Was Mitch McConnell Aide In Violation Of Election Laws?

If the tape that Chris Thieneman provided for WHAS in which Mitch McConnell aide Larry Cox says he was calling Thieneman from his office is true, it appears that Mitch McConnell may have a problem:

Campaign work by congressional staff. Subject to the restriction on handling federal campaign funds (see discussion below on “political fund designees”), Senate employees are free to engage in campaign activity on their own, as volunteers or for pay, provided they do not do so in congressional offices or otherwise use official resources and provided they do not neglect their official duties.

It is also important to note that this prohibition also appears to pertain to actions on behalf of campaigns beside their own employer, such as the Congressional campaign of Anne Northup:

Members and staff should be aware that the general prohibition against campaign or political use of official resources applies not only to any Member campaign for re-election, but rather to any campaign or political undertaking. Thus the prohibition applies to, for example, campaigns for the Presidency, the U.S. Senate, or a state or local office, and it applies to such campaigns whether the Member is a candidate or is merely seeking to support or assist (or to oppose) a candidate in such a campaign.

Larry Cox Still Refuses To Answer Questions On Whether McConnell's Office Broke Federal Electioneering Laws

Mitch McConnell staffer Larry Cox allegedly called Chris Thieneman from his office on behalf of McConnell puppet Anne Northup this week, possibly in violation of federal electioneering laws. Thieneman produced tapes of the message to WHAS radio, in which Cox said he was calling from his "office." Now the wait is on for Cox to explain if that office was in McConnell's government office. Cox better be hoping Thieneman's phone records confirm he has another office or a major investigation could be under way and Larry Forgy could be the next independent Senator from Kentucky.

Thieneman Produces Evidence That Mitch McConnell's Office Broke Federal Electioneering Laws

Chris Thieneman left the 3rd District Congressional race today, but not without playing a tape recording in which it appears that Larry Cox violated federal electioneering laws by conducting campaign activity from Mitch McConnell's government office:

He referred to a series of phone messages from a member of Senator Mitch McConnell's staff as evidence of the pressure.

Thieneman said, "They are so smart, they know how to send a message without saying anything."

He played part of a phone message he received.

"Chris, this is Larry Cox. It's 1:45 on Monday. Chris, give me a call as soon as you can at my office," the caller said in his message. "Obviously, I've got some concerns about this foolishness that went on."...

"I would really like to have a conversation with you, particularly before you have an interview with (W)HAS radio, and would be real grateful for a return call. I'm sitting right in my office," Cox went on to say in his message.

Unless Chris Thieneman's phone records show that Larry Cox has a new office and was not calling from Mitch McConnell's office, Thieneman may be on to something and federal electioneering laws could have been broken. Expect a major story from Joe Gerth, Ryan Alessi, Patrick Crowley, or Mark Hebert to break shortly. Major complaints could be filed, and we may not have heard that last of Chris Thieneman and Larry Forgy in this campaign cycle.

Rep. Ron Lewis Warns Mitch McConnell To Stay Out Of Congressional Primary

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Rep. Ron Lewis issued a stern threat to Mitch McConnell yesterday, when he told him stay stay out of the primary between Daniel London and Brett Guthrie:

Lewis told the Herald-Leader that Guthrie "is a fine young man" but said he hoped McConnell wouldn't weigh into the primary.

"Senator (McConnell) can make choices about what he wants to do, but I would think with his own election, he probably wouldn't want to create any divisions in November," Lewis said.

One would think Mitch McConnell would have learned his lesson when he destroyed our party last year by stabbing Governor Fletcher in the back and forcing the Governor to waste precious dollars defending himself from brutal attacks by McConnell's puppet Anne Northup. Now McConnell is undermining conservative hero Chris Thieneman in Louisville and Brett Guthrie in Bowling Green. Its time to send McConnell home to Louisville where he belongs

Courier-Journal: Thieneman Says Mitch McConnell Pressured Army To Call Erwin Roberts Up To Active Duty

The Courier-Journal had a potentially groundbreaking story this morning, when Congressional candidate Chris Thieneman said he believes that Mitch McConnell pressured the Army to call up Erwin Roberts to active duty in an attempt to pave the way for Anne Northup.

If true, potential laws could have been broken, and this could spell disaster for Mitch McConnell's chances against the John McCain-backed Larry Forgy in November. The Courier-Journal reports:

Thieneman fired his first shots at Northup yesterday. He claimed in an interview that people working on her behalf have "threatened" him in an effort to get him out of the race -- including Larry Cox, who runs Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's office in Kentucky.

He said the threats weren't of a physical nature. But he added that he had angered Northup and other Republicans and that the race would be ugly...

He said that one state representative told him he has "stirred up Anne's hornet's nest," and that Cox told him "you're going to be in a fight like you've never been in before, and it's going to be nasty."...

