Welcome Jim!

Welcome to FDL, Alan. I’m glad you could make it this week. I hear you guys have had some weather down there

Hello to Firedoglake, thank you for having me.

I hear President Obama declared a state of emergency because of the snow you got – how are things?

In fact, speaking of weather, I know that a lot of federal aid has been rushed down to Kentucky because of the storms. Weren’t McConnell and Bunning and the House delegation opposed to helping the Katrina victims?

Howie!

Jim, welcome to FDL this afternoon. Are you a native of the district in question? I am a native of Kentucky myself, and was curious as to what led you to the district, if it isn’t where you are from.

Yes, President Obama declared KY a disaster area. Many still without power, phones, etc. It speaks to the weakenesses in our infrastructure here and throughout the country.

Aloha dakine01,
I was born in Knoxville Tennessee and settled here in Laurel County KY in 2005 after a military career and a number of years working as a commercial pilot throughout the U.S. and overseas.

Yeah, Howie, the speed at which the aid decision was reached was almost like President Obama and Gov. Beshear were brothers (it reminded me of the speed with which the Feds moved in Florida in ‘04 when all the hurricanes hit so close together – I’m sure that the fact it was the Bush Brothers protecting their investment had nothing to do with it at all)

And you showed your world knwoeldge by recognizing where I got my user name. :})

For a technical note, if you click on the “reply” in the lower right hand of a comment, it will display to whom you are replying.

Thanks! I’m better with aircraft than computers.

knowledge, sheesh. “preview is my friend, preview is my friend”

Here’s a link to an informative story. The north-central regions are hardest hit: http://www.bizjournals.com/cin…..ily59.html

Welcome to a brave soul~
so lets get right to it~ Why should I support someone who belives that he/Govt know better than myself and my Doctor in terms of my body and health? You are anti choice, which as a female, I pretty much see as anti me.

Please change my mind…..

Jim, now that you’ve switched from Independent to Democrat, how are the Democrats in the district accepting you? Is there likely to be a primary? Is there any push back from pro-choice Democrats that you don’t support their position?

Since you grew up in/near the mountains in East Tennessee, what do you say to the folks like Rogers who act like the area is a place only to be plundered and not where folks have lived and raised families for generations?

Seconding Ruffian’s question. Thanks for asking it so well.

Hello. Thanks for getting right to it. I can’t change your mind and don’t want to. The facts on the ground here in southeast KY are that an overt pro-choice position won’t get out of the gate, period. Stick to that and just count Hal Rogers in for yet another term.

I don’t allow my personal feelings to get in the way of representing a District. That’s not democracy, that’s theocracy, and we can’t and shouldn’t have one of those in America. My position is to let the states decide. We can discuss this more…

Hello Howie, I have always had support from local Dems, even when I ran as an Independent. Thanks to them for that.

I definitely believe there will be other candidates for the May 2010 Dem primary, as Hal Rogers will be perceived as more vulnerable if for no other reason than he’s aging fast.

I’m happy to discuss the abortion issue, and I hope to do so here today, as with ruffian14.

Does a vocal “let the states decide” viewpoint cost you support? Are the folks an “outlaw anything that I am told has to do with abortion” group or is there room for differences?

Rogers doesn’t frame it as plundering, he frames it as jobs. Ignoring the fact that after 30 years and untold millions in pork, we’re still the national “leader” in low wages, low life expectancy, low education level, and…as always…even lower expectations.

Jim, with all due respect, “letting the states decide,” is what the South wanted to do with the slavery issue. For many Americans– men as well as women– the issue of choice shouldn’t be about someone’s interpretation of religious dogma. I know it’s a tough district and someone is going to have to start the process of educating people, not just on this issue, but on all the progressive issues that media shills like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly have turned on their heads

You’ve got the picture. An overt stance as pro-choice is an non-starter in this region. My tempered approach is regarded as pretty progressive. Folks here want to here there own opinion parroted about abortion, and they don’t seem to notice or care that the Republicans hook them into the polls with the issue, but never seem to do anything about it. That’s all part of our region voting against its real interests. It’s really a tough problem.

