Ruckelshaus Runs Smear Campaign on Qaddoura

John Ruckelshaus and Fady Qaddoura

There are a lot of negative and misleading ads running this campaign cycle. 

One candidate's ad, however, is particularly cruel and misleading in its claim.

WTHR's Verify team took a look at an ad that John Ruckelshaus is running against his opponent Fady Qaddoura. Ruckelshaus has made a career of being a state senator that truly has resisted some of the crazy his caucus often peddles and is widely respected by people of all political spectrums. That's why many were shocked by the ad Ruckelshaus continues to run against Qaddoura.

The ad has all the markings of a negative political ad complete with the grainy photos, empty swingsets, etc. Ruckelshaus makes the claim that Qaddoura, as Indianapolis City Comptroller cut preschool out of the budget for at-risk three-year-olds. 

This is just plain misleading. A five-year agreement to provide preschool finished, so it was taken out of the budget. The budget then went through the public process all budgets go through and was approved by not only a majority of the City-County Council, but a unanimous vote of both Republicans and Democrats. The Comptroller only prepares the budget. This individual has no power to make the final decisions.

After WTHR pointed out the misleading nature of the ad, didn't even have the decency to pull it. It's continuing to run in heavy rotation smearing the reputation of Qaddoura. Now, Ruckelshaus is closing with an ad from the late Richard Lugar talking about Ruckelshaus's bipartisan reputation and the respect he has from both sides of the aisle. 

Dare I say that Lugar would be absolutely horrified by the ad being run by Ruckelshaus's campaign against Qaddoura. This is not the first misleading tactic Ruckelshaus has used against Qaddoura this cycle, either. Sheila Kennedy says it even better in her post on this ad than I can.

As many on both sides of the aisle have said, Qaddoura doesn't deserve this dastardly ad from a man who has made a career of being above it. 

I guess we misjudged John Ruckelshaus. Lump him in with all the others that will knowingly mislead to stay in power.

Young Signs Term Limits Pledge After 34 Years in General Assembly?

District 35 Candidates: Mike Young (R) and Pete Cowden (D)
Campaign Photos

One of the bellwether races to show national folks how Indiana might swing might just be Indiana's 35th Senate District race between long long long longtime incumbent Mike Young and first-time candidate and combat veteran Pete Cowden.

The 35th District encompasses a large part of Southwestern Marion County in Wayne and Decatur Townships and then shoots out west into Hendricks County picking up Plainfield and other communities nearby. It's very clearly gerrymandered to protect Young, and he's electorally done quite well keeping it close in Marion County and winning handily in Hendricks. 

Term limits have become an issue in this race with mailers showing up in District 35 mailboxes. Surprisingly it's Cowden being targeted by the negative mailers even though he's never been in office before. 

Instead, Young, a man who has been in the Indiana Senate nearly 20 years and who has served in the General Assembly since 1986, is being endorsed by this out-of-state term limits group who is now sending mailings on his behalf. I was 11 when Young was first elected to the Indiana House. I'm now 45.

Did you get that? A man who has been in the General Assembly for 34 years is now being supported by a term limits group based in Florida. Suddenly, Young has seen the light on term limits after his long and undistinguished career in office? Something smells fishy here.

Cowden, for his part, said in a Facebook video that he strongly supports term limits but did not respond to the group's bullying tactics and thus did not sign the group's pledge. 

Mike Young's 34-year legislative career is not what I would call spectacular. For example, if you're interested as to why your vote takes so long to count if you voted absentee, you might be interested to know that Young was the author of 2013's Senate Bill 621. That bill robbed Marion County of its four at-large City-County Council seats, took several appointments from the City-County Council, reduced the size of the township advisory boards and created a central count for absentee ballots in only two counties...Lake and Marion. No one asked for that bill. Even Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard pretended to be surprised by it.

That's just one greatest hit in a long line of head scratchers for Senator Young. In 2017, Young argued against adding fertility fraud as a felony for fertility doctors who use their own sperm or eggs in fertility clinics. In 2020, Young was caught making what many considered to be inappropriate and homophobic remarks about Pete Buttigieg on Facebook. Young also has sought to override the decision of local prosecutors on marijuana charge prosecutions. Young co-authored a bill to send children to the Department of Corrections instead of the juvenile justice system. Young voted yes on Right to Work. He tried to make it more difficult for workers to collect pay owed to them. Young also tried to grandstand on Indiana colleges and universities declaring themselves sanctuary campuses...even though none of Indiana's higher learning institutions did.

There are more instances. Feel free to Google Senator Young for yourself. 

