Northup For Congress?

Mitch McConnell Hates Kentucky

2008-08-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

http://pitchmitchinaditch.blogspot.com

Anne Northup's Unanimous Endorsement

2007-05-21T03:34:00.000-07:00

Anne Northup's most recent ad for the Republican primary touts "all of Kentucky's largest newspapers unanimously endorse Anne Northup for Governor."

It'd be great if it weren't a lie. The paper she plays up most, the Advocate Messenger, is a Danville paper with a circulation of 10,506 daily and 11,561 Sunday. She fails to mention the LEO, which has a circulation of 38,000, which endorsed Billy Harper. The LEO stated, "We seriously considered endorsing Anne Northup, primarily because of her experience in government and, well, she’s not the scandal-plagued, mildly bigoted compulsive liar that Fletcher is. But she declined our invitation for a sit-down, not just once but throughout three weeks of daily phone and e-mail prodding. Her people finally decided she could give us an interview after we had already put two issues of governor’s race coverage out there."

It should be noted that the Courier Journal also received no response from her, but endorsed her anyway.

Yarmuth for Congress -- A REALITY!!!

2006-11-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

Anne Northup has conceded the race. Despite the best smear efforts of her campaign and the Republican machine, and tons more money, John's message got out and he won the campaign.

Congratulations to John and to Louisville for picking someone who thinks for himself.

Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote

2006-11-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

Year after year people complain that they don't like who is running and because of that, they don't vote.

Well, if you don't like the way things are going these days, vote out the incumbents. and vote for change.

Vote Yarmuth for Congress. Or vote the candidate of your choice.

Just vote!

Comments for Mr. Dicken

2006-11-06T03:48:00.000-08:00

Someone named Jim Dicken seems to take issue with comments made on this website. I'll attempt to address those.

John Kerry is an elitist? Perhaps. But let's not forget that George Bush comes from the same sort of background as Kerry and from a mother who seemed to think Katrina victims were doing pretty well for themselves in the Astrodome.

It seems as though there are questions about Kerry and Bush's discharges. Kerry served and got shot at. Bush served and did shots. There is a difference.

Osama didn't make the war in Iraq. George Bush did, and he failed. You can't spin it any other way. We've been lied to and his own comments are often in conflict with what his people on the ground have said. Bush can't even remember the dozens of times he said, "Stay the Course", and then blames the media for having the audacity for finding them and playing them.

As for 9/11, yes.... we fear death. Our enemy does not. That means that you can't win the war by picking them off one by one. You need different tactics. Bush doesn't understand this.

The fact is, Bush cut and ran from the real war on terror post 9/11. Rather than commit to Afghanistan, even when he had Osama Bin Laden surrounded, he got distracted with a war in Iraq whose real motives have YET to be made clear.

As for your criticisms about John Yarmuth, I would argue that these same accusations could be leveled at your beloved George Bush. His entire career was built on his family name and fortune, and his own business career was checkered with failures. John Yarmuth started a successful FREE newspaper, which isn't easy to do, and has an active and fertile mind, something that Anne Northup doesn't appear to have.

He also has been noted by people with completely opposite views to be a man of honesty and integrity. Given the smears that Anne goes to every campaign, I can't help but think Anne's own honesty and integrity is less important to her than winning.

It's time for a change. I'm voting for Yarmuth.

The Kerry Flap -- Don't Believe the Hype

2006-11-02T04:12:00.000-08:00

Republicans, looking for any scrap of dirt they can hurl at candidates this election, chose to pick John Kerry's comments to some college students and blow it completely out of proportion, knowing that if they bitch long enough and loud enough, the So Called Liberal Media will help them run with the ball.

Does ANYONE really think that Kerry's comments were more than a botched joke?

After all, John Kerry, despite the vicious smear campaign leveled against him by Swift Boat Captains For Slander, served in the military with distinction, getting wounded, and winning medals. He served his country and understood what it was like to fight in a pointless war.

George Bush served his country valiantly too, keeping Texas safe from the Viet Cong and ensuring that bars were able to stay in business during that difficult time. He even ensured our safety by not showing up for duty for awhile.

Kerry's joke was a stretch. But let's face it, John Kerry is to humor what Mark Foley is to the Boy Scouts.

What Kerry said appears to me to be in direct reference to George Bush's own embracing of his own poor track record as a student. This is the guy who said, "To those of you who've recieved honors, awards and distinctions, I say well done, and to the C students... I say, you too can be President of the United States."

If I were the Democrats, I would admonish Kerry for the joke, but point out that this administration, made up of NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO NEVER SAW BATTLE, waves the flag at the same time they're cutting benefits for troops, sending them into battle with inadequate supplies and troop counts, and went into Iraq without paying any attention to the numerous experts who HAD served who told them it was a mistake, including George Bush's own father. Who is more disrespectful? A guy who botched a joke, or a guy who is responsible for misleading us into a war that killed thousands of our troops and maimed thousands more?

Don't believe the hype. A stupid comment by John Kerry is nothing more than a stupid comment by John Kerry. Republicans got us into the mess in Iraq and they're not going to do anything to get us out.

Vote Democrat!

Last Debate -- Winner Yarmuth?

2006-11-02T03:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, I realize picking a winner in a debate is like picking a winner in your nose. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

Here are my thoughts....

Yes it's rude, but the camera was not kind to Ms. Northup, who looked like she just stepped out of a Mary Kay free trial.

Yarmuth could use an eyebrow trimming.