Excellent point, Howie. Here’s the center of it: I feel that much of the abortion issue has to do with Roe v. Wade that settled it for all political jurisdictions. As you know, abortion was legal to some degree in many areas before 1973. I feel strongly that a vote in each jurisdiction, where the people felt the issue was settled by pols responsible to them at the polls, rather than the non-elected SC justices, would take much of the heat out of the issue.

Thanks for being here today, Jim.

I’d like to ask you — I’m a woman who isn’t particularly interested in having my reproductive freedoms taken away by the Democratic Party. How is it in my interest to strengthen the numbers of those within the party who would like to limit my choices by supporting you?

I’m not sure I buy into the idea that any Democrat is better than any Republican. If our majorities were slimmer I might accept the argument, but since power to influence policy seems to be consolidating in the hands of right-wing Democrats rather than Republicans, I think I would be voting against my own interests.

Again, thanks for your time.

Something tells me– I hope I’m wrong– that the residents of the district don’t favor equality for gay men and women either. Is that true? And if it is, how do you handle that?

Jim, Howie mentions in the write-up that the district includes 3 counties that voted for Obama out of almost 2 dozen in the district (for those who do not know, Kentucky has 120 counties, 3rd most after Texas and Georgia).

Wasn’t this pretty much all the counties in the state that went for Obama? I don’t recall how many there were total but I know those that voted for him were in the same general area.

And…Howie, let me tell you that I stand for attacking the big issues, namely the wars, the energy policy, and bringing back American jobs. We have to key on policies that matter to working Americans. FDR did this in the last big depression and it got Dems in power for 40 years, so that a number of the smaller (yes, smaller) progressive steps could be taken. That’s what we need, now: to elect a Congress that will vote for and support a “new” new deal.

Let’s take care of the big issues, and the smaller (yes, smaller, and no offense intended) issues will follow.

Who does influence them? Fox? Church? Others?

And thank you, Jane. I am not interested in taking away any of your freedoms, period. I am supporting a legislative approach to the issue, rather than the status quo. More than this I cannot do in SE KY, I might as well stay home. That’s pragmatism for you.

And you are right, any Dem is not necessarily better on this issue. However I can tell you that unless and until Hal Rogers gets voted out in this District and replaced by a progressive (that’s me), there will be one less vote in Congress for moving on with respect to the bankrupting war approach to foreign policy, energy that makes sense only for OPEC, and the continual hemorrhaging of jobs.

Most of the district is small-town and rural so the local churches are a big component. The local school district in each county is probably the largest employer. A lot of the area is coal mining region so they have seen the devastating impact of the neglect by the coal companies and seen their land and water despoiled by the mining waste.

Ye they keep sending Rogers back to the House (he was one of Tom Delay’s “Cardinals” – Appropriations committee members who doled out the pork)

Howie, you are correct. Those types of issues are classic wedges here and I assure you that Hal and his R party has played people with them here like violins. Never noticing that, when in power (2000-2006), nothing got settled to their liking.

What I do is to try to focus attention on the big issues. Like now.

Come on now– Louisville went for Obama (Jefferson County gave him 55% of their vote). Union County and Henderson in the west did too– as did Fayette and a couple more

I recommend What’s the Matter with Kansas by Thomas Franks. It’s classic appeals to values, while picking their pockets. Look up republican manipulation in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of KY’s 5th District.

Howie, please come and visit me and let me take you for a drive. This district is to Louisville as the Sahara is to the rain forest.

Check out the documentary movie, “Harlan County, USA.” Made in the 70’s during the last big coal strike, when the union was busted. Not much has changed, except for the worse.

True but there was so little blue and I was always surprised by that little oasis in the eastern mountains, I was trying to give them some extra credit :})

I appreciate your visit here today, Mr Holbert.

My money and support for Democrats goes to those who support the party’s pro-choice position. But I thank you for making the effort to educate voters in a district that should be Democratic but for the social issues Rush and O-Reilly have made the center of their appeal. I just don’t think our tent can be big enough to include those who feel they need to stretch their own personal positions to include the opposite view in order to get elected.

But I thank you for dropping by today to chat with us. I suggest you have a chat with the White House Chief of Staff — you would fit in real well with the Heath Shuler-type Democrats he recruited while head of the DCCC.

