Newsweek blogger Andrew Romano writes today on the question national Democrats, local party insiders, and the sympathetic news media seems to ask daily now: Could Indiana Go Blue?
Well, his first answer is that Indiana is not a swing state, as it does not swing electoral allegiances. (Much like [...]
We don't get to see much of it here in Indiana, as the likelihood of the state going Blue is the same as an Obama national landslide, but this is a great ad. Obama has no doubt benefitted from the sour economic times and sympathetic media. McCain has to use [...]
ABC News has a wrap-up here on the political blockbuster of the day: John McCain susupends campaign in order to go back to Washington and work on an Economy Bailout Bill. He called on Barack Obama to follow suit. Obama said no.
Some pundits are confused by the move [...]
Some pundits think the moribund City-County Council Democrat Caucus have struck political gold with their efforts to bash Indianapolis Mayor having immediatly hired 100 new police officers, a campaign promise of his and former Mayor Peterson's.
To be honest, the issue has potential, but the execution last night has [...]
Memo to Jennifer Wagner: You do not live in a Battleground State.
Democrat hearts are a flutter over polls released by the Indianapolis Star that purport to show Barack Obama with a small lead with the Hoosier state, while Democrat Jill Long Thompson's moribund campaign is suddenly within [...]
Not all Democrats are thrilled to be on the same ticket as Barack Obama. MSNBC's Tom Curry examines those whose political careers depend on not hoping Obama carries them cross the finish line.
[...]The Wall Street Journal memorializes:
Lovers of liberty and disadvantaged children lost a great friend yesterday with the death at age 80 of J. Patrick Rooney.
He was the founder of Indiana's Golden Rule Insurance Company, a leader in the individual health insurance market. But his accomplishments went far beyond building [...]
In yesterday's "Behind Closed Doors," the Indianapolis Star's weekly feature on "insider politics," there was an item on a local attorney's efforts to point out alleged conflicts of interest by law firm Barnes and Thornburg, including Councilor Ryan Vaughn's employment by the firm. Commenting for the Democrats was [...]
Must read here from MSNBC contributor Howard Fineman detailing the missteps Barack Obama has made since Democratic Primary season ended. Fineman is one of the few MSNBC personalities who is still non-partisan, so his Obama criticisms should be read.
[...]We know. We've been away for a while. Don't fret. We're back.
[...]I'm sure we will hear some version of the "Always a Bridesmaid, never a bride" cliche incessantly over the next few days in which the left in Indiana mourn the non-selection of Evan Bayh as Barack Obama's running mate. We have always maintained Evan Bayh was a poor choice for [...]
The Political Chattering Class were a bit surprised this week to see that newly annointed Marion County Democrat Chairman Ed Treacy has been slow getting out of the gate in his second term. After pledging to "hammer" Mayor Greg Ballard, Treacy was largely absent from the budget debate Monday evening. [...]
With an August Budget Battle looming, much is being made about Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard's first budget and his expected budget cuts to non-essential city services, something he talked about in his campaign and (shocking some) intends to keep.
In particular, much is being made of the discussion to cut funds [...]
As seen here in a small Indianapolis Star blurb, Marion County Democrats selected former Chairman Ed Treacy as their new Chairman. Ed has been out of the spotlight so long that we had to raid the Indianapolis Star archives for a recent story of which he was a major [...]
This Morning, the Indianapolis Star ran its story of the investigation of The Russel Foundation and its COO, City County Councilor Paul Bateman (D-District 11). As reported last week by WRTV, the foundation is missing around $1.5 Million Dollars. Local and Federal officials are investigating.
This is on top [...]
Much has been made of Barack Obama's decision to advertise and open offices in GOP strongholds such as Indiana, North Dakota, and others. Some see it as a ploy to distract McCain. Others find it evidence that Barack Obama will pull a Ronald Reagan and win 49 states.
From what [...]
We pause this Independence Day to remember why this day is so important to our country. From the Declaration of Independence:
"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers [...]
From the Wall Street Journal's Political Diary (subscription only):
Here's a piece of intelligence from the field that the McCain campaign should take careful note of: Republicans in difficult House races are spending scarce campaign dollars to travel to Alaska to dramatize their stance on the drilling [...]