W Ed Parker could use a specific or two.

Donna Mancini looks like she's been using a bud or two of the marijuana.

In watching the debate I have to say that Anne lost handily. Her criticisms of Yarmuth were easily batted aside (because they were patently false). She was so nervous or ill prepared that she kept referring to her notes, screwing up the main points she was trying to make, referring to the attacks of November 11th and talking about John Yarmuth's wanting to take the phrase "under God" out of the Constitution, which of course is not true. She broke the debate rules in her closing. She said "we have two bridges that are right on the verge of being in full construction". Wow, that's like almost pregnant, isn't it? "We have a VA hospital that we're about to purchase land. We're about to go forward." Running again on two incomplete projects.

Yarmuth was nervous as well, but stayed on message and looked at the camera when speaking, not his notes.

What I find most telling about the debate is that Anne Northup, when she had the chance to question any candidate, chose Donna Mancini, who spent the entire debate looking like a sedated deer in headlights. If she's got so many issues with John Yarmuth, why not address him, since he's your main opponent. The reason? She knows that she can't win a debate one on one and that her issues with him are all things she took out of context to try and use against him.

Top 10 Things Anne Northup Will Soon Be Taking Credit For

2006-10-30T08:02:00.000-08:00

The article below appeared in the CJ today. It appears that there are a few people upset with Annie taking credit for Waterfront Park.

To help Anne, let me find 10 more things she can take credit for:

10) Stimulated the local film and video community by shooting numerous commercials for myself.
9) Promoted free speech, no matter how vile, by brining attention to that awful liberal rag, LEO weekly.
8) Unwittingly revived the career of Diffrent Strokes actor Todd Bridges by saying bridges 13,289 times during my campaign.
7) Allowed that annoyingly partisan group the NAACP to garner some attention for itself by not showing up at their debate.
6) Came back strong after a difficult time recently. By that, I mean my inability to fundraise.
5) Never once pointed out that my opponent isn't a Christian.
4) Showed the value of hard work by always showing myself with my head buried in papers. Signing those special interest checks can wear a person out, but it's worth it.
3) Helped accelerate the funding of the VA hospital in Louisville by making sure there were enough soldiers getting maimed in Iraq to support the need.
2) I never took any campaign contributions from John Mark Karr, Saddam Hussein, Michael Jackson, or Charles Manson. I think. Those contributor databases are huge. Let me get back to you.
1) Demonstrated that in America, it is truly possible for ANYONE to get elected.

Northup ad 'undercutting' non-profit 'success story'

We object to Rep. Anne Northup's use of Waterfront Park to score political points. By posting self-serving billboards proclaiming her "support" for Waterfront Park, she is undercutting this remarkable non-profit and non-partisan community success story. This wonderful park is not her creation, but rather the product of a 20-year coalition that has engaged countless generous corporations, foundations and individuals in making what was once a dream a reality.

Anne Northup tastelessly tries to take election year advantage of Waterfront Park. To the extent that federal dollars have helped the project, we should recognize that these come not from Northup but from all of us who are taxpayers, regardless of political party. Numerous other dedicated public servants and civic leaders, including state and local officials, have played vital roles in building Waterfront Park. Although many have run for election -- including Mayor Jerry Abramson and former Mayor David Armstrong -- none has had the audacity to post billboards seeking political gain from Waterfront Park.

By politicizing this extraordinary community project, Northup shows disrespect for all those donors of every political persuasion and from every walk of life who have contributed so selflessly to Waterfront Park.

ORME WILSON

OWSLEY BROWN II

CHRISTINA LEE BROWN

ELEANOR BINGHAM MILLER

WADE HOUSTON

NANA LAMPTON

Louisville

Northup attacks Yarmuth's Wealth -- Hypocrisy?

2006-10-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

Below is an article about the wealth of both candidates running for the 3rd district. As Anne attacks Yarmuth's making big bucks on his restaurants, maybe we should consider the fact that Anne and her husband are worth even MORE money than John. And I'm guessing that some of those investments she has are in companies that pay at least a few employees $5.15 an hour.

Northup's, Yarmuth's wealth reflects trend
Candidates outline financial assets
By Kay Stewart
kstewart@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

By Kay Stewart
kstewart@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

Third District congressional candidates Anne Northup and John Yarmuth disagree on most issues, but they have at least one thing in common: They are among the richest 1 percent of Americans.

They also are apparently the two wealthiest candidates for a U.S. House seat in Kentucky.

The five-term Republican congresswoman and her Democratic challenger each had more than $1 million in family income last year, according to their personal financial-disclosure reports.

Their wealth reflects a growing trend of millionaire House members and candidates, said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Millionaires in Congress are "not unusual at all," he said, adding, "People don't care." He said voters focus instead on issues important to them, such as the Iraq war and the economy.

Northup, 58, listed assets of at least $4.4 million, including her husband's radio supply business, by far the biggest source of the family's income.

Yarmuth, 58, who sold his 40 percent ownership in the weekly newspaper LEO in 2003, reported at least $2.68 million in assets, primarily in two businesses operated by his brothers, including a chain of barbecue restaurants that provided him with nearly all of his income.

Northup and Yarmuth will face each other in the Nov. 7 election to represent nearly all of Jefferson County, where median household income is $46,755.

Mary Gant, a retired teacher and board member of the Kentucky and Louisville chapters of the League of Women Voters, said it's unfortunate if a lack of money keeps talented people from office, but she added that candidates shouldn't be judged on their financial status.

