State Senator Aaron Reed wants to look like a man of the people, boots, cowboy hat, and all, but his political playbook is pure MAGA cosplay. Beneath the costume lies a calculated career built on culture war posturing, military fetishism, and barely concealed far-right sympathies. With ambitions for higher office and a business that caters to gun culture, Reed isn’t just another right-wing state senator. He’s a walking billboard for Kentucky’s hard-right undercurrent. From Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots: Building a Brand on Macho Mythology Aaron Reed wears his military background like armor. Not just on his campaign materials, but in nearly every public appearance, policy pitch, and photo op. He leans hard into a narrative of discipline, duty, and strength, presenting himself as the hard-nosed patriot Kentucky needs. But scratch beneath the surface of this tactical persona, and what emerges is less a servant-leader and more a man obsessed with performance. Reed’s public image is carefull...

While most Kentuckians are working hard just to make ends meet, Senate President Robert Stivers is hard at work consolidating power, cutting deals, and rewriting the rules to benefit his political allies. Behind the polished podium speeches and empty talk of “good governance” lies a record of insider favoritism, partisan purges, and backroom influence that’s left everyday Kentuckians behind. It’s time to shine a light on the man running the Senate like it’s his personal fiefdom.  Weaponizing Power Over Commissions In early 2025, Stivers pushed Senate Bill 8 to stack the Public Service Commission —adding partisan seats and forcing out members appointed by a Democratic governor . He claims it's about "expertise," but this is a blatant attempt to install his cronies and sideline independent regulators. Later, he quietly stalled the bill. J ust enough to avoid blowback . Strategy, not principle. Fundraising for Judges: Deep Conflicts Stivers publicly shrugged off conce...

James Comer wants you to think he’s a crusader for truth. A no-nonsense, God-fearing Kentuckian holding corrupt elites accountable from his seat atop the House Oversight Committee. But here’s the reality: James Comer isn’t investigating corruption. He’s part of it. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. A Committee Chair Who Can't Chair a Meeting Since taking over the House Oversight Committee, Comer’s performance has been less "watchdog" and more wannabe Fox News host with a gavel . His so-called investigations have turned into embarrassments, filled with half-baked accusations, missing evidence, and made-for-TV soundbites that fizzle under real scrutiny. Instead of focusing on things that actually matter to Kentuckians, like healthcare access, rural infrastructure, or economic survival, Comer has wasted taxpayer time and money chasing political boogeymen . And when the heat’s on him? He d...

When Steve Meredith tells you to “take a deep breath,” he’s hoping you’ll forget to ask who lit the fire in the first place. The state senator from Leitchfield recently posted a long-winded defense of the legislature’s Medicaid budget cuts, painting himself as the sober-minded voice of reason in a storm of “fearmongering.” But if you know Steve Meredith’s past; not just his politics, but his career,  then you know exactly why his reassurances ring hollow. Because long before he was calling Medicaid unsustainable, he was profiting from it. From Hospital Exec to Political Opportunist. Before his election to the Kentucky Senate in 2016, Meredith ran a rural hospital system. Instead of being remembered as a bold reformer, he left a legacy of overworked nurses, underpaid staff, and a toxic culture that prioritized the bottom line over patient care. “Cutting the fat” in his world meant laying off frontline workers and slashing benefits while preserving bloated executive perks. And ...