Joe Kernan (1946-2020)

Joe Kernan
Photo: United States Naval Academy

There will never be another Joe Kernan.

Never. 

Indiana's 48th Governor, Kernan passed away today at the age of 74 after a battle with Alzheimer's Disease. The Indy Star's Justin L. Mack reports that there will be no public services due to COVID-19.

Born in Chicago on April 8, 1946, Kernan's father, Joseph E. Kernan, Jr. was a veteran of World War II and worked in government roles and so did Kernan's mother, Marian. The Kernan Family moved to South Bend when Joe was 10. He graduated from St. Joseph's High School in 1964. From there, he matriculated to Notre Dame and graduated four years later with a degree in government.

In 1969, Joe Kernan answered his country's call in Vietnam and joined the Navy. Shot down over North Vietnam in 1972, Lieutenant Kernan became a prisoner of war in Hanoi. For nearly a year, he was imprisoned there. The Indy Star's Jason Kelly wrote this touching piece about Kernan and detailed some of his time as a POW. For his service, Kernan was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Purple Hearts and the Navy Commendation Metal.

Kernan got married to his wife, Maggie, and returned to private life after the military in 1974. In 1980, the became South Bend city controller. He was elected Mayor of South Bend in 1987. Kernan served two terms as the Mayor of South Bend. He was in his third term when asked in 1996 to be Frank O'Bannon's running mate. The O'Bannon/Kernan ticket defeated Stephen Goldsmith and George Witwer in a tight race. He and O'Bannon enjoyed a productive four years in office, and they were reelectd in a landslide in 2000. The great economic conditions from their first term began to slow, and so did the Indiana economy. The state began to struggle. Tragedy then struck.

O'Bannon attended a trade conference in September 2003 in Chicago. On September 8, O'Bannon suffered a massive stroke in Chicago and died five days later. Kernan moved from Lieutenant Governor to Governor and comforted a grieving state through the loss of its popular leader. One of Kernan's first decisions as Governor was to name Kathy Davis as his Lieutenant Governor. Davis became the first woman to serve in that post.

In his short time on the job as Governor, Kernan did his best to help the Indiana economy, and things were beginning to turn around. In his only legislative session with the Indiana General Assembly, he championed educational reforms such as all-day kindergarten that ultimately did not pass.

Initially, Kernan decided not to pursue a term of his own as Indiana's Chief Executive, but he changed his mind and ran into the buzzsaw that was the 2004 election in Indiana. Led by George W. Bush at the top of the ticket, Mitch Daniels was elected Indiana Governor, and Kernan returned to South Bend.

In retirement, he became one of the owners of South Bend's minor league baseball team, and he served with Chief Justice Randall Shepard in authoring the Kernan-Shepard report on how to streamline and reform government in Indiana.

I met Kernan for the first time in 2004. I attended a fundraiser for the Governor's campaign that was geared toward young people. After he arrived, I watched as the Governor worked the room. I lost track of him because I was in conversation with other people at my table.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and it was the Governor.

"Hi, I'm Joe," he said.

"Of course you are!" I thought.

Joe Kernan embodied humility. He never became filled with the ego and self-importance to which some politicians at his level often fall victim. I talked with him a few more times over the years, and I always found him engaging and giving of his time.

Governor Kernan is survived by Maggie, and his siblings.

According to the Indianapolis Star, you can make memorial contributions to the Veterans Fund at the University of Notre Dame, Kernan's beloved alma mater.

This may be the understatement of the decade, but Indiana will miss Joe Kernan.

Spartz Caught in Lie While Pulling Age-Old Tactic of Failing Campaign

Victoria Spartz
Official Indiana Senate Photo

In politics, it's usually conventional wisdom that the candidate who is behind challenges the incumbent/leading candidate to a debate. If you're the incumbent or the candidate in front, a debate, conventional wisdom says, only gives the challenger a venue to hack into your lead and record.

That's where we are in the 5th District Congressional race today as Indiana state Senator Victoria Spartz challenged former Indiana state Rep. Christina Hale to three debates in a tweet.

The action took many by surprise, including me. The 5th District is an open seat in November because Susan Brooks is retiring from Congress. The Republican legislator was first elected to the seat in 2012. Her decision to not pursue election was a bit of a surprise. The district rates a +9 Republican district according to Cook Partisan Voting Index.

Makes you wonder if Spartz has some sort of damaging internal polling in her hands showing her behind Hale. While Indiana's 5th District Congressional race has recently been rated as a toss-up by many of the prognosticators who look at polling data, it's clear Spartz, the Republican nominee, believes she's behind Hale, the
Democratic nominee.

Christina Hale
Campaign Photo

That's not all. Spartz flat out lied about Hale's record while laying down the challenge. In her tweet thread, she accused Hale of being a liberal and accused her of opposing the reforms of Governors Daniels, Pence and Holcomb, but Spartz's timeline doesn't match up. Hale didn't serve with anyone other than Pence.

