Paul’s cynical cry: party before country

From the Herald-Leader:

While other Republicans, in light of questions about contacts between President Donald Trump’s recently ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russia, were calling for an investigation into the administration’s relationship with Russia, Paul brushed off the idea.

“I just don’t think it’s useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party,” Paul said.

So, if a Democrat were cozying up to Russia, perhaps breaking the law by discussing lifting sanctions imposed by the sitting president before his or her guy was even sworn in, that would be worth investigating? But if a Republican does the same thing?

Bevin’s rant unmasked ignorance or dishonesty

From today's Herald-Leader:

Gov. Matt Bevin presented himself as either ignorant or dishonest Wednesday in his strange five-minute rant against Attorney General Andy Beshear.

...citizens and voters are left with one of two conclusions, neither very heartening: our governor took to the internet to assail a fellow constitutional officer on the basis of a legal filing he just didn’t understand; or he understood that Beshear was doing his job and chose to lie about it for his own political ends.

Either way, Bevin disrespected the people of Kentucky and the office to which he was elected.

McConnell blames Obama because Congress didn’t do its homework

From the Herald-Leader:

McConnell’s admission that he all but tuned out the president years ago makes it even more remarkable that last week McConnell blamed Obama for not adequately alerting Congress to the “potential consequences” of a new law that undermines the principle of sovereign immunity and puts U.S. military and intelligence personnel and diplomats at risk of being retaliated against in foreign courts.

...In his veto message, Obama laid out several reasons for the veto, including creating a precedent that could lead to lawsuits in foreign courts against the U.S. government and straining relations with allies in the Middle East. But lawmakers from both parties overwhelmingly voted to override the president, the first time Congress has overridden an Obama veto — and then almost immediately started voicing regret.

...If you’re wondering why Congress — with expert specialized staff, committees and great resources at its disposal —didn’t do its own research into the ramifications of the new law, well, good question.

Bevin’s ravings in power grab belie oath

From the Herald-Leader:

In December, Gov. Matt Bevin put one hand on a Bible, held up the other and pledged to “faithfully execute to the best of your ability, the office of Governor according to law.”

Bevin’s recent ravings about the Kentucky Supreme Court call into question his ability and commitment to that solemn oath.

...Bevin, elected as a Republican, came out of the Tea Party movement that seeks to limit both the power and size of government. But his actions as governor have seemed aimed not at shrinking government but at consolidating all its power into his own hands.

Ky. Supreme Court: Bevin bound by law

A good editorial from the Herald-Leader:

The Kentucky Supreme Court yesterday delivered a very important message to Gov. Matt Bevin: You don’t make the law, you follow it.

It’s unfortunate that neither Bevin nor Stephen Pitt, his general counsel, understood this before disregarding the budget passed by the General Assembly and cutting university appropriations in the last months of their fiscal year.

...Bevin risks wasting his years in the governor’s office in a series of power grabs that will be turned back in the courts unless he accepts that, as Noble writes, “the governor, like everyone else, is bound by the law.”

Thomas Jefferson would barf at Bevin’s call to bloodshed

From the Herald-Leader:

It was one thing when he was a rich guy from Louisville little known outside Tea Party circles. But now that Matt Bevin is governor of Kentucky, he really should think before he speaks, maybe even jot down a few notes before taking the stage.

Bevin’s attempted clarification on Monday of comments that he made at the Values Voter Summit in Washington on Saturday suggests that he knows that he was off base, irresponsible and verging on unhinged when he declared that bloodshed may be necessary to “redeem” the country if Hillary Clinton is elected president.

...What has kept liberty alive in this country for more than 200 years is the peaceful transfer of power after elections. The idea that violence would be justified by the election of a candidate or platform you disagree with is un-American.

Bevin’s Medicaid plan still needs work

From the Herald-Leader:

Bevin’s plan to move Kentuckians onto employer-provided health insurance is mostly unrealistic because low-wage workers frequently change jobs and their employers often don’t offer insurance. Bevin’s savings would come from covering almost 86,000 fewer people than would otherwise be eligible and by excluding benefits like dental and vision. Taxpayers would pay more per person in the Medicaid expansion for less health care, presumably to pay for new bureaucracy.

Kentucky has paid nothing for the Medicaid expansion but must shoulder a fraction of the cost next year, capping out at 10 percent in 2021. Kentucky pays 30 percent of traditional Medicaid; the federal government pays the rest. Taxpayers and their representatives in Congress see the value of helping a poor state improve its residents’ health. Kentucky’s elected leaders should too. The wider the coverage the more leverage the state has to improve health outcomes and control costs through evidence-based practices.

If Bevin ends the Medicaid expansion and unpaid hospital bills rise and constituents ask lawmakers why they lost their medical care, Kentuckians will know the governor, not someone in Washington, is responsible.