Much has been made in recent months about outgoing Marion County Coroner Ken Ackles, mostly because he flunked his certification exams and had his paychecks withheld as a result. But it's good to know that voters have a pretty good option for a replacement.
Dr. John Pless, the Republican candidate, was [...]
Indianapolis City-County Councilor Doris Minton-NcNeill was arrested yesterday for allegedly "battery of a police officer" and resisting arrest. The Indianapolis Star story is here. Marion County Republicans have called for her resignation.
Two thoughts on this matter. First, McNeill originally finished third in the caucus to replace Patrice Abdullah last [...]
Jon Elrod announced today his intentions to drop his bid for Congress against incumbent Representative Andre Carson and run for re-election for his State House seat in District 97.
Some are elated that Democrats will now have a harder time retaining their slim lead in Indiana's lower chamber. Others [...]
Boston can no longer be considered a suffering sports town. Nor can it for at least a decade.
In one year, championships for the Red Sox (MLB) and the Celtics (NBA). We all know the Patriots (NFL) story. The Bruins (NHL) made the playoffs and nearly knocked off the East's [...]
Indiana's long state crisis is over now that State Representative Dennie Oxley has shown that someone is willing to be Jill Long Thompson's running mate for Lieutenant Governor. Oxley serves as House Majority Whip and made a point to note that he has his "fingerprints" on every piece of [...]
We have made no secret that we think that the "green" movement is nothing but a bunch of liberal gobbledygook. We support doing things within reason to make the environment better (or at least not make it worse). Key words: within reason. Most things part of the "Green Movement" are [...]
Indianapolis Star business columnist John Ketzenberger devotes his column today to the debate of whether to restore WWI/WWII aviator Weir Cook's name to the Indianapolis Airport.
The movement was started by veterans groups, and when Mayor Greg Ballard took office, he gave his backing to the proposal. It passed [...]
Club for Growth guru and Wall Street Journal contributor Stephen Moore analyzes the Obama tax plans in the Journal's Political Diary (subscription only):
In various tax proposals Mr. Obama has set the definition of rich at levels of $100,000, $200,000 and $250,000 in annual income. He has vowed, for example, to [...]
One week from today will mark Andre Carson's third full month as Congressman from Indiana's Seventh District. He's the Pride of Marion County, the Congressional Black Caucus, and other groups, but not the Indiana Democratic Party.
Conspicuously missing from Dan Parker's website of Democrat elected officials from across Indiana is [...]
Monday, nearly 2000 Hoosier Republicans gathered here in Indianapolis, and a fair majority chose Deputy Attorney General Greg Zoeller as the nominee for Attorney General. Congrats to him.
Hoosier Access and the Hoosierpundit, both of whom backed Mr. Zoeller, have a mostly objective analysis of how the votes fell.
Why [...]
To our fellow bloggers: Now you've done it! You've gone and given comfort to the enemy! From Thomas Cook at Blue Indiana:
We're just a few days away from the Republican state convention, an event that has in recent weeks transformed itself from an opportunity for some free, feel-good [...]
Sometimes the best arguments against liberal Democrat policies like Barack Obama's come from liberals themselves, especially the liberal Europeans who implemented those policies and watched them fail. From the London Guardian's Mark Lawson:
It seems increasingly clear that what we have avoided with fire-arms is now being delivered through another weapon [...]
According to Frugal Hoosiers, this is the first in a series:
[...]From Mayor Ballard's Press Release:
INDIANAPOLIS - (May 20, 2008) NFL team owners voted today to award the bid for the 2012 Super Bowl to the City of Indianapolis.
Today, a five member delegation representing Indianapolis was given a 15 minute opportunity to present the city's bid to NFL team owners.
Following [...]
Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas and Baseball Hall of Famer/former Chicago White Sox Shortstop Luke Appling:
Bonus: AG assistant Greg Zoeller and the late actor Bruno Kirby:
On a side [...]
From WISH-TV's Jim Shella:
Jill Long Thompson’s search for a running mate is an in-house operation. The campaign originally reached out to Tom New, former Frank O’Bannon chief of staff, to see if he would head up a search committee. New declined.
