Dea Riley, the woman who Independent candidate Gatewood Galbraith has chosen to be his Lieutenant Governor in his bid for the 2011 Kentucky Governor’s election, first really caught my eye shortly after the Tim “Curbstomper” Proffit scandal.
    Proffit sent her a Facebook message defending his physical attack on a woman at a Rand Paul/Jack Conway debate, where he not only held a woman down by putting his foot on her back but also kicked her in the head with his boot. He claimed he was within his rights and wanted Riley to know “his side of the story,” and to let her know that he still wanted to support her campaign. The full letter and her response can be found online, but one thing Riley said that made her my new hero was this little gem right here:
     “On a personal note, if you had kicked me you would have been faced with a far different reaction than the submissive and refrained demeanor of Ms. Valle. I would have done all I could do to beat your ass into the ground with everything I had in me. Guarantee it. I'm afraid I stand with Ms. Valle and wish I had been there to defend her - which is what I would have done and am doing now.”
    The more research I did on her, the more impressed I became, and she graciously agreed to an interview with Bazooka last December. Since then, we have kept in touch. During the devastating flood that hit our region this past April, Riley noticed that I was posting 22 hours a day, begging for help with evacuation and reflief efforts.
    She sent me a message that said if I needing anything, just ask; that she may be far away, but she had a powerful phone voice and a lot of phone numbers. I told her for the time being, I was working well with emergency response and local leaders.
    Then, after a comment made by a certain head honcho about not needing “Bella and her big tits” in their command center and a few other petty and ridiculous squabbles, regardless of the fact that I had over 200 volunteers willing to sandbag in the rain at 9 o’clock on a Sunday evening, I was told that my help was no longer needed.
    That’s when I called Dea. It was a Sunday night, right after things really went to hell. I had people calling me telling me that their house had flooded under five feet of water overnight and their 5-year-old daughter had only a Barbie to her name. The sandbag walls were crumbling everywhere, and the majority of Paducah still didn’t realize that a quarter of their population was under water because the mayor and the media sure as hell weren’t telling them.
    She let me rant and rave and cry out of pure hopelessness and exhaustion for probably half an hour - and then she got on it. Within the hour, she had the state head of volunteer coordination for Emergency Services calling me, on a Sunday night, asking me what was going on, because no one at the state level had heard a peep of the screams for help by the poorest of our community, because our local leaders hadn’t bothered calling them. They said that they only had the barest of ideas of what was going on by monitoring our Facebook traffic.
    For the next two weeks, Dea had my back. She got me in touch with several people who had been through similar experiences and were able to tell me how best to help the hundreds of people calling me. She made sure I talked to people who really knew how to deal with FEMA so I could share it with people on Facebook. I was able to give the state disaster people first hand accounts and information directly from the trenches that helped them gather what they needed to get us declared a disaster area.
   I would not have been able to do what I did during the flood without her help.  And she didn’t do it because she was running for office, she did it because she cared, and she could tell I cared.
  Now, she is coming to Fancy Farm with Gatewood Galbraith on Saturday, August 6th, to rally for their campaign, and you’ll be able to see firsthand what an amazing woman she is. Add her on Facebook, and not only will she keep you informed of some of the most important issues going on in our state, country, and the world, you can also see pics of her hunting, fishing, and holding a big ass gun, because she is tough as nails like that.
   She will be the guest speaker at Bazooka’s First Ever Real Swap Meet on Sunday, August 7th, at 3 p.m. at Aaron’s Leasing and Sales in Paducah. I hope you can come out and get to meet her, and I am personally going to give her a hug.
   Not only is she caring, passionate, tough, and resourceful - she’s smart as hell, too. I almost didn’t compare her to Sarah Palin on the cover, because it’s beyond ridiculous how much more of a asset to public service she is.
   Here are some excerpts from an interview we did last Decemeber, so you can get an idea yourself of what an amazing person she is...

