An interesting email hit my Inbox this morning from a fellow Conservative that really must be shared!
Apparently, there has been some unrest among Democrats who read the Bluegrass Report blog that Nickolas owns and operates. Given, Nickolas's infamous proclivity for bashing fellow Dems on occasion, it wasn't too surprising to find him promoting the primary campaign of Kentucky State Treasurer, Jonathan Miller, by bashing Democrat Kentucky State Senator Daniel Mongiardo. Mongiardo is the running mate of Democrat Steve Beshear -- who was Lt. Governor under Martha Layne Collins years ago -- who is also seeking the Dem nomination in the primary election leading up to the race for Governor of Kentucky next year.
(You may recall that Mongiardo was defeated by Republican Jim Bunning in the 2004 race for Kentucky's US Senate seat in 2004 after launching some pretty heinous attacks on Senator Bunning in 2004. Talk about a nasty campaign.)
Many of Nickolas's fellow Democrats were a bit puzzled by and somewhat miffed to find that he'd already chosen to support Miller in the primary and was bashing another Democrat that, some of Bluegrass Report readers felt, was a better candidate. And, here's where it gets interesting: A Democrat blog called "The Rural Democrat" has written an investigative piece exposing Nickolas's bias against Mongiardo:
If there's anything I enjoy more, I can't imagine what it might be... I love to see Democrats who care about their party go in search of the hypocrites among them. In some ways, it's like watching some surreal video of a political pundit doing some crime scene investigation.
We in Kentucky are all too familiar with Nickolas, He is notorious for writing posts on that blog that are unsubstantiated claims and hit pieces. I think of it more as a gossip column than "an unfiltered and candid look at politics, politicians and the media in Kentucky" that it purports to be. At any rate, it's nice to see a Democrat -- obviously someone who values the truth -- exposing a fairly well-known hypocrite right here in Kentucky.
Nice work by William Hayes at The Rural Democrat. Your party should be proud of the work you do. Just as Conservatives dislike hypocrisy and corruption in the Republican party, it's nice to see someone on the other side of the fence weeding out the same in his own party.
By the way, folks, word to the wise: There is currently an appeal for donations underway at the Bluegrass Report blog. If you're a supporter of that blog, please do your homework before donating any money to anyone who claims to hold a non-profit tax status. The "Foundation for Kentucky's Future" is identified by the Secretary of State's office as a business -- their record of filing as a non-profit business entity can be found here. However, check with the IRS (1-877-829-5500) to ensure that the "Foundation for Kentucky's Future" is truly a non-profit; otherwise, your donations will not be tax-deductible. This claim to 501(c)4 status has been the subject of great controversy for quite a while now. It is my understanding that the IRS was alerted to the claim months ago and has been investigating.
(Thanks for the heads-up on "The Rural Democrat" post, Steve!)
Apparently, there has been some unrest among Democrats who read the Bluegrass Report blog that Nickolas owns and operates. Given, Nickolas's infamous proclivity for bashing fellow Dems on occasion, it wasn't too surprising to find him promoting the primary campaign of Kentucky State Treasurer, Jonathan Miller, by bashing Democrat Kentucky State Senator Daniel Mongiardo. Mongiardo is the running mate of Democrat Steve Beshear -- who was Lt. Governor under Martha Layne Collins years ago -- who is also seeking the Dem nomination in the primary election leading up to the race for Governor of Kentucky next year.
(You may recall that Mongiardo was defeated by Republican Jim Bunning in the 2004 race for Kentucky's US Senate seat in 2004 after launching some pretty heinous attacks on Senator Bunning in 2004. Talk about a nasty campaign.)
Many of Nickolas's fellow Democrats were a bit puzzled by and somewhat miffed to find that he'd already chosen to support Miller in the primary and was bashing another Democrat that, some of Bluegrass Report readers felt, was a better candidate. And, here's where it gets interesting: A Democrat blog called "The Rural Democrat" has written an investigative piece exposing Nickolas's bias against Mongiardo:
"Mark Nickolas the owner/operator of the Bluegrass Report political blog and the man behind two failed Governor [sic] Campaigns opened himself up to scrutiny when his bias toward LT Governor candidate Daniel Mongiardo became evident during the past few months. The key to the lock box is McCormick Consulting a Democratic fund raising and public relations firm."
If there's anything I enjoy more, I can't imagine what it might be... I love to see Democrats who care about their party go in search of the hypocrites among them. In some ways, it's like watching some surreal video of a political pundit doing some crime scene investigation.