Hale defeated a five-term Republican incumbent named Cindy Noe by 51 votes in a then-Republican 87th District to become a member of the Indiana General Assembly. She was sworn in in January of 2013. She then was reelected to the seat in 2014 with another narrow victory over a well-funded GOP opponent. She was on her way to a third reelection in 2016 when she was asked to join John Gregg as his Lieutenant Governor candidate. She left the legislature to pursue that office.

Given the razor-thin margin of the 87th District when Hale represented it, it's laughable that Spartz, who in May just ran her first real race versus voters for elected office, would say today on Twitter that Hale has "reliably liberal" policies.

So, to review, Spartz, who was spotted just a few days ago campaigning without wearing a facemask, lied about Hale's record in the process of pulling a classic move of a failing campaign in challenging an opponent to a debate.

It's not been a good couple of weeks for Senator Spartz.

Lucas' Controversial Post on Social Media Draws Scrutiny

Stop me if you've heard this one before...

Barely two months after he was demoted from leadership posts by the Republican House caucus for what many considered to be a racially-charged Facebook post, Jim Lucas, the District 69 State Representative, has again posted something controversial.

Lucas, who has been a frequent critic of the state's pandemic response, took to Facebook to express his outrage over the mandate asking Hoosiers to wear a mask. This picture of the post is circulating on social media. 

Lucas met with almost immediate backlash and even some praise on the post. After the outrage began to outweigh the praise with many people seeing the post as a potential threat against Governor Eric Holcomb, Lucas added an addendum to the post:

For those that are blowing this out of proportion (again), this picture IS NOT a threat against anyone! 

It is a picture that I have used countless times for years that best exhibits our FREEDOM and Constitutional rights and IS NOT A THREAT!

History shows that the posts from yesterday were right in character for Lucas.

Lucas once posted a letter he wrote to an Indy Star reporter who had written a story about rape suggesting a follow-up story about women "learning how not to be a victim." Lucas apologized.

Another time, he also shared a meme with a picture of a woman in the trunk of a car with the caption, "Wanna know who loves you more: your wife or your dog? Lock them both in your trunk and see who's happy to see you when you let them out."

On WISH-TV's Facebook page, Lucas once shared a photo of two nooses under a story where a black man had confessed to raping three women in Indiana. Lucas claimed the photo posting had nothing to do with the race of the man who admitted to the rapes.

Then, that post I mentioned earlier in this post from last May that caused him to write this (ahem) apology

In almost every case, Lucas accuses those who take umbrage with his posts as making a mountain out of a molehill. He also has claimed multiple times that the pictures or memes he posts have been used by him in other ways before in trying to excuse the use. You can almost set your watch by it.

One has to truly wonder what Lucas' intentions were in this case. Does he think he can intimidate Governor Holcomb? Holcomb, who has polled strongly since taking office, is a longtime GOP insider and former Indiana Republican Party Chair with inside ties to Dan Coats, Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence. He's Donald Trump's honorary campaign chair in Indiana.

Lucas is a State Representative who has managed to get catty-wompus with his own party.

Holcomb's not intimidated. He's right on masks. He may have taken a little time to get there, but action had to be taken to help slow the spread. Masks don't violate anyone's rights. They protect your health.

One thing's for darn sure, Lucas' history shows that he's clearly not changing the way he goes about his social media activities. Some would say that it's been the minimal consequences that he's faced that emboldens him. He seems to believe he's untouchable politically. Perhaps he's too comfortable in his seat, but it's his seat until someone defeats him at the ballot box.

Just so you know, voters of District 69, Jeffery Prewitt is running against Lucas, and there's also an independent on the ballot named Katrina Hardwick. You have a choice.

For now, I'll mark the tape because I am quite sure there will be a new, controversial Lucas post sometime soon. When it happens, I'll even use the same headline.

Biden Camp Releases Great Sit Down Conversation with Obama

Take 15 minutes and watch this important video. This conversation between former President Barack Obama and his Vice President and current Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

It's excellent.

Four Indiana GOP Reps Vote to Keep Taney Bust, Confederate Statues in Statuary Hall

Dred Scott
Public Domain Photo

The House of Representatives voted by a wide margin, 305-113, to remove the bust of Roger Taney, the Chief Justice who wrote the infamous Dred Scott decision, from the National Statuary Hall. The body also voted to remove several Confederate statues from the Hall.

Unfortunately for those backing the removal, that's only one part of the story. Even with the House's vote, the bust of Taney and the Confederate statues are unlikely to be removed, at least this year. The Senate would also have to pass its own measure, and Donald Trump would have to sign off. Even in the unlikely event the Senate does really anything at all, Trump's been on the record as defending statues of Confederates and folks like Taney.

Both of Indiana's Democratic Congressmen, André Carson and Pete Visclosky, along with Republicans Jackie Walorski, Susan Brooks and Trey Hollingsworth voted in the affirmative to remove the statues. Unbelievably or maybe believably, four of Indiana's Republican Congressional House Delegation voted no and in defense of keeping the Confederates and Taney in the Hall.