Only three counties out of 29 in the 5th District swung Dem in 2008. And one of those was the location of a big university. The rest, including the poorest of the poor, backed Hal and the R’s as usual.

We have to lead here with issues that matter to working people. As they see the house crash down around their ears thanks to R mismanagment, they are beginning to wake up and listen. But if you lead with “values” issues, you will be turned off faster than a cheap alarm clock.

I feel strongly that a vote in each jurisdiction, where the people felt the issue was settled by pols responsible to them at the polls, rather than the non-elected SC justices, would take much of the heat out of the issue.

would you also advocate that other human rights issues be settled in this way? it seems to me counter to the idea of our notion of fundamental human rights – the idea that some things are rights and even a majority of voters should not be able to take them away.

so i guess my question is this:

do you think i and other women should not have the right, the human right, to our own moral agency when it comes to our reproductive decisions? or do you think that that i do have such a right, but that all rights should be subject to the will of the voters?

i really like that you are for single payer health care – i think that’s going to be our big battle within the democratic party. so, i really hope you can find a way to defend women’s and all people’s fundamental human rights without resorting to putting it to a vote.

thank you.

This is a very interesting conundrum. I happen to be pro-choice and pro-civil rights for all, but I also want to see an end to the war, an end to big coal ruining natural resources. Given what I’m reading here, this community isn’t ready for a pro-choice candidate. Do we throw the baby out with the bath water? I don’t have the answer, but I do find this something that should be discussed. Perhaps, getting a candidate in place who can make some positive changes for the economy of the area is the first thing to do and then have a concerted education program in the schools and churchs about the moral issues, ie. freedom of choices all the way around to help them get ready to make tougher voting choices next time around might be something to consider.

Preliminarily,and for what it’s worth, my position on abortion has never been settled so “let’s the states decide has some appeal to me.

Concrete one for Jim… how would you vote on Freedom of Choice Act? I’m assuming against.(???)

Thanks, Teddy. And let me be equally frank: As long as you insist on refusing half a loaf, you will continue to starve with dignity.

Here’s hoping you change your mind. Always willing to debate with you if you can bring your focus to the issues that are really killing this Country: militarism, imperialism, transfer of wealth to corporations, outsourcing of the middle class.

So long as you make abortion your number one, you will not have anything but the status quo in KY 5 and many districts like it.

Again, I appreciate the frankness and hope you feel the same.

Were you approached by the state Democratic Party to run?

‘nother concrete one and another assumption… I assume you would vote for Employee Free Choice Act. How’s that playing in your parts? Would interest me since it’s a UMW area, right? But also pretty red.

Demi, you have it spot on.

The fact is that abortion pro or con may be the number one issue for many of you. But it isn’t what is killing our Country or our Democracy now.

Failure to focus on the bigger…yes, bigger issues, I believe, is one way of rationalizing our inability or unwillingness to take on the big challenges…militarism, corporatism.

No, I chose to run as a Democrat. Frankly there is no shred of the focus which Rahm E. brought to bear in the 2006 elections as far as selecting candidates. Hal Rogers had no Dem challenger in 2008. No Dem even sought the office in the primary. That is the picture here.

If you are speaking of the Employee Free Choice Act, rest assured I am a strong supporter. I am a working person and in fact a member of OPEIU Local 109. Union…YES!

Hi there,

I am sure King Coal is funding Rogers quite well. What is your vision for new industries in coal country? Or, newer and cleaner extraction techniques and refining processes?

Yes, I support EFCA. The UMWA was busted in these parts in the late 70’s and early 80’s due to the deck being stacked against trade unionism: dirty pool on the part of industry, aided and abetted by the continual attacks on the NLRB. EFCA will do a lot to restore the spirit of the Wagner Act.

We need coal. But not status quo coal. The first step is to retrofit all coal burning plants with all available technology, including mercury removal. And tell the people the truth: Electric prices will go up but that is the price you will pay for not fouling your nest.

I’ve found that if you don’t back off and keep repeating the facts, people have a way of seeing the sense of things.