That led the campaign to take up the task [...]
From WISH-TV's Jim Shella:
Jill Long Thompson’s search for a running mate is an in-house operation. The campaign originally reached out to Tom New, former Frank O’Bannon chief of staff, to see if he would head up a search committee. New declined.
That led the campaign to take up the task [...]
James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal refers to portions of the Democratic Party as the "Angry Left." The Angry Left are Democrats, liberals, and other like-minded folk whose enmity towards Republicans and conservative government cloud their public statements and ability for rational thought.
Until four [...]
...unless you use the Chicago Cubs' definition of success (100 years without a title), and not the New York Yankees' (where anything less than a title is not a success).
Beth White received a thumbs up from the Star's Matt Tully for not botching the election. Letters to the editor [...]
"I just went to CNN.com, and they must have found the only white precinct in Indianapolis."
-Amos Brown on Amos in the Afternoon, 5/6/08
From Election Journal:
Election Journal snapped this photograph at the Indianapolis Children?s Museum in Ward 5, where precincts 3,4 and 6 cast their ballots.
Here you can see Indiana Democrat gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger making his way through the polling place shaking hands. Mr. Schellinger wasn?t there to vote, he votes [...]
The polls may now be opened for the 2008 Primary here in Marion County, and the focus may be on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, but everyone one of us would be negligent in our civic duty if we did not take a moment to remember the gross negligence that [...]
Some in the local blogosphere have noted today's news regarding Sen. Brent Waltz's restraining order request against his opponent, Mike Beeles.
Regardless of whether you like Waltz, or whether you believe the whole residency flap, we cannot get beyond this fact: Beeles based his entire primary campaign on Waltz's residency. He [...]
Our friends over at The Digital Farmers Blog found an interesting hit piece against entrenched Democrat State Representative Bill Crawford of Indianapolis. It is a YouTube video pointing out the many problems of central Indianapolis and relating them to Crawford's effectiveness after 35 years at the Statehouse: crime, job [...]
What do San Franciscans think of the War in Iraq? You can probably think of the correct answer pretty quickly.
Today, the New York Times reports that "Minister’s Comments Hold Little Sway in Indianapolis Enclave," referring to the Reverend Wright fiasco that has embroiled Barack Obama's presidential candidacy. So what [...]
Wilson Allen is a devoted fan and supporter of the Carson regime, latest flagholder being Andre Carson. He surfs the Internet continuously each day, posting comments on blogs in support of Andre and vehemently against his opponents. He also has a YouTube Channel, almost devoted exclusively to his love [...]
And we're not talking about the United States Representative from Hawaii's First Congressional District. But more on that later.
First, as you already know, Hillary Clinton maintained her 10 point lead in Pennsylvania to win the state's Democratic Primary. The inability of Barack Obama to close the deal was the [...]
Well, it's David Brooks of the New York Times, one of the paper's two conservative columnists. Good Read! Hat tip to the SchansBlog.
[...]Hat tip to the Digital Farmers Blog for an update on our item last week that Barack Obama was trying to gain cover from a questionable gun lobby called the "American Hunters and Shooters Association." According to the National Rifle Association's press release from Friday:
AHSA would be more [...]
Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum had the following comments in the Philadelphia Inquirer about why doubting conservatives and third-party types should support John McCain this year:
"Those conservatives who still question whether they can support McCain should remember this: The next president will make more than 2,700 political appointments, those who [...]
Circle City Pundit blogger Jacob Perry has filed a complaint against State Representative David Orentlicher for accepting contributions in excess of the federal limits. You can read the complaint here. We support all efforts to make sure political candidates do not run roughshod in their attempts to obtain [...]
Brendan Miniter of the Wall Street Journal writes about the impending failure of one of Barack Obama's campaign flanks is headed towards impending disaster: College Student Loans: (link subscription only)
One of the loudest promises made by Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats when they regained [...]
WISH-TV's Jim Shella writes this on his blog today:
TV ads for Congressman André Carson slated to run on Tuesday, Wednesday, and today did not air because of a failure to make the required advance payments.
