The question the Northupians won't answer
We find it oddly telling that there's one question floating around out there in cyberspace that the Anne Northup supporters -- particularly those Benedict Arnolds who supported Ernie Fletcher four years ago -- refuse to answer.
So we'll ask it again.
Let's assume, for the sake of this hypothetical, that Northup is elected governor this fall.
Let's also assume that Crit Luallen is re-elected auditor (quite likely, we sadly note, given our like for Linda Greenwell).
Let's further assume that Jack Conway is elected attorney general. That's also quite possible.
Now, we know that Luallen is a Democrat stalwart who may have designs on the governor's office at some point in the future, especially if her health stabilizes.
Conway is an old political enemy of Northup's, having been one in her trail of victims for the 3rd District congressional seat. He'll have a score to settle, for sure.
The probability approaches 100 percent that Luallen, and especially Conway, will launch investigations of Northup in much the same way that Greg Stumbo did of Ernie Fletcher.
So our question to the Northupians is this: When the investigations begin, will you stand behind your governor, or will you bail at the first sign of rough waters like you did with Fletcher?
posted by K-Pac II @ 12:47 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
As a Northupian, I can tell you we will stand by our Governor as Northup has principles and courage. She will not throw her appointees to the wolves! Northup will not issue blanket pardons but will let the legal proceedings run their course so that all the facts will come out and if crimes were committed the legal system will render justice!Northup will not take the fifth amendment before a grand jury and like all "true conservatives" will accept personal responsibility for her actions!Northup will follow the law and not interpret it to suit her own ends! Northup will be a fierce advocate for conservative ideals and not be AWOL during General Assembly sessions.More importantly, she will replace holdover Democratic political appointees with qualified Republicans(Fletcher in the debate last night stated that 60% of the political appointees in his administration are Democrats). I guess that is why he abused the merit system because he did not have the balls to fire the corrupt Democrats who created the mess in Frankfort!
The question Fletcherites won't answer: How are you going to elect a governor in November with a 32% approval rating? I can answer it for you. You're not.
As a "Benedict Arnold," I'd like to respond. You're question is flawed. Nobody abandoned Fletcher when the going got tough. I know I didn't. I know Anne didn't. The problem was Governor Fletcher abandoned us! He didn't stay true to himself or his supporters! He hid. He couldn't handle the political pressure of being Governor. We stood by him until we realized that he wasn't handling it correctly and that he wasn't ever going to handle it correctly. I, for one, actually even stood by him longer than I should have! When I learned that we were going to have a viable alternative, I started to support the alternative. I was interested in Billy Harper, but unsure. When Northup got in, I stepped away from Fletcher. I'd appreciate a little respect for myself and the people I agree with instead of constant insults like "Benedict Arnold," "ingrate," remember the "intifada analogy?" We're being respectful, you should, too.
Mr. Manning, we will respond to your points in the order that they are presented.
She will not throw her appointees to the wolves!
There is always turnover among non-merit employees. Division directors come and go with great frequency. There's no telling how many chief highway district engineers Patton went through. Non-merit employees are expected to follow rules and further the governor's policies. When they don't, it's time for them to go. We feel badly for some of those folks, like Dick Murgatroyd and Vincent Fields and Corey Meadows. On the other hand, we blame Dan Druen for much of what went on and we haven't heard too many people from either party have too many kind words for Sam Beverage. At any rate, if those folks made mistakes, they needed to go. It happens in every administration and at all levels of government. It's quite likely that Alberto Gonzales is going to be ousted as attorney general but he broke no laws.
Northup will not issue blanket pardons but will let the legal proceedings run their course so that all the facts will come out and if crimes were committed the legal system will render justice!Northup will not take the fifth amendment before a grand jury and like all "true conservatives" will accept personal responsibility for her actions!Northup will follow the law and not interpret it to suit her own ends!
It's hard to argue this point when you go on the faulty premise that the investigation was completely above-board and not motivated by politics. Only the most ardent Stumboites believe that -- or should believe that. This investigation was started by a disgruntled employee who felt he had been personally snubbed by Fletcher because Fletcher didn't remember him from high school, and because said disgruntled employee was unable to parlay the fact that he and Fletcher were in the same high school graduating class into becoming the director of personnel in the Transportation Cabinet. At the same time that this employee was assuring Transportation officials that all their personnel actions were proper and legal, he was improperly and perhaps illegally obtaining e-mail from others to turn over to Stumbo. The attorney general has a history of being one of the most partisan Democrats in the state and had stated that he might run for governor if Fletcher became, in the AG's own words, "wildly unpopular." This AG also had a history, while in the House, of writing job recommendation letters to Democrat governors on General Assembly letterhead for people seeking merit system jobs. The lead prosecutor had maxed out in contributions to Ben Chandler. The grand jury was composed mostly of Franklin County Democrats and merit system employees, two groups biased against Fletcher and his administration going in.
Given all that, why should Fletcher have legitimized the illegitimate investigation by testifying? He had to appear or risk a contempt citation; taking the Fifth was the only way he could refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the probe. And why should he have asked his employees to spend thousands of dollars on attorney fees to risk conviction by a Franklin County district court petit jury that no doubt would have been made up of the same percentage of Democrats and merit employees?
