#2858 Here's Hillary!

#2858 Here's Hillary!

#2857 in the Madisonville gym north of Madisonville, Kentucky.

#2857 the crowd in the High School Gym North Madisonville, Kentucky.

#2855 the crowd in the Madisonville High School

#2855 the crowd in the Madisonville High School

#2854 Kenneth Stepp addresses Democrats at Madisonville.

Kenneth Stepp addresses the 3,500 Democrats at Madisonville in the High School gym north of town.

#2853 Kenneth Stepp at Madisonville, Kentucky.

#2853 Kenneth Stepp in Madisonville, Kentucky. All pictures of Madisonville on the blogspot taken by Wilma Stepp.

#2852 Kenneth Stepp in Madisonville.

#2852 Kenneth Stepp in Madisonville addressing the 3,500 Democrats in the High School Gym.

#2846 Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear in Madisonville.

#2846 Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear at Madisonville.

#2845 Gov. Steve Beshear in Madisonville, Kentucky.

#2845 Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear addresses the audience at Madisonville.

#2844 Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear

#2844 Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear addresses the 3,500 at Madisonville

#2842 the crowd of 3,500 at Madisonville

#2842 the crowd at Madisonville at the High School Gym, estimated at 3,500

# 2840 Kenneth Stepp at Madisonville.

#2840 Kenneth Stepp at Madisonville at Ruby Laffoon dinner entrance, March 29, 2008.

Hillary Clinton #2911

#2911 at Madisonville.

#2912 at Madisonville.

2912

#2914

#2914 at Madisonville.

Hillary Clinton #2916

Hillary Clinton #2916 giving autographs.

Dinner Ticket.

Ruby Laffoon Dinner Ticket Marcy 29, 2008.

Madisonville, Kentucky March 29, 2008.

Kenneth Stepp talking to the crowd at Madisonville, Kentucky.

Hillary Clinton 2902

Hillary Clinton in North Madisonville High School Gym.

Madisonville, Kentucky 2913

Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton's autograph.

A fine evening finished with obtaining the autograph of Hillary Clinton on the back of an admission ticket to the Gov. Ruby Laffoon Dinner, Saturday, Marcy 29, 2008.

Madisonville, 3-29-08

Campaigning in Brownsville, Edmonson County, Kentucky.

Kenneth Stepp speaking to the people at the Democratic Spring Pot-Luck Dinner on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 in Brownsville, Edmonson County, Kentucky. The event was sponsored by the Edmonson County Democratic Women's Club and the Edmonson County Democratic Party Executive Committee. A good time was had by all. Brownsville is just west of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Kenneth, Wilma, Carson, and Conrad Stepp were all there. Picture taken by Wilma Stepp.

A letter to you.

Dear Blog Reader,

It's been five years since the disastrous Iraq War began.

And the Bush administration remains every bit as out of touch as they were when George Bush ridiculously proclaimed "Mission Accomplished" in 2003.

Last week, Dick Cheney went to Iraq and remarked that the war was a "successful endeavor" that has been "well worth the effort."

This Alice in Wonderland worldview is the hallmark of the Bush presidency and the defining trait of "Mitch" McConnell and the other congressional Republicans who have been right at his side for seven years, aiding and abetting his disastrous decisions.

That's why you need to help me expand Democrats' narrow 51-seat majority in the Senate.

With the election only months away and the crucial first quarter fundraising deadline upon us, the only way to make sure that Democrats have the resources necessary to make this year's plan a success is to give right now.

Click the "Contribute Now" button above to make a donation of $50, $75 or more to help expand the Democratic Senate majority in 2008. The March 31 deadline is so important.

For all you could say about the disastrous reign of Republicans, I think the defining feature of their rule has been their complete detachment from reality.

They claim to be spreading freedom around the world, when in fact they've created perhaps the fiercest and most alarming anti-American backlash in history.

They say we're taking the offensive against terrorists when in fact, al Qaeda is as dangerous as it's been at anytime since 2001.

And this disturbing trend can be seen in every issue of importance to the American people.

They say we're making progress on health care, while every year more Americans go without coverage.

They say they've got a plan for energy independence, and yet our dependence on foreign oil - and its price - feels like it increases every day.

"Mitch" McConnell and George Bush deny we're in a recession, while business luminaries like Warren Buffet say, "by any commonsense definition, we're in a recession."

"Mitch" McConnell and George Bush have given us nothing but doublespeak for seven years and by supporting their disastrous agenda, Senate Republicans are equally responsible for this mess we're in.

I'm doing everything I can to make sure they no longer damage our nation from those positions of leadership. As I stare down this decisive fundraising deadline, you have got to get behind my efforts.

Click the "Contribute Now" button above to make a donation of $50, $75 or more to help expand the Democratic Senate majority in 2008.

I have no question that the United States will regain its stature in the world and its strength at home. But I am equally certain that Democratic leadership is necessary to make it happen.

These changes won't come to pass on their own.

We need you.

Sincerely,


Kenneth Stepp

Campaigning in Simpson County March 18, 2008.

Kenneth Stepp campaigning in Simpson County on March 18, 2008. Simpson County is just north of the Kentucky State Line, about midway between Louisville and Nashville.

The campaign in Simpson County, Kentucky.

Kenneth Stepp giving a campaign speech to the joint meeting of the Simpson County Democratic Executive Committee and the Simpson County Democratic Woman's Club at Franklin, Kentucky on March 18, 2008.

