Name Calling in Frankfort

Some thoughts on the name calling in Frankfort reported by the Herald Leader:

But Pence said the administration is "disappointed" with this week's indictments and thinks Stumbo's office is "overzealous." He said the charges are the first under the 45-year-old merit law and referred to Stumbo as "a party boss”.

True, Greg Stumbo is the highest ranking Democrat in state government but “party boss.”

“Party Boss” conjures up images of smoke filled rooms with a guy giving orders and the rank and file running and jumping to do his bidding.

Anyone even vaguely aware of the Democratic Party in Frankfort knows it’s closer to the Will Roger quote than to Tammany Hall. I’m sure Greg would like to be able to issue an order and have it followed by rank and file democrats, but in reality leading the Democratic Party in this state is like herding cats.

“…..Asked whether the Fletcher administration will say the investigation is politically motivated if there is a conviction, (Lt. Gov. Steve) Pence said, "I'm going to wait. That's too big of an 'if' right now."

He noted, before abruptly ending the news conference, that a grand jury is "a tool of the prosecutor" and "you can get a ham sandwich indicted."

He’s right, a prosecutor can get a ham sandwich indicted, but there is one thing everyone seems to be ignoring about this Grand Jury. This Grand Jury is in Franklin County. Frankfort, and including the residents of Franklin County is a company town, and that company is state government.

Everyone one in the county either currently works for, or has worked for, or has a relative that works for state government.

The rank and file for the most part really dislikes this administration. However, most state employees usually adopt the big marshmallow approach to dealing with the temporary help like the Fletcher Administration.

They do what bureaucrats do best, slow the process down and frustrate the new management. We’ve seen some of that.

But this is different; the people sitting on this Grand Jury have the opportunity, in a legal and above board matter, to smack the Governor and his administration right in the mouth.

They have the opportunity to make someone pay for any real or perceived injustice they or someone they are related to or know has received at the hands of the Fletcherites.

Part of this whole mess is very personal and the dynamics function at the gut level.

And finally:

“……A 1998 Executive Branch Ethics Commission letter, released by Stumbo's office, calls into question Lewis' role with the fund. It says a registered executive agency lobbyist couldn't set up a similar type of legal defense fund for Danny Ross, an aide to former Gov. Paul Patton who was indicted several years ago for alleged campaign law violations.”

Greg probably didn’t have to go far to find the letter.

“One of Attorney General Greg Stumbo's first acts will be to hire Danny Ross, who was unsuccessfully prosecuted by the previous attorney general.

Moments after Stumbo took the oath of office yesterday, he announced that Ross will be his labor liaison, the same post that Ross held for former Gov. Paul Patton.”

When Danny Ross is mentioned in the same article as the Fletcherites I am reminded of a Pat Buchanan article on Northern Ireland.

Obvously the name calling in Frankfort isn't any where near the seriousness of the troubles in Northern Ireland, but the title of the article resonates politically.

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter

The Frankfort version might be:

One man's indicted political hack is another man's dedicated public servant