Barack Obama

MURRAY -- In a well-received speech in front of 300 western Kentucky Democrats, U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) said unseating his opponent should be a principle goal of those pushing for "change" in the federal government - a concern he aligned with both presidential candidates.

"If you want to change the culture in Washington, what better message can you send than to remove the biggest obstacle from changing the culture - to send Mitch McConnell packing," said Lunsford. "He is the quintessential poster boy of the old Washington politics."

"Change" is a principle buzzword this election cycle given its central usage by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and Senator, Barack Obama (D-Ill.). "Change" is also a staple term in Lunsford's rhetorical lexicon, yet at the Purchase Area Jefferson-Jackson dinner Lunsford did not attribute it solely to the man atop the Democratic ticket.

"There may be a lot Barack Obama and John McCain disagree on," said Lunsford. "One thing I have found that they both agree on is that both of them believe that we need to change the Washington culture."

Presumptive Republcian presidential nominee and U.S. Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) appeared at a McCain Victory Fundraiser in Louisville on Saturday night that nearly broke the state's fundraising record.

The event's $2 million take nearly topped a state record, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, falling just short of the $2.1 million raked in by at a 2007 GOP fundraiser featuring President George W. Bush.

The $2 million in contributions collected will now be divided between the campaign of the guest of honor, the Republican Party of Kentucky, and national Republican organizations.

Reaction to the United States Supreme Court's decision in the D.C. v. Heller case emanated from prominent Republicans in Kentucky quickly today, after the high court overturned a Washington, D.C., law banning handgun ownership in a 5-4 decision.

"Today the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects the individual right of law-abiding citizens of the District of Colombia to protect themselves in their own homes," U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) said in a statement. "This landmark ruling will ensure that regardless of where citizens reside, the government will respect their rights that are guaranteed by the Second Amendment."

In the court's majority opinion, Associate Justice Antonin Scalia concluded "the District's ban on handgun possession in the home violates the Second Amendment, as does its prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the home operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense.

LOUISVILLE -- Arguing against the speculation of many pundits, Kentucky state AFL-CIO president Bill Londrigan told PolitickerKY.com the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), is connecting with many in the Bluegrass State -- including members of his labor coalition.

Rejecting the notion that Obama would struggle with white, working-class voters in the state because of his race, Londrigan said AFL-CIO membership was "a lot more likely to vote for Obama" as he "represents real change, no matter what color he is."

"People are writing off the electorate, but a lot of people are supporting Obama," Londrigan said.

Obama's opponent in Kentucky's May 20 Democratic primary, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) won the state by more than 35 points. Londrigan, however, pointed to Obama's successes as evidence of the Illinois senator's potential in the state.

Until this year, all presidential nominees have accepted federal money and the restrictions that come with it.

What did Hillary Clinton say to Barack Obama to cause him to react in such a concerned way?

And why is Bill Clinton there looking for the fist bump?

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Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.), has halved the lead of his Republican counterpart, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), in Kentucky.

A new poll by the New Jersey-based firm SurveyUSA shows McCain holding a 53 to 41 percent lead over Obama in Kentucky among 626 "likely voters." 4 percent of respondents indicated they would select an "other" candidate while 2 percent were undecided.

The poll was conducted from June 13 to June 16 and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percent.

The findings are the first presidential numbers released by SurveyUSA since a poll conducted just prior to Kentucky's May 20 Democratic presidential primary. Then, McCain showed a 56 to 32 percent advantage over Obama in a then-hypothetical general election match-up. At the time, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) was still very involved in the Democratic primary race against Obama. Earlier this month, she conceded to the Illinois Senator.13 percent of the 600 "registered" voters surveyed in that poll were "undecided."

Gov. Steve Beshear's office confirmed this morning that his chief of staff, Jim Cauley, has decided to leave his administration to start a political consulting business.

Cauley will be replaced in the position by Adam Edelen, who is presently serving as the executive director of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security.

"With his political acumen, strategic mind and never-failing good humor, Jimmy has been an integral part of my team and will be sorely missed," Governor Beshear said in a statement released today. "Without him, I would never have been elected. We know this was a tough decision for Jimmy, but we understand that this is the right time in this talented young man's career to move on to other opportunities."

Cauley previously served as campaign manager for Beshear's succesful 2007 governor's run. That position brought him back to Kentucky after he ran Barack Obama's 2004 bid for the open U.S. Senate seat in Illinois.

Veterans of the presidential campaigns of U.S. Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) are the newest additions to U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth's (D-Louisville) staff for his first re-election campaign.

Maryland native Dan Geldon will serve as campaign manager for Yarmuth, fresh off of a bid as an advisor for the National Youth Vote program for Senator Barack Obama.

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