"Integrity is more important," she said.

But Alex Knott, a political editor at the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based watchdog organization, argues that the trend is troubling because as the number of millionaires in Congress increases, "what you get at the end of the day is a lot of rich people who are out of touch with the financial needs of most Americans."

Yarmuth acknowledges that he would have a tougher time launching a campaign if he did not have personal wealth. He said he will lend up to $350,000 of his own money to his campaign. Campaign laws stipulate that if he exceeds that amount, Northup could accept individual contributions of $4,200, double the federal limit of $2,100.

Northup, who raised $3.3 million two years ago, and her husband, Robert "Woody" Northup, each will donate the individual limit of $2,100 to her campaign, said Terry Carmack, her chief of staff.

Different views on money
While the two candidates have similar financial standing, Yarmuth said they are far apart on issues related to wealth, from personal investment ethics to tax cuts.

Northup supports making tax cuts permanent, Yarmuth said, while he opposes tax cuts for the richest Americans. She opposes raising the $5.15-an-hour minimum wage; he favors an increase. And while she favors eliminating estate taxes, he says estates valued from $3 million to $5 million and up should be taxed because of the record national debt.

"She votes for every tax policy that favors herself, and I vote for ones that don't favor me," said Yarmuth, who spent $40,000 in tax cut benefits he received on his sale of LEO three years ago running television ads denouncing the tax cuts.

If he wins the election, Yarmuth has pledged to donate his congressional salary -- which would be $168,500 next year -- to local charity.

Northup declined to be interviewed about her personal financial statement, but Carmack said the candidates' disagreement over taxes and other economic issues reflects their backgrounds.

"What the Northups have is the result of years and years of hard work, and what John Yarmuth has appears to be the result of a multimillion-dollar inheritance. That's a big difference," Carmack said.

Northup believes the way to cut the national debt and to grow the economy is through lower taxes, Carmack said, adding that "voters will have a clear choice."

Yarmuth declined to say how much money he inherited after the 1975 death of his father, Stanley Yarmuth, a founder of the conglomerate National Industries, which was later sold.

He said his grandfather, Samuel Klein, a civic leader and wealthy banker, and his mother bequeathed bank stock to him over the years -- it's now BB&T stock valued from $500,000 up to $1 million on his report.

Yarmuth said the vast majority of his wealth comes from three businesses -- LEO, and the two others operated by his brothers. "My two brothers and I worked very hard to build successful companies that had nothing to do with inheritance," he said.

His two largest assets, listed in the financial report as being valued from $1 million to $5 million each, are a 150-restaurant chain, Sonny's, based in Orlando, Fla., and operated by Robert Yarmuth, and Almost Family, a home-health-care company based in Louisville and headed by William Yarmuth.

John Yarmuth reported income of at least $1 million from the restaurant chain and a total of $6,600 in earned income from television commentary.

Northup's earned income last year was $155,709, her congressional salary, while dividends from her husband's company, Radio Sound Inc., which supplies radios to Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, brought in at least $1 million. His salary was not required or listed in the report.

She listed stocks in some 70 diverse companies, including oil companies Exxon Mobil and Chevron Texaco, pharmaceutical giants Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer; and communications corporations Time Warner and Viacom.

Yarmuth said he believes her holdings present conflicts "when she is casting votes that directly affect companies she has substantial interests in." Citing her listing of Exxon Mobil stock valued at a minimum of $50,000, he said that she voted for an energy bill that provided subsidies and tax breaks for oil companies.

Yarmuth said if he's elected he would divest himself of holdings that could mean a personal gain for him if he voted on an issue, including his 70,000 shares of Almost Family stock. The restaurant chain is privately owned, but he said he would consider ways to avoid conflicts, including a blind trust.

Carmack said stocks listed on Northup's report, the vast majority of which are owned by her husband or by the couple jointly, have not influenced her votes or violated ethics rules. He said that she has opposed legislation favored by banking and pharmaceutical interests, among holdings on her report.

And he said Yarmuth can't completely distance himself from his family's home-health-care business, which is affected by federal legislation. "That's impossible," Carmack said.

A 'unique' benefit
Under House ethics rules, members of Congress are to recuse themselves from voting on legislation if it provides them with a "unique" benefit, said Jan Witold Baron, a Washington, D.C., election law and ethics lawyer.

But he said that since legislation that affects companies typically affects all shareholders, members of Congress aren't required to recuse themselves when their votes could affect their own stock values -- and rarely do.

The recently filed reports do not list residential real estate holdings or mortgages, but Northup's home on Lexington Road is assessed for tax purposes at $302,260, and Yarmuth's home on Nitta Yuma Drive is assessed at $666,230, according to county property tax records.

Northup's husband also owns a home on a golf course near Naples, Fla., that he purchased four years ago for $2.35 million, according to Collier County, Fla., property tax records.

And Yarmuth said he has deposited $300,000 on residential investment property on a golf course in Ireland. He declined to give the purchase price but said he will have a mortgage after the sale is completed.

Reporter Kay Stewart can be reached at (502) 582-4114.

DICK! -- Torture is Okay

2006-10-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Anne Northup's second favorite guy feels that it's okay to torture suspects to get information. Here's a quote from his interview with Scott Hennen.