This dubious "Hall of Shame" includes 3rd District Congressman Jim Banks, 4th District Congressman Jim Baird, 6th District Congressman Greg Pence and 8th District Congressman Larry Buschon. All four of these men served in the United States Armed Forces. Hoosiers need to ask Baird, Buschon, Banks and Pence why they believe Taney and the Confederates deserve to continue to be honored in the Capitol.

Questions Fair on Delayed Mask Mandate

Eric Holcomb
Official State Photo

A month ago, after seeing a 300+ case one day jump, I raised concerns on Twitter about that jump in COVID-19 cases. The state COVID-19 dashboard shows the precipitous rise since then.

For the last few days, we've seen numbers topping out at or near state records. We've seen hospitalizations jump. We've seen positive case testing rates jump. Things have been rising up up up. It's not new. It's been happening for weeks.

All the way, Governor Eric Holcomb has been going about his jovial way. He dishes up sports clichés and Hoosierisms quickly, but he dithers when it comes time to take decisive action preferring to leave it to the local governments to make the toughest decisions on the pandemic.

But, the numbers don't lie and someone saw that.

Joe Hogsett has been ahead of the Governor on almost every action when it comes to the pandemic, but he's gotten very little credit for his efforts and even has received unbelievable flak for them. That's not to say that Hogsett has been perfect. The idea that the Marion County Fair was allowed to happen boggles my mind, but Hogsett did react to the increasing numbers with a mask mandate on July 2. He made that mandate take effect on July 9.

Many were flabbergasted when the Marion County Republican Party came after him for not instituting the mask mandate immediately. Chair of the Indy GOP, Cindy Kirchhofer asked, "If Joe Hogsett says masks will save lives on July 9, why wait until then?"

Well, Rep. Kirchhofer, if Governor Holcomb says masks will save lives on July 27, why did he wait until now? Furthermore, why did he wait at all?

Ask Governor Holcomb why did he not see what dumb me saw when I saw that huge jump back in June? Why did he ignore as we went from 350 to 450 to 550 to 650 to 750 to 850 to 950 cases per day? It's been a march.

Of course, Kirchhofer won't answer, and she won't press the issue. I'm assuming she'll issue some sort of congratulatory news release praising her party's governor for taking this action.

Since she won't ask the questions, we all should. Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians. We should all be mad as heck that it took Governor Holcomb this long to finally make a decision to "mandate" people to wear masks.

I put mandate in quotes in that last paragraph because, like Hogsett's order back in early July, there are technical penalties for not wearing masks. Governor Holcomb said that the "mask police" would not be out to enforce the mandate. It's my opinion that those mandates should be enforced, strictly. The education would be your fine for not wearing a mask. The people that won't comply are happy not to.

I'll praise Governor Holcomb for doing the right thing. I'll just wonder why it took more suffering to do something to try to reverse a trend that's been a reality for a month.

Spartz Campaign Releases Photo with Unmasked Candidate on Trail

Victoria Spartz
Official Indiana Senate Photo

Indiana State Senator Victoria Spartz is in a neck-and-neck battle with, in the interest of full disclosure, my friend, former State Rep. Christina Hale in Indiana's 5th Congressional District.

Because the race is so tight, it's no wonder that the candidates are out and about knocking doors and talking to voters even in the middle of this pandemic. In that vein, Spartz released a photo on Twitter of a particular moment from her campaigning on Saturday.

The photo, which I'll link here, shows Spartz with one of her daughters campaigning on the doorstep of a voter. The Republican and her daughter both have masks, but they are not wearing them. The voter is also unmasked. None of them are demonstrating social distancing.

First off, let's be fair. I don't know the voter. It's possible Spartz may have known the voter and the woman may have been screened somehow before the photo. I also don't know where the photo was taken. It could have been in Hamilton County or maybe even somewhere else in the expansive district, but, if the candidate was in Marion County, she was in violation of the mask mandate put into effect July 9 by Mayor Joe Hogsett.

Plus, it's just not safe to be going around these days knocking doors without a mask. After all, you're coming into contact with a wide variety of people on your journey knocking doors. If you're going to stop and get up close with people, the least you can do, under CDC recommendations, is to mask up when social distancing isn't possible.

City-County Councillor Ali Brown, who represents part of the 5th District, stated in a tweet that Spartz's behavior was unwelcome in her part of Marion County. "Please don't knock in my district if you aren't going to do the most basic thing to protect constituents. I care about the people who live here," Brown tweeted.

COVID-19 is no joke, and it's something candidates and campaigns are going to have to deal with in every action they take not only to keep themselves and their families safe but to keep the people they come into contact with safe. In the same way that candidates take great care to make sure their image is cultivated in the most positive light, candidates are going to have to demonstrate that they are willing to take steps like masking up.

Of course, there's also the possibility that Spartz may not care about masking up and being safe while door knocking. I think it's fair for reporters to ask her that question now given the photo her official campaign Twitter account sent out.

Education On Ballot in 2020 Gubernatorial Race

Woody Myers
Campaign Photo

I rarely post about my day job on this blog because I try to be like the old McDonalds McDLT.