Franklin, Simpson County, March 18, 2008.

Kenneth Stepp addresses the joint meeting of the Simpson County Democratic Executive Committee and the Simpson County Democratic Woman's Club meeting at Franklin, Kentucky on March 18, 2008

Kenneth Stepp at Russell Springs March 17, 2008.

Kenneth Stepp, candidate for U.S. Senate speaking to the Democratic Woman's Club meeting at MidTown Restaurant, Russell Springs, Russell County, Kentucky, March 17, 2008.

Russell County Democratic Women, March 17, 2008.

Kenneth Stepp addressing the Russell County Democratic Woman's Club at the Mid-Town Restaurant in Russell Springs, Kentucky on March 17, 2008.

Campaigning in Russell County and Simpson County.

Kenneth Stepp speaking to the Russell County Democratic Woman's Club meeting.


The Kenneth Stepp for U.S. Senate Campaign swung into Russell County in South-Central Kentucky March 17, 2008.

Kenneth Stepp.

Kenneth Stepp.

Why do we sacrifice American lives for Iraq?

"Iraq Regime’s “Brotherly Ties” With Iran Spell More Trouble
"March 31, 2008
"Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Baghdad on March 2 on an historic trip to Iraq, the first ever for an Iranian president. Iraq’s political and religious leaders greeted him with great fanfare, laying out red carpets and having military bands play for him. Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani fondly asked Ahmadinejad to call him “Uncle Jalal.”
"Ahmadinejad also held meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, and Shiite religious leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, chairman of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council.
"In his meeting with Foreign Minister Zebari, Ahmadinejad proclaimed that Iran and Iraq are two united neighbors and “no event can break the brotherly ties” between them. The troubling bonds between Baghdad and Tehran have been multiplying since the U.S.-backed Maliki government was installed, with Prime Minister al-Maliki and many other top Iraqi officials trekking to Tehran, posing for hand-holding photo-ops with Ahmadinejad, and expressing fraternal friendship with their former traditional enemy. Iraq’s openly growing ties with Iran, the leading backer of Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups, should call into question the wisdom of the current administration’s willingness to sacrifice American lives and treasure in the service of the “moderate” Maliki government."
Let's Ditch Mitch McConnell, and get the U.S. troops out of Iraq now.

Iraq War Deaths almost at 4,000 Americans.

Help us commemorate all of those who have suffered in this war the U.S. military fatalities, the thousands of wounded soldiers, the estimated 600,000-1,000,000 Iraqis dead, the estimated 4.5 million Iraqis driven from their homes, and all of their families.

On these days when attention is focused on the war in Iraq, we highlight our message of peace. Healing the wounds of war begins with ending the violence. Military surges, spiraling war funding, and continued occupation is not the path to security for the people of Iraq. The U.S. should stop losing lives and money in a failed, violent path and start investing in supporting human needs in the U.S. and Iraq.

Let's Ditch Mitch, and bring the troops home from Iraq.

Taps! Taps! Do you have wiretaps?

