June 24, 2025 • 10 mins
Ned Pillersdorf, considered by many as the Atticus Finch of Appalachia, will challenge 23 term incumbent Congressman Hal Rogers in Eastern Kentucky (5th district). Rep. Rogers is known as the Prince of Pork, bringing untold millions into Kentucky's poorest district.
Ned has plenty to say about Hal's work over the years, evolving from a man of the people to a man of the Trump system.
Ned has plenty to say about Hal's work over the years, evolving from a man of the people to a man of the Trump system.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jamie Comber trying to get control of his committee. Some
people actually want to work in Congress, and one of
them's name is Dorf. He's an attorney of note from
Eastern Kentucky. Ay Ned, welcome back to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hey, brother, are you sure you want to go in
that Mma octagon ring? That it sounds like Congress is
these days.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I although I don't particularly like those theatrics, but you know,
here in Eastern Kentucky, I think we need a new
congressman in Appalachia. That's why I'm running.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, Hal Rodgers have been there twenty three terms, and
I know that you are the Democrat who wants to
oppose him in next year. Is going to pick your
brain about that. Obviously, someone with that much seniority is
pretty rooted in, but so are you in Eastern Kentucky.
I've already reminded the audience that you were the guy
who defended a whole lot of people who were abused
(00:59):
in that whole Eric Khan Khan job a few years ago.
I know you've felt worthy cases over the years. So
tell me what is your vision for being the congressman
elected in Eastern Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
My vision, first of all, is to play defense. These
big beautiful bill and these other clawbacks stuff, they are
shredding the vulnerable neighbors here in Appalachia. I think the
political landscape has changed. People on the streets of Hindman
and Hazard are not talking about transgender athletes or other
(01:38):
stuff that to me is not that important. They're talking
about how many rural hospitals are going to close. Medicaid
cuts go through the snap benefits, taking away the ability
of low income people to pay their utility bills. And
there's something going on here. There's something resonating. And unfortunately
(02:00):
Al Rodgers past two fifteen to two fourteen of this
big beautiful bill that would be just catastrophic for our region.
We are so dependent on Medicaid, on food stamps and
these other safety in net programs. They're going to terminate
the Job Corps and in Presssburg legal services nationwide. We
(02:25):
got to play defense. And you know, I know Congressman Rogers,
he's done some good things in the past, but the
one or two steps he took forward in the past,
he's taken ten twenty steps backwards and throwing our people
off the Clinton It's really resonating here. And I tell people,
(02:45):
you know, if you go to Hyeman, Kentucky, the greatest,
in my opinion, the greatest public official we ever had,
was Carl D. Perkins. And they've got a listing of
all his legislative achievements under his statue in front of
the Knock County. One of them is being repealed or
clawed back. And I just don't think the average person
(03:05):
East Kentucky wants that to happen. That's why I'm going
to be announcing my candidacy on the fourth of July.
And beautiful downtown Pressburg.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Fantastic there was. I did speak with a White House
where I ask him about the notion that I've heard.
Andy Bisheer mentioned many times that the big Beautiful Bill
would absolutely crush and close many rural hospitals, and the
White House spokesperson said, that is absolutely untrue. That's just
posturing throw being thrown up by the Democrats this White House.
(03:38):
We are not going to let any hospitals close.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Well, that's that's nonsense. You know. The Republicans always allowed
to talk about the Congressional Budget Office give us his estimates.
Their estimate is seven hundred and sixty billion dollars will
be clawed back from Medicaid? How is that not going
to cause damage? You know, the best thing the Obama
administration did was the Medicaid expansion. That was a big deal.
(04:07):
They did a terrible job of explaining the good they did.
But because of that, you know, we have one really
boom city and Appalachian that's pike Ful. That's it. He's booming.