For those of you who might have forgotten, that sandwich was marketed as keeping your cold ingredients on a completely opposite side as the hot burger. I try to keep politics and education apart on this blog because I am a teacher in my day job. Sometimes, though, it's unavoidable especially when the gubernatorial race is making news in our state.

On education policy, I could not disagree on policy much more than the Republicans and Governor Eric Holcomb. Indiana ranks near the bottom in spending per pupil and teacher pay, but teachers in the Hoosier State rank dead last in income growth since 2002. Indiana also has one of the most robust voucher systems in the United States taking money out of the public schools and putting it in the hands of private schools. Indiana is one of the top states for charter school laws as well.

Traditional public schools, especially in Indiana's most populated areas, typically have found themselves struggling. Indiana's major cities have been shuttering traditional public schools and have been trying to make ends meet financially as the money has been squeezed away from them.

Through all this, Indiana remains in the top half in outcomes and school rankings. USA Today placed Indiana schools 18th. US News and World Report ranked Indiana schools 24th. So, despite all the struggles, teachers are doing their jobs.

That's why it was disappointing this morning to wake up and hear Woody Myers, the Democratic nominee for Governor describe Indiana education as "poor" and grading it as a "D+". He made these comments in an Instagram video on his Educators for Woody Myers Instagram page.

Eric Holcomb
Official Indiana Photo

Myers goes on to talk about many of the challenges that I've detailed here in this post, but I find it hard to get past that first statement in his video where he talks about the quality of education in Indiana as poor.

Maybe it's just me being too invested, but I think Indiana teachers deserve better than a D+. There's no question Indiana schools need to do better especially for our most vulnerable students. We do have many challenges, but, in my biased opinion, I believe teachers do what they can in traditional public schools despite the hand their districts are dealt by the Republican-led state government.

Listen, I'm voting for Woody Myers. Eric Holcomb is just wrong on education policy altogether. He and the Republicans that control education policy value State Fairgrounds Swine Barn renovations over teacher pay. Holcomb and his friends put in ridiculous 15-hour externships in as part of professional development and license renewal. Yeah, he isn't right on any of that.

The next Governor will also appoint the next Superintendent of Public Instruction and eight of the 10 members of the State Board of Education. With the Superintendent, that's NINE of the eleven seats. This is critical to understand. The voters, thanks to Republicans, have lost any voice on that board except through the Governor they elect. I know that a Governor Myers Administration wouldn't believe Indiana teachers are bad, but we need to hear more uplifting messages on how are schools and our teaches are succeeding and a clear message placing the blame for where we are right now with funding, teacher pay, and other issues right where it belongs. Imagine how much better we could be doing with a Governor who valued teachers and traditional public schools.

That's on the desk of Governor Holcomb, his predecessors Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence and the Republican supermajority.

John Lewis (1940-2020)

John Lewis has passed tonight.

From Troy, Alabama, Lewis, the son of sharecroppers, rose to the highest levels of our government to serve with distinction in the United States House of Representatives. 

Along the way, he inspired so many, including me.

Representative Lewis packed a lot of life into his 80-plus years. More life than maybe many have in two or three lives. It was a life focused on service and on humility. Lewis led a life of perseverance and hope. He never quit on this country even when it quit on him. 

He marched with Dr. King. He spoke at the March on Washington as one of the organizing members. His skull was fractured on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday.

John Lewis never let the arrests or the beatings or the epithets stop him. He kept fighting for civil rights. 

He didn't stop. Not even close. Not John Lewis. He wasn't done. He kept working, organizing, mobilizing. He kept serving. Moving forward. Making "good trouble" as he called it. He didn't stop when the Civil Rights Act was passed. He kept fighting for equality even as our country continued to demonstrate every reason for him not to be hopeful. John Lewis didn't stop organizing and mobilizing. He kept doing the work. He kept making "good trouble" and pushing forward.

John Lewis was defeated in his first run for Congress, but he didn't stop there. In 1987, John Lewis became a Congressman from Georgia. He never stopped fighting for what was right. John Lewis conducted sit-ins in 2016 on the floor of Congress to protest inaction on gun control.

John Lewis rose one year ago to the date of his death to protest Donald Trump's tweets many deemed to be racist. "I know racism when I see it. I know racism when I feel it. And at the highest level of government, there's no room for racism. It sows the seeds of violence and destroys the hopes and dreams of people. The world is watching. They are shocked and dismayed because it seems we have lost our way as a nation, as a proud and great people."

Just last month, Lewis was still fighting against racism. It was a battle he never stopped. Though very sick with cancer, he showed us what it's like to never stop fighting up to his last breath. 

In many ways, this is the time we need John Lewis the most, but that would be selfish. He's given his blood, his tears, his effort, and everything else...up until his last breath. It's time to rest. He's gone, and we're left to pick up the pieces and keep fighting: just like John Lewis.

"When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something."

