So long, Gatewood. You were the man for your time and place.

Kentucky politics lost a giant today with the death of Gatewood Galbraith. He was 64.

Gatewood added to the colorfulness of our political landscape and held a wide variety of beliefs. He was more than the "pot candidate", as he was so often portrayed in the traditional media. More than any of that, he was a nice guy.

I first met Gatewood during one of his five gubernatorial campaigns. In 1991, I was a student at the University of Louisville and had the pleasure of meeting him between classes in front of the Ekstrom Library. He was the only candidate hanging around college campuses at that time and his issues were simple. To me, Gatewood possessed much common sense- a trait not often found in today's political figures.

During that short talk at U of L, Gatewood asked us to give him a shot at running the state. I shook his hand and promised him my vote. In fact, after reading the flyer that was handed to me, I promised him I would vote for him every time he ran for office.

I kept that promise, like so many other Kentuckians who became frustrated with the normal process of electing leaders in the Commonwealth.

In the coming hours and days, you will likely read much about Gatewood's past and the many nice things people have to say about him. It will probably be the first time he has ever received a fair shake in the media. I think he would be pleased.

He will be missed.

Stay free, Gatewood. And thanks.

Big Ern, The Weasel and "Honest" Dick: An inside view of Kentucky's worst

Note: Terry Boyd of Insider Louisville contributed to this report.

Ah, it’s spring, and the scent of corruption and generally poor governance is wafting gently on the breeze here in Louisville. (Certainly more entertaining than the tree pollen to follow.)

LEO’s Philip Bailey got the jump on the Courier-Journal last week with “It’s not easy being Green,” his story about Dr. Judy Green, 1st District metro councilwoman.

Green has, uhm, issues related to very poor judgment – everything from tax evasion to creating a bogus “jobs programs” with her “Green Clean Team.”

Last summer, the Green Clean Team program ground to a halt after the city auditor tried to figure out what happened to the $55,000 grant to fund the program. (Oddly, Dr. Judy and husband James Green owe $55,000 to the Internal Revenue Services, a bill going back to 1998. How does that work?)

The finding – shockingly, a lot of the money went to 12 Green family members “working” in the program. The rest apparently evaporated into the ether, and nothing was accomplished except getting other Metro Council members out of their overall stupor long enough to start ethics proceedings.

The CJ followed up with a story about how the president and treasurer for 100 Black Men confirmed that the group had a side deal with Judy Green to request more city funding than needed, then redirect a portion of the cash at Green’s direction.

Oh, and then there’s the matter of the $25,000 Dr. Judy and her husband ran up on the credit card of Judy Green’s legislative aide, Andrea Jackson, a credit card the councilwoman took out with out Jackson’s consent!

To their credit, CJ reporters did a great job in 2005 of covering Green’s habitual failure to pay taxes - just the trait you want in an elected government official - and much of Bailey’s reporting in “It’s Not Easy Being Green” is built on their work

You can bet there’s more.

Midweek Updates...HOT!!

- It is expected to be announced today that Louisville Metro Animal Services Director Wayne Zelinsky will be resigning, effective immediately. Alleged pimp and rumored scofflaw Zelinsky has been the target of a relentless campaign by the LMAS Rainbow Bridge project for the poor treatment of animals handled by the city agency while under his watch, among other high-profile shenanigans. [Ville Voice]

- Residents of the St. Denis neighborhood in southwest Louisville are freaking out about the possibility of a zoning change that would allow a very thoughtful and nice woman to operate a transitional home for foster kids who actually want to do something with their lives. When will people learn to fight the fights that need fighting and let the good things happen? [CJ]

- Gov. Beshear used his State of the Commonwealth speech last night to run hard and fast to the political right, whining about federal spending and coal mining regulation in the wake of several high-profile, easily preventable mine disasters. Someone should ask his running mate Jerry Abramson how he feels about those words. Former mayor Abramson's administration accepted millions upon millions of federal dollars in stimulus money, some of which ended up in state coffers. Hey Governor Hair Helmet, my state taxes are higher than my federal taxes. What are you going to do about that? [Barefoot & Progressive]

Nice Marmot: Groundhog Day to determine political futures in Kentucky

Note: This post originally appeared on Insider Louisville.

As superstitions go, Groundhog Day is harmless as long as the “ceremony” of the day is kept in perspective. It is just a chance for people who have been punished by severe winter weather to get out of their homes, look around and find the promise of spring.

The promise is out there, waiting. And one doesn’t need to rely on the predictions of some overgrown squirrel in Pennsylvania to find it. Besides, I am reading the National Climatic Data Center claims of Punxsutawney Phil’s accuracy to only be around 39% – better than your local meteorologist to be sure, but not much to brag about.

No matter what that silly marmot sees, there will always be six more weeks of winter.

Mathematics and science prevail on this day.

In Kentucky, a land where we like to shun mathematics and science do things differently, a new policy should be adopted and hence a new tradition formed: I propose we hire a groundhog to determine the outcome of statewide elections, thereby eliminating campaigning, fundraising, political signs, fatuous debates, misleading commercials and actual voting from the equation.

It makes it easier on us all.

The idea is as simple as it is preposterous. Set up a few props and pictures of the candidates, coax the animal out if its hole and wait for him to make a decision.

This practice has worked in the past, and is running much better than the 39% clip on the weather.

You see, I have my own personal, albeit less glamorous groundhog. His name is Maximillion and he has a face like Abe Vigoda. He has breath that would bruise fruit and he has a strong attraction to pork rinds covered with hot sauce. But he has, without fail, picked the winner of the last three statewide elections about which I have asked.

This morning, Max picked candidate Bobbie Holsclaw, Jefferson County Clerk, to win the Republican nomination for Kentucky Governor in May and has picked faux-Democrat Steve Beshear to win the whole shebang in November.

If he is wrong, Kentucky will endure six additional weeks of increased unemployment claims.

So call your legislators immediately, and urge them to install this measure as soon as possible.

Because, in the end, they are as my dad says: “Six of one, half dozen of the other.”

The good, the bad, two uglies: A midweek summary

- Ford Motor Company is expected to make an announcement regarding plans for the Louisville Assembly Plant on Fern Valley Road. The long-awaited news will come December 9th. Still unknown is what method the company will use to further whipsaw remaining employees. [CJ]

- Kentucky's tallest building will be left with only 120 people working inside after Aegon fulfills its plan to cut nearly 300 jobs over the next year. [Fox41]

- The totally insane Governor of the Commonwealth did something more stupid than even I thought possible today and continued his tradition of portraying Kentucky as a bunch of ignorant, dinosaur-riding, evangelical circus geeks. I'm sure you've heard about this totally illegal and wasteful proposal to fund a Noah's Ark styled "theme park" near the shameful Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky. Check that story here: [Barefoot and Progressive]

To catch up on other gubernatorial shenanigans like late night, holiday weekend press releases detailing Beshear's appointments to boards and committees, check the story here: [Insider Louisville]