KyKurmudgeon

Sunday’s column:

This and that, the Pitino Goes Porno at Porcini Edition:

University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino admits having drunken sex in a restaurant (after hours, thankfully for that night’s patrons) with a woman he just met and giving her $3,000 later so she could have an abortion.

After Pitino publicly apologizes, U of L President James Ramsey says, “We hope this closes this chapter; we’re all ready to move on.”

There’s wishful thinking, and then there’s WISHFUL THINKING TO THE NTH DEGREE. Ramsey’s desire to move on falls at the extreme end of the latter category.

With Karen Sypher facing federal extortion charges stemming from her 2003 tabletop tryst with/assault by Pitino (he said/she said), a swift end is unlikely for this soap opera, which my former boss David Holwerk dubbed “Cardinal Sin” in an e-mail last week.

As it plays out in the future, here’s hoping Steve Pence, former lieutenant governor and current Pitino lawyer, comes up with some better explanations than the one about the $3,000 being given to Sypher so she could buy health insurance, not to pay for an abortion.

That’s about as lame as the “noodling out of season” excuse Pence’s ex-running mate, former Gov. Ernie Fletcher, used while trying to spin his way out of the BlackBerry Jam hiring scandal that ultimately resulted in his indictment, which was dismissed after he cut a deal with prosecutors.

Whether Sypher was given the $3,000 to buy health insurance so she could have an abortion or to pay for the abortion itself, the end result remains the same. She got an abortion, courtesy of money Pitino gave her.

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A background that includes being a onetime Democrat who confesses to having voted for Bill Clinton didn’t hinder Republican convert Trey Grayson when he ran for secretary of state in 2003 and again in 2007.

After all, controversial issues rarely wind up on a secretary of state’s plate. So, an ability to manage the agency honestly and efficiently is more important than any political leanings a candidate for the office might have.

However, now that he wants to succeed U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, Grayson has to polish up his conservative street creds sufficiently to assure the Republican base that he is fully rehabilitated from his youthful errant ways.

Thus, a recent fund-raising appeal contained seven glowing “conservative” references and six derogatory “liberal” references. It also noted Grayson’s opposition to the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.

At first blush, taking a stand on the Sotomayor nomination might seem pointless for a candidate who would have no say in the matter. Besides, by the time Grayson voiced his opposition, her confirmation was a foregone conclusion. So, why risk alienating any voters at all by jumping into that particular melee needlessly?

But the National Rifle Association took a strong interest in the Sotomayor nomination, and it wasn’t in her favor. Thus, by taking a position that coincided with the NRA, Grayson added a bit more polish to those street creds.

Of course, by stressing his conservatism in an appeal to the right, Grayson risks alienating moderate voters who have supported him in the past.

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Pikeville College scored big when former Gov. Paul Patton agreed to be the institution’s new president, and not just because he will serve two years without pay. Patton’s commitment to the success of the college is reflected by his 30 years of monetary support and service on its board.

But if this new job causes Patton to give up his Council on Postsecondary Education seat, Kentucky will be the loser. Higher education in this state has no better champion than Patton, the architect of reforms that created the CPE more than a decade ago. His presence on its board helps keep everyone’s eye on the ultimate prize.

Today’s column:

A General Assembly session with no real blow-up? What did the Frankfort Plant Board put in the city’s water this winter?

Whatever it was, most everyone played well with each other in the legislative sandbox — so far, at least. Two veto days remain in this odd-year short session, and some contentious issues remain in play.

But let’s give credit where credit is due. The major players — Gov. Steve Beshear, Senate President David Williams and House Speaker Greg Stumbo — have made nice to each other this year.

As a result, a few things got done. But I would stop well short of calling it, as Stumbo did, the most productive session since 1990.

Mostly, this session has seen legislators apply a teensy-weensy Band-Aid to a gaping revenue wound that couldn’t be staunched with all the gauze in the state, indulge their addiction to projects and give the major product of that 1990 session — the Kentucky Education Reform Act — a swift kick in the backside.

