The FBI comes to Knott county. Again. Politics in Eastern Kentucky...

DISCLAIMER: I have only indirect knowledge of the following events. I believe this information to be essentially true, but I have not proof. I believe the FBI is acting in good faith, but finding what they're told to look for and how to interpret it. This is why we desperately need a good investigative reporter in this area.

Kentucky is known internationally as having the most violent elections in the US. The BBC did a special on it in 2000, when a car carrying a county official was sprayed with bullets in Clay County, and in a separate incident a sheriff killed by an opponent. Floyd Co., where I was today, is where two friends got into a fight about the Iraq war and the Republican killed the Democrat, though the Democrat drew his gun first. The moral of this story is that Kentuckians often express themselves with firearms. See the previous post about my cousin redecorating the Holiday Inn when his girlfriend dissed him at a party. It that hotel had been locally owned then, it might not have been a big deal, but being an international chain, Holiday Inn pressed the issue HARD. Some people just don't understand "armed and crazy" as a cultural norm. (Yes, I'm sorry, I gotta call them the way I see them.)

Anyway, Knott County, Kentucky also has problems, but at least they're more subtle. Remember that little dust up we call the War Between the States? Well, Kentucky didn't join the Confederacy, but a lot of Kentuckians did and never left it. As a result, until 2006, Knott County, Kentucky never had a Republican Judge Executive. This created a long-lived Democratic political machine which was corrupt and incompetent beyond belief. Lots of money got spent, but none of it benefitted the people of Knott County.

In 2000, many of us had had enough. So we got together and showed up at the Democratic committee meetings, elected some new officers and delegates, and we voted the bastards out, to be replaced by a relatively honest new kind of Democrat named Donnie Newsome. For the first time in history, money that was appropriated for public works got used for... Public Works! Specifically, we got "city water," so we no longer had to buy bottled water and use iron-out on our clothes because they had turned rusty brown. That's a great thing.

The local Democratic Machine, known hereabouts as The Mountain Mafia, was not pleased. Unfortunately, somebody in the clique allegedly has a friend or a cousin in the FBI. Our new, functional Judge Executive was framed for buying votes - a Kentucky tradition from way back, 1 vote = 1 pint of moonshine, except that he DIDN'T but his opponent DID according to testimony in the trial - and he was convicted by people coerced to testify against him for reduced sentences in drug cases. He went to jail for many months thanks to the Republican, Bush-appointed judge who had a chance to screw a Democrat .

Donnie's assistant, Mac Combs, was also an honest guy and filled in admirably in Donnie's absence. One day, Mac went out to his truck and leaned over to put a tin of chewing tobacco inside when he found - a stash of drugs. He took them straight to the sheriff, but I don't think there was ever an official report. I could be wrong. Anyway, the drugs were planted to get Mac in trouble. Apparently, the plan was to let him drive home not knowing what was in his glove compartment and tip off the state police. No one ever found out who planted the drugs, but Mac locks his doors now, which is unheard of in this area.

After months of this nonsense, Donnie got out of jail, but it ruined his life. Another guy who was caught up in the scandal had his house burned while he was away and wasn't allowed to come back to Knott County to live. Finally, it was up to Republican governor Ernie Fletcher to appoint a temporary Judge Exec. There were two main candidates for the job - Mac and MIke Hall, the Mountain Mafia candidate. Loyalties ran deep and there were alliances made and lost as the tension between the Mafia and the New Democrats squared off to fight for the office. In the end, Ernie Fletch appointed ..... Randy Thompson, new Republican and owner of a local radio station. What. the. hell?!

Randy moves in, people are not pleased, but the delight of many, he does a good job. He's forward thinking guy with vision and he started projects like skate parks and ATV trails. Things settle down until the next election.

The two Democratic camps square off again, and the voting machines mysteriously report 0 votes in Rock Fork, which is a strong Democratic area that would have gone for Mac. Who knows how many other mistakes were made? At the end of a tense night, the odious Mike Hall wins and the Democratic committee has a mass of resignations by people who start researching whether they can legally reject the winner of the primary. They couldn't, and many are now Republicans or Independents.

When the election rolls around it's Mike Hall vs. Randy Thompson. For the first time in history, the Republican wins in Knott county because nobody but his little clique likes Mike. Republicans rejoice, having no real opposition now. Randy stays in office and continues to kick ass for the people of Knott county.

--but wait--

The Mountain Mafia still allegedly has an "in" with the FBI, who recently swooped down on county offices with federal warrants and bad attitudes, taking computers and documents by the box-load, including one item essential to the Judge's defense of which there is no copy. An audit ensues. Misinformation trickles forth. Knott county is having bad flash-backs to the previous tragedy that followed the FBI.

If Randy Thompson is convicted of anything, no one else with a clue will ever run for Judge Executive and we are back at the mercy of the Mountain Mafia.

No, I can't run for office, I'm physically unable, though I wouldn't if I could because I ain't going to jail if I happen to win.