The Political Bridge

KDP Chair Jennifer Moore: McCain and McConnell, Obstructionists to Health Care Reform

While John McCain and Mitch McConnell have benefitted from government funded health insurance for three decades both have obstructed numerous efforts to help solve the healthcare crisis faced by working people throughout Kentucky and the nation.

McConnell voted against the reauthorization and expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) six times in 2007.  McCain also voted against, or was absent, for each of the six votes, and supported the Bush veto of the expansion despite the pleas of forty-three of the nation's governors to reauthorize and expand the program.  As a result, 3.8 million American children, thousands of them right here in Kentucky, do not have health insurance.[Senate Votes: 307, 8/2/07; 352, 9/27/07; 353, 9/27/07; 401, 10/31/07; 402, 11/01/07; 403, 11/1/07]

Now, as a candidate for president, John McCain is vowing to work with governors to solve the health care crisis; however, he failed to listen to them when they begged for leadership in Washington. We can't afford four years of the McCain Double Talk Express and McConnell's obstructionist votes.

McCain offers election year rhetoric about healthcare, but no solutions.  His current healthcare plan does not focus on reducing the number of uninsured Americans.  "The McCain campaign has no estimate of how many of America's 47 million uninsured would likely gain coverage under its plan." [New York Times, 3/2/2008] 

Not only does McCain offer no solutions, his proposal might well make the problem worse.  His plan to permit people to buy their health insurance across state lines "would allow health-insurance companies to escape state regulations they don't like, such as rules allowing for appeals when companies deny coverage and rules requiring insurers to cover people with various conditions or to cover particular types of treatments. The companies would likely gravitate to the states with the regulations they most favored." [Wall Street Journal, 4/19/2008]

McCain and McConnell support making tax cuts permanent for the wealthiest Americans, while blocking legislation to provide working men and women, and their children, with access to quality, affordable healthcare.

Both of our Presidential candidates are offering comprehensive healthcare plans that will work for all Americans.  Our Democratic candidates are offering solutions. 

Please help send a message to McCain and McConnell this Tuesday.  Please do your part, vote May 20 and make sure you tell your friends, families and neighbors to vote.

As we move ahead to November, please join us in getting the message out.  Please help us elect Democrats.  Please be part of the solution.

Sincerely,

Jennifer A. Moore
Chair, Kentucky Democratic Party

--KDP; courtesy of Frank Leidermann, Acting Editor

Boswell Congressional Campaign on the Upswing

State SenatorDavid Boswell has announced that his campaign for the United States House of Representatives has picked up significant momentum over the past three weeks.

State Senator David Boswell, from Daviess County, suspended active campaign fundraising while the Kentucky General Assembly was in session. "This decision was met with enthusiasm by the voters throughout the second congressional district. “People are tired of the Dick Cheney-Karl Rove brand of politics that sells votes to the highest bidder,” said Boswell.

"Campaign contributions, personal endorsements and organizational support have been tremendous," said Boswell. “My campaign has raised over $100,000 in less than three weeks, and we have an active grassroots effort on the ground in all 21 counties of the district”. While recent polling shows Boswell with a double digit lead over his primary opponent, the candidate continues to work 24/7 to become the democratic nominee.

The Boswell for Congress campaign has received endorsements from the Kentucky AFL-CIO, the United Food and Commercial Workers, the United Steel Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Plumbers and Pipefitters and the Owensboro Council of Labor. Also, the Jefferson County Teachers Association and the National Education Association, acting upon recommendation of the Kentucky Education Association, have endorsed and contributed to my candidacy. Among Boswells many supporters are former governors Brereton Jones, Paul Patton and Julian Carroll.

Boswell has served as a citizen legislator in the Kentucky House from 1978 to 1983 and in the Kentucky State Senate since 1991. He was Kentucky's elected Commissioner of Agriculture from 1984 to 1988 and was legislative liaison for Governor Wallace Wilkinson.

Boswell is employed as Sales and Marketing Director for the Executive Inn-Rivermont Hotel & Convention Center in Owensboro.  He and his wife Sandi have two sons and five grandchildren.

--David Boswell for Congress Campaign; courtesy of Senator Denise Harper Angel, Jim Cole and Frank Leidermann, Acting Editor   

Clinton Wins Big in West Virginia, Obama Still Frontrunner

By Cindy Saine, Voice of America News

Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton, has won an overwhelming victory Tuesday in West Virginia's primary over her opponent, Senator Barack Obama. But her victory is not likely to deter Obama, who seems to be on a clear path to clinching the Democratic nomination. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.