We in Kentucky are all too familiar with Nickolas, He is notorious for writing posts on that blog that are unsubstantiated claims and hit pieces. I think of it more as a gossip column than "an unfiltered and candid look at politics, politicians and the media in Kentucky" that it purports to be. At any rate, it's nice to see a Democrat -- obviously someone who values the truth -- exposing a fairly well-known hypocrite right here in Kentucky.
Nice work by William Hayes at The Rural Democrat. Your party should be proud of the work you do. Just as Conservatives dislike hypocrisy and corruption in the Republican party, it's nice to see someone on the other side of the fence weeding out the same in his own party.
By the way, folks, word to the wise: There is currently an appeal for donations underway at the Bluegrass Report blog. If you're a supporter of that blog, please do your homework before donating any money to anyone who claims to hold a non-profit tax status. The "Foundation for Kentucky's Future" is identified by the Secretary of State's office as a business -- their record of filing as a non-profit business entity can be found here. However, check with the IRS (1-877-829-5500) to ensure that the "Foundation for Kentucky's Future" is truly a non-profit; otherwise, your donations will not be tax-deductible. This claim to 501(c)4 status has been the subject of great controversy for quite a while now. It is my understanding that the IRS was alerted to the claim months ago and has been investigating.
(Thanks for the heads-up on "The Rural Democrat" post, Steve!)
Comments
Nickolas wrote today on BGR in a thread titled, "Why I'm For Jonathan Miller For Kentucky Governor"
"One thing that few people know -- and something I rarely talk about -- is that the Jonathan Miller is the single person most responsible for the genesis of BluegrassReport.org.
During the Spring of 2005, Jonathan called me with the idea that I launch a political site, believing that the ground was fertile for a serious effort by someone who understood the political environment, the players and the media, and that if I could dedicate a large block of time to building the site and developing an audience, it would have a significant impact on the state's political world. After a few more phone calls and a couple of lunches, it came together." - End of Nickolas excerpt...
I say:
GREAT! If this clown of a Treasurer becomes gov. he WILL raise our taxes. He'll have to so that he can hire MORE state workers to blog with HIS friend. Great JOB there Mr. Miller! And what are you doing to protect our tax dollars???? What was MILLER'S REAL motive to help him create the blog? Is Miller funneling MONEY - TAX PAYER MONEY - to support Nickolas so he can sit around all day and slander everyone and anyone he feels like??? Someone should request some kind of AUDIT from the Treasurer's office!!!!
GREAT!!! Does anyone know the process for demanding an audit of the Treasurer's office?
Ok, so because some state workers need ebay access there should be a law allowing state workers to chat in chatrooms like Nickolas' blog. That's what on the Ky. Treasurer website.
Now that we know he is not only a pal of Nickolas but also a partial parent to the hateblog DOES ANY ONE OTHER THAN ME WONDER IF THIS MILLER GUY IS PLAYING ... "GOOD OLE BOY" Music. I thought I heard Miller & Nickolas & Al Cross all scream LOUDLY while accusing Fletcher of "good ole boy" behavior.
Dawn, You write better than me. What say YOU?
Thanks so much for the kind words, "great job" and "oh my" -- I truly appreciate that! Given the information in your comments, I'd say that Miller is definitely one to worry about with regard to playing the "good ole boy" network in Frankfort. He's been there a long time and, if he's as big a supporter of Nickolas as stated, he's going to have some questions asked of him to be sure.
I don't know how you request an audit of the state treasury department; however, if Miller wins the Dem primary, I believe his finances will have to become public record, won't they? I'd be willing to bet that the new plea for donations on the Bluegrass Reports site has a little something to do with Miller tidying up his finances right now...
"Bunning exhibited bizarre behavior during his 2004 re-election campaign. He said his Democratic opponent, a child of Italian immigrants, looked like one of Saddam Hussein's sons. He refused to go to Kentucky for the campaign's only debate and took part instead from Washington. It was later revealed that he had read some of his answers in the debate from a teleprompter. He was returned to office by just two points in a state that President Bush carried by 20."
Even though they named me (actually all of us) as "Person of the Year," I must admit that my opinion of Time Magazine is that the magazine is no arbiter of good taste, good politics, or good reasoning. Naming Bunning as one of the five worst senators was a subjective judgement on their part -- there were plenty to choose from and they happened to like the stories about Bunning. Big deal. I think a lot of Bunning. He's upheld Conservative principles without apology. He has voted my conscience more often than McConnell has.
Bunning is a passionate guy; his passion for Conservatism is most welcome and if it makes him seem a bit silly sometimes when he speaks off the cuff, then so be it. I'm with you, Anonymous, I like the way he speaks and votes from the heart too!