“Swift” in the sense of hasty, rushed and without a vetted alternative ready to replace the outcast CATS test as a means of holding our schools accountable for the next few years. After all, if you plan on replacing your roof in three years, you don’t go ahead and tear the old shingles off now.

But let’s not be too critical. We can’t expect Kentucky lawmakers to break all their bad habits in one short session.

Yes, they opted for the quick fix instead of the “vision thing” in regard to the state’s future revenue outlook. Yes, they swiped the state’s credit card again to add more projects to their road plan. Yes, they abandoned some of the principles of KERA.

But House and Senate leaders avoided one of those confrontations that have left so many recent sessions in gridlock. And that’s progress.

For a while Friday, such a confrontation seemed possible. At his weekly press conference with Stumbo, Williams said the Senate would wait for the road plan to pass the House and be signed or line-item vetoed by the governor before taking up legislation freezing the gas tax to prevent a scheduled 4-cent decrease on April 1.

When Stumbo responded by saying, “I think we would like to see the Senate pass the four pennies (first),” the potential for another confrontation existed.

Last year, Beshear vetoed the road plan enacted by the legislature, House Bill 79. When Williams challenged that veto, Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd declared the bill unconstitutional because it didn’t receive final legislative action before midnight April 15, the constitutional deadline for the end of a 60-day session.

No doubt, last year’s veto was a motivational factor in the Senate’s desire to hang on to the “pennies” legislation until Beshear signed the road plan or vetoed line items in it.

Stumbo’s motivation was simple as well. Members of the Democratic-controlled House were already on the hook for a second “tax” vote in this year’s session. They didn’t want to pass a road plan heavy with projects in Senate leaders’ districts until the Republican-controlled Senate joined them on that hook.

This time, though, what started as a mini-standoff didn’t escalate into gridlock. This time, it produced cooperation instead of confrontation. Cooperation between Beshear and Williams, who reached an accord on what parts of the road plan might be subject to veto. Cooperation between the House and Senate, which took the form of simultaneous passage of the two bills at issue.

As their respective chambers voted, Williams and Stumbo talked via phone. And shortly before 6 p.m., after much waiting, Williams announced Senate passage of the “pennies” bill. A moment or two later, the House vote on the road plan became official.

Technically, then, you could say the Senate blinked first. But in cooperative times like these, who cares?

Mmm! Mmm! The mention of leftovers from the picnic makes my mouth water. Oh, well, let's get on with the catching up bit:

1. State Rep. Greg Stumbo sure loves to keep the political pot boiling, doesn't he? By endorsing Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark's bid to retain that position in the upcoming D leadership elections, the former House floor leader and attorney general aligns himself squarely against House Speaker Jody Richards, who is backing Rep. Joni Jenkins' attempt to unseat Clark. Since the impending retirement of D Whip Rob Wilkey leaves Clark as the odd man out among returning D leaders, Stumbo's endorsement also makes those rumors that he's really angling for the Judiciary Committee chairmanship seem unlikely. Legislators who want to chair committees don't make a habit of bucking a majority of leadership. All of which has to increases speculation that Stumbo really will challenge Richards for the speaker's chair.

2. Apparently, state Education Commissioner Jon Draud learned a lesson from his erstwhile attempt to sweeten the benefits in his contract and the heat he took for pimping his new state ride with costly options. Telling the state school board he doesn't need a raise when the state is struggling with budget woes should earn him some points.

3. Political candidates shake up their campaign organizations for a variety of reasons, some of which are not good. Don't know what prompted the recent changes in multimillionaire Bruce Lunsford's campaign against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, but some of those changes apparently signal an increased interest in the race by national Democratic leaders. And that is a good thing for Lunsford.

4. One of the things I missed in transferring my observations about the Fancy Farm Picnic from my notebook to Saturday evening's post ("Scenes from a sweltering Fancy Farm Picnic") was the way the "Two-time loser" shouts from the R side of the crowd early in Lunsford's speech morphed into "Three-time loser" by the end of his address. Don't know if that was pre-planned or not, but it clearly indicated what the R's in attendance thought of his chances against McConnell.

