Democrats say robo calls heat up cooling-off period

GOP CHAIR CALLS DEMS DEPARTURE 'PREMEDITATED MURDER' OF JOBS

UPDATE 2:40 p.m.: Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Steve Robertson said constituents deserved to know what issues and projects Democratic state representatives chose to walk out on last week by opting not to stay around for the special session.

That's what prompted automated calls to between 150,000 and 180,000 voters spread across more than 40 Democratic House districts. The calls also went to constituents of Rep. Melvin Henley of Murray, the only Republican to vote on Thursday with the Democrats to go home.

Robertson accused the Democrats -- specifically gubernatorial candidate Steve Beshear and party chairman Jonathan Miller -- of shutting down the special session to politically wound Gov. Ernie Fletcher in his re-election bid.

"It's pretty clear Steve Beshear and Jonathan Miller have orchestrated this walk-out," Robertson told reporters this afternoon. "That's the motive: they do not want this governor to succeed."

Robertson said House Democrats brought the automated calls upon themselves by walking out. Failure to pass the governor's proposed tax incentives for prospective alternative energy plants was "premeditated murder of 4,000 jobs in Kentucky."

Earlier in the day, Democratic Party chairman Miller, flanked by two lawmakers, said automated phone calls that the Republican Party made to constituents last night undermine Fletcher's request to put policy ahead of politics.

Residents in districts of Democratic state representatives across the state last night received phone calls criticizing the lawmakers for leaving a special session Fletcher called without taking up any issues, such as approving money for construction projects and passing a multi-million dollar package of tax incentives for energy firms.

The automated messages urge the constituents to call the Democratic legislators and provide home numbers for them.

The Democratic-controlled House voted last week to leave the session, arguing that they want to save the taxpayers the $60,000-per-day cost of coming back to work. Fletcher has said he will call the legislature back after a three week "cooling-off period."

Miller, however, said Fletcher's "authorization" of the party's calls send the wrong message to Democratic House members.

"He has stirred the water up," Miller said. "At the one hand, he's calling for peace, on the other hand he's calling for war."

Jodi Whitaker, the governor's spokeswoman, referred calls about the issue to the Kentucky Republican Party.

The two lawmakers with Miller, Reps. Ruth Ann Palumbo of Lexington and Jeff Greer of Brandenburg, said they each received a slew of calls from residents.

Palumbo said she received 11 calls from constituents 10:30 p.m. Monday night; seven were supportive of the Democrats' decision to leave the session.

Greer, though, said most of the 22 calls to his home from voters questioned why Greer wasn't supportive of military personnel, as the automated messages alleged. One of the 67 items Fletcher asked lawmakers to consider was a proposal to exempt active duty soldiers and reservists from state taxes. Greer lives 10 miles from Ft. Knox.

"How they stirred the pot is not fair," Greer said.

- Ryan Alessi

Comments

This is going to backfire big-time on the Republican Party of Kentucky. People suspected that Ernie's "special session" was nothing but a political ploy; the RPK just confirmed that.

I am a democrat and did NOT get any robo calls.

I DID call Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo and tell her she should uphold the duties of her office and uphold the constitutional laws of this state and get back to Frankfort.

In summary, I told Ruth Ann Palumbo that too many issues on the agenda were too important to the taxpayers of Kentucky and that those items could NOT wait until January of next year to address.

I told her that the business of the voters in the Commonwealth needed to be addressed (airport funding, Peabody tax incentives, University funding)and could not wait until January to be looked into.

I let her know that the leaders in Frankfort should not shut down government for the next 4 months just because of the election.

I also told her that Peabody was going to pick a state BEFORE January, the runway funding has to be approved BEFORE January 1st as required by the FAA, and the cost of construction at the Universities would go up and the project delayed at least 8 to 10 months if House democrats continued to illegally shut down government just because there is an election going on.

The catalyst of my call was due to nothing except the actions of the democrats -- my call had nothing to do with a robot explaining politics to me.

Mr. Miller et. al. can stop blaming MY CALL to Rep. Palumbo on some robot.

I didn't then and I don't now need a robot on a telephone explaining to me what I can see with my own eyes ... the House dems illegally shut down government because an election is going on ... as a result jobs produced by Peabody will most likely go to another state, jobs created by construction beginning this year will most likely have to wait for 8 to 10 months ... that is NOT what the voters in this state want.

[Todd Clem]

I received one of these unwanted phone calls. I encourage the republicans to call more democrats at 10 at night. It's only going to help to ensure that Fletcher gets defeated.

Oh, one more thing, when I called Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo, she did NOT ask me if a robot called me .... soooo .... why would Miller, Palumbo and Greer blame the robot? How do they know if the callers received any robot calls? They must think us democratic voters are too stupid to see what's really going on from the House democrats. They must think we just follow them no matter how many jobs they put at risk, no matter how many laws they break .... I guess Miller, Palumbo & Greer think we democrats are as dumb as a herd of cattle -- Mooo moooo

Exactly right, Todd.

