Tagged: Kentucky Third Congressional District

Pledging to do what's right for Louisville, Congressman John Yarmuth is using his first and only TV ad in the Third Congressional District race to highlight his support of President Obama's health care law.

With little over a week until Election Day, the 30-second spot brags about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, such as expanding coverage and banning the use of pre-existing conditions to deny insurance coverage.

Check it out:

In a message to supporters, Republican Brooks Wicker is attacking The Louisville Courier-Journal editorial board for endorsing Democratic incumbent John Yarmuth in Kentucky's Third Congressional District race.

The newspaper gave Yarmuth the nod for a fourth term Sunday, citing his defense of President Obama’s health care overhaul, knowledge of the issues and public criticisms of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. It goes on to argue that Wicker is a "Tea Party enthusiast" who has made generalities when talking about solutions to the country’s problems.

Wicker campaign manager Michael Wray says the editorial board made its decision without interviewing his candidate and overlooked the GOP challengers’ 5-point plan for economic recovery.

"We did not get one invitation—not one—from the editorial board," he says. "The editorial board just didn’t do its due diligence in informing the voters. They based it on assumptions. Their endorsement was not surprising, but the process that they went through to get to their conclusion was astounding."

An analysis by The Washington Post shows U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., has supported a number of bills that benefit the home health care industry, which the three-term Congressman has a $5 million investment in through his brother's business.

The article looks at several members of Congress who have either sponsored or co-sponsored legislation that could personally benefit themselves or a family members's businesses. It goes through financial disclosure forms and other public records, and questions whether more reforms are needed.

Yarmuth’s brother owns Almost Family, a home health care business that provides nursing, rehabilitation and other personal care services. The newspaper reports that Yarmuth, who is a shareholder, did seek an opinion from the ethics committee on whether he could vote on bills relating to the industry when he took office in 2007.

But a trade group representing home health care businesses has lobbied on five bills Yarmuth has co-sponsored.

From The Washington Post:

In office, Yarmuth joined the congressional Home Health Caucus, a group of two dozen lawmakers that promotes the value of in-home health care.

Fundraising numbers in the race for Kentucky's Third Congressional District seat have been wildly uneven. Accountant Brooks Wicker raised $2,600 during the second quarter, compared to the $184,000 raised by his opponent, three-term incumbent John Yarmuth.