5. I didn't hear him deliver the line myself, but Democratic state Senate candidate Carroll Hubbard earned a place in Fancy Farm lore by saying, "When (Senate President) David Williams takes a sleeping pill, the other Republicans in the Senate take a nap." Classic, truly classic.

Sunday’s column:

This and that before special session hell descends on the state Capitol:

Why “special session hell”? Because the cavernous Capitol does not lend itself to proper climate control.

Like two-thirds of the porridge Goldilocks found at Grizzly Manor, it can be too hot or too cold but seldom feels just right.

When you take warm summer days, add the body heat of all the folks drawn to a legislative session and throw in the voluminous hot air generated by bloviating politicians, you create Dante’s Inferno.

However, our anticipated visit in special session hell is based on the assumption that the agreement House and Senate leaders reached on reforming public pension programs doesn’t fall apart before the opening gavel drops. And experience suggests a handshake between these two sides doesn’t assure anything.

After all, in this year’s regular General Assembly session, Senate President David Williams told reporters that “we will pass the House version” of pension reform if the Democratic-controlled House objected to changes the Republican-controlled Senate made in the legislation.

When House Democrats did object to some of those changes, Williams went back on his word. The end result was that pension reform died in the regular session, which is why we now face the prospect of special session hell.

Assuming, of course, no one goes back on their word this time around.

                                                            * * *

State Rep. Greg Stumbo loves chaos. The Prestonsburg Democrat thrives in it. He’s a politician whose plans remain in constant flux until the last possible moment. Even after that moment passes, you must pay close attention, lest the zig he starts out on suddenly becomes a zag.

So, when he tells a couple of reporters he might take a run at Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark in next year’s House leadership races, Stumbo quite possibly could be creating a diversion that holds everyone’s attention while he maneuvers toward his real goal, whatever that might be. Or he really could be considering taking a run at Clark.

But if Stumbo’s upset at House Democratic leaders for failing to support Gov. Steve Beshear’s casino gambling initiative, as he claims to be, it makes no sense to go after Clark, who was one of two members of leadership (Majority Whip Rob Wilkey was the other) who consistently sided with the governor on the issue.

Besides, a speaker pro tem doesn’t get nearly as much time in the spotlight as Stumbo grew accustomed to during 18 years as House majority leader and four years as attorney general.

At least not under Speaker Jody Richards. Unlike Williams, who routinely turns the Senate gavel over to President Pro Tem Katie Stine and retires to his office to plot strategy or whatever else he does there, Richards rarely leaves the House chair for longer than it takes to make a quick visit to the bathroom.

If all Stumbo wanted was to be back in leadership, he could have had it for the asking by speaking up when Wilkey announced his retirement. That would have scared away most if not all of the competition for the post.

But if Stumbo wants to be back at center stage, it would make more sense for him to challenge Richards instead of Clark. In doing so, he possibly could win the support of his longtime friend Majority Leader Rocky Adkins. And after Richards publicly endorsed Rep. Joni Jenkins’ bid for speaker pro tem, Stumbo certainly could count on the backing of Clark and his supporters.

That would be a formidable threesome to contend with in leadership elections. And it could be bolstered by support from anti-Richards candidates for whip and caucus chairman.

So, what will Stumbo do? He probably doesn’t know yet. And certainly, the rest of us won’t know until he decides the time is right to tell us. But the chaos in which he thrives has begun.

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Education Commissioner Jon Draud’s contrition for pimping his state ride came way too late to be considered heartfelt.

I'm spending much of this week learning about the new software the H-L will be using in the near future. But a couple of items merit quick hits.

1. Possession really isn't nine-tenths of the law, despite the old saying. But sometimes, perception can be nine-tenths of leadership. If everything doesn't fall apart (as it has a habit of doing where the General Assembly is concerned) and a special session produces pension reforms that address the massive unfunded liabilities of Kentucky's public employee retirement systems, everyone involved will deserve credit. But by taking the initiative and calling legislative leaders back together after they failed to get the job done during this year's regular session, Gov. Steve Beshear got ahead of the game instead of letting the game come to him, thus creating the perception of leadership on his part. Smart move.