He also accused McConnell of being behind efforts by the party last year to clear the field for Roberts. He said "no one is going to convince me that Mitch McConnell didn't have Erwin supposedly called up."

Mitch McConnell Undermines Republican Party Again By Making Threats On Behalf Of Anne Northup

If the reports that Mitch McConnell is threatening Republican hero Chris Thieneman to drop his bid to take on John Yarmuth are true, than we can only hope that future Republican Presidential nominee John McCain can talk Larry Forgy into defeating the Louisville liberal McConnell.

Why would anyone want to give Anne "Benedict" Northup a chance to lose 3 elections in 2 years? Anyone who cares about the Republican prospects in November knows Northup is a career politician who is turning into a career loser.

Its time to rally behind Chris Thieneman and Larry Forgy.

John McCain Waiting On Larry Forgy's Decision

John McCain is on the verge of winning the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, but he still refused to endorse Mitch McConnell's reelection campaign. It now appears he will wait until Larry Forgy makes a final decision on whether to challenge Mitch McConnell.

McCain is battling Mitch McConnell over the liberal's economic stimulus package that McConnell supports. Forgy joined McCain in opposition.

Larry Forgy is also speaking out once again against the Las Vegas casinos that are in bed with Mitch McConnell. Don't think that John McCain has forgotten when Mitch McConnell backed the Las Vegas casinos in efforts to stop McCain's anti-gambling legislation.

Finally, McConnell is the arch-enemy of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform. But Larry Forgy can defeat Mitch McConnell on the cheap. With the help of McCain advisor John Weaver, and future President John McCain, we may just see Senator Larry Forgy in the near future.

Herald-Leader: Larry Forgy Blasts McConnell-Backed Casino Gambling In Kentucky

Larry Forgy was in the Commonwealth's Capitol today to speak out against plans to allow casino gambling in Kentucky. Remember that Mitch McConnell refused to speak out against the Las Vegas casinos that he has carried water for in Washington, when it was at the top of Governor Fletcher's platform. Now Larry Forgy will make McConnell pay the price:

Those who spoke on Wednesday said casinos in Kentucky will look like financial misery.

"(Casinos) create no economic development -- except pawnshops," said Larry Forgy. But the longtime Republican politico, who also fought against a statewide lottery, said he expects proponents to pump up to $20 million into the casino battle.

"With $20 million behind it, (voters) might well support a repeal of the Lord's Prayer," Forgy said.

John McCain, Club for Growth, and Heritage Foundation Fight The McConnell/Bush Economic Stimulus Tax and Spend Plan

Senate Conservatives led by John McCain and Jim DeMint are teaming up with conservative groups such as the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation to fight Mitch McConnell and George Bush's economic stimulus plan. Once again, Mitch McConnell is getting rolled over by Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats:

Fiscally conservative Republicans in the House and Senate are complaining bitterly that GOP leaders are shutting them out of the bipartisan effort to quickly pass an economic stimulus package...

“Washington politicians are always tempted to buy votes by handing out checks, but we know that won’t grow our economy,” said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who has made a name for himself by waging war on spending and earmarks since Democrats took control. “It makes no sense to create more debt to encourage more spending.”..

“Maybe we need to send them back to supply-side economics school,” said David Keating, executive director of the Club for Growth. Lawmakers seem more concerned “about being seen as trying to do something.”

This complaint has been echoed by economists at other conservative organizations, such as the Heritage Foundation, and numerous conservative pundits. On the campaign trail, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has dismissed the economic stimulus proposal as Washington just trying to spend its way out of a recession.

We need a leader like Larry Forgy who will stand up and fight for Conservatives alongside President John McCain. Send John McCain's arch-rival Mitch McConnell back to Louisville with his fellow liberals so we can elect someone who doesn't get rolled over by Harry Reid:

In the Senate, Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have agreed to stand back and let the House take the lead in the talks with the administration.

Will Former John McCain Advisor John Weaver Run Larry Forgy's Campaign?

Yes, this is just a rumor at the moment. But the word on the street is that John McCain's chief political strategist John Weaver will enter serious negotiations to run Larry Forgy's U.S. Senate campaign against Mitch McConnell.

Remember that Weaver left his official role with the McCain campaign after a dispute with Rick Davis earlier this year, but remains close with John McCain, who has made no secret of his desire to defeat Mitch McConnell.

With John McCain as the likely Republican nominee, this could be a huge development. Look for Mitch McConnell to start scrambling in fear that our Presidential nominee will be supporting a true conservative, Larry Forgy.

Al Cross: Flashback To Larry Forgy's 1991 Announcement

In his Sunday Courier-Journal column, Al Cross brought us back to the historic 1991 campaign announcement by Larry Forgy. However, the pinnacle of Larry Forgy's powers are yet to come:

On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.

