I wish Lunsford were the person we all wish he were.
But he isn't.
Google 'Vencor' -- if you're patient, this will explain a lot.
Lunsford is widely viewed by informed Lvillians as a crook who got away with $333 million in Medicare fraud. He ran a huge nursing home chain that dumped Medicaid patients, and cheated Medicare.
The millions he rescued from the Vencor enterprise* is the source of the money he's using to jack himself into the Senate.
I'm not arguing 'McConnell.' I'm arguing whether people who dump Medicaid patients need to be in the Senate.
Vencor: Somehow, the health fraud unit of DOJ which led the prosecution of Vencor didn't go for personal criminal allegations. It's unclear why, given the magnitude of the fraud. It was one of the biggest cases the health fraud unit ever investigated.
Some think they should have.
Bruce Lunsford's premier business partner, Michael Barr, a top official of Vencor, was pushed out by Lunsford as a 'fall guy' during the multi-agency several-year federal and state investigations (see google and Nexis), but was simultaneously (and quietly) funded by Lunsford in a new start-up, HealthEssentials, a company similar in some ways to Vencor. HealthEssentials employed former Vencor financial staff -- and also ended up under federal investigation for Medicare fraud. Help in early financing for HealthEssentials...a payoff for Barr's silence on the Vencor fraud?
Doubt me? Check out bluegrassreport.com archives and Lexis news articles from 1998 to 2008. Kos, I respect your motives in wanting a solid Democratic Senate, but this time, it's not right. This time, you're rooting for a crook.
Chuck Schumer apparently picked Lunsford as the Democratic standard bearer because he walked with millions from the Vencor enterprise --(google again) -- and he could be self-financing -- ie, the DSCC assumed they didn't have to fund a senate race in a red state.
It is unclear how much Schumer looked into the Lunsford scandals, but even a 'google check' would yield information that makes backing Lunsford a totally crass and cynical decision.
This man Lunsford does not need to be in the Senate.
He needs to be in jail.
*Yes this is a little complicated. Press people and others with a real interest: Do a Nexis search. It's all there.