316. Obama, Clinton, Henry, an unnamed Clinton supporter, an unnamed blogger.

A few weeks back when Senator Obama opened his Louisville campaign headquarters, I did not make any mention of it here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606. I was in attendance as were approximately 999 other brave souls as the weather was unseasonably cold early on that Saturday morning a few weeks back on March 29. For whatever reason, my next posting after the opening was about Area Codes, all the other blogs did cover the opening, many making mention of the presence of former Congressman Romano Mazzoli who was, as always, with his wife Helen, who is a wonderful person. That morning I got to see lots of old friends, lots of friends who are older than me, and a few newer friends made over the last few years or decades, including Chris Schulz who was in from Connecticut (I think that is what she told me), Keidra King, who works in DC in Congressman Yarmuth's office, as well as Kiran Bhatraju, another of the Congressman's DC staffers. A quick story about Keidra, who I met during the 2006 campaign. We were at a fundraising event at an artist's home on S. 6th Street where I ran into a woman I had worked with twenty-five years earlier at City Hall, Vanta King. After hugs and kisses, Vanta and I quickly caught up on where we had been and told her I was working with Yarmuth's campaign, to which she replied so was her daughter. When I heard Keidra address her mother, I was beside myself. I remember Vanta's pregnancy all those years before and had to admit once again I am getting old, which is a proposition I haven't fully settled in with. As for Kiran, a native of Pikeville, I had met him only a few months ago at a fundraiser for Jack Conway held at Congressman Yarmuth's home Nitta Yuma, in Harrod's Creek. After meeting Kiran, I posted a picture of his high school alma mater which remains here on the the blog way down deep in the column on the right. But, I digress.

Having said all that, I want to announce I've received an email from a long-suffering friend who right now shall go nameless. She is a very hard working attorney here in Louisville (or properly Louisville-Jefferson County Metro) who is a loyal and staunch Democrat who unfortunately lives in a Republican-held area of the County. She is also one of Louisville's Hillary Clinton boss-ladies. The email she sent is announcing the opening of Senator Clinton's Louisville HQ, which is located at 1357 Bardstown Road, which is two doors south of Midland Avenue on the east side of the road. The Grand Opening Event will be Wednesday at 6:30 pm and all are invited. I am hopeful the event goes well although admittedly I have no present intention of attending - I would only do so to see my longtime friends Jerry Lundergan, who is the Clinton Statewide chair and a good friend and good guy, as well as Jon Hurst, my friend of many years who since January has returned exactly zero of my several phones calls to him which has me a little miffed. But what's being a little miffed between friends.

Over on another blog another writer (who is also a friend) has made a statement which I think is a little strong and probably baseless, and it bothers me. I could have commented over their on his front page, but I am choosing to state my concern here, on my blog. Because the Clinton HQ is utilizing [leasing, perhaps] a building owned by the Future Fund Inc., a non-profit affiliated with former Lieutenant Governor Steve Henry and his wife Heather, both of whom are good friends of mine, the writer asserts, "we have significant reason to believe no lease or agreement for use of the property by the Clinton campaign exists . . . " Unless the writer has access to the financial records of either the Future Fund as Lessor or the Clinton campaign as Lessee, I do not see how he could have any significant reason to make such a statement. It is no secret that this other blogger has substantial differences with the Henry campaign and the Henrys themselves and whenever the former lieutenant governor or his wife are in the news he makes some derogatory comment, which is his right to do. But it concerns me, frankly for his sake, that making such a statement against a presidential campaign, may just be a little too risky. I could be wrong.

The building itself is an excellent location, right on Bardstown Road in the culturally significant Highlands area. A DairyMart closeby on Midland Avenue offers good cheap coffee and across the street a few doors to the north is an above-par restaurant with outdoor seating and Vernor's Ginger Ale on the menu. There is a storefront room which opens up into the original house, which has been divided off into offices. The upstairs is in need of rehab, as is the attic, which is a huge unfinished open space large enough to be a considerably-sized three-room apartment. There is ample parking in the gravel area in the back of the building. The point here is it is my opinion that the Clinton campaign should not dragged [drug?] into the ongoing and unresolved differences between Steve Henry and the unnamed blogger. And that's why I have a blog - to express my opinion.