Listen Up: 17 Signs That You Are Being Wiretapp
Is someone listening to your private calls? Know the warning signs.
VoIP-News Editors on March 19, 2008
"Do you hear strange noises on your phone line? Do you feel like your secrets aren't safe? You're not as paranoid as you might think. Mobsters and cheating spouses aren't the only ones that get wiretapped. In fact, just about anyone who possesses confidential information is a prime target for a wiretap, so it's important that you know the warning signs. Keep an eye out for these subtle clues to avoid becoming a victim of information theft.
"Related Articles:
VoIP: Who Might Be Spying on Your Communications? (Hint — It's Not Just the NSA)
Internet Security and Wiretapping
The Top 5 VoIP Security Threats of 2008
Proactive Security Approach
"Your secrets are out. If you've found out that somehow, someone has gotten their hands on your confidential information, there's a good chance that you're being spied on — and probably wiretapped. For example, if your company's confidential product designs end up in the hands of your competitor, you very well may be a victim of the underground-information industry.
You hear strange noises, like clicking, popping, static and humming. Often, surveillance devices will make small noises on a phone line. Specifically, if you hear static, scratching or popping, it may be caused by a capacitive discharge, which is created when two conductors — like a wiretap on a phone line — are connected. Additionally, high-pitched humming noises are an indicator of a wiretap. A tapped phone line can be verified with a sound-bandwidth sensor on a low frequency. If the indicator pops up a few times each minute, there's a very good chance your line is tapped.
"Your phone makes noise on its own. If you hear noises coming from your phone even when you're not using it, it may have been turned into an eavesdropping microphone and speaker. This is achieved with a hookswitch bypass and means that someone can probably hear everything you say or do within 20 feet of the phone. Additionally, a dial tone while your phone is on the hook is a sign of a slave eavesdropping device. This can be verified using an external amplifier.
Your radio has strange interference. Some eavesdropping devices use frequencies that are close to the FM radio band. To find out if your line is tapped with one of these gadgets, you can set your radio to mono, tune in to the far end of the band and listen for squeals, moving around the room if necessary. You should also listen for anomalies in your car radio, because antennas are often used by eavesdroppers.
Your environment just seems different. A wiretapper who has gained access to your home or office may move furniture in order to gain access to lines. If something seems strange — for instance, the couch has moved slightly or rug imprints are different — your line just might be tapped.
Your outside phone box has extra hardware. Sometimes, a physical check is required to notice a wiretap. Take a look at the outside of your phone box and look for anything unusual, such as hardware that seems like it was hastily installed. You should be sure to check the "restricted" side of the box, which will require a special Allen wrench.
"You find a recording machine. Don't assume that everything on your phone is there because your provider put it there. If you've found a recording device or something else that looks suspicious, check it out. Follow your wires to make sure that they're clean.
"You're being blackmailed. Not every wiretapper is discreet. In fact, some may specifically tell you that they've wiretapped you and attempt to extort money from you in exchange for their silence.
"Your receiver has extra hardware. Obviously, if you notice a microphone stuck on your receiver, you should be suspicious. Beyond that, open up your phone receiver to see if there's anything that doesn't belong, such as an induction-coil microphone.
"You notice a lot of utility trucks near the premises. If you see the same vehicles or utility trucks quite often but don't ever see people getting in or out of them, someone may be listening in on your calls. The snoopers will be 500 to 700 feet away, and their vehicles will have tinted windows.
Your TV has interference. Eavesdropping signals can interfere with TV broadcast frequencies, specifically UHF channels. You can even use a handheld TV with an antenna to sweep a room for interference.
"You are the victim of a burglary, but nothing was stolen. That person who broke into your home or office may not have been after your precious possessions, but rather your conversations. If you've become the victim of a fake burglary, it would be wise to double-check your lines.
"Your wall plates are moved. A wiretapper may use your phone's wall connection to gain access to your line. Look for signs that this hardware is a different color or crooked, and definitely take a closer look if you notice debris on the floor or screws that have been moved.
"You've had a mysterious repair. Some wiretappers will gain access to your line under the guise of a repair. If a utility-company employee shows up when you haven't specifically requested one, there's a good reason to be suspicious. Call to verify the repairman's visit with your provider or watch his actions carefully.
There are no signs. If you don't notice any of the aforementioned signs, your line could be wiretapped anyway. Most amateur spies will exhibit at least one the telltale signs outlined above, but government tapping is executed at the local exchange-carrier-switching center of your phone company, so there are no strange sounds to hear or hardware to find. If you truly want to have a private conversation, do it face-to-face.
"Your phone company doesn't help. If you've asked your phone company to look for wiretaps but it never finds anything, it could be administering a government request.
"You use a cordless phone. Cordless phones are extremely easy to listen in on and can be picked up by a number of devices on the same frequency. If you're using a cordless phone, you should just assume that your conversation can be heard by anyone who wants to listen.
"Chances are, if you're being wiretapped — especially by an amateur — you're going to know that something's going on. From fairly obvious interference problems to strange utility-worker behavior, the signs are easy to pick up on if you're looking. However, wiretapping, especially on VoIP lines, can be executed by professionals without telltale hardware. In fact, plenty of snooping can be done at the software level, which is virtually undetectable. In the end, your best bet is to discuss sensitive matters in person.
"Related Articles:
"VoIP: Who Might Be Spying on Your Communications? (Hint — It's Not Just the NSA)
"Internet Security and Wiretapping
"The Top 5 VoIP Security Threats of 2008
"Proactive Security Approach"
It's time to Ditch Mitch. The Government is spending way too much time spying on ordinary citizens like you and me? Are you a terrorist? I'm not either. If I get to be a Senator, I will vote to return the U.S. A. to the Constitution of yesteryear, when warrants were required for all wiretaps of American citizens. Let's Ditch Mitch.

Click this for slideshow.

See a slideshow honoring the U.S. War Dead in Iraq. I salute the war dead, and say, let's bring home the survivors now. Kenneth Stepp.

Kenneth Stepp in Louisville 3 12 08

The Great Democratic Senatorial Debate-I

The Great Democratic Senatorial Debate-II

The Great Democratic Senatorial Debate-III

video

Just click the preceding word "video" which is orange and in the heading above this paragraph. It works. I don't know why. Do that and you can watch the video made of me this past week at the Louisville U.A.W. Hall.
A second way to view the video is as follows: If you can't click this directly, you can copy and paste it and email it to a friend, and then bring up the email on "sent", and you should be able to click it and view it then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVm5jLeRnTY

video

You have a video from the Kenneth Stepp Kentucky U.S.
Senate campaign. Please click:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVm5jLeRnTY

Kenneth Stepp

The "Mitch" McConnell approval rating.

The fluctuating "Mitch" McConnell approval rating. Do you approve of the job that "Mitch" McConnell is doing as U.S. Senator? The following shows the number of people saying yes, in polls. The first poll was in 2005. They are monthly. The last listed is the most recent poll of February 2008 of 52%. The one immediately bafore that, of early January 2008 was 49%. For 2008 the rating fluctuates between 49% and 52%. On election day November 2008 will "Mitch" McConnell end up with 49% of the vote or 52% of the vote? It's too close to call, yet, but I'm saying "Mitch" will come up a few votes short of being re-elected. The approval rating numbers monthly, starting in 2005 are is follows: 54% 56% 54% 51% 54% 55% 54% 53% 52% 53% 49% 53% 52% 51% 53% 51% 53% 52% 54% 50% 52% 49% 49% 53% 54% 52% 48% 50% 51% 49% 44% 51% 49% 52% Let's Ditch Mitch.

Why do I seek public office?