--John Lewis

Biden Camp Running Strong, but It's July

Joe Biden

The legendary basketball coach at Ben Davis High School, Steve Witty, always used to say, "The toughest thing to do in sports is exactly what's expected of you."

He didn't know that I'd use that quote here and in this context, but I think that quote could also apply to politics. The toughest thing is sometimes doing what is expected, and Joe Biden is running a much-better-than-expected campaign for President of the United States by simply keeping that metaphorical golf ball right in the fairway. It appears that he's taking some advice to heart.

It all starts with the ads the Biden campaign is releasing, and each ad released has been on message, on point, uplifting and positive. 

A great example is this spectacular ad. Each one plays into Biden's strong suit: his empathy. 

But beyond his ad campaign, Biden is also nailing the other aspects of a modern campaign. In the past week, we've seen where he's talking with Bernie Sanders about platform and Elizabeth Warren  about the economy and is listening to them. He's held events with Pete Buttigieg. He's keeping his chief rivals for the nomination more than just involved as supporters. 

Barack Obama allegedly advised Biden to keep his speeches and interviews short and keep his tweets in a similar vein. That's discipline, and that's what we've seen from the former Senator from Delaware and Vice President. Biden, unlike President Donald Trump, demonstrates this in his public speeches by sticking to the script and staying on message. For someone who at times has been known for his gaffes, this is very important.

All the while, Biden is letting the Super PACs do the dirty work on Trump. The Lincoln Project and Vote Vets both have hit Trump hard. The Lincoln Project's Whispers ad that dropped last week is one of the most powerful ads I've seen, and it's targeted right at what Donald Trump values...loyalty.

Of course, the best thing for Biden to do right now is stay visible, which he is. Follow the recommendations of the CDC on rallies, which his is, and continue to let Donald Trump be Donald Trump. The amount of lies, distortions and offensive things that come out of Trump's mouth and social media accounts are unprecedented not to mention his corrupt actions.

With this much of a wind behind him, Biden is now expanding the electoral map in response to recent polls showing him very competitive in Texas where a Democrat has not won since 1976. Today, Biden launched an ad in the Lone Star State which never once mentions Donald Trump and focuses on recommendations to stop the spread of COVID-19. This means Trump will now have to play defense in Texas, a state he carried by nine percentage points in 2016. Polls also show Biden with leads in Arizona and Florida.

All of this positive news comes with a healthy dose of caution. We are still some four months from the General Election. In the day and age we live in, anything can happen. It's time to keep working.

Rokita Squeaks Past Hill, Will Face Weinzapfel

Tad Rakouta
U.S. Congress Photo

Indiana Republicans have spoken. Curtis Hill's political career is over, at least for now, and Todd Rokita is back off the dust heap.

Rokita, former Indiana Secretary of State and U.S. Representative, had not had much luck with Republican voters lately. He took a risk and left a safe seat in the 4th Congressional District to run for U.S. Senate against fellow Rep. Luke Messer and State Rep. Mike Braun. He finished a distant second. Rokita also tried to become the Republican's nominee for Governor after Mike Pence left the ticket in 2016. Eric Holcomb obviously won that battle.

Despite all the negative and really creepy things Hill has done in his time as AG, Rokita could only muster 53 percent of the Republican delegate vote in the final round vs. Hill. John Westercamp and Nate Harter also ran for the nomination. The GOP used ranked choice voting in the race which was conducted by mail.

Jonathan Weinzapfel
Campaign Photo

For Hill, it probably could be argued that despite the tacit support of President Donald Trump that the investigation over groping allegations and the resulting loss of his law license for 30 days took him down. Hill's political crash and burn marks a new beginning for Rokita, a man as known for his many wacky statements and disgusting political positions as his ambition. Still, it's a stunning ending to this chapter for Hill. While political comebacks are always a possibility, this seems like a pretty big and certainly final thud for Hill, once the top votegetter of any state officeholder in Indiana history.

Curtis Hill
Official Photo

Hill's loss changes the trajectory of the November race as Democrat Jonathan Weinzapfel, the former Mayor of Evansville, will now face Rokita. On the face of it, it's an easy pivot for the Dems and Weinzapfel. We've already seen sophomoric tactics out of Rokita whose campaign misspelled Weinzapfel's name multiple times in a news release after the former Mayor won the Democratic nod last month over state Senator Karen Tallian. Expect Dems to hit Rokita hard on some of his worst public statements, his ambition and his alleged mistreatment of his congressional staff. It will be an uphill battle for Weinzapfel. A good showing by Joe Biden in Indiana could help Weinzapfel.

What's next for Curtis Hill is anyone's guess. In his spare time, he's an Elvis impersonator. Maybe he can do that. What is clear is that boorish and inappropriate behavior was just not what the GOP wanted this year in their Attorney General nominee.

They didn't want it so much that they chose Todd Rokita.

Vote Vets Ad Claps Back Hard at Tucker Carlson, Trump

Vote Vets has released an ad that hits hard at Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson of Fox News.

They're right. Tammy Duckworth is tough, and she would make a great running mate for Joe Biden. I don't know if he will pick her, but this ad makes a great argument along with this previous ad released back in June by Vote Vets.

