Over 200 national news outlets carry comments on the Conway marriage charade

Below is a list of news outlets that carried my comments on Jack Conway's spiking of the marriage case. They include the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Herald, and USA Today. Duplicates appear to be separately filed stories:

thetimesherald.com  

sanluisobispo.com  

startribune.com  

uk.news.yahoo.com

kentucky.com

kansascity.com

heraldonline.com 

beaumontenterprise.com

timesunion.com

hometownlife.com

newsleader.com 

wtop.com

usatoday.com

livingstondaily.com

thespectrum.com

thenews-messenger.com

greenfieldreporter.com

thenewsstar.com

thestarpress.com

sfgate.com

mynorthwest.com

greenvilleonline.com

seattletimes.com

wisconsinrapidstribune.com

watermarkonline.com

theadvertiser.com

press-citizen.com

dnj.com

archive.lohud.com

sheboyganpress.com

courierpress.com

miamiherald.com

lgbtqnation.com

wjla.com

whas11.com

nwcn.com

kptv.com

kpho.com

wsvn.com

abc27.com

katv.com

myfoxtampabay.com

nbc29.com

kmov.com

ktvb.com

wcnc.com

wvec.com

krem.com

kens5.com

theolympian.com

therepublic.com

dailyjournal.net

kentucky.com

greenbaypressgazette.com

fresnobee.com

thedailyjournal.com

onenewsnow.com

kait8.com

nbc4i.com

knoe.com

floridatoday.com

talkingpointsmemo.com

wpxi.com

wtsp.com

startribune.com

wwltv.com

omaha.com

postcrescent.com

fdlreporter.com

krmg.com

newstimes.com

stamfordadvocate.com

greenwichtime.com

ktvu.com

seattlepi.com 

utsandiego.com

townhall.com

jconline.com

montgomeryadvertiser.com

guampdn.com

marshfieldnewsherald.com

bradenton.com

washingtonpost.com

lasvegassun.com

huffingtonpost.com

myrtlebeachonline.com

nytimes.com

sify.com

wkrn.com

fox5vegas.com

newschannel5.com

khq.com

news9.com

cnsnews.com

wral.com

wowway.net

baynews9.com

mysanantonio.com

newstimes.com

bellinghamherald.com

nbcconnecticut.com

nbcmiami.com

herald-dispatch.com

wsmv.com

walb.com

wtoc.com

wtsp.com

hawaiinewsnow.com

whdh.com

myfoxdetroit.com

huffingtonpost.com

fox19.com

kctv5.com

wnem.com

wsfa.com

foxcarolina.com

fox8live.com

wbtv.com

kcbd.com

14news.com

wfsb.com

nbc12.com

nbcdfw.com

islandpacket.com

ktar.com

mercurynews.com

toledoblade.com

sunherald.com

onlineathens.com

foxnews.com

wftv.com

jacksonville.com

suntimes.com

newstalkflorida.com

wqow.com

kpho.com

fox5vegas.com

wbtv.com

wflx.com

wxow.com

wrcbtv.com

ksdk.com

diario.mx

insidebayarea.com

m.onlineathens.com

wbtw.com

koamtv.com

wsmv.com

wfsb.com

wnem.com

wmctv.com

foxcarolina.com

kfvs12.com

wdam.com

wfla.com

cbs3springfield.com

kptv.com

14news.com

wsfa.com

alabamas13.com

jconline.com

wcsh6.com

wlbz2.com

kltv.com

kctv5.com

cbsatlanta.com

waff.com

turnto10.com

wistv.com

fox19.com

wafb.com

kait8.com

wect.com

walb.com

kplctv.com

tucsonnewsnow.com

wltx.com

santacruzsentinel.com

dispatch.com

njherald.com

arcamax.com

theledger.com

timesfreepress.com

gadsdentimes.com

nationalmemo.com

cleveland.cbslocal.com

coldheartedtruth.blogspot.com

ballstatedaily.com

wandtv.com

fox28.com

abc6.com

11alive.com

dailyindependent.com

msnewsnow.com

wsls.com

fox8live.com

knoe.com 

themoreheadnews.com

foxnews.com

timesfreepress.com

topnetupdates.blogspot.com

thecabin.net

lubbockonline.com

uk.news.yahoo.com

stamfordadvocate.com

baynews9.com

wvva.com

jax-cdn.com

wptv.com

wgrz.com

winknews.com

huffingtonpost.com

anodis.com

abcnews.go.com

wbir.com

palmbeachpost.com

springfieldnewssun.com

columbiamissourian.com

journal-news.com

idahostatesman.com

mercedsunstar.com

24allnews.com

theblaze.com

en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com

wbay.com

bostonherald.com

gazette.com

lifesitenews.com

wusa9.com

pjstar.com

delawareonline.com

abcnews.go.com

wkyc.com

forums.corvetteforum.com

in.news.yahoo.com

northwestgeorgianews.com

vidio-vidio-vidio.blogspot.com

richmondregister.com

myfoxphoenix.com

news-register.net

worldnewsheadlinestoday.blogspot.com 

Rod Dreher on literature and evil

My article on evil and literature that recently appeared in the CiRCE Journal was quoted extensively by Rod Dreher at the American Conservative in his article, "The Crap Stories We Tell Our Kids" as well as at The Deeps of Time.