Jim,
Part of the concern is, we’ve had candidates come on and lie about their views and turn around and immediately vote the exact opposite of what they claimed to believe, so folks are a bit gun-shy.

Plus, we’ve seen a lot of Rahm E recruited candidates, claiming to be Democrats, voting time and again in direct repudiation of the Democratic Parties stated values. It seems they are Democrats for convenience only so they don’t have to primary an incumbent and the only time they vote the Democratic Party position is in the organizing resolutions and even then, they publicly agonize over it (Shuler on whether he would vote for Speaker Pelosi)

hence caught in the wedge

You know, this is a real conundrum as someone mentioned above. Personally, I would never vote for someone who wouldn’t fight for a woman’s right to choice and personally I would never vote for someone who doesn’t feel that all Americans are equal under the law. But earlier today, I did a story about Marcy Kaptur– who has pretty much the same position about choice that Jim has. But today’s story was about how she’s telling her constituents who have gotten foreclosure notices to NOT move out and to squat in their own homes and fight eviction. It was the ballsiest thing I’ve heard from any Democrat anywhere about the mortgage crisis.

I’ve noticed a something I’m LOVING about Eric Massa. He’s in an Appalachian-type district like Jim’s which had come under the sway of the rightists. But Eric managed to win and he’s been busy doing something that many Democrats DON’T do– he explains to his constituents why he is supporting the progressive votes he takes every single day. He’s being really clear and really honest and straight-forward. I have a feeling he’s going to win his next election by a landslide. People like to be treated like adults and they like it when their elected officials are honest with them.

I share your concerns. That’s why I talk straight. Here’s the rub: The Dems held power in this Country starting with the last depression, when they came up with the formula to fix things. It worked well for forty years. Then the Dems took working people and the middle class for granted. Let’s not make the same mistake now that we have a window of opportunity to move this country in a progressive direction.

The repubs are more dangerous now because now they understand they have to change. Give them the opportunity to come up with a new brand of snake oil to sucker in the middle class and workers again, and don’t think they won’t take it.

No, that’s the problem. My number-one issue isn’t abortion, but it seems like it’s a deal-breaker for your would-be constituents. As long as they won’t vote for somebody who might disagree with them on an issue that, frankly, doesn’t often come before Congress, they won’t get a representative who votes their economic, foreign policy, or energy independence interests.

It’s not me standing in the way of KY-05 having sensible representation on issues that matter; it’s the KY-05 voters who make “abortion” a litmus test for an office that will have few votes on the issue nowadays. Your potential constituents need to understand that my Congresswoman, who also happens to be the Speaker of the House, isn’t going to allow votes on choice to come to the House floor. So it’s unwise to base their Congressional voting decisions upon an issue that their Congressman won’t ever get to vote on.

It would be much smarter to educate these voters around issues that they can see some movement on if they’d change representation. Even simply telling them they’ll do better to have a Democrat representing them while Democrats are in charge is honest.

This debate about choice is especially difficult if, as I think I’ve correctly inferred from your comments, you’ve tempered your own personal views in order to appeal to a district whose views you would ordinarily disagree with. Don’t trim your sails on choice just because you think your district won’t ever vote for a pro-choice Congressman — make an effort to explain to those voters just how irrelevant an anti-abortion position is when choosing a Congressman.

Thanks again for chatting today.

Exactly, dewey. Leading with these highly charged issues is the surest way to ensure that the status quo remains firmly in place, and that exactly nothing gets done toward moving this country away from the suicide path that it’s on.

I appreciate your inviting Jim here today and see this as an opportunity for real discussion.
Sometimes some of the commenters here remind me of the Dr. Seuss story of the south going Zax and the north going Zax — I think that’s what they were. One day the came to the same point and neither would budge an inch to the left or right and so neither of them were able to move.

I get the distinct feeling Mr. Holbert would rather state a different position on the matter of a woman’s choice but is constrained by his district’s litmus-test approach to the issue. I think I would be a pragmatist in this instance and choose him clearly before the incumbent Rogers. He does not sound like a Heath Shuler who seems to ENJOY his contrariness. He is not only right on so many important issues, but he’s appears not be be strongly convicted anti-choice.