You base your comments on the assertion that Fletcher is guilty. We don't believe for a minute that he is.
Northup will follow the law and not interpret it to suit her own ends
The law is always open to interpretation. Some things are black and white, like the speed limit, but other things can be reasonably interpreted differently by reasonable people. That is why we have a court system; to determine which interpretation of the law comes closest to the intent.
Northup will be a fierce advocate for conservative ideals and not be AWOL during General Assembly sessions.
During the first biennial budge session, Jody Richards played the obstructionist role to the hilt and there was no budget as the Fletcher administration was getting its feet underneath it. During the second biennial budget session, Fletcher was in the hospital for much of that time, clinging to life because he was much sicker than the public was ever made aware of. We came a lot closer to having a "Governor Steve Pence" than most people realize. If you want to call that "AWOL," then feel free.
The 30-day sessions are a waste. One of the worst ideas ever foisted upon the good people of the Commonwealth. We're sure most of the people who voted for that amendment would love to have that vote back.
More importantly, she will replace holdover Democratic political appointees with qualified Republicans(Fletcher in the debate last night stated that 60% of the political appointees in his administration are Democrats). I guess that is why he abused the merit system because he did not have the balls to fire the corrupt Democrats who created the mess in Frankfort!
We will agree with you a little bit here. We were hoping for more of a clean sweep of the appointed policy-making positions but there must have been a good reason that so many holdovers were kept. They must have pledged loyalty or contributed. Originally we felt like all of the holdovers needed to go but we've become familiar with a few of them and they are loyal and dedicated individuals who are working for the good of the state. As for your comment about testicles, the rank-and-file Republicans out in the state (guys like Steve Branscum and J. Marshall Hughes and Willard Hansford) weren't hearing about non-merit jobs in Frankfort from their friends and neighbors. They were hearing about merit jobs in places like Estill County and Barren County and Hancock County; places where Republicans had been shut out of state jobs for decades. Those people didn't want to move to Frankfort for four years and be out of a job after that. They wanted jobs in their hometowns; permanent jobs with decent benefits that they wouldn't have to uproot their families for. If Anne Northup is elected governor, she will have to find a way to answer the Republicans' demand for jobs within the merit system or the constituency will turn on her in a heartbeat.
You still really didn't answer the question. When the investigations start -- and they WILL start, that can be guaranteed -- are you going to stick by Northup? Or at what point will you abandon her, as Jefferson Poole apparently did to Fletcher?
The point we have been trying to make for these last few months is that if more people had been inclined to continue to support Fletcher, the investigation would never have gone as far as it did; his approval rating would never have dropped as low as it did; and there would be none of this talk about a challenger in the primary.
We are particularly upset with the federal delegation -- Fletcher's former colleagues and former friends -- who stood silently by and failed to do a thing. We wonder if Jim Bunning, who has endorsed Northup, will suddenly go mute when the investigations start, the way he did with Fletcher. The day after Stumbo launched his probe, those guys should have been turning off every source of federal funding to the state attorney general's office and to every federally funded project in Floyd County.
At any rate, thank you for answering.
Mr. Poole, it's hard to be respectful when the sitting governor has not been shown respect by those with whom he served in Congress and the General Assembly. We can assure you that Ernie Fletcher has been personally hurt by Northup's candidacy and the loss of whom he considered to be a friend. The respectful thing for Anne Northup to have done was to have immediately issued a strong statement of support right after Stumbo announced his investigation. Surely she does not believe what she told the press about learning of the pardons from Terry Carmack and immediately being angered by it.
Please tell us how you feel he did not remain true to his supporters. And how you feel he would have "correctly" handled the matter at hand.
Anonymous 5:38, there is always a first time for everything. You seem to forget just how pitiful the Democrat field is that the Republican nominee will be running against. We do plan to analyze the shortcomings of the Democrats but here's a brief synopsis:
Beshear -- merit system baggage and a cradle-robbing LG running mate.
Henry -- a campaign finance law violation conviction waiting to happen.
Lunsford -- hated by Democrats, many of whom will sit on their hands if he's nominated, plus a political hack deadbeat dad for a running mate.
Miller -- seen as weak and inexperienced, Jewish in an overwhelmingly Christian state.
Richards -- also seen as weak and ineffective.
Remember the 1990 World Series? The 1985 NCAA championship? The 1980 Winter Olympics hockey tournament? Or for that matter, the 1987 Democratic gubernatorial primary? None of those things were supposed to happen, either, but they did.
Fletcher beating Beshear, Henry, Lunsford, Miller or Richards wouldn't be like Villanova beating Georgetown. It'd be more like Kentucky beating Duke in the 1998 regional finals.
Good Question!
Good Answer =
"Stand with anybody that stands RIGHT. Stand with him while he is right and PART with him when he goes wrong."
From the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Volume II "Speech at Peoria, Illinois" (October 16, 1854).
I stood with Gov. Fletcher in 2003. I parted with him when he went down the wrong road. I'll stand with Anne Northup as long as she is RIGHT (which I anticipate to be for the next 8 years).
Northupian Harry L. Berry
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