUTUREOFPOLITICSfromDrTedandPORTSIDE.ORG

I,DrTed,believethattheRepubswilltrytomakeimmigrationTHEPOLITICALwedgeissueof08.Immigrationreformispotentiallythemostexplosiveandtrickypoliticalissueofmylifetime.Myblogpostsonimmigrationgetthemostheatedcommentsfromreaders.

Idoseebothsideofthisissue.PeopleshouldbeabletoimmigratetoAmericaforabetterlife.Mygrandparentsdidthat.However,immigrationcanmeanjoblossesfornative-bornAmericans.Ihaveseenthat.IusuallyrootfortheNBAteamswiththefewestforeignplayers—jokepeople.Orisit?

ThearticlebelowfromPortside.orgdoesawonderfuljobofdelineatingthechangingAmericanpoliticaldemographics. Rethesedemographics,LarryClarkin2002convincedtheKentuckyDemocraticPartytogoaftertheburgeoningHispanicvoteinthecommonwealth.Forwhateverreason,theKentuckyDemocraticPartyandtheJeffersonCountyDemocraticPartyhasdonenothingaboutthatsince.

DRTEDTAKESAPOST-ELECTIONCHILLANDTHANKSAFEWSTELLARPEOPLE

It’stimeformyusualpost-electionchill. IneedthisperiodofchillsothatIdon’tbecometoomuchofapill tomywifeandfriends.WhenIcomebackintwoorthreeweeks,IwillnotbecomeaDemocraticshill. 

BeforeIgo,ImustthankthefollowingpeopleformakingTheBridgepossible:

StephanieHorn,whokeepstellingmethatpeopledocareaboutwhatIhavetosay.

StephenHornerforbeingmypoliticalsoundingboard.

MaryMossGreenbaumforkeepingme(andtheDemocraticParty)true.

FrankC.Leidermannforhispoliticaltipsandadvice.

OliviaAnneFuchsforkeepingmebelievingthatpositivechangeispossibleinthepoliticalandjudicialsystems.

MarkRiddle,JimArnett,DrewJenkins,WillCarleandtherestofJackConwaypoliticalteamforbeingstand-up(andsmart)politicaldudes.

CarolAndrews, JenniferBrislin, AdamBozziandRobertKellar—presssecretariesfordifferentcampaigns—forkeepingmeupdatedontheircandidates’activities

StuartPerelmuter(CongressmanYarmuth’spresssecretary)forbeingthehardestworkingandbestcongressionalpresssecretaryinmymemory. CongressmanJohnpleasegiveStuartapayraisebecausehedeserves(it)andD.C.isaveryexpensiveplacetodwell.

ShamekaParrishoftheKentuckyAllianceagainstRacismandPoliticalRepressionforsendingmeinformationonprogressiveactivitiesthroughtheyearandkeepingtheproverbialtorchofsocialjusticelightedinthiscommunityafterthedeathsandretirementsofAnneBradenandothercivilrightlegends

JamesMcMillinforkeepingmeabreastofthefightagainsttheIraqWarandbeingasuperpeaceactivistandorganizer.

RaeShepherd-Shlechter(mywife)forproofreadingeveryinchofeveryissuesinceIbeganTheBridge,whichseemslikeacenturyago.

LISTENTOPOLITICALBLOGGERS(DavidADAMSandDRTED)BREAKDOWNPRIMARY’07ONACALEBBROWNPODCAST

DavidAdamsofkyprogress.blogspot.comandIhadan animateddiscussionaboutprimary’07andthefallelectiononapodcast.CalebBrown,formerlyofWHAS-AMandtheBluegrassInstitute,wasthehostandproducerofthisdiscussion.

Ihadagreattime.DavidAdamsisclassactandsmarttoo.SoisCalebBrown.

Afterlisteningtothepodcast,IfeltthatDaviddidabetterjobthatIdid.Hewasveryprofessional(sowasI)andhadabetterunderstandingofthiscommunicationmediumthanIdid.

DavidandIagreemuchmorethanwedisagree.However,Istilldon’tfeelthatDavidisrightontheoutcomeoftheGubrace. FletchermightwinbutIdoubtthatthisvictorywillbebythemarginsuggestedbyDavid.

TohearDavid’sshockingpredictionaboutthatraceandhislogicforit(whichactuallymakessense),yourmusthearthepodcastat http://kentuckyforum.org/2007/05/25/bloggers-break-down-the-primaries/.

DRTED’SPREDICTIONSFORPRIMARY07VERSUSTHEPOLLDATA

Mypredictionswere(onceagain)withinthemarginforallcandidates(exceptforFletcher)andtheyparalleledthoseof SURVEYUSA(pleasenotethatImademyfinalpredicationsbeforethatpolldatawereknown.)IwasmuchclosertotheresultsthentheBluegrassSurvey.IgivemyselfanA-formypredictions;SurveyUSAgetsanA- too andtheBluegrassSurveyaB-.

MyonlyregretwasnotgoingwithmygutsconcerningtheBeshearsurgebutsuchsurgesarehardtogauge.

ElectionDatafromtheKentuckySecretaryofState’sOffice

Dems:                            Repubs:

40.9% Beshear              50.1%Fletcher

21.4%Lunsford              36.5%Northup      

17.5%Henry                  13.4% Harper

6.1%Galbraith

1.1%Hensly

DrTed’sFinalPrediction-5/20/07 Dems:                          Repubs:

37%Beshear               44%Fletcher
25% Lunsford             39%Northup
16% Richards              17%Harper

14%SteveHenry
7%Galbraith              

FinalSurveyUSAPollData

Dems:                      Repubs

32%Beshear               44%Fletcher
23%Lunsford              34%Northup
17%Henry                  17%Harper
12%Richards
7%Galbraith
1%Hensley
6%Und.

FinalBluegrassPollData

Dems                      Repubs

27.4%Beshear      41%Fletcher

21%Lunsford        26%Northup

12.8%Henry         13%Harper

4.1%Galbraith