The Chatter: McConnell under fire in gun control ad; Beshear makes secret Germany trip and more

A national progressive group pushing for gun control is slamming U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell in an ad for opposing gun control measures while taking nearly $200,000 in donations from gun manufactures.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee launched the ad featuring a Kentucky native and veteran with his grandson voicing his support for an assault weapons ban and asking Senator McConnell “Whose side are you on?”

National media organizations from the Washington Post to the Huffington Post reported on the ad, which is airing in Kentucky markets and Washington, D.C.

Page One also reported the story with poll numbers put out by the group that show 50 percent of Kentuckians are in favor of an assault weapons ban, and 64 percent of those polled are gun owners. The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling out of North Carolina.

In response, Politico reported that McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton said this in a statement:

”Sen. McConnell fully anticipated that protecting Kentucky from President Obama’s gun control agenda would result in a flurry of attack ads from left-wing groups. It’s not a secret to Kentuckians that Sen. McConnell is a stalwart supporter of their second amendment rights and George Soros funded commercials aren’t going to change that.”

Beshear made private Germany trip to meet with businesses

Gov. Steve Beshear made a secret economic development trip to Germany last week with Economic Development Secretary Larry Hayes, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported .

Beshear’s press secretary, Kerri Richardson, confirmed the trip to the Herald-Leader’s Jack Brammer and said the trip was kept private because the businesses may be choosing among other states.

Richardson did not identify the businesses.

Clark files bill to make Louisville Metro Council members foot own legal bills

State House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark filed a bill Tuesday that would ban Louisville Metro Council members from using tax dollars for their legal defense in ethics cases, forcing them to hire their own attorneys.

House Bill 188 filed by Clark, D-Louisville, comes after two recent complaints that cost the city $180,000 in attorney fees to defend Louisville Metro Council members.

The bill would keep Louisville Metro from directly or indirectly paying for a lawyer representing an official in an ethics complaint.

“This is not something public funds should pay for, and all this bill will do is to clarify that alleged ethics violators have to pay for their own legal representation,” Clark said in a press release.