Q Would you agree a dunk in water is a no-brainer if it can save lives?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: It's a no-brainer for me, but for a while there, I was criticized as being the Vice President "for torture." We don't torture. That's not what we're involved in. We live up to our obligations in international treaties that we're party to and so forth. But the fact is, you can have a fairly robust interrogation program without torture, and we need to be able to do that.

And thanks to the leadership of the President now, and the action of the Congress, we have that authority, and we are able to continue to program.

It's nice to hear torture turned into a euphemism of "robust interrogation", as though it were some really good Folgers coffee. It's obvious that for Bush, Dick, and supporters like Annie Northup, the real goal of our "War on Terror" is not to get information to stop attacks, but to enact a global version of the movie Death Wish where we beat the crap out of anyone who may threaten us and have the believe that they'll gave under pressure and tell us everything we need to know. Now I love the show 24 like the next guy, but experts will tell you that a lamp wire to the privates or a simulated drowning is just as likely to get someone to tell you anything to make the torture stop as it is to give you information you can use.

We should be looking for intelligence. But I guess that if we can't find any in Washington, we sure aren't going to be able to find it in other parts of the world.

This is why Anne Northup, Bush, Cheney, and the rest of the corrupt "Stay the Course" bums need to be kicked out and we need to bring in fresh people who actually WILL work toward national security.

Northup On Rumsfeld -- Hey Anne, What Took You So Long?

2006-10-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

Some are calling Anne Northup's request for Rumsfeld to resign a shameless political move to pander to some votes she might be losing and to show she isn't always in Bush's corner.

Personally, I like to hope she sees what many of us have seen for years. Rumsfeld is an arrogant, small minded man with an ego fourteen times the size of his intellect who cares nothing about the men and women who are dying in Iraq. He got us into a war that cannot be won. He is the most vile person in an administration full of them. He ignored intelligence, he ignored advice from people with much more experience and savvy than him, and he continues to ignore reality.

So I agree with Anne. He should be tossed out on his butt, and soon, before 100s more soldiers die and we still find ourselves having to leave Iraq with nothing "won".

Compassionate Conservatives

2006-10-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

That fat, drug addicted, mouthpiece for Anne Northup and George Bush, Rush Limbaugh decides to attack Michael J Fox over yet another Republican non-issue in stem cell research. Because Republicans feel that it is better to toss embryos than let research happen on them, they feel it's okay to attack a beloved actor and champion for a cure to a horrible disease. Is this what Jesus would do?

This is the guy that these ultra conservatives love: a bloated sad sack windbag who apparently was so troubled with his own rhetoric that he got addicted to hillbilly heroin.

Enough is enough. It's time for real discussion of issues and concern for people by politicians with IQ's higher than their waist size.

VA Hospital shows Anne's committment to what?

2006-10-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

Anne keeps touting her plans for a new VA hospital, hoping to show how loyal she is to her troups. But take a look at what the Disabled American Veterans are saying about her at VoteSmart.org. She's a big fat ZERO!

Top 10 October Surprises Awaiting John Yarmuth's Campaign from Anne Northup

2006-10-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

You just know that Annie is saving up something to run in the last two weeks of the campaign. I did some digging on my own and I would like to suggest Anne use these scandalous items in the final weeks.

10) "John Yarmuth" played backwards at half speed underwater on a record player sounds suspiciously like the Arabic phrase for cross dressing terrorist.
9) John often takes a penny, but seldom leaves a penny at convenience store cash registers.
8) John is actually the one who shot JR.
7) The liberal Yarmuth believes it is okay for cats and dogs to sleep together.
6) John loves watching thespians work.
5) There are numerous accounts of John masticating in several local restaurants, and even at home in front of his kids.
4) John once defenistrated from an open window.
3) John went through the express lane of his local Kroger two items over the limit.
2) The unkind Yarmuth returned tapes to Blockbuster 14 times in ten years without them being rewound, resulting in numerous fines.
1) Yarmuth is responsible for the shortage of Elmo TMX dolls at local retailers.

Annie Northup -- Yarmuth should be criticized for benefiting from something I support

2006-10-20T03:54:00.000-07:00

Annie's latest attack ad (note.... still no recent ads telling us what she's going to do or where she stands that weren't paid for by special interests) criticizes John Yarmuth for saying he believes we should raise the minimum wage when he profits from a restaurant chain that pays its employees minimum wage.

Yarmuth has countered that the restaurants he personally owns pay the higher minimum wage in Florida and that any restaurants paying lower are franchise owners who are free to pay the prevailing wage.

The tone of the ad seems to say is that Annie believes Yarmuth shouldn't profit from the minimum wage. But what Annie "Hey, I'm still olympic champion Mary T's sister" Northup doesn't say is that she is all for $5.15 an hour and thinks that if it is raised, it should be in conjunction with tax cuts for businesses. In other words, she thinks it is perfectly okay for businesses to pay a poverty wage and make lots of money doing so unless they're owned by John Yarmuth.

Lost in all of this is that Anne's got more money than John, and one would have to guess that her investments and personal profits were gained in some part by people who will make less in a lifetime than Anne spends in a couple of weeks on attack ads.

Northup Exposure -- Fighting fire with humor

2006-10-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Anne Northup gets what she deserves in the Northup Exposure, John Yarmuth's humorous but factual account of Anne's record.

Visit it today. Let's get it the national attention it deserves.

Maybe it's better that Anne didn't hear from the big Dick

2006-10-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

Anne Northup was left out during a recent Republican fundraiser at a Prospect home. Reading the article below, maybe Anne should count her blessings. I'm sure that Anne, in her desire to continue supporting Bush's secret war on the Constitution, believes that the Executive branch should be able to do whatever the hell it pleases. Thank goodness there is a judge who feels otherwise.