Lexington didn't elect a gay mayor; it elected a mayor

I was quoted in the Lexington Herald-Leader Sunday on the fact that Jim Gray, the newly elected major of Lexington, Kentucky, is gay. The quotations were entirely fair, but one thing that didn't make it in from the interview was, "Lexington didn't elect a gay mayor; they elected a mayor." Gay issues played absolutely no role in the election. People voted on economic issues. Period.

As I mentioned in the article, if Gray had invoked gay issues in the campaign it could very well have been a different outcome. I told the reporter that, in regard to gay issues, you can conclude exactly nothing from the mayoral election, since the issue never came up.

You can read the article here.

Courier-Journal asks questions about Obama's election

I was quoted in the Louisville Courier-Journal's article "True melting pot of voters pushed Obama over top," which appeared on Sunday.

"Whiff of the Godfather at the Capitol" in today's Herald-Leader

My op-ed comparing the way organized crime operations and the way the disorganized Democratic leadership in the House operate ran in today's Lexington Herald-Leader.

Excuses, Excuses

I was quoted in three articles on the Attorney General's failure to make state universities comply with his ruling on domestic partner benefits:

"State won't issue new opinion," The Louisville Courier-Journal (7/1/07
"Family Foundation pushes Stumbo to act," The Lexington Herald-Leader (7/1/07)
"Group pushes for legal action on UK's benefit plan," The Lexington Herald Leader (6/30/07)

The AG is saying that because the Family Foundation is considering legal action, he can't do what he said he was going to do when he rendered his original opinion; namely, enforce it. In other words, he is saying that you can actually prevent law enforcement officials from enforcing the law simply by threatening a lawsuit against the people who have broken it.

That's a novel view of the law.

In fact, The Family Foundation has always viewed legal action as an option, but it is no closer to taking it now than it was when the AG issued its first opinion. If it was able to issue an opinion then as to UK's original plan, why can't it do it now on UK's newest plan?

Another piece of evidence that traditional families are not obsolete

I was quoted in an Associated Press story that ran today about the role of the families of candidates in political campaigns. I pointed out what is, of course, obvious: candidates feature their families in campaigns because that is what voters like to see. And why do they like to see it? I mentioned two things:

First, voters want to know that a candidate is just like them--or rather (I didn't say this in the story) they want to know that the candidate is like how they would like to see themselves, and most people see themselves in terms of a traditional family.

Secondly, candidates know that voters consider traditional families healthy and normal, and that's the way they want to appear to voters: as healthy and normal. The Current Wisdom has it that the traditional family is obsolete. Politicians know better. If that were really the case, then political ads would be completely different from what, in fact, they are. Notice that even openly gay candidates do not feature picture of their boyfriends (or, in the case of lesbians, girlfriends) on their campaign literature--even in liberal districts. Why? Because it would prove unpopular with the electorate.

In fact, you can almost completely ignore polls and studies when it comes to what people think about something. All you have to do is to see what politicians are appealing to. Candidates have a much more perceptive finger on the pulse of their electorate. They are out talking with real people on a regular basis. Politicians are a much better barometer of where people are on an issue than any artificial measure our statisticians have come up with.

And what does the political barometer tell us? That most people still consider the traditional family is the ideal.

What is UK scared of?

I was quoted today in the Lexington Herald-Leader in a story about an e-mail survey of faculty and staff views on domestic partner benefits sent to University of Kentucky employees by The Family Trust Foundation, in which The Family Trust Foundation of Kentucky, the parent organization of The Family Foundation, is labeled "an offshoot of the national Family Foundation."

First of all, The Family Trust Foundation is not an offshoot of anything. Second, there is no such thing as a national Family Foundation. Third, all this was pointed out to the Herald before the story went to print, but they ran it anyway. I guess it's hard for the media to pass up chances to talk about some vast right-wing national conspiracy, even if it has to invent facts to establish its existence.

The University of Kentucky responded to the e-mail survey with an e-mail of their own trying to scare respondents into not answering the survey. Ironically, one of the questions on the survey was whether UK employees felt pressured or in any way intimidated about expressing their views on the issue of domestic partner benefits. So here's the University trying to intimidate their employees with dire warnings about what might happen if they respond.

The irony is profound.

Apparently there were some recipients who claimed they were duped into thinking that the survey was a University-sponsored survey. Of course the e-mail said in the very first paragraph that it was a third party survey, and even said who it was who was conducting the survey.

Now, we know we have a problem with illiteracy in this state, but at our state universities?

Several criticisms were interesting. First was that the question that asked recipients to rank domestic partner benefits as a priority in relation to other university goals, to which UK research specialist Zina Merkin responded that this set up a "false dichotomy. "

No. Sorry. Respondents were asked to prioritize several university goals, but they are also given the chance to rate several of these items on a scale of 1 through 5. You could give all the options a 5 if you wanted, including domestic partner benefits.