Larrison Wins Spot on Council

Jason Larrison
Photo: Jason Larrison for Council Facebook

City-County Council candidate Jason Larrison described himself as a "failed" blogger and comedian to the Indy Star's Amelia Pak-Harvey in an apology for inflammatory old blog posts.

Now, he can describe himself as City-County Councillor.

By a social-media-reported margin of one vote, Larrison has been elected to the City-County Council in a caucus of 23 party precinct officials over Karla Lopez-Owens and Francine Lee.

Larrison will now serve out the unexpired term of Blake Johnson. The next Council election will be 2023 (barring some change at the state level to move municipal elections to an even year).

Larrison had been backed by Mayor Joe Hogsett and his inner circle who spent a lot of political capital in defending Larrison. City-County Councillors and community members raised concerns about Larrison's fitness for office after the controversial blog posts resurfaced.

Those opposed to Larrison's candidacy rallied around Karla Lopez-Owens, a Mexican native, naturalized citizen and immigrant activist. The 12th District on the Council has the city's highest Latinx/Hispanic population of any Council district. Lopez-Owens would have been the only Latina on the Council had she won the caucus.

How we proceed from here will certainly be interesting to watch. There are people who are straight up mad about this, and it remains to be seen if that anger subsides. Twelve sitting Councillors had sent Hogsett a letter endorsing Lopez-Owens and asking for Larrison to leave the race. The Mayor needs to certainly smooth things over with them, if he can.

My feeling is that this will not go away for Larrison, and his margin for error on the Council will be extremely small. The Mayor also is in the middle of a dire time. He's receiving renewed pressure from those on the right and the last thing he needs is a fight from the left. He's brought this one on himself.

Never a dull moment in Indy!

District 12 Race May Be Inflicting Damage to Hogsett's Relationships with Council

Joe Hogsett
Photo: indy.gov

One of the rules of being a political leader is knowing when to punt.

Joe Hogsett is holding on to the ball on 4th and 15, and a near majority of the City-County Council is chasing after him.

Twelve members the Council Democratic Caucus sent Hogsett, his senior staff and candidate Jason Larrison a letter expressing support for Karla Lopez-Owens and asking Larrison to leave the race. Larrison, Lopez-Owens and Francine Lee are locked in a tight caucus battle to replace Blake Johnson on the Council in District 12.

Hogsett has backed Larrison and continues to back him despite Indy Star reporting from Amelia Pak-Harvey detailing blog posts Larrison penned several years ago. Blog posts that could conservatively be described as anti-immigrant, misogynistic and homophobic. Unbelievably, the blog still is live. You can read it here. Larrison apologized in the Pak-Harvey article calling his posts, "unacceptable."

So, if they were unacceptable, why is Hogsett continuing to back Larrison's candidacy? Why did he issue a defense in the Pak-Harvey article. I get that people change and that we aren't the people we were 10-15-20 years ago, but these posts were, in my opinion, so inflammatory that they would affect Larrison's ability to be a successful Councillor. It's also clear that the entire situation has the potential, whatever the outcome, to drive a wedge between the Mayor and his Council caucus as well as other community leaders. Why not just urge Larrison to step aside and allow Lopez-Owens or Lee to represent the district in the Council? If Larrison refused to step aside, at least the best thing politically for Hogsett would be to distance yourself from him more strongly.

The damage may already be done, though. I don't get it. I wonder what advice the Mayor is getting these days.

Larrison's Past Blog Posts Provide District 12 Caucus Eve Surprise

When Blake Johnson was elected to fill out the unexpired term of Dan Forestal, who resigned from his District 100 post in the Indiana House, it set off a race to replace him on the City-County Council

Many community leaders and several City-County Councillors have come out in support of Karla Lopez-Owens to replace Johnson. Mayor Joe Hogsett has backed former employee Jason Larrison for the spot. So, as you might imagine, the caucus has taken a turn and has become a bit of a proxy battle between the Council and the Mayor. Francine Lee, who has supporters of her own, is also in the race to become a Councillor as well.

Well, this race took a turn this evening. Call it a "Caucus Eve Surprise" if you will.

Tonight, the Indianapolis Star published an article by Amelia Pak-Harvey detailing blog posts written in 2006 and 2007 where Larrison had made insensitive remarks about undocumented immigrants, women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

For his part, Larrison apologized without any confusion. After explaining to the Pak-Harvey that he was unsuccessfully attempting to be a blogger and a comedian at the time he penned the posts, he said, "I made bad jokes that were completely unacceptable and I am not the sort of person to make excuses when I screw up."

That's a definitive apology, and I credit him for taking responsibility. He didn't go the wishy washy way of saying that he was apologizing if he offended someone. He said he was clearly wrong. 

The apology, though, in my opinion is not enough. The posts were unacceptable, as he stated, and they were disqualifying. Larrison should drop out of this race before the caucus on Tuesday. I believe that no matter his contrition, the posts were written and that will damage his ability to effectively serve his constituents. District 12 has, according to the Star, the highest percentage of Hispanic and Latinx individuals in our city.