I'm guessing they'll accuse the judge of legislating from the bench. Doesn't he realize that's the job of Bush/Dick?

Judge orders Cheney visitor logs opened By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 11 minutes ago

A federal judge has ordered the Bush administration to release information about who visited Vice President Dick Cheney's office and personal residence, an order that could spark a late election-season debate over lobbyists' White House access.

While researching the access lobbyists and others had on the White House, The Washington Post asked in June for two years of White House visitor logs. The Secret Service refused to process the request, which government attorneys called "a fishing expedition into the most sensitive details of the vice presidency."

U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina said Wednesday that, by the end of next week, the Secret Service must produce the records or at least identity them and justify why they are being withheld.

The Secret Service can still try to withhold the records but, in a written ruling Thursday, Urbina questioned the agency's primary argument — that the logs are protected by Cheney's right to executive privilege.

Republicans have suffered a spate of bad news lately. Ohio Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record) pleaded guilty in the Jack Abramoff lobbying investigation, Florida Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record) resigned after reports of his sexually explicit Internet conversations with teenage House pages, and the FBI intensified its corruption investigation into Pennsylvania Rep. Curt Weldon (news, bio, voting record).

If Cheney's visitor logs show meetings with lobbyists, releasing them just weeks before Election Day could provide ammunition to Democrats.

"The political price is very high," said L. Sandy Maisel, director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs at Colby College. "Even more than that, Cheney has a vested interest in keeping them out of public eye at a time when people will pay attention to them. After the election, they will pay much less attention."

The newspaper sought logs for anyone visiting Cheney, his legal counsel, chief spokesman and other top aides and advisers.

The Secret Service had no comment on the ruling Thursday. In court documents, government attorneys said releasing the documents would infringe on Cheney's ability to seek advice.

"This case is about protecting the effective functioning of the vice presidency under the Constitution," attorneys wrote.

A lawsuit over similar records revealed last month that Republican activists Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed — key figures in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal — landed more than 100 meetings inside the Bush White House.

The Post cited those records, which were released to the Democratic Party and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, as evidence that the documents should be released.

Close to 3 weeks later, still no NorthupRecord.com

2006-10-16T03:52:00.000-07:00

Anne released a new old attack ad in the past day or so that again attacks John Yarmuth for Social Security, SUVs, taking Under God out of the pledge, and doubling the payroll tax. Rather than give you another repeat of what I've already said about Anne's misrepresentation of these issues, I'll just point out that her campaign registered TheNorthupRecord.com and has yet to put a single thing up on it.

If you can't stand on your own positions, why not falsely attack those of your opponent?

Anne supported Veterans Benefits in the 2004 campaign. But now..... NO COMMENT!

2006-10-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

A recent article in the CJ details how the new VA Enrollment policy means many veterans will lose their VA health benefits.

All you need to know about Anne Northup is in the quote below:

U.S. Rep. Anne Northup, a Republican who has been championing Louisville's new VA hospital, had no comment on the enrollment policy, except to say, "our office would be glad to work with veterans on a case-by-case basis regarding VA medical care."

Good work Anne, rather than investigate the issue and do something for all the men and women who were brave enough to fight for the country, you say you'll deal with it on a case by case basis. Which, in my experience, means you'll reply with a form letter that doesn't address the issue.

Why is it that just two short years ago she was touting how she would take care of Veterans in her campaign website:

Veterans Affairs

As President Calvin Coolidge once said, "The Nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten."

America's veterans understand the truest type of patriotism and selflessness that comes with defending freedom. The commitments of the nation's men and women in uniform have often meant spending long months away from loved ones, executing dangerous missions, and placing a higher priority on the country's safety than on their own lives. Millions of Americans have performed their military duty quietly and all too often without enough recognition. Anne thinks it is only appropriate that veteran heroes are honored, since they have ensured the freedom that their fellow citizens enjoy.Anne Northup believes that because veterans have made sacrifices of the highest order, this country has a duty to take care of them -- particularly those who have suffered long-term physical or mental disabilities as a result of their service.

Congresswoman Northup has been a member of the Veterans Affairs / Housing and Urban Development (VA-HUD) subcommittee since 1999, which oversees the annual budget for the Veterans Administration (VA) and allocates funding for various veterans programs. Through her position on the subcommittee, Anne has led improvements to health care and other services for veterans in Kentucky and across the country.

Of particular interest to local veterans is the availability and accessibility of quality healthcare right here in our community. During her first year serving on the VA-HUD Subcommittee, there were indications that mental health services would be moved to Lexington, KY. Recognizing the unfairness in requiring Louisville veterans to travel to Lexington to receive those services, Northup included language in a bill that directed the VA to keep mental health services in our community. In the same measure, Anne included language that encouraged the VA to establish a new Veterans Outpatient Clinic in Louisville at a location that is nearer to many Louisville veterans than the VA hospital on Zorn Avenue. After several years of steady persuasion and a specific appropriation, a VA clinic opened in Shively.

Moreover, Congresswoman Northup has personally worked on countless veterans' casework issues; persuaded the VA to approve the use of an expensive but effective medicine to help cure veterans with Hepatitis C; and worked to ensure the renewal of a federal grant for Interlink Counseling's homeless-to-work veterans program.