I seek public office because we don’t have referendums on government policy decisions, we can only replace elected officials who support bad policies with candidates who support good policies. Kentucky Republican U.S. Senator “Mitch” McConnell supports keeping American troops fighting in Iraq where almost four thousand U.S. troops have already been killed in combat or by roadside bombings; I say “Let’s bring all U.S. troops out of Iraq, now.” “Mitch” McConnell favors a small, inadequate U.S. force in Afghanistan to search for Osama bin Laden (the villian behind the 9/11 attack on the U.S. in 2001; I say, “Let’s double the number of U.S. troops chasing Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, so we can capture him and bring him to trial in New York City." “Mitch” McConnell favors warrantless wiretaps of American citizens; I say “Lets keep the F.I.S.A act as it was before 9/11/2001 and not allow warrantless wiretaps of American citizens.” “Mitch” McConnell favors allowing the U.S. government to commit “waterboarding” and other forms of torture; I say “Lets end ‘waterboarding’ and all forms of torture by the U.S. Government personnel.” “Mitch” McConnell favors irresponsible Republican economic policies that have resulted in $3.25 gasoline, a $1.25 Canadian Dollar, and a $1.30 Euro; I say “Let’s bring our troops home from Iraq and return to the economic policies of the Bill Clinton Administration where we showed a balanced budget.” “Mitch” McConnell favors meager Federal funding of higher education as evidenced by the expenses of student loans suffered by many college students; I say “Let’s have the ‘Scotland Plan’ where remaining full tuition of state university students is paid by the Federal government, from the savings resulting from our withdrawal from Iraq.” Kenneth Stepp.

Wed. March 12, 2008 6:30 Demo Metro Club, Louisville.

Meet the candidates at Demo Metro Club, Louisville, 6:30 Wed. March 12, 2008.
All Louisville residents that are candidates for the Kentucky Democratic Primary for the U.S. Senate had been invited to speak at the Metro Democratic Club in Louisville, 6:30 P.M. Wed. March 12. Kenneth Stepp was there. I hoped to see you there.
Rice is not from the Louisville area, therefore, he would not have been allowed to speak. Wylie is not from the Louisville area, therefore he would not have been allowed to speak. Williams is not from the Louisville area, therefore he would not have been allowed to speak. I am not from the Louisville area, therefore, I was not allowed to speak. However a club leader did tell the audience that I was there and I would not be allowed to speak because I am not from the Louisville area. Kenneth Stepp, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Kentucky.

Let's Ditch Mitch.

Eight U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq.

washingtonpost.com > World > Middle East > Iraq Eight U.S. Soldiers Die in Iraq Attacks
Bombs Still Biggest Threat Even as Fatalities Decline
"BAGHDAD, March 11 -- Eight U.S. soldiers died in separate attacks here and in the eastern province of Diyala on Monday, the deadliest day for U.S. troops in more than two months.
"U.S. officials announced overnight that three U.S. soldiers were killed and another wounded when an improvised bomb exploded near their patrol in Diyala. An interpreter was also killed. No other details were provided.
"In Baghdad, a suicide bomber killed five U.S. troops as they mingled casually with Iraqis in a shopping district. The soldiers had parked their Humvees and stepped out into the warm sun and swirl of people on the main thoroughfare of what was once Baghdad's most elegant neighborhood.
"The customers strolling past the open businesses in Mansour -- the Babit gift shop, the Al Jadurchi computer compound -- created the pleasantly mundane scene that American soldiers have tried so hard to cultivate in a capital battered by war.
"About 3 p.m. Monday, that vision dissolved again into violence. A man wearing a vest laden with explosives blew himself up amid the U.S. patrol, killing five soldiers and wounding three others in the deadliest day for Americans in Baghdad in six months.
"The bombing, which blasted out the windows of the four-story buildings around the al-Rawad intersection of Mansour street, also injured an Iraqi interpreter and four Iraqi civilians, according to U.S. military officials. An official in the Interior Ministry said two Iraqi bystanders were also killed.
""I guess it will never end," said one U.S. soldier in Baghdad, as news spread through the ranks about the deaths. "Such evil."
"The bombing, which U.S. soldiers attributed to the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq, was the deadliest single attack on U.S. troops in Iraq since Jan. 28, when five soldiers were killed in a bomb and gunfire ambush in the northern city of Mosul. But there has not been such a deadly day in Baghdad for U.S. troops since Sept. 10, when eight soldiers were killed.
"The number of American fatalities in Iraq has declined over the past five months to some of the lowest levels of the war. But the single greatest killer of U.S. troops in Iraq remains the makeshift bombs, placed by the roadside or carried by people, that are used to target soldiers on foot and in their vehicles.
"Before Monday's attack, of the 165 U.S. troops killed since Nov. 1, 91 were victims of "improvised explosive devices," a number that includes suicide-vest attacks, according to Pentagon data compiled by The Washington Post. The next deadliest tactic was gunfire, which killed 24 soldiers.
"Since early 2006, the percentage of Americans killed by IEDs has ranged between 40 and 60 percent, after reaching a high of 80 percent of all combat deaths in September 2005.
"A senior U.S. military official said there had been a recent spike in attacks by people using suicide vests. The tactic is often associated with insurgent fighters who come from outside Iraq to fight, but this appears to be changing.
* * *"
I say, "Let's bring the troops home, but redeploy some to Afghanistan to capture bin Laden; "Mitch" McConnell says to stay the course and keep U.S. troops fighting in Iraq. Let's Ditch Mitch this November. Kenneth Stepp.

