ConservaChick

I had the pleasure this afternoon of a conversation with Republican gubernatorial candidate Billy Harper at the start of his " Race for Kentucky " tour. He had just been given a fine send-off by the folks in Paducah at about 11am CST and called me shortly thereafter. First things first: Western Kentucky needs more cellular phone coverage! If there's one thing to said right off the bat, it's that Billy Harper is a patient man. We were disconnected three times during our 30-minute conversation. Not once after any of those three times did he sound irritated or grumble about it. I like people who can take the good with the bad. For example, "I can talk from anywhere without being anchored by a phone line (good); however, I will likely get disconnected a number of times as my signal changes cell towers (bad)." I truly have the patience of the Irish so it's always nice to have a more patient and calming influence on the other end! ;o) Billy Harper has a lovely...

As we say here in Kentucky, that old gal couldn't carry a tune if you gave her a bucket!

... Right here ! Billy Harper kicks off his "Race for Kentucky" tomorrow from Paducah. You can keep tabs on Mr. Harper via a new interactive website that will follow his campaign on the map, via blog, and via behind the scenes video. Cool!

A new television ad will begin airing tomorrow for Billy Harper. The ad focuses very specifically on the issue of business taxation in this state and the harm it does to our business community. The ad refers to the "AMT" but it's actually called the "Alternative Minimum Calculation (AMC)" in the Kentucky tax code. (I suppose the term "AMT" is better known to most because it's already a part of the federal tax code.) No matter what Kentucky politicians choose to call it, it's an onerous tax that harms small businesses in this state. Nice ad!

Republican gubernatorial candidate, Billy Harper, is already following through on what he's promising to do if elected Governor of Kentucky! He is leading a petition drive to repeal Kentucky's Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). You'll see this tax referred to as the AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) even though, technically, Kentucky's state version of the federal AMT is called the Alternative Minimum Calculation (or AMC). The AMC is a tax that is harmful to the prosperity of all Kentuckians as it penalizes businesses that struggle to succeed here. If you favor a repeal of this onerous tax, sign the petition online . Why not have your voice heard? After all, Mr. Harper is certainly making it very easy for you to voice your opinion on a tax that hurts Kentucky. Billy Harper will be delivering this petition to the politicians in Frankfort. Yours truly has already added her name to the list! Evidently, Billy Harper isn't just campaigning, he's already started the ball rol...

(Original oil on canvas by Ashley Cecil -- thanks, Ashley! Read her commentary on the passing of Barbaro.) The world lost an amazing spirit today when Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was "put down." He was unbeatable until his race with recovery. Evidently, he was in great pain and it was just too much to overcome; the veterinarian in charge of his care had to make a very difficult decision. Don't miss the Associated Press's thoughtful video report on Barbaro. The outpouring of support from people everywhere for Barbaro while he was trying to beat the odds in recovery is just incredible! A wonderful quote from one of Barbaro's owners in the story by Dan Gelston and Richard Rosenblatt in the Louisville Courier-Journal today certainly says it all for those of us who were praying for this noble horse to make it through recovery: "Certainly, grief is the price we all pay for love," co-owner Gretchen Jackson said. He will be missed by race fans, animal lov...

As many of you are aware, this blog (along with The Rural Democrat ) has been following the misadventures of Kentucky's most forgetful blogger, Mark Nickolas. Nickolas was indicted January 17th by a Franklin County grand jury on three counts of willfully failing to file his state tax returns. His arraignment was supposed to happen during the past two weeks... no news. So far only the State Journal has done a decent job of covering his current tangle of legal problems and even they have no updates. Stay tuned...

Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) addressed the House of Representatives on January 10th with the following speech: "Mr. Speaker, in the small border town of Rocksprings, Texas, where drug smugglers and human smugglers sneak across the Rio Grande into America, lone Deputy Sheriff Gilmer Hernandez was on patrol. In the stillness of the vast night, a speeding Suburban runs a red light. Deputy Hernandez, 25, stops the vehicle, but suddenly, without warning, the vehicle takes off. Deputy Hernandez says the vehicle tried to run him down. The lawman fires several shots, one of which shoots out the rear tire, just like in the movies. The vehicle stops, and eight or nine illegals jump out and take off running into the sagebrush. One illegal had a minor injury from a bullet. The U.S. Government rounds up six or seven of the illegals and, guess what, prosecutes Deputy Hernandez, claiming he recklessly discharged his firearm and uses the illegals as witnesses against the lawman during a trial. Cit...

