Wonders never cease!!! The latest wonder is that former Kentucky governor Julian Carroll, according to the Lexington Herald-leader of 23 November, has just announced that he has appointed himself to be what amounts to the savior of the Democrat party in Kentucky. He has come up with the amazing proposition that 29 (count ’em) party stalwarts, apparently one each from 29 state democrat constituencies, be somehow appointed or elected or drafted or whatever to decide who will and will not run in democrat primaries and the general election in 2006, at least in the governor’s race. The constituencies were not named, but it seems Carroll did mention the “evangelicals” as a constituency that needs to be either enlightened or at least given some special attention, probably because the national party seems hell-bent on a campaign to make hedonism the official dogma of the 21st century.
Said Carroll, “I’m assuming a position of leadership in the party as a result of being reelected to the Kentucky State Senate.” Being translated, all of this, of course, can be wrapped up in one phrase: Carroll for governor in 2007. Well...that’s about all the party needs for some further nails to be driven into its coffin, seeing as how it’s doubtful that there ever was more corruption in a Kentucky administration than there was during the time Carroll was governor. His main man, a bosom buddy, party leader, former legislator, etc., (whose lips were sealed) was packed off to the Big House for shenanigans during that woebegone administration, marked also by such terms as “warehouse deals.” Carroll routinely used state airplanes to transport his family members on non-state business, obviously, since some of the flights were simply to transport his offspring to and from college. This is the guy who will restore credibility to the party? Well…no!
Is it Carroll for governor in 2007? If one pays attention to his claim that he already has urged eight folks (didn’t say whom) considering a run against Fletcher in 2007 for the governorship to hold off announcing, one can safely conclude that Carroll may well intend to be the magic compromise candidate, notwithstanding the fact that high-profile democrat types probably take a dim view of his latest pronouncements. After all, a chimpanzee running for a State Senate seat in Frankfort would be a shoo-in if he/she/it happened to be a democrat, so Carroll’s claim to credibility on the basis of being (gasp) elected in the Frankfort district is bogus.
The GROUP OF 29 has not been named by Carroll, if indeed he expects to name those folks, and apparently he does, probably placing himself on the group as the top dog. The party chairman would seem to have nothing to say in the matter, but then Jerry Lundergan may just be waiting to see if Carroll makes some headway or is about to hang himself from the nearest lamppost to the state capitol. State Auditor Crit Luallen, a head honcho in the administration of the now maligned and discredited former governor Paul Patton, and former lieutenant governor Steve Henry, having paid off the government for false Medicare claims, are already on the record as having a dim view of Carroll’s political sleight-of-hand. The current merit-system flap has culminated in the discovery of shady-appearing instances – 7400 of them – in the Patton administration, so Fletcher, even considering the pardons and expulsions of his much maligned cohorts, may seem angelic by comparison before all the dust settles.
Nor has been revealed by Carroll the identification of the constituencies to be represented in his band of brothers/sisters designed to restore honesty, decency, fairness…blah, blah, blah to state government. There are the evangelicals, of course. Then, there’s the usual race thing – mostly just blacks, but now there’s a large Mexican population. Of course, the trial lawyers must be represented, and the unions and the women’s groups and the teachers and the college presidents and the……..
Oh well…one can be thankful for the fact that at least there’s a bit of excitement in the picture, as St. Julian the Dragon Killer goes to work. Perhaps his administration is so far in the past that the current crop of wannabes for public office don’t remember, but then there are some old folks who may recall some things.
And so it goes.
Jim Clark
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