That's all the Pikeful Medical Center. That place is sprawling,
that's all the Medicaid expansion. What's going to happen when
it's clawed back seven hundred and sixty billion dollars over
(04:29):
ten years? And you know, the one thing the SOB
Security stuff taught me. You know, I thought I understood
rural poverty. I had a Presidlburg for I guess forty three,
forty four years. What the SOB Security administration taught me
that whole debacle representing the thousands of former conclients. How
desperate these people are to keep that nine hundred at
(04:52):
fifteen hundred a month, and the thought that lose their
food stamps, they may lose their medical coverage. I really
care about these people, and I worry about these people,
and unfortunately Hal Rogers justification for all of this is
we need to give a historic tax break to the
(05:14):
working class. Objective analysis of the Big Beautiful Bill, ninety
nine point nine percent of the tax breaks go to
the richest among us. And once again, I think, if
you stop people on the streets in my district, they
don't want tax breaks for the richest among us. They
want hospitals, they want healthcare, and they shouldn't want the
(05:37):
job Corps closing that best employees. And that's why I'm
going to announce my candidacy. It's just we got to
play defense.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I understood a lot of people who are messaging on
the Republican side say, well, we're just taking benefits away
from people who are illegals, and that's how you get number.
I don't know how that would square up though with
a number you just cited.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Well, it doesn't. And the Republicans have done a masterful
job of demonizing illegal immigrants. The reality of those who
are not legally hears the last thing they want to
do is sign up for a federal problem in the
shadows live in a cash environment. The idea that they're
collecting medicaid, that's just false, but I admit it sounds
(06:21):
good politically. This is false. It's not true. There's not
hundreds of thousands of people in Kentucky illegal immigrants receiving medicaid.
It's just not happening. The Republicans say it very well.
It happens to not be true. And you know, at
some point in public life you want to tell the
truth and demonizing immigrants, claiming we got to you know,
(06:46):
cause I know what are the estimates are hundreds of
thousands of Kentuckians will lose their healthcare immigrants. They're low
income people trying to get by making eleven dollars an
hour serving me my sausage discutic at Hardy's every morning.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Yeah, we're speaking of ned Pillars Dwarf. He's an attorney
in eastern Kentucky. Are you still in Prestensburg? What town
are you in now?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Okay, I live in the I live in the Van
Leer Greater Metropolitan area, but my law office is in Prestonsburg.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
You know, your opponent, Hal Rodgers is known as the
Prince of Pork, So I know you've done great work
on behalf of a lot of folks who've been in
some trouble. But the title Prince of Pork means there
are a lot of people I think that feel beholden
to him over all these decades of him being in office.
Is does that you know, is that dissuade Does that
(07:43):
dissuade you in any way to think this is too high?
Have a mountain to climb?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Well, I'm reshuffled politically. Uh, you know, I've been involved
in a lot of political campaigns in East Kentucky. I'm
mister Janets Stumbo. My wife's a true coal miner's daughter
who was the first swoman elected to the Supreme Court.
And there's something going on here. As far as the
pork Rogers did do a lot of the days when
(08:10):
he would have been considered a moderate Republican, he is
certainly not a moderate Republican now. And the hard truth
is they are there is no more pork. Everything is
being clawed back, including essential stuff. What do we say
to these this low income heating program that's the Helliday Bills,
They've appropriated zero. The program for legal aid that funds
(08:35):
every legal aid office in the country, they're appropriating zero.
What's going to happen to those people? Does anybody care
about those people. I think the Republicans would make the
city well, they don't vote anyway, and some of that
may be true, But we just can't abandon desperate people.
If that's what I that's a lesson I learned for
(08:57):
the ten years of doing Battle for the Era. It's
the these people, they're powerless. I'd love to be their
voice and go to Washington. You know, I do have
some issues with the Democratic Party. We are fairly or
unfairly considered a coastal elite New York California party and
(09:22):
we don't really talk to people who and like I say,
I think I've had a forty four year experience of
vib business of poverty practice in a rural area, and
I think the timing is right for Appalachia to fight
these clawback programs well. And that's why I'm running.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Well, stated Ned, I mean a lot of people feel
like it's a coastal elite condescension of everybody in Middle America.
So interesting to hear your voice and your insights on this.
And we'll talk again down the road. Okay, brother, Hey
appreciate you having me Terry. Okay, Ned Ned Pillarsdorf out
of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, and he is going to announce on
(10:02):
the fourth of July against Kentucky's fifth Congressional district leader.