     Bazooka: You are a 10th generation Kentuckian, but you spent some time in Utah where you did so much for the area by promoting the Park City and Wasatch Mountain resorts and ultimately helped pull off the 2002 Winter Olympics by being on their organizing committee, and had a very successful career in marketing. What made you decide to get into public service?

     Riley: I didn’t have a traditional path into politics. I wasn’t the aggressive law student who sought to influence through the application of law. I was driven by service and circumstance. I never aspired to be an attorney. Many would--and still do--recommend I attend law school, but that is mainly due to my knowledge of the law, not my desire to propagate it. I was involved in the economic development of not only an industry but also a region and realized through my endeavors that marketing programs that include a solid community relations program are always the most successful. I became an expert at creating a bridge between private and public sector endeavors to further the economic goals of each specific project. This was my first introduction into the governmental process, and frankly those of us trained from the private sector were far more effective. Why? Because we are result-oriented and take a “return of investment” approach to every dollar expended. I jokingly explain the difference between economic developers and marketing directors is that marketers are actually expected to get successful results. I became more closely involved in Kentucky politics upon my return home, when I saw the socio-economic despair gripping my beloved state. I sought to make a difference, but was stifled due to corruption in government; so I decided that if I could market to the world, then surely I could market a worthy candidate. And I did so. I never really considered myself a “political strategist” or even “political consultant”--I was utilizing my marketing skills to help worthy candidates get elected. I did so hoping it would serve as enough of an introduction to the process that I could accomplish my economic agenda, but inevitably I was forced into candidacy to actually accomplish my goal.  I eventually met Gatewood Galbraith and that is when politics took me towards candidacy rather than management.  

     B: How did you meet Gatewood, and what was it about him that made you tie your wagon to him, so to speak? 

    Riley: “Tie my wagon” is a fair statement in this endeavor. As you already know, I was desperately seeking a venue by which to effect economic change in Kentucky: butting heads with the corrupt powers that be; those who stifled our progress, those who paid off their friends and families with jobs, grants or other state monies in exchange for support. I had already championed many efforts such as Timber Theft in Appalachia and was gaining world attention for my effort; I had elected several candidates; I was publicly speaking about resort development; but it just wasn’t enough. It is so difficult to come home and toot your own horn or even make mention of your accomplishments without sounding like a braggart--especially when your success was derived in an industry in which most Kentuckians have NO idea how to gauge the relevance of your success – such as the snow industry and all its various components of development, tourism, recreation, branding, etc. There was one man who I noted “got it right,” and that man was Gatewood Galbraith. 
     First and foremost he possesses the intellect necessary to lead.  He is a man of the people and his goals in aspiring to the role of Governor are firmly rooted in his desire to serve – just like me. I had met a kindred soul whose heart and actions were in the right place: to restore the people’s agenda to the process of government, which is the key to restoring Kentucky to prosperity. Initially I had no desire to run for office, but the more I learned the more I became attracted to the idea, if only the focus remained on doing what was right for Kentucky. I know many politicians and certainly Gatewood was not the only politician who discussed a potential run, but Gatewood was the ONLY politician I knew who had discussed this subject that I felt was honest. Gatewood has worked longer; harder and more tirelessly for your vote than any other politician in the history of Kentucky, and no politician deserves your vote more than he. He is a Constitutional scholar, the state’s leading criminal defense attorney and a man of the people. That’s the kind of man anyone should “hitch their wagon” to. 