Yes, Teddy, you are exactly right: Much is said about the issue and similar others, little is done. In fact, Republicans would probably be loath for an abortion “settlement” because it would take away their leading bait-and-switch tool.

Personally I just wish I could stop talking about abortion, gay rights, and similar issues, and try to get folks to see that the overseas wars are not only bankrupting this country, but they aren’t the way to defend America’s interests (I’m a twenty-year veteran). I’d also like to talk about energy and jobs.

Zaxtly!

Jim, you say you’re a supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act. How do you explain that to voters in KY-05? I suspect they’re hearing all the vicious anti-union propaganda on Fox and Hate Talk Radio. Are they open to hearing a progressive position on that?

Good response Teddy. I feel the exact same way. Don’t pretend to agree with them, educate them about the reality.

The recent spill from the Kingston/TVA holding ponds in Tennessee will take generations to clean up. Mountaintop coal removal is decimating one of the most beautiful (imho) mtn ranges in the nation. Who is going to remove the mercury from the Clinch River?

I am all for paying a bit more for less toxic energy. But look what Byrd just gave to King Coal last week. I am all for greater pay and safer conditions for UMW too. But I think we really need to penalize Big Coal for their corruption and the damage they have done to lives and nature rather than reward their criminal activity them with more money.

I’m confused, Ted. i think. I don’t even know if I’m confused. I think you said people shouldn’t base their decision just on the abortion/choice issue because the congressperson won’t be voting on it and Pelosi won’t let it see the light of day.I agree with that. Hope I didn’t get it wrong. So, what confuses me then, is why does Jim’s stance on abortion/choice matter?

EFCA is easy to explain to people. When they get the word that card checks are secret ballots and that employers have ALWAYS had the option, since the Wagner Act, of certifying unions without an ensuing vote, most people get pretty steamed at employers, and at the media who repeat the lying talking points.

to follow, jim,…. how is efca playing in KY05?

Actually I think it would be pretty powerful to tell people in the 5th district that you do support choice but that it really doesn’t matter because you won’t be voting on that issue. You would impress a lot of people just with HONESTY. Tell them up front that you aren’t going to agree on all of the issues but that on most of the ones you will be voting on you do. Ask them what Hal Rogers has done for them?

i wish it was that easy everywhere

Good point, the TN mishap is analogous to the big incident we have in eastern KY a few years back that polluted about 23 miles of a major watershed.

The “old guard” in Congress has to go. Senator Byrd is a great man, but he’s stuck in the 20th century with Hal Rogers. I have great hope to see this happen in Congress. Progressive Waxman challenged and defeated Mr. Dingell recently for that committee chairmanship and we need more of this.

Then you should.

Make every effort to educate your neighbors that the social “wedge” issues have nothing to do with being a Congressman — especially while Democrats are in control of the agenda in Washington. Make every effort to help them understand that on the issues that matter to their economic, national, and energy security YOU are with them and the GOP is against them.

Take a principled “no comment” stand on the social issues. I can get behind a candidate who pledges to abstain on any and all of those issues, in deference to the disagreement he has with his constituents, if he’s gotten elected having educated those constituents to the point where they too will accept an abstention on any of those issues that come to the floor of the House of Representatives.

Do you have any influential 5th District citizens that support your campaign?

EFCA isn’t playing in the 5th, because either nobody has the money (that would be me) to get the word out, or because those who have the money won’t spend it to combat the lies the right spreads about it. So this issue, like many issues which are really important and vital to the working people, get shoved aside. The Democrats MUST grab these issues and push them center stage.

It of course matter but lets be real; this is politics we are talking about here. First things first
, low hanging fruit, blah, blah blah

Because I am unwilling to see the Democratic party accommodate anti-choice officeholders. If the definition of the party gets stretched completely out of shape to include forced-birth proponents, we won’t be able to control the House floor agenda to exclude these votes.

Actually, this is what I do. I always tell people that, if elected to Congress, I promise to put a bill in the hopper each week about a vote on abortion. And, I tell them that those bills will never, ever, get out of the hopper. This doesn’t register.