On the heels of Ford Motor Company’s announcement today of $12.7 billion in losses during 2006, Republican gubernatorial candidate Billy Harper will make a statement to the press on the effects the Alternative Minimum Tax is having on Kentucky’s business climate at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 25, in front of the Kentucky Ford Truck Plant at 3001 Chamberlain Lane in Louisville . The Alternative Minimum Tax was first proposed by a Democratic governor and was signed into law by the current governor. The tax is unfairly imposed on both profitable and unprofitable businesses equally. In a tough year for Ford , a big employer in this area , they have had a rough time keeping both stockholders and employees happy. One or both of them were bound to end up a bit unhappy with the losses suffered by the company. So far, Louisville employees have been spared. Governor Fletcher has said that he wants to help Ford stay in the state by offering tax incentives. Here's an idea: how about eliminating the AM...

On September 11, 2001, Sergeant Major Tony Rose was talking with his co-workers in the Pentagon about the attack on the World Trade Center when American Airlines flight 77 slammed into the building at 400 miles per hour. It exploded directly under Tony's second-floor office. "I was blown off my feet into the pylon -- just like some invisible hand had pushed me," he said. Although injured, Tony led the rescue, recovery, and security operations that day after the Pentagon was attacked. Tony is a 9/11/01 ground zero survivor of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Twenty-nine of his fellow soldiers and civilian employees perished that day. Tony received the Army Soldier's Medal for Heroism for going back into the burning Pentagon five times that morning to save lives. He also received the Purple Heart for personal injuries incurred. He travels extensively speaking of the 9/11 heroes and the hell inside the Pentagon that the world never saw. I have read a lot and seen a ...

...are the friends of our enemies. I'm sorry but I cannot try to be politically correct here. This Senate resolution just smacks of aiding and abetting our Islamofascist enemies in Iraq. It demoralizes our troops in the field now and those on their way to the front in Iraq. This is wrong, dead wrong. I have no problem with politicians expressing their opinions on strategy; however, this amounts to a vote of no confidence in wartime and sends a clear message to our enemies that this nation is no longer willing to strive for victory. I don't understand why we cannot put politics aside for once this millenium and start acting as a unified people -- people who understand what is at stake here, people who want to be victorious in a cause that help secure not only the interests of our nation but the interests of all people who seek freedom. Patience and fortitude are virtues not liabilities! This simply sickens me. America is headed for defeat and this world will be a much scarier p...

Our friend, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross has written an excellent piece for The Weekly Standard entitled " Blackhawk Up ." Somalia's transitional government needs to "win the peace" now that Al Qaeda and the Islamic Courts Union have been defeated: "If there is one lesson to be drawn from American military engagements since 9/11, it is that the hard part is winning the peace. Nowhere is this truer today than in Somalia. With the army-vs.-army phase of the conflict in that country seemingly complete, Somalia's transitional federal government faces its real challenge." ... We are sending military and financial aid to Somalia now. Is it all up to America to help Somalia's government win the peace? Where is the UN in all this?

Forgive me; I can't help sharing this. It's sick; it's twisted; it's just kind of funny! The idea is if you are bored and need to generate some excitement or are stuck on a plane flight next to a really annoying person, open your laptop and click this link . (Thanks again for the laugh, Mark!)

I hesitated last night to write a single word about President Bush's State of the Union speech. I wasn't jazzed by it; I wasn't disappointed either. So I wanted to let it percolate a bit. Upon further reflection today, I realized that there were some true Conservative principles at work in his State of the Union speech that deserve a big Conservative HOORAY! There were some basic truths and some necessary reconciliation at work in the speech as well. The speech represented a new tone that was needed and delivered quite well. As a Conservative, I feel compelled to point out the areas of his speech that provided reassurance that there are still some of the bedrock Conservative principles at work in the White House. President Bush raised the banner of Conservatism last night in some areas even though it drooped quite a bit in others. Even though he gave it no real emphasis and spent no great amount of time on it, President Bush did remind us spoiled Americans that we have a ri...