Carson campaign manager Alex Zwerdling confirmed this afternoon that no payment was made. He, at [...]
Wikipedia may not be the most most accepted source in academia, but this speaks for itself.
Gary Welsh over at Advance Indiana writes this on the Obama gun flap:
After making disparaging remarks during a San Francisco fundraiser at a Getty mansion about small town folks being bitter and [...]
Stephen Moore of the Club for Growth takes on the concept of growing the economy through "green-collar" jobs, an idea popular amongst Democratic Presidential Candidates and Indiana Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates, in the Wall Street Journal's Political Diary (Subscription only):
Our sources in the White House confirm [...]
You may have seen Howard County GOP Chairman Craig Dunn's letter concerning former Marion County Coroner John McGoff's negative primary campaign against incumbent Congressman Dan Burton. We whole heartedly agree with its sentiments and find Chairman Dunn a very thoughtful writer.
However, we were rather late to the game in [...]
Advance Indiana is reporting an internal Democrat poll in the 7th Congressional District that may raise some eyebrows:
David Orentlicher - 20%
Andre Carson (incumbent) - 18%
Dr. Woody Myers - 17%
Carolene Mays - 13%
While the news is anecdotal and surprising to some, they are certainly not out of [...]
Yesterday, we noted the Indianapolis Star piece on the Indianapolis Fire Department budget and the shameful reaction of former-Mayor Bart Peterson staffer Bob Clifford. Today, the Star chimes in with an editorial entitled "Fire budget troubles reach boiling point." The following excerpts make it clear whom the Star [...]
Congressman Andre Carson has numerous well-funded opponents in the May 6th Democratic 7th District Congressional Primary. Depending on the outcome, Carson may pine for the days of the Special election where he was the only game in town.
Maybe that's why many of the secondary pages on [...]
On the front page of the Indianapolis Star today, Brendan O'Shaugnessy writes of the mess that is the Indianapolis Fire Department budget. According to reports, the 2008 budget passed under the Bart Peterson Administration called for $159,000 in overtime expenditures for all of 2008. IFD has been average $314,000 [...]
Rock Indiana, a YouTube Channel designed for union support of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger, has put out a video montage of union laborers and officials saying, "Jim Schellinger Rocks!"
Problem is, the video points out that Jim's union supporters have no clue how to pronounce his name!
Watch it below [...]
So much to talk about today, so we'll begin by saying thank you to Scott Fluhr over at The Hoosierpundit.
Scott has filed a complaint with the Indiana Election Commission against the Obama for America campaign for their Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds stunt last week. The purpose of the event was [...]
For rabid Colts fans like us (or others who have other NFL allegiances), Sports Illustrated writer Peter King's weekly column "Monday Morning Quarterback" is a very good read. King, who has also reported for NBC's Football Night in America and HBO's Inside the NFL, has this to say about [...]
WISH-TV is releasing their Indiana Poll tonight, and word is that it will have former Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson ahead of Jim Schellinger in the Democratic Primary race to be the party's gubernatorial nominee.Thompson will certainly be elated at the news, and Schellinger will no doubt be frustrated. [...]
One of our favorite campaign moments last year was when Amos Brown had Lonnell "King-Ro" Conley and the other embattled Democrat At-Large Indianapolis City Councilors on his show. All, especially Conley, were under attack for increasing taxes. The GOP claimed Conley increased taxes 19 times, and Amos and Conley went [...]
Today is Opening Day for Major League Baseball. We are neither Yankees nor Red Sox fans, but with ESPN being based in Connecticut, and the two teams being of good fortunes over the past decade, we understand the channel's propensity to lavish coverage upon the two teams.
But this has gone [...]
While local Democrats whimper, Washington High School in South Bend has turned down a request to host Hillary Clinton for a rally Friday.
Rep. David Niezgodski (D-South Bend), who has two children at the School, was disappointed his kids wouldn't get to see history first hand. School Officials said it [...]
The Democrats have always been a party comprised of loose coalitions appeased by government programs, and their National Candidates have exhibited such by presenting liberal ideas as priorities far ahead of their time. This is because Democrats lose on identifiable issues: abortion, affirmative action, national security. They then feel they [...]
