Because Kentucky Needs More Democratic Cowards in Congress

So you're one of the top two candidates for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, and what you really need is a way to separate yourself from your primary competition. Hey, how about using a statewide conference of Democratic women to condem the Stupak "wire hanger" Amendment and announce your strong support of the healthcare public option desperately needed by Kentuckians?

Jack? Dan? (crickets)

This is no longer about the issues. This is now a contest of who can be a bigger sniveling, repug-fellating coward.

Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo and Attorney General Jack Conway refused Saturday to say whether they would have voted for a health care reform bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 7.

But the other two Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate who appeared at an event hosted by the Women’s Network, a group that pushes the Democratic agenda in Kentucky, said they would have supported the bill.

Darlene Fitzgerald Price, a retired customs officer from McCreary County, said that she would prefer a single-payer health care system like the one in Canada, but would have backed the House proposal even though it didn’t go far enough.

She called the House plan “a big butt kiss for the insurance companies” but said she would have supported it because “60 percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing.”

Maurice Sweeney, a businessman from Eastwood, said he would have supported the measure because he believes the current system is broken and something needs to be done to fix it — although he isn’t sure the plan is exactly what’s needed.

“I’m a firm believer that you work with what you’ve got,” he said.

I'd recommend you read the whole thing if Joe Gerth hadn't wasted precious column inches repeating false and idiotic Village conventional wisdom.

No, Joe: Mangy and Unway aren't front-runners because they are more high profile; they are more high-profile because you and the rest of the state media ignore their competitors, including Price and Sweeney.

No, Joe: you can't claim Kentucky voters are "concerned about rising federal spending" until you produce poll numbers proving it. Meanwhile, try calling random phone numbers and asking people which they're prefer: affordable health care or a balanced federal budget.

No, Joe: letting supposed "front runners" spout without challenge lies that have been repeatedly debunked isn't journalism; it's transcription.

I'm still in pox-on-all-their-houses mode, but if you're interested, here are the websites for Price and Sweeney.