Five more U.S. Troops killed in Iraq.

Related News
Toll for US military's deadly day in Iraq rises to eight
Times Online - 1 hour ago
Eight US Soldiers Die in Iraq Attacks
Washington Post - 2 hours ago


"5 US Soldiers Killed in Baghdad Bombing
"By BRADLEY BROOKS – 16 hours ago
"BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber killed five American soldiers on a foot patrol Monday after detonating his explosives vest in central Baghdad, the U.S. military said, the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in Iraq in more than a month.
"Four of the soldiers died at the scene and the fifth died later from wounds, the military said in a statement. The blast also wounded three U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter, the military said.
"Military spokesman Maj. Mark Cheadle said that "it was reported to us as a suicide bomber."
"An Iraqi police officer at the scene, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said two civilians also were killed and another eight wounded in the attack.
"It was the deadliest attack since Jan. 28, when five U.S. soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb in the northern city of Mosul.
"Monday's deaths brought the number to 3,979 members of the U.S. military who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
* * *
"According to figures from the Iraqi Health Ministry released earlier this year, 618 medical employees, including 132 doctors, as well as medics and other health care workers, have been killed nationwide since 2003. Professionals from many fields have been targeted in Iraq's violence.
"Hundreds, possibly thousands, of other medical personnel are believed to have fled to Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdistan region and neighboring countries."
Associated Press Writer Hamid Ahmed contributed to this report.

Women's rights in Iraq are down the tubes with "Operation Iraqi Freedom"

Women's rights going down the tubes in Iraq, notes the Daily Kos:
"by Scout Finch
"Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 11:09:02 AM PST
"Iraqi women continue to bear the brunt of the Iraq war as religious intolerance becomes commonplace and their rights are ripped away. Women-owned businesses all over Iraq are being closed, violence toward women has sharply increased, and nearly 70% of Iraqi women are now forbidden from attending school. Sounds like those Iraqi women are really enjoying our "freedom."

Who benefits from the American soldier deaths in Iraq? No one! Let's bring the American troops home from Iraq now!

Let's Ditch Mitch.

A letter to the editor in the Louisville Courier-Journal by John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO makes it clear why working men and women are not enamored of McConnell's record of accomplishment.

"Sen. Mitch McConnell's op-ed in the Nov. 5 Courier-Journal missed the mark with such intensity that he must know he's up for the election of his life next November.

"The senator's record on worker safety issues is appalling. Instead of spending his time writing laws that will help assure workers make it home at night, McConnell writes op-eds attacking organizations like labor unions that are fighting to protect workers on the job. If it weren't so serious, we'd roll our eyes at his self-righteousness.

"McConnell should check his voting record before claiming he is representing workers. On Nov. 7 of this year, he voted against the FY 2008 Labor-HHS Funding bill, which would have enhanced funding for coal mine safety inspections, expanded mine safety research and required new mine safety measures. Two weeks before that, he supported an amendment that would have cut funding for black lung clinics by 10 percent, including two clinics in Kentucky. It is a voting record that I wouldn't parade around as an example of protecting Kentuckians.

"And it's no wonder the senator is worried. Only 20 percent of Kentucky union voters said they would choose to re-elect McConnell, in an Election Night poll conducted by Peter D. Hart Associates. In this year's election, the top issues on working people's minds were good jobs, the economy and health care. You can bet that next year, the same issues will be on all voters' minds as they march to the polls to elect candidates who will fight for working people.

"John Sweeney
"President, AFL-CIO"

I was going to attend the AFL-CIO client interview meeting in Louisville Saturday Morning May 8, 2008, but the snow storm seems to have knocked that trip out. The AFL-CIO has my best wishes as they are a part of the Ditch Mitch team also. Kenneth Stepp.

Watch the candidates on KET1 Monday May 12 at 7:00.

On Monday, May 12, 2008, KET1 plans a live broadcast of the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. The remaining seven Democratic candidates should be there to answer the journalists questions. It should be similar to last year's governor candidates' debate. Each candidate gets one minute to answer each question. I hope you will see me then. Kenneth Stepp.

The "Mitch' McConnell News.

The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) publishes the following news stories about Kentucky's own U.S. Senator "Mitch" McConnell, which can be accessed and read at the DSCC web site:

"McConnell Votes Against Help For HomeownersNew Web Ad: Echoing Bush and McCain, McConnell Backs Status Quo In IraqObstructionistMcConnell Blocks Help For Unemployed, Families With High Energy BillsMcConnell Casts Deciding Vote Against Tax Rebates For Seniors And VeteransBack of his handMore PoliticsExceptional workFlashback: Mitch McConnell Praises Bush's State of the Union SpeechesTrim farm subsidies"

Kenneth Stepp was at Somerset Kentucky Democratic Woman's Club meeting Mon. March 3, 2008

Kenneth Stepp was at Somerset Kentucky Democratic Woman's Club meeting Mon. March 3, 2008, and spoke to that meeting of approx. fifty Democratic Women. The main speaker was a lady nurse who gave a slide show and speech about a mission trip she and approx. fifty people took last year to Mongolia; Mongolia is pretty different from Kentucky. Kenneth Stepp spoke to the ladies at the meeting about why Kenneth Stepp wants to be the new U.S. Senator from Kentucky, and that we should pull all U.S. troops out of Iraq, redeploy some of our troops to Afghanistan to help track down and capture bin Laden, end United States warrantless wiretapping of American citizens, and end United States personnel participation in torture. Stepp also talked about the $3.25 gas prices that are occurring during the current Republican Administration.

