Stephanie Hope

I am a lifelong Republican, and I have served as state representative for eight years. Before that, I was a county party chair, vice-chair, and long before that, I interned under former Congressman Geoff Davis. I have worked on, and contributed to, a multitude of campaigns from every wing of the Republican Party: The ivory tower establishment types, the crunchy grassroots activists, the libertarian-leaning ideologues, and even local races that are focused more so on who your pappaw is. I am furious about what I am seeing in our federal government and you should be too. It isn’t about any certain elected official, or candidate, and it’s not particularly about Kentucky. It’s about the collective failure of republican leadership at the national level to deliver on virtually any promise—particularly Congress. These men and women run as conservative republicans, then spend like drunken sailors once they get elected. I’m sick of it, and I won’t stop speaking the truth about it even if it means losing my own seat. I expect to be held accountable for my voting record, why aren’t these clowns in DC? Oh now isn’t the time to talk about it because we’re heading into midterms? Actually, it is the perfect time to talk about it because we will face catastrophic electoral losses if we don’t own up to our failures and figure out a way to do better. Calling the other side communists is NOT going to cut it when our own party has allowed the national debt to skyrocket by trillions of dollars, and sent billions of dollars overseas while our own roads and bridges deteriorate. How many years did we hear candidates blather on about repealing Obamacare? Reducing energy costs? How often do we hear them talk about defending the 2nd Amendment, only to turn around and compromise on Red Flag law funding and enhanced background checks? Don’t get me started on the Pro-Life issue. Federal candidates have all but abandoned it after Roe was overturned. Instead, we have a president who says we need to compromise on the Hyde Amendment and support pro-abortion exceptions. We can call ourselves the party of limited government, we can call ourselves conservatives, but what exactly are we conserving if we’re not defending life, upholding the Constitution, and applying any measure of fiscal restraint? I want to be clear about something. My rebuke, in this instance, pertains solely to federal politics. I have been critical, many times, of my own legislative body for missing the mark (from my perspective) on policy initiatives. However, I do think there is actual fruit to be shown from our efforts, and our policy trajectory at the state level is far more consistent with the principles of limited government than what we are seeing at the federal level. If anything, I actually think State House and Senate leadership are trying harder than ever to elevate conservative voices, and it takes a lot for me to say that because I know it will inflame the people who think we haven't gone far enough. There have been growing pains as our Republican majority in Frankfort has increased, but unlike the federal level, we have worked through the various challenges of a geographically and ideologically diverse caucus to produce solid legislation. We may not have kept all of our promises, but we’ve kept a sufficient amount to have earned the confidence of the public, in my opinion. What confidence could the public possibly have in republican leadership at the federal level when the outcome is always the same, no matter whom they vote for?

Broken Legs, Body Full of Shrapnel — He Still Got Every Man Out - Maj. James Capers, Jr. The First Black Marine Officer Nominated for the Medal of Honor Just Got It