As expected, West Virginia's majority of white, working class voters came out to show their strong loyalty to Clinton, even though most experts say she can no longer catch up to Obama in the overall delegate count, with only five primaries left.

But it was a night for Senator Clinton to bask in her triumph, and she told her supporters she is more determined than ever to keep fighting to win the nomination. "I am in this race because I believe I am the strongest candidate. The strongest candidate to lead our party in November of 2008, and the strongest president to lead our nation starting in January 2009," she said.

Clinton also appealed to her supporters to donate more money so that she can keep going.

West Virginia only has a total of 28 pledged delegates, and Senator Clinton is likely to pick up the majority of them. But since his big victory in North Carolina and narrow loss in Indiana last week, Obama has picked up close to 30 superdelegates -- party leaders and elected officials who are free to vote as they please at the party's nominating convention in August.

Increasingly, individual superdelegates are coming out to declare their support for Obama, saying it is time for the party to unite behind him to get ready for the general election in November.

Clinton's campaign has said Democrats should ask themselves why Senator Obama failed to win West Virginia, saying she can build a stronger coalition of voters to go against the presumed Republican nominee, Senator John McCain.

Tuesday, Obama moved on to a key battleground state for the general election, Missouri, where he used all his verbal ammunition on Senator McCain. "John McCain has decided that he is running for George Bush's third term in office. That is what his campaign has been about, to offer the American people four more years of the same approach that has failed the American people for the last eight years," he said.

On Wednesday, Obama is heading to Michigan, another general election battleground state. Senator Clinton will be holding key private meetings in Washington with financial contributors and unpledged superdelegates, trying to decide what her next step should be.

--Voice of America News; courtesy of Frank Leidermann, Acting Editor

Courier Journal Editorial: Lunsford's the one

Democrats interested in finally ending Sen. Mitch McConnell's long publicly financed stay in Washington should vote for Bruce Lunsford in the senatorial primary.

Mr. Lunsford is versed in the substance of major federal issues affecting Kentucky. That's important, if one presumes to square off against our senior senator.

Mr. Lunsford has the resources and energy needed to win in November, as well as the imagination and determination required to shine in the U.S. Senate.

Those who get to know him come away impressed with his candor and humanity. He's come a long way from the unimposing little farm on which he grew up in Northern Kentucky. He's worked hard in business, sport and government, and is eager to make a difference in public office.

This may be the candidacy for which he turns out to be best suited. He's a moderate, like most Kentucky Democrats, and he may be able to attract moderate Republican voters who think enough of Mr. McConnell is, at long last, enough.

Mr. Lunsford likes the model offered by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., whose thin margin of victory and freshman status did not prevent playing a decisive role on behalf of veterans. In his own case, Mr. Lunsford believes he could be influential quickly by focusing on the subject he knows well: health care. He believes everybody ought to have at least a good "blue plate special" basic health care plan available to them.

He is an entrepreneur who believes in government, too. He observes, "Republicans run on 'Government doesn't work,' and then they get elected and prove their point."

For a very rich man, he has reasonable views on taxes. He thinks the Bush tax cuts for people like him were unnecessary, ineffective and unfair, and he believes in an inheritance tax as long as it doesn't block the passing of small farms and small businesses to the next generation. On the other hand, he thinks excessive taxes on capital gains are bad for the economy, since investment makes the economy grow.

He has a sense for how overstressed we are -- our folks in uniform, in particular -- in Iraq. He insists we must "protect the dignity of our soldiers who lost their lives but also make clear to the Iraqi government that we are going to leave" on some reasonable timetable.

He knows the fiscal dilemma the country faces ("The last three Republican presidents are responsible for 83 percent of the huge debt we now face, and 40 percent of the reduction in the value of the dollar") and the difficulty of doing something about it ("The leading obstructionist in the country, Mitch McConnell, represents us").

Complaints about Mr. Lunsford's record in business are fairly old news, and they often have been distorted, including in his opponents' TV spots. The usual accusations ignore Mr. Lunsford's quick and decisive action to deal with any in his businesses who made mistakes. They overlook the positive long-term results achieved by the businesses Mr. Lunsford developed. There's a body of credible information available for anyone who wants to verify the truth.