"Mitch" McConnell gets "zero" rating as a Progressive.

"Mitch" McConnell gets "zero" rating as a Progressive.

"Progressive Action Score: 0
"A score of 0 means that Sen. McConnell has acted to support 0% of a slate of progressive policies in the 110th Congress. By our reckoning, Senator McConnell has done nothing to merit classification as a progressive. An accounting of the failings of Sen. McConnell as a leader of reason include the following:
"On February 12 2008, Senator Mitch McConnell failed his Oath of Office, failing to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, failing to cast a vote against S. 2248, the FISA Amendments Act. The FISA Amendments Act makes the misnamed Protect America Act permanent. Even worse, the FISA Amendments Act makes it legal: - For the federal government to spy on you electronically - Reading your email - Listening to your telephone calls - Watching what web pages you visit - Following your financial transactions - Without any explanation of why they're doing it - Without anyone outside of the Executive Branch knowing that it's being done - Without oversight by Congress - Letting the government use information it obtains illegally - Giving telecommunications companies retroactive immunity for helping the government do this, even when it was expressly against the law to do so When a President of the United States has this kind of power at his disposal, she or he cannot be stopped. The president's power becomes total and the president becomes a totalitarian. Senator McConnell failed to show up and cast a vote against the FISA Amendments Act. Through inaction, he allowed the country to slouch toward totalitarianism.
Senator McConnell failed to cast a vote against the ironically named Protect America Act. The Protect America Act is a law now passed by both houses of Congress which replaces judicial warrants with executive prerogative and substitutes blank checks for reasons. The Protect America Act gives the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence the power to spy on your emails, your web surfing, your telephone calls and other electronic communications. All this is carried out without a warrant, which is required by the 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution. There is no supervision of the spy programs put in place by the Attorney General and the DNI, except by those two individuals themselves. No one has the power to stop them any more. They can search your records, sift through your private messages, watch you go from web page to web page, on the pretext of protecting America from terrorists, all without a search warrant. No one has the power to tell them no. the Attorney General and the DNI, both political appointees of the president, have the power under the Protect America Act to order any American to help them conduct their electronic spying against other Americans. Under the new law, if they order you to take part in their spying operations, and you say no, they can throw you in prison. If you do not keep their spying on other Americans a secret, even from your family, they can throw you in prison. The Protect America Act institutes Big Brother government in the United States. It betrays American liberty. It is a shame that the Act passed. Shame on Senator McConnell for failing to vote against it.
The prisons at Guantanamo Bay are a stain on American justice, a gulag set up in order to evade U.S. and international law and to perfect the cruel science of "alternative interrogation." Guantanamo is polluting the reputation of the United States. The effort to keep the prisons of Guantanamo open is corroding American liberty. Two bills stand before the United States Senate with the aim of shutting down the Guanatanamo Bay center for indefinite detention. The Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility Closure Act of 2007, introduced to the United States Senate by Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, would require the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prisons within 120 days.
S. 1249, sponsored by California Democrat Diane Feinstein, gives George W. Bush one year to close the Guantanamo gulag down. Senator McConnell has allowed the injustice of Guantanamo to continue unabated, neglecting to lend formal support to either of these bills.
S. 1175, The Child Soldier Prevention Act, prohibits the government of the United States of America from providing military aid to any foreign government that uses child soldiers in its military, paramilitary forces, or other official or sanctioned armed groups. The Child Soldier Prevention Act also requires the Executive Branch to research and publish reports on the use of child soldiers around the world, providing important information that can be used to more effectively counter the use child soldiers. There are some clauses that make the bill less strong than it could be. One gives the President of the United States to issue a waiver to the law when he decides that giving military aid to a government that uses child soldiers is in the interest of the United States. However, the President is required to register every such waiver, and report on the justifications for each waiver to the Senate and to the House of Representatives. Another clause permits support for armies that recruit volunteer child soldiers as young as 16 -- because that's what the U.S. Military currently does. These clauses make the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007 an imperfect piece of legislation, but it's pretty darned good, and it's the only legislation to even address the issue. It is therefore a piece of legislation that all decent Americans ought to be willing to support, regardless of political party affiliation. So why hasn't Senator McConnell offered his cosponsorship of even this mild, unobjectionable bill? Something seems askew with Senator McConnell's priorities.
On March 27, 2007, the United States Senate defeated a Republican attempt to strip language placing an end date on the seemingly interminable occupation of Iraq. With Roll Call Vote 116, the Senate defeated Amendment 643 to H.R. 1591, an amendment offered by Senator Thad Cochran from Mississippi. Amendment 643 would have allowed the Bush White House to continue its open-ended military occupation of Iraq without any accountability. The amendment would have eliminated the provision from the legislation that requires the Bush Administration to begin withdrawing military troops 120 days after the legislation is passed, and end the occupation by March 2008. It is time to put a finite limit on warfare as a policy tool in Iraq and time to begin pursuing other methods of change there. By voting for Senate Amendment 643, Senator McConnell tried to keep clinging to a violent policy that just has not worked.
Senator McConnell has failed to cosponsor S.2, a bill that increases the minimum wage, which is currently at its lowest point since the 1950s. The bill would not raise the minimum wage to new highs. It would only return the minimum wage to a level comparable to that of the 1980s, which is in turn much lower than the minimum wage level of the late 1960s. Senator McConnell let American workers down by failing to support this bill.
