ICYMI: What were Beshear and Obama thinking??
Once again, Steve Beshear has left Kentuckians scratching their heads and wondering “what was our Governor thinking?” In case you missed it, the Associated Press is reporting that Gov. Beshear has restricted when the flag can be lowered for fallen service members. Now, the flag will only be lowered for service members “born” in Kentucky – excluding the thousands of military personnel who currently call our state home (AP, 7/24/08).
In the article, Sen. Elizabeth Tori (R-Radcliff), whose district covers Fort Knox, was right on with her statement that “any soldier stationed in Kentucky should be honored by the state if they're killed in action” and that “the governor, as well as everyone in our nation, owes them a debt.” State Rep. Tim Moore (R-Elizabethtown), who served in Afghanistan, was also appalled – calling the Governor’s decision “disgraceful.” Moore noted in the AP article that Beshear is ignoring the fact that “residents around Fort Knox consider soldiers part of their community” (AP, 7/24/08).
This is just the latest decision-making blip from Beshear. Least we forget the Governor dropping more than $7000 in taxpayer dollars on 3 planes to fly his political entourage to the first stop on his “Please Help Me My Rating Have Fallen Tour”. The media has continued to hammer Beshear’s pattern of poor judgment and failed leadership. Below are some “must reads” from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Bowling Green Daily News.
In Presidential campaign news…Barack Obama also upset some military personnel after he snubbed US troops stationed in Germany during his recent visit to the country. At the last minute, he canceled a scheduled visit – instead opting to spend more time hob-knobbing with Europeans (MSNBC, 7/24/08).
What’s interesting is that this episode highlights one of the reasons many American voters still feel unease with Obama. They just aren't sure his values line up with their own. According to a recent WSJ article, "the key question in the contest isn't over any single issue, but the focus has turned to the Democratic candidate himself: Can Americans get comfortable with Obama" (WSJ, 7/24/08)? This “unease” is playing out in the polls as McCain closes the gap with Obama in key battleground states (WSJ, 7/25/08).
MUST READ:
Associated Press, State decides to only lower flags for Kentucky-born soldiers
Daily News: Beshear Set Bad Example Using Planes
Herald-Leader: Beshear deaf to listening tour’s sour notes
Politico: Obama Cancels Troop Visit
MSNBC: What’s Not on Obama’s Schedule
Wall Street Journal: Voter Unease With Obama Lingers
Wall Street Journal: Gap Is Narrowing in Battleground States