Then there was the charge that the survey was a "push poll" (a survey that prompts you to answer a question in a predetermined way by the phrasing of the question or by placing it next to another question that would prompt you to answer in one particular way). This is interesting because the University itself did a survey of their own on this issue which it has yet to release to the public.

We wonder if there are any leading questions on that survey?

"It's meant to manipulate people's thinking and put ideas in their head [sic]," charged Merkin. Has she read the two reports on domestic partner benefits from UK's Work-Life committee? Can she seriously say these are not meant to do the same thing on the other side of the issue?

I wonder where Merkin stands on the domestic partner benefit issue, and how it affects her comments to newspapers about groups that disagree with the policy? Surely, being a "research specialist," she is completely impartial.

Right.

What is surprising is the almost fanatical reaction the survey has caused. It's just a little ten question poll for crying out loud. Why are so many people upset that someone is asking questions of UK staff?

Does the administration think it is the only entity entitled to talk to their employees? And aren't these the same people who are always talking about academic freedom?

A reporter from the Kentucky Kernel called me today and asked if we felt we had overstepped out bounds by communicating with staff given the fact that we were not an official part of the University. I asked her whether the Kernel was an official part of the University (they aren't) and whether she felt, as a Kernel reporter, she had the right to talk to faculty and staff (she does).

Oops. Wrong question.

Is the administration upset because its staff received what some have charged (incorrectly) is spam? If the e-mail was spam, then how did it make it through what you would presume to be pretty good University spam filter? Surely UK, the home of the best and brightest, an aspiring top 20 school, has the ability to stop what it thinks is spam?

Or maybe the University is just scared of what we might find.

KY HPV vaccination controversy makes Time Magazine

Time Magazine has a story in its Jan. 17th edition on the debate in Kentucky over mandatory HPV vaccination for middle school girls. Boy it didn't take Rep. Kathy Stein (D-Lexington), the new Judiciary Committee chairman and author of the bill, long to start drawing national attention for her views.

We're quoted in Medical News Today

I was quoted in Medical News Today on the HPV vaccination mandate here.

Quoted in the Center for Disease Control's "Prevention News Update" today

I'm quoted in the Center for Disease Control's "Prevention News Update" today here.

Quoted in the Cincinnati Inquirer today

I was quoted about mandatory HPV vaccinations in the Cincinnati Inquirer today here.

Press coverage of Stein nomination--and the tangled web Stumbo has woven for himself

I was quoted in both the state's largest newspapers today on the Stein nomination. Both the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader ran front page stories on the House committee chair appointments, the only controversial one being Stein. Both stories were well done and fair, although the Courier's story focused on the possibility of resurrecting the issue of same-sex marriage, an issue which is as politically dead as an issue can be. The Marriage Amendment passed two years ago with the support of 75 percent of voters.

Quod est demonstrandum.

I have a feeling that the Courier reporter may be new and not entirely familiar with the state's recent history on this issue. But she did report my comment that Stein's views on the issue are irrelevant, given the passage of the amendment.

Stein can certainly take comfort in gaining a key legislative position, but Democratic leadership cannot afford to be smug about the events of this week. From about Tuesday morning when the controversy over this appointment hit the papers, they had to realize that they were faced with a dilemma: either change course and look like they were caving in to conservative interests or make the appointment and pay the potential political consequences. They chose the latter. But neither outcome could be considered particularly appealing for them.

By the way, there is one very interesting potential irony here. If it is true, as some think, that Jody Richards will announce for governor next week, and that, as is also rumored, his running mate is Greg Stumbo, Stumbo could very well have shot himself in the foot with his involvement in events this week.

As I pointed out, Stumbo was involved in the election of Charlie Hoffman to the caucus chairman position in the House. And that victory secured Stein's appointment because it resulted in the ousting of Damron, a Stein opponent. But Stein's appointment will very definitely hurt Richard's candidacy, since he is trying to run to the right of the rest of the field. I was quoted to this effect in today's Herald-Leader. And any damage to Richard's candidacy for governor is damage to Stumbo's candidacy for lieutenant governor since they would be running on the same ticket.

Oh what a tangled web we weave.

Pay a visit to the Crunchy Cons

Rod Dreher is the author of Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party). I haven't read it yet, although after finishing the subtitle, I feel like I have!

Dreher is a former editor with National Review Magazine who is now editor of the Sunday commentary section of The Dallas Morning News. He is what I call a "Wendell Berry conservative" (a designation I lay claim to as well). If his book is as good as his blog (as I understand it is), then it is good indeed.

He blogged my last post today over at Crunchy Cons. Check out his site, it's excellent.

Post on Dawkins discussed at Dembski's blog

My post on why Richard Dawkin's book, "The God Delusion," weakens the case for Intelligent Design was discussed over at William Dembski's blog, Uncommon Descent, in a post written by Denise O'Leary. It's an interesting post.

NKU joins the domestic partner benefits rebellion

Another state university has put taxpayers on notice that it doesn't consider itself beholden to anyone but special interest groups. This time it is Northern Kentucky University, announcing it is considering domestic partner benefits. I was quoted in the story that appeared in the Kentucky Enquirer (which seems to be the same story the CJ ran on the front page with a little added for the local angle). You can find the story here.