From the transfer of Total Information Awareness into the National Security Agency under codenames like topsail and basketball, through warrantless wiretape, seizures of massive amounts of cell phone and email records, and even the systematic entry of the DNA of innocent Americans into gigantic government databases, we have seen a dramatic effort by the government to watch over the most personal aspects of our lives. Thanks to these secretive government programs, Americans can no longer assume that their postal mail, email, phone calls, commercial activity, and other kinds of personal activity are at all private. Through it all, there has been almost no congressional oversight. Now, a few senators are asking for that to change. Two bills have been introduced this year that would force the White House to cooperate with efforts by Congress to gain oversight of the growing network of government databases used to spy on Americans. The bills, S.236 and S.495 (entitled the Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting Act of 2007 and the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007, respectively), are co-sponsored by a small group of senators. Sadly, Senator McConnell has cosponsored neither. That is simply shameful.
Sometimes good things come as amending packages. Senate Amendment 1094 to Senate Amendment 1065 to H.R. 1495, brought from the House all the way to the Senate, may have had a Byzantine route for introduction, but it contained a good idea nonetheless. Senate Amendment 1094, if passed, would have required the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider the impact of climate change when designing water projects. The impact of climate change upon water projects is likely to be considerable, when it comes to matters such as the effect of storms and flooding. The Army Corps of Engineers has a bad record of taking relevant factors into account when it comes to such matters, and the amendment sought to strengthen their work and make public works projects more reliable. Unfortunately, Senator McConnell failed to vote YES on the amendment. Because of Senator McConnell, the amendment failed and a constructive policy idea went to waste.
Say hello to Mr. Blastocyst. Mr. Blastocyst is a ball of about 150 cells, differentiated only into a proto-placenta called the trophoblast, a hollow space, and an inner cell mass of about 30 cells that could, someday, if implanted in a uterus, grow into a fetus. The set of about 30 cells in the inner cell mass is not a baby. It does not think, because it has no nerve cells. It has no heart to beat, because it has no heart cells. No bone cells, no skin cells. Just a ball of 30 or so cells. Senator Mitch McConnell has not cosponsored the bill S.5, a bill that would permit federal funding to be used for research on lines of stem cells taken from a handful, only a handful, of blastocysts: non-thinking, non-breathing, blastocysts with thirty undifferentiated inner mass cells. These are just a handful of blastocysts out of the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of abandoned blastocysts that will never be implanted in a uterus anyway. This research, using cell lines from blastocysts, is aimed at the big health care challenges of the 21st century: stopping cancer, curing Parkinsons and Alzheimers, ameliorating diabetes, stalling the aging process. Yep, there is a lot that these stem cells could do, if only research on them could go forward. But federal funding for research on them is blocked, primarily because George W. Bush established that block, but secondarily because powerful people like Senator McConnell cannot be bothered to support a simple bill that could save and improve so many lives.
Short-term politics focuses on immediate expense. A short-term thinking Senator say it is a bad idea to spend the money to expand access to preventative health care for women -- including distribution of contraception, teen pregnancy prevention programs and rape prevention education and because they would cost too much money. A longer-term view notes that failure to address these issues results in high-cost outcomes for a society in teen pregnancies, unwanted pregnancies in general and a higher incidence of sexual violence. Morality aside, it just makes good economic sense in the long run to invest in preventative health programs, like those proposed in S.21. Unfortunately, Senator McConnell seems to be a short-term thinker in his failure to support this bill.
The Internet was designed and built on a backbone of publicly-funded research. The cables that carry Internet signals cross innumerable public rights-of-way. Yet despite the public basis of the Internet, big profitseeking corporations are trying to divide the Internet into two lanes: a fast lane for those with deep enough pockets to pony up an extra fee, and a slow lane for everyone else. The writers and artists who independently produce what you like to read and view would find that their work was downloaded at a sluggish pace. Big corporate websites would jump to the front of every line, with their specially packaged content getting downloaded quickly. A stratified Internet would stifle variety in speech and lead to yet another variety of media dominated by the moneyed few. S.215 is a bill that would prohibit corporations from abusing the public infrastructure and charging extra for fast carriage of content. Senator Mitch McConnell has yet to add his name as a cosponsor in support of this bill. Ask yourself why. Then ask Senator McConnell.
Scientists across the globe have declared that the evidence of global warming and its basis in the human emission of greenhouse gases is conclusive. They also have concluded with overwhelming consensus that unless something is done quickly to curb greenhouse gas emissions (mainly carbon dioxide) the global climate will collapse into catastrophe. S. 309 is a bill to set standards for the lowering of greenhouse gas emissions, and to enable governmental and nongovernmental sectors to meet those standards. It is not enough to prevent global warming altogether, but it is a positive step. Will future generations forgive Senator Mitch McConnell for his negligence in failing to support this legislation at such a critical time in the history of our planet?
