Who's coughing?

Hack, hack, hack.

Is someone coughing? Does the cat have another hairball?

No, it's merely the sound of Steve Beshear appointing yet another longtime Democrat hack to a key position.

The latest news is that former State Senate President and state Democrat chairman Joe Prather will be the new secretary of the Transportation Cabinet.

While partisan Democrats around the state are jumping for joy at Beshear's transition teams and new appointments, the rest of us are saddened to see this state sliding back to the days of Jones and Wilkinson and Collins.

We have no confidence in Prather's ability to lead Transportation in an honest and ethical manner, especially considering the rumors of retribution against Fletcher supporters in that cabinet that are already circulating.

It truly is a sad time for Kentucky.

In the meantime, the Beshear/Mongiardo team will just keep on hacking away at the progress made in this state the past four years.