2. One area where Beshear consistently has shown some strength of leadership has been in his dealings with the Council on Postsecondary Education. He prevailed in a confrontation with the council over the hiring of Brad Cowgill as president when Cowgill resigned. And his recent appointment of former Gov. Paul Patton to the panel suggests Beshear is strongly committed to the principles of the higher education reforms of the 1997. Beshear's other two appointments - former Lexington Mayor Pam Miller and Paducah lawyer Glenn Denton - are quality choices as well. But Patton was the driving force behind the 1997 reforms and knows better than most what course that legislation intended for higher education in Kentucky. It also says something about Beshear that he gave a former governor who built a solid record of accomplishment before being caught in a sex scandal a chance to step into the spotlight again. Some governors, particularly those who have yet to accomplish much, might be reluctant to risk creating a situation that could lead to comparisons that could be unflattering for them. Beshear had the confidence to do just that.

On the spur of the moment, I took a couple of days off last week, which explains the lack of posts Thursday and Friday and the lack of a Sunday column. But now, I have some catching up to do.

1. A couple of weeks ago, Senate President David Williams defended spending money renovating Senate offices while health and social services programs are being cut by saying, "You're talking about people who you couldn't print enough money for. I don't accept the premise that they're cutting anything to the bone." But after Republican senators who are facing challenges this fall started taking heat on the issue, Williams a hold on the $448,997 project, which is also costing the state $400,000 in rent to house the agencies kicked out of the Capitol Annex to make room for the Senate expansion. Surely, I can't be the only cynic who figures this project will regain its priority status along about Wednesday, Nov. 5.

2. Other state and local agencies should look at the feasibility of the flexible four-day work week Secretary of State Trey Grayson is implementing. Grayson's plan not only will help his employees save some money on gas, his offices will be open longer each day to serve the public.

3. By waiting until the race was over to throw his support as a Democratic superdelegate to Sen. Barack Obama, Gov. Steve Beshear made himself look wishy-washy.

4. Here's hoping Beshear and Grayson continue their attempts to one-up each other on government transparency. A contest of that nature can only lead to freer and easier access to public records.

5. Bully for U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth for his Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner remarks on racism. The exit polls during the Kentucky primary proved we still have a long way to go in this state to eliminate what he rightly referred to as "blind hatred."

Catching up on a few items:

1. For the first time in 20 years, there will not be a Bush or a Clinton at the top of a major party's' presidential ticket. The times really are a-changin', as Dylan might say.

2. Former Gov. Paul Patton deserves a seat on the Council on Postsecondary Education. He wrote the book on higher education reform in Kentucky, proposing the legislation enacted during a 1997 special session and using the force of his political will to overcome opposition from some entrenched higher education interests. He would be an excellent addition to a panel that has seen a bit of turmoil lately. His knowledge and insight might be particularly beneficial in evaluating applicants during the search for a new permanent president.

3. Former Gov. Ernie Fletcher added insult to injury when he chose Diversity Day in 2006 to sign an order removing a ban on discrimination due to sexual orientation that Patton had implemented in state government. Gov. Steve Beshear did the right thing Monday when he issued an executive order reinstating anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender state workers. They deserve the same respect afforded to other employees.

4. It's too bad the state can't figure out a way to repo Education Commissioner John Draud's costly ride, the one pimped out with $13,000 worth of extras that he now remembers he did know about. But then, that's small change compared to the $448,997 low bid submitted for the next round of pimping out the Senate's digs. And that doesn't include the $400,000 in rent the state will pay to house the agencies kicked out of the Capitol Annex so none of our senators will have to suffer the indignity of being stuck in that "rather small office" Senate President David Williams mentioned recently.

