Farmer’s word good enough for some

Opinion

Discussion

May 26, 2009

By RONNIE ELLIS The Glasgow Daily Times Tue May 26, 2009, 12:30 PM CDT

FRANKFORT — An amusing story and some political musings.

Some stories are just too good to be true. A highly successful central Kentucky Republican acquaintance who grew up in a rural southern Kentucky Republican county went home to visit during the height of concern over H1N1 or swine flu. While there, he decided to re-visit his childhood by stopping by a country store where he used to spend time listening to political stories and old men's lies.

When he walked in there were four or five characters he’d known for years, sitting on a bench trading stories. My friend was greeted warmly as the prodigal son who moved away, made good and had come home to visit. As they talked, he decided he’d enjoy another staple of rural country stores, a bologna sandwich thick sliced and made right there on the spot. But when he told the proprietor what he wanted, one of his old buddies cautioned it might be risky to consume pork with “all this swine flu going around.” The owner behind the counter sighed and said the bottom had fallen out of sandwich sales since news of swine flu began dominating headlines.

My friend smiled and offered: “Well, Richie Farmer said it’s okay to eat pork as long as the pig is from Kentucky.”

At the mention of the former basketball icon and present Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner, the old men shifted on their bench and one proclaimed: “Well, if Richie says it’s okay, then I reckon it’s gotta be safe.” And then, according to my buddy, two of the four stood up and told the proprietor they’d just have a bologna sandwich too.

My friend has been known to spin a few tales, and this may be one of them. But it illustrates the popularity of Farmer in rural Kentucky.

On the other side of the political aisle, Attorney General and U.S. Senate aspirant Jack Conway finds himself in a bit of a bind thanks to fellow Democrat Jody Richards, the former Speaker of the House from Bowling Green. Richards wants an advisory opinion from Conway on whether legislation to allow electronic slots at race tracks requires a constitutional referendum by voters.

As reported this week by CNHI News Service, Conway’s father, Tom Conway, is a thoroughbred owner and member of the racing commission. That’s tough enough. But worse is the prospect of coming down on one side of a controversial issue which divides Kentucky voters whose support Conway needs to go to Washington.

Conway points out there’s really no precedent or procedure for him to recuse himself and insists he’ll follow the law – and only the law – in researching the question and issuing an opinion. But whichever conclusion he reaches, he’s going to upset a lot of people.

Finally, Republican Secretary of State Trey Grayson announced members of his finance committee as he explores a run for the U.S. Senate seat held by his friend Jim Bunning. It was Bunning who for some reason encouraged Grayson to set up an exploratory committee. After seeing some of the prominent Republican names on the list, Bunning might regret it.

When he looks at the names of some of his long-time financial backers on that list, Bunning may reconsider running for a third term, especially if Grayson out-raises him the second quarter of the year, After all, he vowed after losing the 1983 gubernatorial race never to be outspent again.

Text Only

Opinion

Americans need to change attitudes
There’s something inherently wrong with this country’s societal standards when a mother is harassed and humiliated for breastfeeding her child in public, while any partial or complete display of the same woman’s breasts in the media or on the street for the purpose of sexual objectification would seem acceptable to many Americans, male and female alike.

February 10, 2012
Near miss on super prediction
Let’s take a step into the past my seven faithful readers and review some predictions made in this space in early September. (Too bad it wasn’t late September and we could borrow the line “should be back in school.”)

February 4, 2012
Redistricting plans equally indefensible
I don’t know how Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd will rule in the re-districting case. Nor am I a constitutional attorney, so I can’t say with any authority the maps drawn by the Democratic controlled House to benefit Democrats or the one drawn by the Republican Senate to benefit Republicans are constitutional.

February 4, 2012
Comer sets good example
Newly elected Ag Commissioner Jamie Comer, a Gamaliel Republican, requested an audit of the department upon his taking the position earlier this month.

January 14, 2012
Fortis will be good partner
I put shoulder to the wheel in search of photos Thursday morning. First, there was an ancient bread van parked amongst some saplings on the side of which there was a woman’s name painted in white, puffy letters. Whose van might that be and I wonder if it comes with the for sale property?

January 7, 2012
Farewell to Gatewood
As word spread of Gatewood Galbraith’s passing, the same phrase was heard repeatedly: “Gatewood was a colorful character.”

January 7, 2012
Computers should make records easier to get
The digital revolution was supposed to make record-keeping easier and less costly for companies. Therefore it should make things simpler for the public or news outlets seeking open records to find them.

December 31, 2011
Resolutions for the new year
New Year’s is the time for resolutions, a lot of which won’t last until spring.

December 31, 2011
Things to rejoice this Christmas
The year that will soon lapse has been tough. It has been a year of immovable politics; a year of contentious state elections; a year of absurd gesticulations by certain fiscal court members.

December 24, 2011
YOUR VIEWS: Remember Christ’s birth
December 23, 2011
More Opinion Headlines

Opinion

Search Results

Discussion

Farmer’s word good enough for some

Site Map