One thing that helped Fletcher in 2003 was that the local and state reps weren't very highly motivated to help Chandler. I spoke to one this morning who says they are going to work harder against Fletcher this fall because of this.

How inept...firing up the opppsition's political ground troops weeks before the start of the general campaign, and handing your opppnent a personal army of political leaders.

Fletcher is a clod who stands for nothing and will do whatever he thinks he can get away without getting caught. It may take two flushes, but he's definitely circling the bowl.

[Holler Boy]

Is it just me, or does this smell like Larry Forgy? Not for nothing did he get two recent appts to State Bds.

If this crowd of crooked clowns get back in, look for more foolishness like this.

I didn't call my rep, didn't want to bother him, but I'm re-thinking that today. I'm gonna call just to give him an 'attaboy'. HB.

Has anyone seen anything as of yet that makes any of these issues a real emergency that can't be done in the regular session. Most of these issues were addressed by the House last session and the Senate and our "lovely" governor failed to act on them. The fact he reduced the number from 67 to 5 should tell you even he didn't think these were real emergency issues. Now he wants to play mind gmaes with Kentucky citizens. Fletcher is an idiot working with idiots. Anne Northup tried warn the Republicans of the impending implosion of the GOP but I think it's happening even faster then even she thought.

How is outlawing cohabitating couples getting medical benefits an emergency issue?

I don't know about you all but I think Fletcher has lost his mind.

[Holler Boy]

And to the Commenter above who asks 'weren't these issues before the Leg last session', as you point out, the answer is yes, they were, and also remember that Fletcher vetoed most of these money projects way-back-when, but wants to resurrect them now, just so's he can have those oversized check photo ops in time to try to buy votes from the receiving communities..

All over the state we read in the papers about people going to jail for vote-buying. What is this that the Flying-Preaching-Doctoring Boy Gov. is doing but trying to buy votes?

What a charlatan.

I'll say it again, come quickly, sweet November, come quickly. HB.

KDP is choreographing this farce for Beshear

KDP is choreographing this farce for Beshear

[waiting]

@Holler Boy,
Come quickly, sweet November 2008, come quickly.

[j.r harris]

go fletcher,someone needs to bring these idiot dems to their knees and i'm not talking about their benefits they want.fletcher has my vote

While I am receptive to intelligent discussion of all issues, I resent being bullied by any political party. The tone of voice used in the robotic call was rude & demeaning to me personnally & antagonistic to the legislators who dared to question the need for preparation prior to any special session. I did call my legislator--and I asked him to stay home. So much for "cooling off".

[sdwn]

Good grief. Is it any wonder that our state tops the bad lists and hits at or near the bottom of the good ones? What is the value of all of this blah, blah, blah? What is accomplished by such petty partisan polarization?

[idiot]

Waiting,

How do you know the dems are "idiots"? Did you give them IQ tests, or is it just that you are never wrong and everyone who thinks otherwise must be stupid?

Perhaps if "King" David Williams would allow bills to get out of the Senate committees, there would be no need for annual legislative sessions, much less special sessions.

[Taxpayer]

I didn't get one of them robo calls! How do I sign up to be on the list?

My representative is a Dem -- my senator is a Rep -- I have good personal relationships with both of them. I plan to contact my representative and respectfully tell him to get his butt to Frankfort and get on with the people's business and urge the passage of all five Senate bills, which are good public policy for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

This goes to Todd Clem and others who think they know what is going on in KY politics. Fletcher doesn't want to work together in Frankfort at all! Both times he has called for the special session when our leaders are supposed to be going to conferences with leaders around the country to learn from other states and bring that back to our community. I'm quite sure that you didn't know that, the Fletcher administration is keeping it from everyone. Don't even think that Rep. Palumbo hasn't seen through the dirty politics for Fletcher's motives. She supports democrats or republicans when they are doing the right and thing and crosses party lines to work together. I'm appalled that someone like you Todd would act like you know more than she does about what is truly going on when she has been there for 16 years. People are so ignorant when following the current Governors tactics like a flock of blind sheep. I say to you all Baaaa Baaaaa.

If Bobby Sherman issued statement saying lawmakers will continue getting their pay isn't that really equal to their own director acknowledging that they are in fact still in session and didn't adjourn sine die as the House claims?

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo...domo

[Citizens For Civil Discourse]

I'm watching the robo call debate with interest from DC.

If you are interested, I've formed a non partisan non profit, Citizens for Civil Discourse (CCD), to help reduce the uncivil discourse in this country by helping to reduce unwanted robo calls.

More at: http://thinkdodone.typepad.com/ccd/

Regards,

Shaun Dakin, CEO and Founder