Another Promising Kentucky Pol Disappoints

Sigh. I would have sworn the first of the 2011 newbies to live down to my expectations would be State Auditor Adam Edelen. But I'm sure it's just a matter of him not getting caught yet.

From the Courier:

Since taking office as secretary of state in January, Alison Lundergan Grimes has awarded Kentucky Colonel status to contributors to her campaign, sending them certificates along with special letters of thanks on state stationery and apparently at taxpayer expense.

The Courier-Journal obtained copies of a letter sent to some of her donors in which Grimes writes: “I very much appreciate your help and support to become Kentucky’s 76th Secretary of State.”

Farther down she delivers exciting news: “My first act as Secretary of State is to issue you a commission as a Kentucky Colonel. Indeed, you exemplify the character, leadership and dedication required of a Colonel, advancing Kentucky and its citizens.”

Yes, Kentucky Colonelships are a joke, handed out to every moron who needs an ego-stroke and his dog (no, really), but the problem here is not who gets Kentucky Colonels.

The problem here is that Lundergan Grimes appears to be following the lead of her father, who as chair of the state Democratic Party made a fortune giving his catering firm fat contracts for every dem event in the state.

Yes, mooching off the government is a generational problem in Kentucky, but not as much among welfare recipients as among politicians who consider themselves exempt from rules that apply to regular folks.