     B: I know that, as a mother, women's and children's issues are very dear to you. What do you see as some of the biggest threats to this population and how can we fix them? 
     Riley: You’re correct. Those issues that most affect women and children are and will remain a key focus for me, not only because I am a women and mother, but because women represent half of  our population, and if half of any population lags behind in education, earnings, health, and adequate representation, then we are failing to serve half of our overall populace. That is a prescription for failure. Most important for me is to recruit women to take on integral leadership roles in the process of government to ensure equitable representation. Did you know I am the ONLY woman running? That says it all. I am a mother and businesswomen; a workingwomen who understands the demands of balancing career and home. I represent a real demographic and, although I acknowledge I won’t agree with every woman on every issue, I guarantee I can relate far more so than my male counterparts. I will make a concerted effort to ensure women are heralded as equal contributors to the process, assure that they are provided equal opportunity and input in all relevant discussion, and I will ALWAYS keep at the forefront to specifically represent a woman’s perspective. I hope to place a greater emphasis on the Commission of Women in Kentucky and provide a more specific direction in which to accomplish improving the status of women and children, specifically in the areas of economic opportunity, education, political involvement and health. Women will know they are a valued priority in a Gatewood and Riley administration.  One more noteworthy fact: Gatewood is the only gubernatorial candidate who chose a women as his running mate, so I think he deserves due credit for that fact.  That shows his commitment to the progress of Kentucky women. 

     B: Both you and Gatewood are environmentally conscious. It seems like Kentucky, especially Western Kentucky, is awash in harmful chemicals and toxins, but the plants employ so many and have so much clout politically that it isn’t addressed. Is there any way some of the damage can be repaired, and what alternatives for jobs and energy does your campaign propose?
     Riley: One of the cornerstones of this campaign is economic development that includes an emphasis on bio-industrial development ideally suited to be accomplished specifically in the westernmost part of our state. Environmental consciousness and thriving industry do not present contradictory goals, but rather are intended to work in harmony and can easily serve as environmental stewards rather than the other way around. Currently there exists a gross lack of oversight and follow-through, coupled with poor leadership. Energy development is another important issue, as well as putting those natural resources to work for us.  Hemp production stands out as key in our bio-industry program, but it is not limited to hemp. I am a T. Boone Pickens Kentucky State Pickens Plan Leader as well.   

     B: Some feel that Independent candidates are a risk, because they split the vote of the party they most identify with and the really bad guys end up winning. What do you think? 
     Riley: Historically that may be the case, but Independents now represent the largest and fastest increasing registration. Many people are disillusioned by their party and feel it no longer adequately represents their views. Independents are now the most relevant voting block and candidates cannot achieve election without them. I’ve always thought most people vote for the Man or Woman regardless of their registration at any rate, but few candidates have run as Independents until now. Our current national crisis is driving people towards no party affiliation or Independent registration, and recent election outcomes support these facts. 

     B: Gatewood has at some points identified with the Tea Party movement. Can you share your feelings about it?
     Riley: As an Independent, I have the luxury of maintaining and holding dear the best of all parties. The Tea Party as it was originally established is filled with good ideas, such as fiscal accountability, inclusion of those who have traditionally been excluded from the process of government, restoring the people’s agenda via a grass roots effort to government--all of which are good things in concept. The Tea Party has now evolved to become a mechanism of the Republican Party lead by a cable news network and a host of entertaining personalities. The Tea Party has dampened its credibility among voters due to this fact. Although the Tea Party boasts the words of our founding fathers, they lack comparable leadership in their modern day endeavor. The founding fathers opposed taxation without representation; they accomplished equality for all men; created a new form of government; and established a new country. They established taxes to afford the war against England, too. 

     B: What is the most idiotic phrase you hear in Frankfort all the time?
     Riley: Change – when presented by those who have been repeatedly elected to office on and into numerous positions knowing they are the problem, but who utilize this word to somehow mislead the voter. 
     B: Dea, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share your views with us, and we’re looking forward to talking to you some more.
     Riley: Bella, don’t concern yourself with my time – this is important for the people of Kentucky not only to get to know me, but also to talk about the real issues at hand.  Political leaders have for too long treated the public as though they are dumb by spending millions on negative ads and creating nice little slogans and signs.  It’s time we bring intellect back into the election process and long overdue that  we include the constituency in the conversations no matter how hard or revealing they may be. I’m happy to spend my time on this if I think it will help motivate even one person to get involved. Together we can restore Kentucky to Prosperity…and only together.