In addition, since Anne has been a member of the VA-HUD subcommittee, she has voted for appropriations that have increased funding for veterans nursing care by a figure that is larger than any proposal made by the Clinton Administration. Since 1997, Northup voted to increase overall funding for veterans benefits by more than 20 percent. More specifically, over the past several years Northup has supported an annual increase of $1 billion in health care benefits for veterans.

This year, Anne supported the U.S. House of Representatives' budget plan, which includes an increase of $2.8 billion in funding to enable the VA to provide care to more than 5 million veterans. This funding will also allow the VA to begin six additional major construction projects on facilities that are vital to the VA's future. Furthermore, the VA will provide care to almost 300,000 veterans with serious mental illness and to an estimated 60,000 homeless veterans. The VA will spend an additional $3.6 billion for veterans in need of various types of long-term care.

In the post-September 11 climate, every American citizen should renew his or her commitment to the values of the nation -- liberty and democracy. In doing so, the national community will remember that veterans, who put their lives on the line for the nation's values, have earned the community's support in their retirement years. As the daughter of a World War II veteran, and as the Congressional representative for over 70,000 veterans who call Louisville home, Anne is especially committed to America's veterans. Congresswoman Northup has and will continue to work to ensure that Congress is dedicated to providing the support for veterans that they deserve.

The Republican-led 107th U.S. Congress has done tremendous work for the nation's veterans. Click here to read about some of the legislation Anne supported that helps veterans in Kentucky's Third District and across the country.

CJ article on the Yarmuth Northup Race. My comments in BOLD>

2006-10-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

My comments in bold on Northup's comments on the race in today's Courier Journal.

Northup, Yarmuth claim different turf
Choices are distinct in 3rd District House race

By Kay Stewart
kstewart@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

To Vincent Walker, the difference between Anne Northup and John Yarmuth is readily apparent, even if he's not sure which one will get his vote.

"It's clear that you've got two distinct choices to make," said Walker, 44, a senior vice president at JPMorgan Chase.

Northup, the five-term Republican incumbent in the 3rd Congressional District, and Yarmuth, founder and former editor of the weekly alternative newspaper LEO, disagree on just about every major political issue -- the Iraq War, education, tax cuts, Social Security and raising the minimum wage.

Donna Walker Mancini of the Libertarian Party and W. Ed Parker of the Constitution Party also are seeking the seat.

With 23 days before the Nov. 7 election, the Northup and Yarmuth campaigns are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars hammering home their opposing themes in attack ads.

Yarmuth portrays Northup as a rubber-stamp for President Bush's unpopular policies, and Northup, while citing local projects she has helped fund, criticizes Yarmuth for liberal opinions he's expressed in public appearances and in newspaper columns.

Yarmuth says Northup "is a big part" of national policies that have made the economy great for big corporations and millionaires, but not so great for working-class people. He says 90 percent of Americans haven't achieved a higher economic status in the past five years.

"I believe government has a role in making lives better for everyone. … Conservatives don't believe that government has a role in changing social and economic outcomes," Yarmuth said.

Northup says Yarmuth "thinks the government is the first, best answer to every single problem we have in this country." And Anne thinks the government is the first best answer for the people of Iraq at the expense of the people here at home.

She argues that the economy is strong, with the number of jobs and incomes rising, and says that's largely the result of 2003 tax cut legislation she supported that was passed by Congress. Yes, a tax cut wiped out by rising interest rates and rising gas prices that inflate the price of everything.
She's called Yarmuth a "tax and spend" liberal with "extreme" positions on a variety of subjects, including Social Security and the minimum wage, positions she says he's shifted to a more moderate stance now that he's a candidate for Congress. Yes Anne, he's a writer of opinions. You know, like Rush Limbaugh, only smart. That means that occasionally he'll raise ideas that are radical to spur thought on the matter. That doesn't mean that as a representative he'll adhere completely to those ideas.

Yarmuth claims she's misinterpreted his words or taken them out of context. Read my blog further to see how.

In one exchange about minimum wage at a debate Friday, Northup said Yarmuth wanted a "living wage" at $10 an hour, based on a proposal of 2006 legislative initiatives posted on the Web site of an organization he founded, the Center for Kentucky Progress. She said that would cause an economic "crisis." But she doesn't say how. And she doesn't explain why the mininum wage is still so low.

Yarmuth countered that he was for working toward that goal, and said in an interview he favored raising the $5.15 minimum hourly wage to $7 over the next two years.

Northup says her position on the powerful Appropriations Committee would not be filled by Yarmuth if he were elected, noting that those seats are granted based on seniority.

Yarmuth said if Democrats take back control of the U.S. House, as he believes they will, he'll have more influence than Northup would.

Yarmuth the'liberal progressive'
Yarmuth, the founder of the weekly newspaper LEO, where he wrote an estimated 800 columns over 15 years, says he takes a "liberal progressive position" on most issues.

He was opposed from the start to the Iraq war. He favors national health care coverage and raising the minimum wage, and is against tax cuts for the richest Americans.

If elected, Yarmuth said health care, the Iraq war, national security and funding education would top his national priority list.

Yarmuth said he believes expanding businesses in Louisville's West End, keeping jobs in Louisville and funding the two new bridges across the Ohio River are the top local concerns.

Northup the conservative
Northup, who favors making across-the-board tax cuts permanent, opposes raising the minimum wage without corresponding tax relief and believes that the United States needs to stay the course in Iraq.