Indianapolis may be the 13th largest city in America, but Beth White definitely does not run her clerk's website like it.
We have chronicled the multiple times Marion County's top Elections Official has simply failed to keep her website current with elections information or who our elected officials are. A recent [...]
Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), who is Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, was the first eulogist at Julia Carson's funeral to speak of the need to elect her grandson Andre Carson to fill her vacancy.
Less than a month after Andre's special election victory, Kilpatrick's own political scion is under [...]
Matt Tully writes a column today about Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard's political timing and recent victory on police pensions. Despite recent criticism, Tully gives Ballard credit for the move:
Nonetheless, the mayor does deserve credit, as it was he who sat before a hostile House Ways and Means Committee last [...]
Gary Welsh over at Advance Indiana had this to say regarding the Indianapolis Star's sketchy reporting of Special Election problems (last item):
Even more insulting was that same column's attempt to misrepresent Beth White's performance in Tuesday's election. The column reads:
Tuesday's special election came with something voters haven't been [...]
Shortly before 3:00pm, Andre Carson was sworn in as the United States Representative from the 7th District of Indiana. When given the Oath of Office from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Congressman Carson responded, "Yes, ma'am."
Congressman Steve Buyer made the following remarks after Carson's swearing in:
"What just happened in the well [...]
More from the Wall Street Journal's Political Diary (subspcription only):
The news just keeps getting worse for Republicans in Congress: After losing a Congressional seat that once belonged to former Speaker Dennis Hastert in Illinois, the party lost what may have been a winnable seat [...]
The Wall Street Journal's Political Diary has this take on the Special Election yesterday (subscription only):
Hoosiers Always Look on the Bright Side
Republicans did better than expected in last night's special election to fill the House seat vacated by the death of Democratic Rep. Julia Carson of Indiana. Her [...]
With a story that will make unofficial State Democratic Party Blogs jump with glee, The Indianapolis Star ran a piece this morning comparing salaries of the 2007 Peterson Administration with the 2008 Ballard Administration. Using the Star's own database Star it complies of city and county employee salaries, Star [...]
Hat Tip: Hoosier Access.
[...]Looks like not all Democrats are unified behind Andre Carson. Hat Tip: Circle City Pundit.
[...]The Indianapolis Star glowed this morning with the revelation that for the first time in a quarter century, Indiana will have a presidential primary with the nominee yet unclear.
Which begs the question: what effect will the Democratic Presidential Primary have on the 7th District Primary? Given how well [...]
John McCain has crossed the mathematical threshold as GOP Presidential nominee, which means the indecisive wing must now officially choose to support him or Democrats. Those are the options. Social Conservatives never had a power player in this race, and their favorites dropped out one by one: Brownback, Thompson, Romney, [...]
State Senator David Ford (R-Hartford City) passed away this morning. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and supporters.
[...]Andre Carson supporter and surrogate Wilson Allen is purporting that former Congressional Black Caucus chairman Donald Payne (D-NJ) called into Amos in the Afternoons on WTLC-AM this afternoon to defend Andre Carson's campaign stops at IPS schools this morning.
Either National Democrats are really bored (despite a special election in [...]
A couple of the telling signs that former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson's re-election was in serious jeopardy were his late attack ads and the constant defensive sniping by the Democrat blogging community, both against GOP challenger Greg Ballard.
Such similar signs are visible to the chagrin of City Councillor Andre Carson. [...]
A second attack ad against Republican Jon Elrod appeared Thursday, again paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). And yet again, it has been removed from YouTube, this time voluntarily. A link to the video has also been removed from liberal blog Blue Indiana, who had been [...]
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is the campaign arm for U.S. House Democrats, and one of their top priorities is seeing that Andre Carson is elected in the upcoming special election. They got him a Washington, DC, campaign team; a fancy new web site; and some large DC [...]
We also submit for your approval...
Marion County Judge Ken Johnson and oddball actor Adam West. 
With all the blog attention being paid to the GOP slating losers, we submit for your approval...
Marion County Judge Gary Miller and vertically-challenged actor Joe Pesci.
The Federal Election Commission, down to only two out 