In fact, Republicans would probably be loath for an abortion “settlement” because it would take away their leading bait-and-switch tool.

the bait-and-switch works both ways. how many dems from progressive districts claim to be be in favor of a women’s right to choose, equal right for glbt sisters and brothers and so forth – and then advocate for a health care system that cares more about the health of insurance companies than people?

these divisive issues are being used by both parties – and what do we get? stupid wars and government for corporations instead of people.

it’s worse than a conundrum.

Ok. understood.

What about the labor unions? The big one there– Miners– supported you as an independent in November. Aren’t they working towards explaining the Free Choice Act to people in the district?

Just about everybody with any influence in the 5th District has an understanding with Hal Rogers.

The District is actually Democratic on paper, i.e., more registered Dems. But they vote for the “King of Pork” (Hal) because they like the status quo.

I can’t see much to like in a District that is the national “leader” in low wages, low education, joblessness, and low life expectancy. But hey, we got great values down here, so we got that goin’ for us.

Do you have people in all of the 5th district counties who are campaigning for you?

You’ve got it. Bait-and-switch is bad no matter which side uses it. We need pragmatic solutions to real problems, and we need them fast. That’s what I’m running on.

Howie, the UMWA has zero–zero–active locals in the District. They were busted out of southeast Kentucky when the employers found a way around the laws and were aided and abetted in doing so, starting back in the 70’s.

There remains a lot of UMWA influence here because of the many retirees and their families, though. So the UMWA endorsement (which I got in 2008) does count. But the money and the support pales in comparison to the corporatist force arrayed against them.

I have contacts in about half of the 29 counties from 2008. And I’m building a much stronger organization now, thanks to support from the Democratic committees in each county.

There are a lot of people here who do want Hal Rogers out. Just not many who have figured out how to do it, yet.

Jim.
If memory serves me, there should be at least one media voice in the district that you can count on and that would be The Mountain Eagle. Did they possibly endorse you in ‘06? Or have they abandoned their late publisher’s vision?

Oops. I meant ‘08.

Here’s a question for you folks: Saul Alinksy said, their side has all the money, our side has all the votes. Now my question is, how do we get all those voters to stop voting against their own economic interests? You tell me your ideas, I will take all the help I can get.

The Mountain Eagle remains a progressive voice, to my knowledge. I have been in contact with them this time out. I did not, however, seek their endorsement in 2008 but I should have, and I would have been glad to have it.

Altho we are almost pensly-tucky here (Hey- it’s very pretty!) Eric had the suburbs of rochester to carry him In Chemung (where I reside) County & Steuebn (it’s neighbor) Eric lost. I think you should go for that ride through the district and you will see many differences….

I grew up on the northern edge of the Bluegrass region of Kentucky and have lived all over, including central Upstate NY. There really are a lot of similarities in the districts (other than the weather – NY gets the cold prize)

But the mountains of eastern Kentucky still have a lot of beautiful areas, even with the destructions done by the mining cos.

Howie, thanks for the observation that people enjoy being treated like adults.

I don’t shrink from explaining bad news to folks here in the District, and why it’s necessary. The shock value that comes from having a politician tell them the truth, rather than the canned line from either party position or the media, is considerable.

I live in Louisville and my boyfriend was born in Pikeville. You almost need to campaign like Willie Stark did in the movie “All the Kings Men”. What have you got to lose? If you are careful and campaign in a timid way you will fail. You have to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. But you must have people in all of the 5th district counties to organize the counties on your behalf. They need to be out there identifying local citizens who can help convince their friends. Heck I’d start traveling the 5th with a giant tent like the evangelists used to use and start preaching to the citizens how they’re being used.

ay…there’s the rub…..

This region is definitely very beautiful. The isolation that is its blessing in terms of natural beauty has always been its curse, in terms of lack of economic opportunity. That is why coal has always had such power here…a job in southeastern Kentucky is a very valuable thing, and if you can provide one, you have a lot of power here.

I am willing to campaign like Huey Long, if it comes to that. I preach a pretty good sermon. It’s money I need, and that’s the bottom line.

Mountaintop removal has probably destroyed your water. Find our how much Rogers is spending on bottled war to feed his pets. Go for his jugular.

Good luck! I’l be watching form Los Angeles.