BRUTUS, in "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare

The words seemed a bit odd coming from Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, in his State of the Commonwealth address, because they were favorite campaign lines of Larry Forgy, the state's leading Republican orator not so long ago.

They seemed particularly strange because Beshear was quoting Brutus' advice but not following it. He didn't take advantage of being at "the height of my powers" -- as Forgy described himself in his dramatic declaration for governor in 1991, and as Beshear was Monday night, when he addressed legislators and a statewide television audience in the wake of a landslide election.

RedState: Will Mitch McConnell Stab Us in the Back?

One of the leading national conservative websites is reminding voters across the country that Mitch McConnell is willing to sell out conservatives for his own special interests:

At a time when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell should be rallying his Republican colleagues around the issue of fiscal responsibility, the Kentucky appropriator is showing his true colors as a big spender intent on saving his pork-barrel projects.

President Bush appeared intent on issuing an executive order canceling lawmakers' earmarks in the wake of the $555 billion omnibus spending bill last month. But sources tell me that it's unlikely to happen as a result of an intense lobbying effort organized by McConnell and carried out by other Republican appropriators.

McConnell's behavior is somewhat surprising given his tough re-election bid this year and his promise to rebrand the GOP as good stewards of taxpayers' money. He has certainly done himself no favors with the conservative base and now threatens to further alienate members of his own caucus by standing in the way of Bush's order.

Although the situation does not look good for an anti-earmark executive order, conservatives are clinging to the slightest hope that McConnell will back down before Bush makes his decision public on Tuesday. Taxpayers' groups in Washington are planning to refocus their efforts on McConnell, viewing him as the linchpin.

Mitch McConnell's Arch-Enemy John McCain Could Win New Hampshire

It is hard to imagine how Mitch McConnell gets reelected if the Republican nominee is not only someone who personally dislikes him, but also refuses to campaign for him and is likely to endorse an independent or write-in bid by Larry Forgy.

Now with John McCain rising to the top of the New Hampshire polls, it looks like Mitch McConnell's cataclysm may come true:

Republicans – NH Tracking 12–31/1–3–2008
McCain 34%
Romney 30%
Huckabee 10%
Giuliani 9%

Mitch McConnell appears to be using the same tactics as he employed in backstabbing Governor Fletcher. He reportedly encouraged our Congressional delegation to endorse his fellow liberal Mitt Romney. Then we saw Fred Thompson enter the race and flop. Now his Mitch McConnell's worst nightmare is coming true.

Can't wait until McConnell's Armed Services records are compared to our potential nominee John McCain's...

Update: For a reminder of the bitter rivalry between Mitch McConnell and John McCain, check the Herald-Leader or the old Meet the Press debate:

A leader in the field of tapping the wealthy for campaign cash, McConnell also led the opposition against efforts to rein in such donations through campaign-finance reform -- a fight that has taken him to the U.S. Supreme Court and put him toe-to-toe against another emerging Republican leader, presidential hopeful McCain.

Herald Leader Editorial Urges Larry Forgy To Run Against Mitch McConnell

The Lexington Herald Leader editorial board took a nice step today in encouraging Larry Forgy to make the plunge and take on Mitch McConnell in the Republican primary:

A Little Advice For The New Year

Here are resolutions for some of 2007's newsmakers.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell: Use that gold-plated health care to have your hip surgically separated from the decider-in-chief's.

Larry Forgy: Go ahead. Run. Maybe the fourth time's a charm.

Hawpe: Mitch McConnell and his merry band of big-spending Republicans

It looks like the Louisville liberal Mitch McConnell can't fool members of his hometown press. Courier-Journal columnist David Hawpe exposed the hypocrite after the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, has been going after the big-spending McConnell:

Don't take my word for it. Just listen to what the most influential collection of conservative navel-noodlers in Washington says. The Heritage Foundation's stated mission could double as the Republican Party's: "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense." Just last week, it issued a broadside that differed dramatically from McConnell's assessment of the first session of the 110th Congress...

The bill Congress rang up, according to the Heritage Foundation, is "$20 billion more than lawmakers would have you believe."

The way Heritage economists figure it, this Omnibus Appropriations Bill in which McConnell boasted about "defending Kentucky priorities" (1) was irresponsible in failing to keep discretionary outlays within President Bush's cap of $932 billion; (2) resorted to "budget gimmicks and loopholes to fudge the numbers"; (3) classified non-emergency spending as emergency items; (4) "piled on the pork by earmarking billions to more than 11,300" pet projects for members, and (5) "put the government more than $20 billion over budget."

This is the judgment not of some effete, lib-symp moral relativist -- some redistributionist-friendly class warrior of the Democratic left. Rather, it comes from McConnell's friends at the most powerful Republican-friendly think tank in Washington.