Jack Conway Has Been An Extraordinary Attorney General-- And He's Just The Guy To Turn Back The Teabaggers Behind Rand Paul

Kentucky isn't some hopeless red state like Utah or Mississippi-- not by a long shot. Sure, it's the home of two of the worst obstructionist carbuncles in the United States Senate, Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning but this is also a state that has elected an outstanding governor, Steve Beshear, and one of America's best Attorneys General, Jack Conway, not to mention a real tribune of the people in the form of Congressman John Yarmuth (who beat Bush rubber stamp Anne Northup twice, 51-48% in 2006 and 59-41% in 2008, when Obama won that district decisively, 56-43%). No, Kentucky is a real swing state and it offers an excellent opportunity for real change this year.

McConnell, worried that the increasingly hysterical and senile Bunning would have no chance to win, forced him out of his re-election bid by cutting off all funding and replacing him as the standard bearer for the Republican Party Machine with colorless, dull McConnell stooge Trey Grayson. Recognizing a chance to strike a blow against GOP corruption, the teabaggers got behind Ron Paul's off-kilter son, Rand, who is now heavily favored to beat the McConnell candidate. Many Republicans are worried because it is widely felt that although Paul can surely win the Republican primary, he will have almost no chance of winning in November when it isn't only Republicans voting, especially if he faces a real Democrat like the aforementioned Kentucky A.G., Jack Conway. Democrats and Independents are unlikely to vote for a certifiable crackpot and Establishment Republicans would rather sit this one out than vote for someone with ideas as kooky and dangerous as Paul's.

Thursday Rand Paul and the teabaggers are demonstrating in front of Conway's Frankfort office, demanding he sue the federal government to stop... healthcare reform. They're wasting their time with this April Fool's prank since Conway is the only candidate to be campaigning on healthcare reform. In fact, not only did he state unequivocally that he would have voted for the bill-- despite having reservations about some of the provisions-- but he is already making plans to work to make healthcare more affordable for more working families along the lines of the Alan-- not Trey-- Grayson Medicare buy-in legislation wending its way through the Congress. Conway was one of the first A.G.s anywhere in America to denounce the preposterous lawsuit pointing out that it "makes for good Tea Party politics but is based on questionable legal principles."

His campaign was quick to point out that he is a firm supporter of the healthcare legislation, calling it "a rare opportunity to stop insurance company abuses, lower costs for businesses and individuals, and provide affordable coverage for up to 900,000 Kentuckians who are uninsured. While far from perfect, it expands coverage for uninsured Americans, stops insurance companies from discriminating against individuals with pre-existing conditions and helps small businesses."

The conservative Democrat running against Conway in the May 18th primary, Dan Mongiardo seems to be getting his talking points from the same place as Trey Grayson: Mitch McConnell's office. He's campaigning against healthcare reform and he's virulently anti-Choice and anti-gay (although there have always been rumors that he's "anti-gay" for the exact same reason Miss McConnell is).

Here are a bunch of wealthy old Republican men demanding that Jack Conway join their circus-- and his response. Give it a look and you'll see why we're excited about seeing a decisive, forward-looking Democrat win the primary and then vanquish the teabagger candidate for Senate. Please consider contributing to Conway's campaign at the DWT ActBlue page. He'll be a live guest at Crooks and Liars on Wednesday afternoon at 5pm (ET).