If pork is why they re-elect him, you can make inroads: a GOP won’t get the same pork he has since 1995 when the GOPs took over Congress. Time for KY-05 to change horses to stay on the pork train!

Do you folks know (fec.gov) that Hal Rogers has about a million bucks in his campaign war chest? That he outspent me in 2008 about 200-to-1? And that the bulk of his 2008 expenditures were to other PACs, and to the campaigns of other candidates? Perhaps these facts will help you understand the scope of the problem.

And I’m sure you have read the Rolling Stone article about Hal Rogers from several years ago. Google Hal Rogers and you will see pork, corruption, and bad government come up regularly.

Point.

Thanks for watching. But write my campaign a check while you are watching… :)

Do you think the Bush administration officials who authorized torture should be prosecuted?

I just did that. i Google’d him. There’s a Comfort Inn on Hal Rogers Blvd. someplace???? He has a street named after him???? Shit.

Loyalty is a strong thing in these parts. What the 5th’s voters need to understand is that Hal and the R ways he’s rubber-stamped for are the thing that have brought down the house around our ears, and that in Appalachia we’ll be hardest hit (as usual). More of them are “getting it” all the time.

Prestonsburg

Yes, I think investigations toward Bush administration violations of domestic and international law should move forward. Accountability must be brought back if we are to save democracy in this country.

when was the last time a Dem represented the 5th?

Streets? I drive east from London on the Hal Rogers Parkway (it used to be named the Daniel Boone parkway, he changed it). I go to work on Hal Rogers Drive. The closest waterpark for me to take my grandkid is named the Hal Rogers waterpark.

You need to come to my house and visit, I can give you an education on the way things are here.

Why don’t you contact John Edwards and ask for his help. He’s not exactly real popular these days among the beltway Democrats but he might be able to offer some good ideas on who to campaign in rural areas. He also might be able to help fund your campaign. I’m sure that Mr. Edwards would love being asked so that he can work his way back into politics.

What about prosecutions if those investigations warrant them?

Jeez. I hadn’t seen that Rolling Stone Article. Just did. The National Review of all people called this Rogers guy a “disgrace.”

Jim, kind of off topic, but are you familiar with the Red Bird Mission?

This District and its forbear (redistricting took place in the 80’s) has been voting Republican a long time. I am proud to say that our Lt Governor, Democrat Dr. Dan Mongiardo, is from Hazard, which is right in the middle of the KY 5th, however. So there is a lot of Democratic registration (about 3-to-2, on paper), and a lot of Democratic sentiment seeting under the surface right now.

Excellent idea re: John Edwards, and I will follow up on it. Thanks.

I think it would be quite a feather in his cap if he helped you defeat Hal Rogers and Edwards was pretty popular in Kentucky.

I live about 45 minutes drive from Red Bird Mission, am not real familiar with it, however it’s in line with the social reform movement that came into Appalachia in the early twentieth century and made a lot of progress in education and medical care in these part, such as establishing settlement schools, some of which are still in operation. It’s a fascinating subject about a fascinating area of the country. For good and ill, there is no place in America like the Appalachian regions.

The reason I asked is I was wondering if local organizations who help folks, who visit those in hard to reach areas might be a source for a grass roots campaign.

Mr. Edwards may be busy taking care of his sick wife and dating.
(I tried to to say that with as little snark as possible.)

Prosecutions if warranted? Absolutely! That’s what the rule of law means, after all. And no one should be immune, regardless of status or position. The fact that we even have to discuss that says volumes about how far we’ve sunk in America.

yeah. what teddy said before. this guy rogers is on the appropriations committee? not gonna mean as much as in the bush days.

The social workers and activists in this area are mighty, mighty skittish about committing or endorsing, they run very scared of losing their tax-exempt status. Can’t say if they feel threatened or not, but I can tell you that they are OK running voter registration workshops & getting a crowd of folks up to march in front of a coal company…but when it comes to getting somebody in office who will vote for progressive issues, they aren’t much real help. The truth hurts.

Hazard? Like Daisy Duke and all? That Hazard?