Special-interest groups ranking Northup's voting record paint her as solidly conservative. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for example, gives her a 93 out of 100, while the League of Conservation Voters gives her a zero.

Northup cites her priorities as winning the war on terrorism, keeping the economy strong, making the country less dependent on foreign oil and closing national borders to illegal immigrants. And yet she criticizes John Yarmuth for having ideas on how to address dependence on foreign oil.

Locally, she says completing two new bridges across the Ohio River, building a new veterans hospital and continued enhancement of the waterfront, including a pedestrian Big Four Bridge, top her list. Again, future projects. What have you done for me lately?

Iraq war
The Iraq war, which Yarmuth called the "dark cloud" over the race, is a prime example of their opposing views.

Yarmuth wants America to get out of Iraq, beginning immediately, with some troops remaining in the region in case they need to be deployed.

Citing recent national intelligence reports that say the U.S. presence is inciting insurgents and that violence will worsen, Yarmuth said: "Nobody has been calling the shots for the U.S. and Iraq right at any juncture in the last 3 1/2 years."

There is just as much reason to assume things will get better if Americans leave than if they stay, he said, adding, "It's the provocative nature of our presence that everybody says has made things worse."

Northup, who supported the invasion of Iraq, said there have been mistakes, citing bad U.S. intelligence on deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. While she said Saddam is not linked to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, he is linked to terrorism and "we went to war against terrorists." So there's no connection but there is? She knows that this statement is false, but figures misleading is better than telling the truth.

She says intelligence reports don't conclude things would improve if the United States leaves. The mission to bring stability and democracy to Iraq is vital to national security, she maintains, adding that a U.S. departure now would allow terrorists to refinance, increase recruits and training and attack America again.

"We will not win the war on terror unless we are on offense and we go after these guys," she said. So essentially, the 583rd position of the Republicans on Iraq is that now it's a Roach Motel for terrorists. We'll bait 'em into the lawless hellhole and then kill 'em.

Safe borders
Northup said she supports closing the borders to illegal immigration, which would improve national security, by building a fence on the Mexican border and increasing electronic surveillance.

Until the border is secured, she said, she's not willing to consider immigration reform measures such as amnesty and worker-guest programs for illegal immigrants.

If I can't keep a neighbor's kid out of my 1/4 acre yard, how does a fence spanning the length of our southern border do it? Besides, who is going to keep the damned thing painted?

Yarmuth said he agrees the borders need to be closed for security and that employers who hire illegal immigrants should be stopped. But he said a guest-worker program for the roughly 12 million illegal immigrants in the country should be addressed at the same time.

Northup said immigration is an example of times when she has opposed President Bush, whose proposals include a worker-guest program along with closing the border with Mexico. So Anne is against the many fine Mexican restaurants we have here in Louisville? My fajitas are at stake here!

Northup also said she supports importing cheaper prescription drugs from other countries, which Bush opposes. And she favors offshore oil drilling near Florida, in opposition to the president.

Energy
On America's energy problems, Northup said that long term, she supports energy conservation measures but in the short haul she supports expanding oil and natural gas exploration by drilling in both the Gulf of Mexico and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

While she said that could be done safely and would make gasoline cheaper, Yarmuth called the approach a "Band Aid" that would not adequately address the short-term problem and would be detrimental to the environment.

Reporter Kay Stewart can be reached at (502) 582-4114.

Context is everything... unless you're trying to mislead voters like Anne Northup

2006-10-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

Anne Northup has spent her entire campaign harping on two issues she says Yarmuth supports. A gas tax and a payroll tax.

Her website has the video of "Yarmuth Calling for Doubling the Payroll Tax."

Problem is that the video doesn't have Yarmuth saying that. It has him talking about how doubling the tax could make Medicare solvent. It's an idea to address a growing problem. Anne Northup and her Republican brethren believe in bigger government with no way to pay for it. But Anne doesn't believe in fixing problems, she believes in easy answers that leave the world a mess for future generations.

The other video is the one I mentioned previously. Again, its an idea to help lessen our dependence on foreign oil.

Can't Anne come up with something new, like ideas of her own?

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice -- Axis of Clueless

2006-10-10T03:27:00.000-07:00

Feel safer these days? A few short years after Bush proclaimed that Iraq, Iran, and North Korea were an Axis of Evil (never mind that at least two of the countries hated each other), what has Anne Northup's good buddy done?

A war in Iraq that has a large chunk of our military bogged down and worn out.

Refused to do much in the form of diplomacy to stem the creation of nuclear weapons by Iran and North Korea, two countries who posed a far greater threat than Iraq.

Feel safer? In the coming days, Bush and the Republicans will posture that because of these threats, we need "tough leaders". So far their strategy of saying whatever pops into their head and hoping the rest of the world falls in line hasn't worked. It's time for people who can balance the need to get tough with the need to have discussions and work for diplomatic solutions.

Bush has failed miserably domestically and abroad. No matter how many times he tells you otherwise, the reality is slowly sinking in

Anne Northup's Republican Apologists on the Foley Scandal -- He's been Punked!

2006-10-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

The aftermath of the Foley scandal has been sickly amusing. The party that criticizes the victim mentality among minorities starts calling themselves victims, even when they "accept the blame".

Take Hastert. Please. He blames the media and Clinton. In a sense, he's correct. Wasn't it the party of conservative values and a Talibanesque FCC who gave us months of hearings about misused cigars and semen stained dresses, and talked about the tremendous abuses of office by a powerful man taking advantage of a young girl?