Forgetfulness. It is the bane of human existence, isn't it? You remember your briefcase but forget where you laid your car keys. You remember to ask for donations but forget to pay your taxes at the end of the year. You remember to return the rental car but forget to pay the rental car company. You remember to put the fund-raiser on your calendar but forget your scheduled court appearance... Cursed memory! Indicted blogger Mark Nickolas is just one forgetful fellow. As Vince Tweddell at the State-Journal found out today, all that forgetfulness just seems to be catching up with poor Mr. Nickolas! ... "Mark L. Nickolas, the blogger indicted last week by a Franklin County grand jury, has an active warrant for a 2006 felony charge in Fayette County, district court records there show. Nickolas, who runs BluegrassReport.org, was charged in May 2006 with theft by failure to make a required disposition, said a clerk at Fayette District Court. He also didn't appear for his June 28...

Isn't it a little early for spring cleaning? I'm sure that it's got to feel good to clean up all that nasty paperwork... you know, the paperwork that's been demanding your attention for three years now? Yeah. I'll bet that's just what he's doing... Indicted blogger, Mark Nickolas of the Bluegrass Report, has been very busy since his indictment last week on three counts of "willfully failing to file" his Kentucky state taxes. It seems he paid his back taxes after the indictment with funds from a foundation that he claimed was a 501(c)4 corporation. When this blogger and several other interested parties checked up on the facts, it was discovered that paying one's personal taxes with funds from a 501(c)4 corporation is most certainly illegal. Ooops! How forgetful can he be? Now it would appear that, not only is Nickolas attempting to correct his three-year "mistake" by writing checks using illegal non-profit funds, he's also cleaning...

(If you missed the action on Sunday, you can get a recap of the games at Superbowl.com ) This weekend's NFL divisional championship playoffs were nothing short of fun to watch and the Colts/Patriots game was a real nail-biter all the way to the end. All in all, simply an awesome Sunday for football! Congratulations to the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts!! I'm extremely biased sooooo GO COLTS!! Now, please allow me a moment here to get something off of my chest: This tendency of the press to make a big deal out of a person's sex or skin color when they accomplish great things just irritates the heck out of me. This USA Today article is the same old crap. I am SICK and TIRED of the press diminishing the accomplishments of people by labeling them. The fantastic talent, brains, and motivation of two great coaches and fantastic human beings are being underplayed so that the color of their skin can take center stage. Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith deserve loads of credit fo...

The following is a press release from Representative John Linder, and published at the FairTax.org web site. With each new Congress, the FairTax bill must be reintroduced. Please make sure you let your Senators and Representative know of your support for the FairTax. Washington, D.C. - Today, Representative John Linder (R-GA) introduced H.R. 25, the "The FairTax Act of 2007." This bill was first introduced by Congressman Linder in 1999, and has become increasingly popular since that time. At the close of the 109th Congress the FairTax Act was the most popular tax reform bill in Congress with 59 supporters in the House, which far exceeded any other piece of tax reform legislation. "The progress we have made since first introducing the FairTax is simply amazing. The grassroots growth has been phenomenal and it is evident that Americans get it. They are way ahead of the politicians on this one. In the 109th Congress, we had 59 supporters on the bill, and we did not solicit...

It now appears that Mark Nickolas's attorney has faxed information to the writers at Pol Watchers claiming to prove that Nickolas paid his taxes. From the Pol Watcher's story : ... Clay provided the Herald-Leader with electronic copies of two cleared checks, one showing a payment of $1,048 for "2003 - tax return payment" and another of $5,309 for "2004 - tax return payment." Both checks were dated Dec. 16, 2006 and are labeled "The Foundation For Kentucky's Future, Inc., Mark Nickolas, Chairman." Clay said Nickolas' 2005 tax return required no payment. After viewing the canceled checks, Cleveland said he was "confused." ... I can certainly understand Cleveland's confusion! The Foundation for Kentucky's Future, Inc. filed incorporation papers with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office stating that it is operating as a non-profit corporation . On Nickolas's Articles of Incorporation for the foundation ( on file wi...

An interesting tax reform poll is going on at "Action America" -- Flat Tax vs. Fair Tax vs. Tax the States. The poll describes each plan and asks for your vote on one. Lend your voice to the tax reform movement by voting in their poll !