That's how Rogers. He's the longest serving member of Congress
right now. And we'll see where it goes from there.
Back in a minute on news radio. Wait forty whs
Jamie Comber trying to get control of his committee. Some
people actually want to work in Congress, and one of
them's name is Dorf. He's an attorney of note from
Eastern Kentucky. Ay Ned, welcome back to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hey, brother, are you sure you want to go in
that Mma octagon ring? That it sounds like Congress is
these days.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I although I don't particularly like those theatrics, but you know,
here in Eastern Kentucky, I think we need a new
congressman in Appalachia. That's why I'm running.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, Hal Rodgers have been there twenty three terms, and
I know that you are the Democrat who wants to
oppose him in next year. Is going to pick your
brain about that. Obviously, someone with that much seniority is
pretty rooted in, but so are you in Eastern Kentucky.
I've already reminded the audience that you were the guy
who defended a whole lot of people who were abused
(00:59):
in that whole Eric Khan Khan job a few years ago.
I know you've felt worthy cases over the years. So
tell me what is your vision for being the congressman
elected in Eastern Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
My vision, first of all, is to play defense. These
big beautiful bill and these other clawbacks stuff, they are
shredding the vulnerable neighbors here in Appalachia. I think the
political landscape has changed. People on the streets of Hindman
and Hazard are not talking about transgender athletes or other
(01:38):
stuff that to me is not that important. They're talking
about how many rural hospitals are going to close. Medicaid
cuts go through the snap benefits, taking away the ability
of low income people to pay their utility bills. And
there's something going on here. There's something resonating. And unfortunately
(02:00):
Al Rodgers past two fifteen to two fourteen of this
big beautiful bill that would be just catastrophic for our region.
We are so dependent on Medicaid, on food stamps and
these other safety in net programs. They're going to terminate
the Job Corps and in Presssburg legal services nationwide. We
(02:25):
got to play defense. And you know, I know Congressman Rogers,
he's done some good things in the past, but the
one or two steps he took forward in the past,
he's taken ten twenty steps backwards and throwing our people
off the Clinton It's really resonating here. And I tell people,
(02:45):
you know, if you go to Hyeman, Kentucky, the greatest,
in my opinion, the greatest public official we ever had,
was Carl D. Perkins. And they've got a listing of
all his legislative achievements under his statue in front of
the Knock County. One of them is being repealed or
clawed back. And I just don't think the average person
(03:05):
East Kentucky wants that to happen. That's why I'm going
to be announcing my candidacy on the fourth of July.
And beautiful downtown Pressburg.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Fantastic there was. I did speak with a White House
where I ask him about the notion that I've heard.
Andy Bisheer mentioned many times that the big Beautiful Bill
would absolutely crush and close many rural hospitals, and the
White House spokesperson said, that is absolutely untrue. That's just
posturing throw being thrown up by the Democrats this White House.
(03:38):
We are not going to let any hospitals close.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Well, that's that's nonsense. You know. The Republicans always allowed
to talk about the Congressional Budget Office give us his estimates.
Their estimate is seven hundred and sixty billion dollars will
be clawed back from Medicaid? How is that not going
to cause damage? You know, the best thing the Obama
administration did was the Medicaid expansion. That was a big deal.
(04:07):
They did a terrible job of explaining the good they did.
But because of that, you know, we have one really
boom city and Appalachian that's pike Ful. That's it. He's booming.