Besides, who needs more negative campaigning? That's why Attorney General Jack Conway, Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo and Auditor Crit Luallen joined Rep. John Yarmuth in calling for Greg Fischer, Mr. Lunsford's only significant rival in this election, to "take the high road" and avoid "divisive character attacks."

Mr. Fischer is a businessman with an earnest message but no real elective résumé. Major Democratic leaders believe he is unlikely to win either this spring or (if by some odd turn of events he were nominated) in the fall. But his call for integrity in government is welcome, and, if he loses, as expected, he should continue pointing toward public office.

Most Democrats who know Kentucky politics, and who want to win, believe Mr. Lunsford is the best choice. Even most of the unions, with which he has battled, are supporting him now. They want to beat Mitch McConnell.

--Courier-Journal Editorial; courtesy of Frank Leidermann, Acting Editor

Clinton Vows to Continue After Narrow Victory in Indiana, Obama Wins N. Carolina

By Greg Flakus, Voice of America News

Senator Barack Obama won the North Carolina primary Tuesday, while his rival, Senator Hillary Clinton was the winner of Tuesday's Democratic presidential primary in Indiana, according to U.S. news outlets. The results gave Obama an even larger lead in delegates and restored some of the momentum he has lost in recent contests. VOA's Greg Flakus has more from Indianapolis, Indiana.

With time running out and Obama expanding his lead in delegates, most political analysts see little chance now that Clinton can win the Democratic nomination. Appearing before supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina, after the results in that state had been announced, Obama spoke of leading a united Democratic Party in the contest with the Republican's presumptive nominee, Senator John McCain.

"We cannot afford to give John McCain a chance to serve out George Bush's third term. We need change in America and that is why we will be united in November," Obama said.

Obama also addressed the concerns of some of the voters who have voted against him in Democratic primaries and caucuses. He said he is not perfect, but that, in spite of his flaws, he will be able to lead America in the right direction. Exit polls have shown a majority of white, working-class voters, white women and older voters selecting Clinton over Obama. Her advantage with these groups has helped her win several other big states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, which, she argues, will be critical battlegrounds in the general election in November.

When she spoke to supporters, here in Indianapolis, before final results were known, Clinton made it clear she is still very much in the fight for her party's nomination.

"Tonight, we have come from behind, we have broken the tie and, thanks to you, it is full speed on to the White House!," she said.

The fact that Obama had won by a wide margin in North Carolina and that results in Indiana were very close did not daunt Mrs. Clinton, as she spoke of carrying on her campaign. "These next primaries are another test. I am going to work my heart out in West Virginia and Kentucky this month and I intend to win them in November, in the general election," she said.

Democrats in West Virginia go to the polls May 13th. Kentucky and Oregon hold their primaries May 20th. Puerto Rico will hold a primary on June First. The final two contests will be held in the western states of Montana and South Dakota, June Third. But, in all of these contests together, there are only 217 delegates at stake and political analysts say it is difficult to see how Clinton could win enough delegates to catch up with Obama and win the nomination.

Clinton has placed some hope in having delegates from Florida and Michigan counted at the Democratic convention in August, but party leaders are against that idea. Clinton won both states, but the contests were not supposed to count, because both states had violated party rules by moving their primaries up on the political calendar. Neither state has been able to put together a plan to re-do the contests before the convention.

--Voice of America News; courtesy of Frank Leidermann, Acting Editor

MIKE CASSARO’S PRESCRIPTION FOR POSITIVE CHANGE: A HEALTHCARE BILL OF RIGHTS

Prospect, KY)  Mike Cassaro, the only practicing physician running for U.S. Senate, proposes a Healthcare Bill of Rights, which focuses on improving the healthcare of all Americans.

Mike Cassaro’s Healthcare Bill of Rights is as follows: All American citizens regardless of pre-existing conditions have the right to:

·      Affordable health insurance, including mental health and dental benefits.

·      Effective and timely emergency room care.

·      Reasonably priced, safe and effective perception medicines.

·      Wellness counseling.

·      Precise information regarding the safety of our food and environment.

·      Readily available information about the record and reputation of healthcare providers.

·      Health insurance that is portable(which people can take with them when they change

     employers or careers.) 

·      Health insurance tailored to the needs of each individual or family.