If THIS is the way we reward our Border Patrol agents for "securing" our borders, let's line up at the border right now and start handing out Welcome Wagon baskets to illegal aliens on their way in! For crying out loud! President Bush, you owe these two men a presidential pardon and you owe it to them immediately! If this stands, you will quickly move from my "not quite a true Conservative but he's doing what's right" column to the "if he were up for re-election again I'd have to stay home" column. Grant that pardon and grant it now before Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso spend another moment incarcerated! If Republicans (the president in particular), cannot get tough on illegal immigration, start TRULY supporting secure borders, and providing better support for the brave men and women who enforce our immigration laws, I will be forced to consider the Republican party no longer conservative. This is absolutely LUDICROUS!

This will come as no surprise to regular readers of The Rural Democrat and ConservaChick: Mark Nickolas, editor of Bluegrass Report, was indicted today by a Franklin County grand jury on three counts of "willfully failing to file tax returns" for years 2004, 2005, and 2006. According to the story (" BluegrassReport.org founder indicted " by Tom Loftus at the Louisville Courier-Journal), willfully failing to file an income tax return is a class D felony. The possible penalty is one to five years in prison for each count. ... "[Commonwealth's Attorney] Cleveland said he told the Revenue officials — as he said he does in all such cases — to give Nickolas a chance to file returns and pay anything that was due. 'In the past few months, this is the fourth or fifth case they’ve brought to me like this,' Cleveland said. 'We don’t take a case to the grand jury if the person makes a good faith effort to clear things up.' But Cleveland said Revenue off...

I think it's important for anyone with a voice on the internet to present all sides of an issue. In that spirit, I am posting the response I received via email from John Stamper of the Lexington Herald-Leader to the piece I wrote about censorship on blogs: "Your post about Pol Watchers does not contain the entire thread of comments, as your blog states. If you go to the post in question , you will see that there has been no effort to eliminate comments just because they question Jonathan Miller and Mark Nickolas. Plenty of them still remain. However, as stated in my comment on Pol Watchers, we're not going to allow people to use the blog as a forum for name calling. It's that simple. Check around, it's a pretty common policy. For example, blogs at WashingtonPost.com have this policy: 'User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsi...

Call me an idealist -- odd label for a pragmatic Conservative. When I began blogging over two years ago, I believed that the use of this "new media" would provide an open forum for everyone. I guess only SOME of the "new media" bloggers like myself prefer an open forum. Others, delete comments and ban people who express a differing point of view. That's a shame. It makes no sense to me for bloggers to put their thoughts out to the world if they don't intend to engage differing voices and perspective. Why would a person even bother to put in the time to write? Why not stand in front of a mirror and talk to yourself? Censoring the comments section of a blog is the same thing... oh, well maybe your friends are hanging out in front of the mirror with you, nodding and parrotting what you think. THAT would be the general idea behind writing and then censoring those who take the time to comment with their differing views. This, my friends, is the problem with ...

Okay, I know it's a tad early for this since her birthday isn't until March; however, for the good of this country, someone's got to warn her NOT to make this wish! (As always, thanks so much for the great chuckle, Mark!)

Dick Morris has some thoughts on what will be happening with the new Democrat majority in Congress and their constituency. ... "So the Democrats are about to form their customary firing squad — a circular one — and begin again the battles that ripped their party apart in the late 1960s. The battle lines are the same: The new left vs. the party establishment. Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid are about to squander their credibility with their supporters on the left by failing to cut back, or cut off entirely, funding for the war." ... It would appear that Cindy Sheehan's shout-down of the press conference last week was the opening salvo. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess but I'll bet on Dick Morris's opinion any day!

Leave it to the comedic intellect of Dennis Miller to describe how it feels for those of us who are pro-victory when confronted by the folks stuck in Groundhog Day! Nice job, Dennis!!

I just read " Blog-blocking case gets federal hearing " by Jack Brammer on the Lexington Herald-Leader's website. Yes, even though I've been knee-deep lately in the circus of the absurd called "Bluegrass Report" and its connection to State Treasurer Jonathan Miller, I found this paraphrased bit from Nickolas's attorney absolutely ludicrous! ... "Greg Beck, an attorney for Nickolas with the Washington, D.C.-based Public Citizen, said it's an important case and that 'decision-makers' probably should be questioned about the policy of blocking political blogs while permitting the use of traditional news sites." ... Excuse me?! Is Mr. Beck comparing the Kentucky gossip rag called "Bluegrass Report" to a mainstream news website? Look, I recognize that many of today's journalists tend to color their reporting with their own opinions. I don't think it's humanly possible to be completely objective so I don't come do...