That's not all, though. I'm also disappointed in Mayor Hogsett, who, according to the Star piece, condemned Larrison's past posts but continues to support his candidacy. I think that's incredibly unfortunate, and it has the potential to strain the relationships between the Mayor and the Latinx community in Indianapolis.

I agree with the Councillors and community leaders backing Karla Lopez-Owens. She should be given the opportunity to lead the 12th District on the Council. She appears qualified and ready to lead the district forward.

UPDATE: After having read some of the posts in question (found them on a Facebook post of a friend), I think Joe Hogsett needs to answer as to why he is continuing to support Larrison's campaign at all. The posts are definitely disqualifying.

Trump Goes Low in Wallace Attack Tweet

Bubba Wallace
Photo: NASCAR

Each morning after I wake up, grab a drink and shake off the drowsiness, I grab my phone and open social media to get my first glance at what's going on.

Lately, I prepare for anything. This morning, the first few tweets I saw were responses to a Trump tweet: a Trump tweet that only shows the President keeps going lower and lower and lower and lower.

Trump decided that today, in the midst of a killer global pandemic he mismanaged, was the perfect time to attack NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace. The personal attack against NASCAR's only Black driver comes just two days after the Independence Day holiday and in the middle of a continued discussion about race in our society. 

Trump's tweet is mean-spirited, incorrect and wrong at every level, and one has to wonder why anyone in the most powerful office in the land would ever resort to such race-baiting. 

For one, Trump needs a distraction as the coronavirus numbers continue to skyrocket in most states. He needs someone to change the subject, and, by attacking the only Black driver in the NASCAR paddock, he gets people talking. Secondly, I'll put it bluntly, Trump needs his base, and that base includes the kind of people that wear tinfoil hats, support the Confederate States of America and the racism that continues to divide our nation.

Sadly, caught in the middle of this, is Bubba Wallace.

Wallace led the fight to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from NASCAR tracks. He should be praised for his leadership in helping an organization that was berthed in the tradition and history of Southern culture to divorce itself from the symbol some white Southerners hold sacred. He and his race team brought attention to the Black Lives Matter cause by running it on his car in a race. 

As a leader and as a man, Wallace deserves our accolades and not aspersions from a morally bankrupt failure of a President. He deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work, and I hope President Biden will award him one when he's in office. Make no mistake, Trump's low personal attack will cause Wallace to absorb more hate directed at him from the President's most racist supporters. Hate that has caused him already to need more security. 

I proudly stand with Bubba Wallace.

Indy GOP Masks True Intentions

Cindy Kirchhofer
Photo: Indiana House Republicans

The Marion County Republican Party once ruled the roost in Marion County. Now, it can't even muster enough people to help run an election...even in heavily Republican areas.

This once dominant party can't even get politics right either. Today, the party released a statement from current chair Cindy Kirchhofer. Let's say...it missed the mark. The statement kind of sort of praises Mayor Joe Hogsett for doing the right thing on making masks mandatory but then somehow tries to criticize him for his implementation schedule.

The statement goes:

"I believe that masks are an important precautionary health measure. However, it's sad but not surprising that once again Joe Hogsett picks politics over protecting people as he issues his mask mandate."

"If Joe Hogsett says masks will save lives on July 9, why wait until then? I fear this isn't about protecting our neighbors but about protecting his political career.“

Now, if you read that statement, it could go a lot of different ways after that first sentence. It could have said, "I believe masks are an important precautionary health measure. That's why I join Mayor Hogsett in urging all Indianapolis and Marion County residents to wear a mask. Here's where you can go to get a free mask from the city of Indianapolis. You can also pick one up at points in the city or call (317) 327-4MAC."

OR

It could have said, "I believe masks are an important precautionary health measure. That's why I am urging Governor Eric Holcomb to join Mayor Hogsett in issuing an order to make masks mandatory across the state of Indiana."

Of course, I'm living in a mythical world and not the one where where Cindy Kirchhofer is the Chair of a failing at the Indy ballot box political party that STRETCHES to score political points on Mayor Hogsett while at the same time trying to also care about mask wearing.

Joe Hogsett
Photo: Indy.gov

It is July 2. Governor Holcomb just announced yesterday that he would encourage but not require masks across the state. I'm sure Hogsett and Dr. Virginia Caine of the Marion County Health Department were waiting for that guidance. So, now, Mayor Hogsett is left with a mandatory order that will require people to not only hear about it but to obtain a mask to comply. Of course implementing it right away isn't an option. A week seems perfectly practical to anyone that isn't thinking with the political point scoring brain.  If she truly did care and think mask wearing was so important than she should be bending the Governor's ear on the subject of a mandatory mask order.

And, let's look at all the things that the Indy GOP could be doing to score political points right now. I just wrote another long post today about Mayor Hogsett's challenges. Yet, Kirchhofer chooses pandemic masks to accuse the Mayor of trying to score political points. Come on Rep. Kirchhofer, you CANNOT be serious.