·      Accountability on the part of insurance companies who deny care to any American            

citizen.

(For more information on this Bill of Rights, see Mike’s healthcare video @

www.cassaroforsenate.com.)

“Proposing this Healthcare Bill of Rights will be one of my first actions as your U.S. Senator,” claims Mike Cassaro. However, this Bill of Rights is just a start in my mission to help repair our deteriorating healthcare system.” 

Mike Cassaro also wants to seek remedies to America’s doctor shortage. “Few politicians or policy makers ever talk about this shortage, which will get worse in the next few years.  Approximately 40% of today’s physicians are within ten years of retirement,” observes Dr. Mike Cassaro.

America’s doctor shortage is a key factor in the inadequate health care that many Kentuckians receive. Approximately 50% of Kentuckians live in medically underserved areas, with sixty-nine (mainly rural) Kentucky counties having inadequate primary care access. (Information comes from a Kaiser Foundation Report and a 2003 Interim General Assembly HealthCare and Welfare Committee Report).

“These problems with Kentucky’s healthcare system speak volumes about Mitch McConnell’s poor leadership in Washington. Once again, Mitch McConnell manifests a total lack of care for the people.  I will put people first as your U.S. Senator,”  says Mike Cassaro.

--Mike Cassaro for U.S. Senator Campaign; courtesy of Frank Leidermann, Acting Editor

McCain's Birth in Panama Canal Zone Triggers Debate on 'Natural Born Citizen'

By Voice of America News

The birth more than seven decades ago of Senator John McCain in the Panama Canal Zone has been the center of recent debate on what the U.S. Constitution means when it says a person must be a "natural born citizen" to be eligible for the presidency.

Legal experts, lawmakers and political pundits have taken up the topic recently since the constitution does not define the phrase.

The U.S. Senate made its position known on the matter, unanimously passing a nonbinding resolution on April 30 that declared that the veteran Arizona lawmaker, war hero and Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting is eligible for the presidency.

Supporters of the resolution included McCain's Democratic rivals, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

McCain was born August 29, 1936 in the Panama Canal Zone, which was under U.S. jurisdiction at the time.

Besides being a natural born citizen, other requirements for the presidency include that a person must be at least 35 years old and have been a resident within the United States for 14 years.

--Voice of America News; courtesy of Frank Leidermann, Acting Editor

Senior U.S. Official’: McCain’s Plan To Kick Russia Out Of The G8 Is ‘Impossible’ And ‘Just A Dumb Thing’

In his March 26 speech on foreign policy, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) laid out what Newsweek’s Fareed Zakaria calls “the most radical idea put forward by a major candidate for the presidency in 25 years.” McCain, seeking to make “his most comprehensive statement” yet on foreign policy, declared that Russia should be kicked out of the G8, of which it has been a member since 1997:

We should start by ensuring that the G-8, the group of eight highly industrialized states, becomes again a club of leading market democracies: it should include Brazil and India but exclude Russia. Rather than tolerate Russia’s nuclear blackmail or cyber attacks, Western nations should make clear that the solidarity of NATO, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is indivisible and that the organization’s doors remain open to all democracies committed to the defense of freedom.

In his column, Zakaria writes that McCain’s radical idea “lacks any strategic framework” because “we need Russian cooperation” in order to address the “most important security problem[s] that the United States faces,” which is “securing loose nuclear materials” and stopping proliferation by rogue regimes. Now, according to McClatchy, it also appears that it is “impossible“:

The Group of Eight, or G-8, as it’s popularly known, makes decisions by consensus, so no single nation can kick out another. Most experts say the six other countries — Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada — would never agree to toss Russia, given their close economic ties to their neighbor. A senior U.S. official who deals with Russia policy said that even Moscow would have to approve of its own ouster, given how the G-8 works.

”It’s not even a theoretical discussion. It’s an impossible discussion,” said the senior official, who requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. “It’s just a dumb thing.”

McCain’s plan to boot Russia from the G8 isn’t the first idea proposed in the March 26 speech that has been shot down by reality. In the speech, McCain also spoke of creating a “League of Democracies” to “advance our values and defend our shared interests.”

But, as the Los Angeles Times recently reported, McCain is already backing away from that idea because it was “greeted with alarm by some Republican supporters and wariness by important U.S. allies.”

--Think Progress; courtesy of Frank Leidermann, Acting Editor