S.447 is a bill to abolish the death penalty. There are three sections to this bill, also known as the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act. The first section simply gives the title of the law. The second section goes item by item through federal law, striking references to the ability to punish crimes by death. The third section, in case there is a law missed by the second section, states directly: (a) In General- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person may be sentenced to death or put to death on or after the date of enactment of this Act for any violation of Federal law. (b) Persons Sentenced Before Date of Enactment- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person sentenced to death before the date of enactment of this Act for any violation of Federal law shall serve a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Progressives are in pretty solid agreement that the death penalty needs to go. While the death penalty punishes the guilty, it has also been imposed upon many people who turned out not to be guilty of capital crimes at all. The death penalty is selected in a biased and discriminatory manner motivated by political concerns. The death penalty is also often administered in ways that violate the guaranteed protection from the Bill of Rights against cruel and unusual punishment. Despite these compelling problems, too many politicians refuse to do anything about the problem. They want to look tough on crime, and do not seem to mind that looking tough requires being inhumane. Senator Mitch McConnell is among this set, failing to lend support to the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act. Ask Senator McConnell why.
It is fair to say that in most states and localities, new members of Congress were brought in to end the Iraq War. Those that survived from the 109th to the 110th did so because they showed a willingness to bring this sorry chapter of history to a close. But are the current members of Congress actually following through on their mandate? S.448, the Iraq Redeployment Act of 2007, would end the Iraq War within six months of its passage. It forbids the Bush White House from spending money on the activities of military personnel in Iraq, with a few exceptions that would allow for activities such as the training of Iraqi police and soldiers, providing security of places like the American embassy, and engaging in targeted counter-terrorism raids. Six months after the passage of the Iraq Redeployment Act, almost all members of the American military would have to leave Iraq. The American occupation of Iraq would finally end. S.433, the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, is an alternate bill, setting May 1, 2007 for the date on which the redeployment of American troops from Iraq begins, and setting March 31, 2008 as the date for "complete redeployment of all United States combat brigades from Iraq," unless 13 conditions have been met by the Iraqi government. The two bills go about the process of ending the Iraq War in different ways, but both offer sensible options. Where is Senator McConnell in all this? Standing on the sidelines, it seems, and failing to support either bill. When will he show the courage necessary necessary to admit an American mistake and end it?
S. 576 is a bill proposed in the Senate to repeal many of the most onerous features of the Military Commissions Act. If passed, some of its main acts would be to:
Restore the right of habeas corpus for people detained by the U.S.
Narrow the definition of the MCA term "unlawful enemy combatant" to individuals who directly participate in attacks against the United States.
Let United States detainees invoke the ethical codes of the Geneva Conventions again.
Let U.S. detainees obtain a civilian lawyer for their defense.
Prohibit the use of evidence garnered through torture.
Prohibit the use of hearsay, upon the judge's discretion.
Let juries know how statements were obtained from detainees.
Permit federal appeals courts to review the decisions of military commissions.In short, S. 576 would restore respect for the Constitution and a modicum of humanity to the government of the United States. Sadly, Senator McConnell has failed to recognize how important the restoration of constitutional standards are to our country. Perhaps he ought to review his oath of office again.
Almost a month ago now, Senator Diane Feinstein introduced S.594, the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act of 2007, to the United States Senate. The law forbids the United States government from spending money to use, sell or transfer cluster bombs unless the following requirements are met:
The cluster bombs are proven to have a 1 percent or lower rate of malfunction
The cluster bombs will not be used against anything but a clearly defined military target, in an area where there are no civilians and in places where civilians do not ordinarily live
A plan is submitted, with the costs included, for cleaning up all the undetonated explosives that come from cluster bombs, whether they are used by the US military, or by other countries to whom the United States has supplied the cluster bombs There is a waiver in the law for the first requirement (for the malfunctioning rate of 1 percent or lower), in cases in which it is "vital" to use cluster bombs in order to protect the security of the United States. However, even in such cases, the President is required to submit a report to Congress which explains how civilians will be protected from the cluster bombs, and revealing the failure rate of the cluster bombs, as well as whether the cluster bombs are equipped with self-destruct functions. The Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act is not a perfect law. We are not too fond of that waiver. However, the law is a big improvement over the status quo. Right now, there's nothing to stop the United States from using cluster bombs, as it did during the invasion of Iraq, or selling them for other countries to use, as was done last year with the cluster bombs that Israel used against the civilian population of Lebanon. The thing that makes cluster bombs so much worse than ordinary bombs is that they have a high failure rate, combined with a high number of small bombs that are spread over large areas of land by the larger bombs in which they are originally obtained. Cluster bombs are designed to kill people, not to damage buildings or roads. Like land mines, they continue to kill people long after the battle in which they were used. It is typical for a large number of these smaller bombs to remain undetonated, waiting to explode, after their initial deployment. The Federation of American Scientists reports, "Studies that show 40 percent of the duds on the ground are hazardous and for each encounter with an unexploded submunition there is a 13 percent probability of detonation. Thus, even though an unexploded submunition is run over, kicked, stepped on, or otherwise disturbed, and did not detonate, it is not safe. Handling the unexploded submunition may eventually result in arming and subsequent detonation." Cluster bombs kill civilians when they are used. Our government knows this, and yet our government continues to manufacture, use and sell cluster bombs to foreign countries. Senator Feinstein deserves our thanks for introducing the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act to the floor of the Senate. But Senator McConnell has not earned out thanks. He has either dawdled or looked the other way, failing to support this bill and the effort behind it."
Vote for Kenneth Stepp, a Progressive Democrat, and Ditch Mitch.