A search committee has recommended the Council on Postsecondary Education hire Dr. Richard A. Crofts as interim president while the search for a permanent president proceeds. Most recently, Crofts served as commissioner of higher education (the equivalent of the CPE president) in Mississippi. Prior to that, he held the same position in Montana. He currently is retired and lives in Palmetto, Fla. He's a former Kentucky resident who graduated from Fern Creek High School and Georgetown College. The search for a permanent CPE president is expected to take six to 10 months.

Sunday's column:

This and that as my taste buds dream of the pork, mutton and fresh veggies at the Fancy Farm Picnic:

Although both houses of the General Assembly have departed Frankfort (temporarily, at least), the posturing over Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s failed special session continues.

It has changed forms, though. Instead of listening to bombastic floor speeches, we get to read letters.

First, House Speaker Jody Richards sent a missive to Fletcher and Senate President David Williams, inviting them to join him in traveling to St. Louis to meet with Peabody Energy CEO Gregory H. Boyce to discuss an incentive package for the development of alternative energy plants.

Williams responded with a letter questioning the need for such a trip and criticizing Richards and the House for failing to act on the package before gaveling out of the special session.

I also question the need for this trip, but not for the same reasons as Williams. My doubts stem from the appearance the trip would create.

When I think of the state’s three top political leaders seeking an audience with a CEO on the CEO’s turf to discuss what the state can do for his company, the image that comes to mind is one in which weak medieval rulers journey to the court of a powerful king to pay tribute.

Maybe that’s the norm in economic development these days, but it still doesn’t look good.

                                         * * *

Dr. James W. Holsinger may not have changed any senators’ minds with his testimony before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee last week.

However, I’m going to take the former head of the University of Kentucky medical school at his word when he says a controversial paper on homosexuality he wrote in 1991 “doesn’t represent where I am today, who I am today.”

His refusal to bow to legislators who criticized a conference on lesbian health issues hosted by UK in 2002 helps me take him at his word.

Mostly, though, my willingess stems from the fact that public acceptance of homosexuals has grown in the last 16 years. We’re still far from the tolerant, inclusive society we should be. But the attitudes of many Americans have evolved, thanks to increased familiarity with our gay and lesbian friends, co-workers and family members.

So, until he proves otherwise, I’m willing to believe one of the attitudes that have changed belongs to Holsinger.

                                           * * *

I hope members of the Kentucky Board of Education bought lottery tickets Friday. It could have been the luckiest day of their lives.

Had Barbara Erwin taken the job of education commissioner and lived up to the negative reviews she received from folks at some of her other career stops, board members would have had a train wreck of their own making on their hands.

They should be thankful for the “do over” they received when she bailed — thankful enough to do a better job search this time.

                                          * * *

Yes, it’s a long haul from the eastern half of Kentucky to Fancy Farm, way out there just a hop, skip and jump from the Big Muddy.

Yes, the Western Kentucky Parkway at times can be a boring ride.

And yes, the heat index often hits triple digits on the first Saturday in August, reminding us all of what Noel Coward had to say about mad dogs and Englishmen.

But the folks of St. Jerome Catholic Church know how to throw what back in the day (my day, anyway) might have been called a political “be-in.”

Last year, some usual suspects — including a few media wiseguys — took a look at the list of politicos who chose to skip the 126th Fancy Farm Picnic and decided the long haul, the boring ride and the heat of dog days weren’t worth it.

Their loss.

They weren’t there when Secretary of State Trey Grayson “jumped off the high board” into the pool of gubernatorial ambition.

So what if he later climbed out of the deep end and ran for re-election? His fanciful leap is now part of Fancy Farm lore.

State Rep. Mike Cherry of Princeton became part of that lore, too. Roller-blading to the picnic as part of Democrats’ “Bicycle Brigade” protest of high gas prices, Cherry took a head-over-heels tumble onto someone’s lawn.

Who will leave their mark on Fancy Farm’s colorful history this year?

Don’t wait to read or hear about it. Go. Pig out. Watch the show in person. Afterward, check out Paducah’s lively “Downtown After Dinner.”

It’s worth the trip.