Some Kentuckians may wonder why Billy Harper , Republican candidate for governor, has come out so quickly with strong positions on two specific issues (AMT and education). Unless you've spent any time talking to corporate CEOs or studying economics, it may not be immediately clear. So, if you'll indulge me, take a little time to read this article (" Democrats launch 'ambitious' priorities ") by Jack Brammer and John Stamper of the Herald-Leader. In the process of describing what the state House Democrats hope to do this year, they've done a fine job of explaining the connection between the state's Alternative Minimum Calculation (actually a state-level form of the federal Alternative Minimum Tax) and education. Kentucky is a beautiful state and a nice place to live; however, this state badly needs future-focused economic growth. We need 21st century jobs. We lose a lot of our younger citizens to states with better economic opportunities and that's ...

As I've posted recently, thanks to information provided by Grassroots Freedom, Section 220 of S1, the "lobby reform" bill, would effectively silence many grassroots organizations by subjecting them to onerous registration and reporting requirements which actually exceed what is required of the big lobbyists in Washington, D.C. This makes no sense and is likely an effort to silence the "little guys" like you and me. Thanks to grassroots efforts so far, Senators Robert Bennett (R-UT), John Cornyn (R-TX), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have created and co-sponsored Amendment 20 to S 1, which would remove Section 220 from the bill. Please call both of your United States senators and ask them to support Amendment 20 to S 1, to delete the regulations on grassroots communications from the lobbying reform bill. For my fellow Kentuckians, those senators are Mitch McConnell (call and congratulate him on sponsoring this amendment!) and Jim Bunning. Here’s an id...

Someone has been doing his/her homework! This well-written piece landed in my inbox from an anonymous author. It very clearly presents timelines and the activities that have caused the questions about the Miller-Nickolas connection that you've been seeing in posts on ConservaChick of late. I'm calling this anonymous source "Columbo." Remember " Columbo ," the old TV series? Whoever this anonymous source is, he/she is definitely laying low while combing the net, making calls, and asking all the right questions. See for yourself in the text of the piece that follows my commentary. In a bipartisan search for the truth, William Hayes at The Rural Democrat and I are working together to be sure this information gets posted on both sides of the aisle. Folks, inquiring minds (regardless of their party affiliations) want to know and they're not waiting for the mainstream press to tell them! Without further ado... "Columbo" reports: Corruption??? Abuse ...

I needed a break, wanted to laugh a bit. After I got my laugh, I felt compelled to share. Hang in there for a bit; it gets pretty funny even for us arachniphobes! Caution: Depending on your sensitivity to some rough language, you may not find this as amusing as I did. (Thanks for providing the laugh tonight, Mark!)

As you read this, the Senate is debating legislation that will silence many grassroots organizations, some bloggers included. Please take immediate action to stop this from happening. S 1, the " Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 ," by Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and 16 other co-sponsors, has a major Trojan Horse. Section 220 of this bill requires grassroots communications to be subject to onerous registration and reporting requirements that actually exceed what is required of the big Washington, D.C. lobbyists. This makes no sense and can even those small grassroots voices like mine and others. Please take a minute as soon as you can find a spare one and contact both of your U.S. Senators. In Kentucky, those senators are Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning. Since McConnell is a co-sponsor, it will be a tough sell but I know ConservaChick readers are smart cookies. Jim Bunning, on the other hand, has been a great voice for us l...

After watching President Bush's speech last night and reading/watching commentary from various sources afterward, I am amazed that people aren't more reassured about where this war is going and what lies ahead for us. It was a very clear roadmap that included a very comprehensive set of measurable milestones. What are those milestones? Americans should see Iraqi security forces fully in charge of all provinces by November; legislation passed to share oil revenues; $10 billion worth of Iraqi money invested in reconstruction and infrastructure projects; provincial elections later this year; and a reformation of the de-Baathification laws and a fair process for Iraqi Constitutional amendments. Currently, this war is taking place all over the world. Some of it is known to the US public; some of it is yet to be known. While the Bush-haters in DC are busy leaking classified secrets to the press, our government has managed to maintain enough secrecy to successfully squelch terrorist ...