Another suggestion would be to talk about how because of people like Hal Rogers, who only take care of themselves, young people are forced to move from the area because there are no opportunities. If you were speaking in a particular town you could even call on someone local who can tell a personal story about this happening or you could find people like my boyfriend (just an example) whose family had to leave Pikeville and stop paying local taxes because there was no work available.

Thank you. Good answer.

It was “Hazzard” in the show. The real place is named Hazard, and it’s in Perry County, smack in the middle of the 5th.

I like to tell people, that things might improve in Hazard so much that we could change the name to “Caution.” Believe it or not, that sometimes gets a laugh…

Gotcha. Just trying to do a little brain storming.

You should see the story about just such lack of econ opportunity in the Lexington paper recently. Don’t have it right now but email me at contact at holbertforcongress dot com and I’ll send it to you.

The best 2 hour education you can ever get about this region is to watch the documentary film, “Harlan County, USA,” which won many awards when it came out in the 70’s and was made by a woman film-maker from New York, whose name escapes me just now. It’s still in print. Take a look at it.

Thanks. I’d love to read it.

As I see time drawing to a close, I would like to say I appreciate the opportunity to speak and listen on Firedoglake. Thanks for your consideration. I would be happy to continue the dialogue about better representation for Kentucky’s 5th District here or by email any time (contact at holbertforcongress dot com).

what about immigration? That’s one that reactionary Rs play on and exploit all the time. where are you on that?

Jim thanks for coming by and sharing your perspective with the community. It was a stimulating discussion and I hope we can touch bases as we get closer to the primary.

I just bought that cd around Christmas time. It’s excellent. We also bought a cd called The Music of Kentucky Early American Rural Classics 1927-37 and a DVD called That High Lonesome Sound (films of American rural life and music). They were all good!

That’s a fairly common story throughout the state. I remember when the factories first started coming into my hometown from the north.

They brought the assembly line jobs but very few jobs available to someone who went to college. The main result was instead of a lot of full time farmers, there became a lot of part-time farmers and full time assembly line workers.

thank you jim. appreciate the conversation.

one more thing….. any colleges in the 5th? any possibility of getting kids out for you?

Thanks for bring that subject up. I believe that existing immigration laws must be enforced. Go after employers of illegals. The fact is that we here in America are going to need those jobs. Pay people a legal, living wage and Americans will do these jobs. And it won’t add very much to commodity prices, either.

Important: Illegal immigration is not to be blamed on the people who come here out of necessity, but on the corrupt and reactionary governments that make it a necessity.

Thank you Howie, thanks everyone, and thanks to Firedoglake.

The DVD called That High Lonesome Sound has film footage of Roscoe Holcomb who lived in Hazard. Eric Clapton once called Mr. Holcomb is favorite country musician.

thanks jim. abortion/choice issues mean so much to people here, it was certainly ballsy of you to come. also, the people to whom those issues mean so much were very civil, i think. it was good time. good luck jim

Yes, several colleges and universities, and yes, they are a significant potential source of support. Rowan county is the home of Morehead State University and it is one of 3 counties which went Dem in 2008 in the 5th.

Thank you Jim.

Great discussion, thank you so much for coming to Firedoglake. Best of luck on your campaign, and keep us posted!

You bet I will. And don’t be a stranger from the website: holbertforcongress.com

Thanks again & best wishes to all.

Thank you for your time today and I wish you the best of luck in your campaign. Stay strong and positive and keep the faith.

I hope some of you will support Jim’s candidacy. I live in Eastern Kentucky…and the reality is that if the Democrats put up a “pro-choice” candidate, they would get 4 votes. Kentucky Democrats are much more Conservative than California Democrats or New York Dems. The important thing is: Eastern Kentucky hasn’t gotten anywhere with 29 years of Hal Rogers in Congress, and we need someone like Jim in Congress fighting for issues that matter. And while I am staunchly pro-choice, it is not quite on the same level of importance as health care, education or energy.

Is there any musician, actor, writer, poet, etc from your area that you could contact and ask for help?

And good luck, I hope you fight hard and win.

Thanks for your idea.

There is a fine author in our area, Silas House. He is an authentic voice of contemporary Appalachia. I recommend his book, Clay’s Quilt, for its realist depiction of the strengths and weaknesses which prevail in the people of our region.