Rush Limbaugh and a female caller last week blamed the kid, saying "he knew what he was doing". I guess he seduced Foley, who just couldn't resist the siren song of the boy's IMs.

But the worst is the new belief that this whole scandal was essentially a prank by teenage pages. Sounds completely plausible. After all, what teenage boy hasn't pretended to be a homosexual and exchanged pornographic messages with a man more than twice his age so that they could share them with the entire country?

Who thinks it is a prank? Great conservative pundits like James Dobson, Matt Drudge, and Michael Savage.

Ridiculing minors who are sexually abused. Guess that's what Anne Northup means when she talks about the values she and her party support.

Another day, another Northup attack ad....

2006-10-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

Anne continues her attacks on John Yarmuth's positions while not telling us her own. This time she uses the flip-flop card, calling John out for claiming he didn't make certain statements.

According to the Courier-Journal (a paper that Anne regularly dismisses, unless she needs to use it for her ads):

Yarmuth said he had mentioned in his comments at the debate that he wanted to double only the Medicare portion of the tax, which is 1.45percent. That would expand Medicare coverage to everyone and end private health insurance and its premium costs.

He said yesterday that the doubling of the tax would cost taxpayers on average about $600 a year, not the $2,600 a year Northup's campaign claims. He said their use of the quote and figure was a deliberate distortion.

In other words, he has an idea beyond Anne's belief that we can keep putting in less than we take out and somehow make the numbers work out right.

As for John's quote about gas tax, the heavily edited blurry video on the ad appears to have John saying "The single most significant thing I could do as a member of Congress would be to try to promote a tax on larger engines."

Again, this is a quote with no context. Without context, it sounds like this is the first thing John wants to do if elected. But it was delivered at a March forum of the Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transportation. And as I've pointed out earlier, this is not without precident. The existing Gas Guzzler tax on cars does not apply to trucks and SUVs. John's merely suggesting closing a loophole that might force automakers and consumers to start paying attention to fuel mileage and keep us from having to depend on foreign oil from terrorist breeding grounds. Wonder why she has a problem with that.

He says her ads

are far-fetched

By Kay Stewart

kstewart@courier-journal.com

The Courier-Journal

Democratic congressional candidate John Yarmuth says in a new campaign ad that Republican claims about his positions are as far-fetched as him playing golf with Saddam Hussein or snatching toys from youngsters.

Yarmuth aired the new ad on major stations and cable yesterday to rebut claims made by U.S. Rep. Anne Northup, R-3rd, that he has taken positions favoring legalizing marijuana, lowering the drinking age and abolishing Social Security.

He also accused Northup of dodging "the real issues."

Last week, Northup held a press conference and ran ads quoting excerpts from columns Yarmuth wrote for LEO, an alternative weekly newspaper he founded, and from comments he's made at public appearances. She said those quotes show that some of Yarmuth's positions were "goofy."

Yesterday, Yarmuth's campaign struck back, accusing Northup in an e-mail to supporters of abandoning "truth and logic."

He denied saying one of the quotes Northup's camp attributed to him from a primary debate: that by "doubling the employee payroll tax, and the employer contribution, that we can make Medicare solvent into the foreseeable future."

But Northup's campaign manager, Patrick Neely, produced a video yesterday showing Yarmuth making the statement, which was an issue in the Democratic primary campaign. And the congresswoman's campaign said it had accurately reflected Yarmuth's positions on that and other issues.

Yarmuth said he had mentioned in his comments at the debate that he wanted to double only the Medicare portion of the tax, which is 1.45percent. That would expand Medicare coverage to everyone and end private health insurance and its premium costs.

He said yesterday that the doubling of the tax would cost taxpayers on average about $600 a year, not the $2,600 a year Northup's campaign claims. He said their use of the quote and figure was a deliberate distortion.

Yarmuth also said he didn't recall advocating a tax on "large engines" in SUVs and pickup trucks, another claim in Northup's ad. But Neely produced another videotape from a March forum of the Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transportation. Yarmuth said: "The single most significant thing I could do as a member of Congress would be to try to promote a tax on larger engines."

Yarmuth said in the interview that at some point, a surcharge on vehicles that get around 12 miles per gallon might be feasible, with the tax proceeds used for incentives to encourage people to buy high-mileage vehicles.

Jason Burke, Yarmuth's campaign manager, said other statements made by Northup about Yarmuth's positions from his LEO columns are either out of context, draw inaccurate conclusions or are no longer relevant because they were made years ago.

Neely, however, said Northup stands by the accuracy of the ad. Yarmuth's "words are what we used in the ad and they are clear," he said.

At one point in Yarmuth's new ad, a picture of Northup with President Bush flashes on the screen, as the voiceover says: "The fact is Northup and Bush have failed our country, and we need to make a change."

Northup, the ad says, "won't discuss the real issues. In fact, she won't discuss issues at all."

It concludes with Yarmuth saying: "We can't change Washington unless we change the people we send there."

Reporter Kay Stewart can be reached at (502) 582-4114.
Edition: METRO
Section: News
Page: 1B

Dateline: louisville, ky
Copyright (c) The Courier-Journal. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.
Record Number: lou34842507

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See Anne's record on TheNorthupRecord.com

2006-10-09T04:12:00.000-07:00

If you go to thenorthuprecord.com, which her campaign recently registered, you can see how impressive her record actually is.

What's that? There's nothing there?

Exactly!