Sen. Obama's role in Kentucky pension reform

When Sen. Tom Buford of Nicholasville was picked to chair Kentucky's Senate Banking and Insurance Committee by the body's Democratic majority, he became the first Republican to head one of the state's legislative panels in more than seventy years.

Buford, a successful central Kentucky banker knows his stuff. So when he says the pension reform bill and the week-long special session completed Friday represent a failure on the part of the General Assembly, it may be wise to cast a skeptical eye on those who were quick to declare victory earlier in the week.

"I don't think many of the legislators understand the pension plans," Buford said.

Some Democratic legislators have stated quietly their belief that a federal universal health insurance plan will save them the trouble of catching up with the rising costs of state and local employees' and retirees' healthcare costs. The funny thing is, none of them have bothered to ask Sen. Barack Obama about that.

What's even funnier is that Sen. Buford did ask.