That's all the Pikeful Medical Center. That place is sprawling,
that's all the Medicaid expansion. What's going to happen when
it's clawed back seven hundred and sixty billion dollars over
(04:29):
ten years? And you know, the one thing the SOB
Security stuff taught me. You know, I thought I understood
rural poverty. I had a Presidlburg for I guess forty three,
forty four years. What the SOB Security administration taught me
that whole debacle representing the thousands of former conclients. How
desperate these people are to keep that nine hundred at
(04:52):
fifteen hundred a month, and the thought that lose their
food stamps, they may lose their medical coverage. I really
care about these people, and I worry about these people,
and unfortunately Hal Rogers justification for all of this is
we need to give a historic tax break to the
(05:14):
working class. Objective analysis of the Big Beautiful Bill, ninety
nine point nine percent of the tax breaks go to
the richest among us. And once again, I think, if
you stop people on the streets in my district, they
don't want tax breaks for the richest among us. They
want hospitals, they want healthcare, and they shouldn't want the
(05:37):
job Corps closing that best employees. And that's why I'm
going to announce my candidacy. It's just we got to
play defense.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I understood a lot of people who are messaging on
the Republican side say, well, we're just taking benefits away
from people who are illegals, and that's how you get number.
I don't know how that would square up though with
a number you just cited.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Well, it doesn't. And the Republicans have done a masterful
job of demonizing illegal immigrants. The reality of those who
are not legally hears the last thing they want to
do is sign up for a federal problem in the
shadows live in a cash environment. The idea that they're
collecting medicaid, that's just false, but I admit it sounds
(06:21):
good politically. This is false. It's not true. There's not
hundreds of thousands of people in Kentucky illegal immigrants receiving medicaid.
It's just not happening. The Republicans say it very well.
It happens to not be true. And you know, at
some point in public life you want to tell the
truth and demonizing immigrants, claiming we got to you know,
(06:46):
cause I know what are the estimates are hundreds of
thousands of Kentuckians will lose their healthcare immigrants. They're low
income people trying to get by making eleven dollars an
hour serving me my sausage discutic at Hardy's every morning.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Yeah, we're speaking of ned Pillars Dwarf. He's an attorney
in eastern Kentucky. Are you still in Prestensburg? What town
are you in now?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Okay, I live in the I live in the Van
Leer Greater Metropolitan area, but my law office is in Prestonsburg.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
You know, your opponent, Hal Rodgers is known as the
Prince of Pork, So I know you've done great work
on behalf of a lot of folks who've been in
some trouble. But the title Prince of Pork means there
are a lot of people I think that feel beholden
to him over all these decades of him being in office.
Is does that you know, is that dissuade Does that
(07:43):
dissuade you in any way to think this is too high?
Have a mountain to climb?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Well, I'm reshuffled politically. Uh, you know, I've been involved
in a lot of political campaigns in East Kentucky. I'm
mister Janets Stumbo. My wife's a true coal miner's daughter
who was the first swoman elected to the Supreme Court.
And there's something going on here. As far as the
pork Rogers did do a lot of the days when
(08:10):
he would have been considered a moderate Republican, he is
certainly not a moderate Republican now. And the hard truth
is they are there is no more pork. Everything is
being clawed back, including essential stuff. What do we say
to these this low income heating program that's the Helliday Bills,
They've appropriated zero. The program for legal aid that funds
(08:35):
every legal aid office in the country, they're appropriating zero.
What's going to happen to those people? Does anybody care
about those people. I think the Republicans would make the
city well, they don't vote anyway, and some of that
may be true, But we just can't abandon desperate people.
If that's what I that's a lesson I learned for
(08:57):
the ten years of doing Battle for the Era. It's
the these people, they're powerless. I'd love to be their
voice and go to Washington. You know, I do have
some issues with the Democratic Party. We are fairly or
unfairly considered a coastal elite New York California party and
(09:22):
we don't really talk to people who and like I say,
I think I've had a forty four year experience of
vib business of poverty practice in a rural area, and
I think the timing is right for Appalachia to fight
these clawback programs well. And that's why I'm running.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Well, stated Ned, I mean a lot of people feel
like it's a coastal elite condescension of everybody in Middle America.
So interesting to hear your voice and your insights on this.
And we'll talk again down the road. Okay, brother, Hey
appreciate you having me Terry. Okay, Ned Ned Pillarsdorf out
of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, and he is going to announce on
(10:02):
the fourth of July against Kentucky's fifth Congressional district leader.
That's how Rogers. He's the longest serving member of Congress
right now. And we'll see where it goes from there.
Back in a minute on news radio. Wait forty whs
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