If anything, the political ploy here was not to take up quarrel with Hogsett's timeline. The political play here for the Republican Party would be to play that libertarian angle. The mandatory angle was the play. Of course, that's the wrong play, but, at least it makes some sense given the traditional GOP party line.

As it stands, Hogsett's order may be disliked by some, but at least he's given everyone a chance to comply. Plus, the numbers in Indianapolis show that we're actually holding our own in comparison to some other areas when it comes to COVID-19. We need to keep it that way, and Hogsett's order will help do it.

By the way, Mitch Gore is running against Kirchhofer for the District 89 seat. You can find his website here.

Personal Prerogative: On Joe Hogsett...

Joe Hogsett
Photo: Indy.gov

Just starting this off with a disclaimer. Joe Hogsett is a friend of mine...and not just the kind of friend that politics makes. Joe's a real friend, and I value that friendship.

Because of my friendship with the Mayor, I'll be honest, it's been incredibly hard for me to watch him absorb criticism, fair and otherwise, over the past few months. I almost didn't write this, but I felt as if  I should at least say something...even if it's nuanced and as devoid of red meat as a vegan platter.

Can we appreciate the situation that all policy makers in Marion County find themselves in right now? Think of it. We're at the center of multiple intersecting issues of which any one would be a difficult way forward for the Chief Executive of Marion County.

• The continuing response to a global pandemic that's continuing to kill Hoosiers.
• The critical conversation over race relations in our city.
• The need for real police and criminal justice reform.
• The response to the violence and riots that occurred at the end of May.
• The mounting homicide numbers and gun violence.
• Our crumbling streets and infrastructure that has been neglected for eons.

Any one of those issues...and some I didn't even list...is enough to keep a Mayor up at night. Right now, though, they are all happening at once. It's overwhelming, and the people who care about these issues rightly want answers now, and they are feeling mad that they can't get them. I completely understand the frustrations. 

It's tough and unparalleled, but, even as a friend, I can't write off perceived or otherwise inaction as just 'the job is tough', so I won't. Joe Hogsett, my friend, is also my Mayor. It's completely understandable that some are frustrated with the way they perceive the city is progressing. If fair is fair and being honest is required, I do think that the Mayor has made some mistakes. I also think he's done shown great leadership in other ways, but that does nothing for those who want answers and feel that their problems aren't being addressed.

A criticism I hear a lot is that the Mayor has been absent. I don't buy it. While I wish the Mayor had taken a more visible role at times such as the night the riots struck downtown. I know that Mayor Hogsett is leading. I guess if I were on the Mayor's staff, I would advise them to be even more aggressive in attacking these issues. I would utilize the Mayor's social media accounts more and get that word out. 

Hogsett is visible, but I would argue that he needs to be even more visible. Visibility doesn't necessarily mean physical presence either in this age of COVID-19. That's why social media is important. Use it. It's free and, as our President reminds us every day, it allows an unfiltered message to the masses.

I also believe Joe needs to be more vocal about the city's struggles with the lawmakers on the other side of Market Street and the way their conservative philosophies and loyalties affect what we can do as a city on critical issues.

One way we could get the General Assembly to help us in Indy is on the issue of guns and the way it relates to the obscene number of homicides our city is racking up. I don't know how to give an answer or even a proposal about how to stem this tied until we stop the flow of illegal guns onto our streets. That's going to take some sea change at the Statehouse get done. The General Assembly pushes back at local rule whenever the NRA's pet issues are threatened even in the most conservative ways. Mayor Hogsett needs to spend some of his political capital to let people know his. Until then, certainly there is more than we can do as a city. That starts in our schools trying to teach young people that there are better ways to solve conflicts other than shooting people. One thing is clear. It's also a problem we are not going to arrest our way out of. That was true when Greg Ballard was mayor, and it's certainly the same now.

It's a complicated road that Mayor Hogsett is riding right now, and his actions early in his administration in taking on the responsibility for public safety means that the buck stops on his desk. To his credit, he's taken that mantel and the criticism when it has been warranted and seems committed to this cause and to taking the blowback from the FOP if necessary.

I could go on here, but I just don't buy that line from some on the far right that the Mayor is absentee or that he doesn't care about his city. That's not accurate at all. I know the real Joe Hogsett, and that's not him.

Quick story. On December 25, 2014, my mother died. We had her funeral visitation on December 30, and a great crowd came to celebrate Mom's life. One of those who came to pay his respects was Joe Hogsett, without an entourage. Now, he didn't know my mother, but he knew what she meant to me and to my family. I remember that he spent about 15 minutes with me and my brother just talking to us. He put his hand on my shoulder and my brother's shoulder, and he said, "It's a weird feeling to lose both of your parents. You kind of feel uniquely alone."

It was true. He understood what we were both feeling five years after losing Dad and a few days after losing Mom. I'll remember always that kindness and compassion for me and my family.

I know Joe's heart, and I am confident in his leadership despite any stumbles he may make. We're in caring hands.