I've seen a lot of laughable things in politics, but a term limits group campaigning against a first-time candidate running against a legislator who's been in office nearly 35 years is right at the tops. Don't buy this crap and dump the mailers you may receive in the nearest recycle or trash bin.

Civility Rules Night in Indiana Gubernatorial Debate

Indiana Gubernatorial Candidates
Eric Holcomb (R), Woody Myers (D), Donald Rainwater (L)
Photos from Official Sources or Campaigns

The Indiana Gubernatorial Debate was Tuesday night, and there was something there for everyone. I'm not sure it changes the race much, but it did provide an opportunity to see the three candidates out there pushing their own values and views.

As far as the red meat goes, there really was little in the way of insults or interruptions fired at each other. By and large, it was an hour of candidates following the rules of the debate and a moderator named Andrew Downs who did a great job keeping the hour moving.

The biggest area of disagreement came on COVID-19 restrictions. Governor Eric Holcomb defended his record on the COVID-19 response despite the fact that since the state moved to Stage 5 of the "Back on Track" plan the cases, deaths and hospitalizations have been on the rise. Holcomb touted his partial shutdown of the state and the so-called mask mandate (which is less of a mandate and more of a pretty pretty please) as reasons why Indiana's dealing with the pandemic well. 

Dr. Woody Myers, the Democratic nominee, was the only candidate to say he would go further than what's going on right now in the state. Holcomb said he'd put restrictions in place and let the courts decide later on those restrictions in order to keep Hoosiers safe. He promised a real mask mandate with teeth if he's elected Governor and promised to listen to scientists. Myers is, of course, a medical doctor.

Then, there was Donald Rainwater. The Libertarian candidate, Rainwater seemed to call into question the science of mask wearing and mask mandates. Unsurprisingly, many of his supporters have been very critical of this part of Governor Holcomb's response. Rainwater also said that COVID-19 had not caused businesses to go out of business in Indiana. He, instead, blamed that on Holcomb's response to the virus. 

Rainwater and Holcomb sparred a bit over the duties granted by the Indiana General Assembly to the Governor of Indiana. Myers criticized the Governor for not calling a special session of the Indiana General Assembly to deal with the pandemic.

Holcomb painted a rosy picture of things in Indiana on the economy touting the number job commitments companies have said they'll bring to Hoosiers. Several times, he praised state agencies for their response to environmental issues and management of the pandemic. Myers and Rainwater both used the opportunity to attack the Governor's record on these topics. 

In his opening and closing statement, Myers promised to reappoint Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jennifer McCormick to the soon-to-be appointed position. McCormick has endorsed Myers over her fellow Republican, Holcomb. Myers also spent time hammering away at Holcomb and the GOP's record on teacher pay and education. Rainwater promised to return schools to local control. Holcomb touted the one-time only pay raises many teachers in many districts negotiated and the commission he formed on teacher pay as reasons why he's dealing with that issue. Holcomb has refused to release the findings of that commission until after the election. 

Guns were also a meaty issue in this debate. Myers said he did not support constitutional carry and endorsed background checks. He also talked about his experience as an ER physician dealing with the effects of gun violence. He touted his Moms Demand Action endorsement. Holcomb noted that Indiana has made it very easy to get a gun permit by making it a free application process. Rainwater came out in complete support of constitutional carry.

Again, it was a very good debate, but I didn't see any Mourdock moments. It's likely that this did not change any hearts or minds other than to make you feel really good about the candidate you were already supporting.

Mike Young, in Statehouse since 1986, Signs Congressional Term Limits Pledge...LOL

 

Mike Young has been in the Indiana General Assembly since 1986. 

That's it. 

That's the blog post.

Two Weeks To Go: Election Hodge Podge

Lots of different things to talk about, so I decided to just post this hodge podge look at everything I'm thinking about. 

• Let's begin with the 5th District race between Victoria Spartz and Christina Hale. The campaign has taken a particularly negative turn. The PACs and the Spartz campaign have been the main culprits launching pretty much spaghetti against the wall attacks at Hale hoping something sticks. As Mary Beth Schneider reported on Twitter a few days ago, any negative policies the GOP says Hale voted for that became law had to also have been supported by a ton of Republicans too in the General Assembly. Indiana has had a GOP supermajority in both houses now for several sessions. Hale's ads continue to hammer home the health care debate over preexisting conditions. To my count, her campaign has explicitly only lobbed two negative ads at Spartz. One that was on health care where the State Senator is on tape saying health care is "not federal issue" and another with a couple giving a testimonial on how the Affordable Care Act helped their child. The PACs and the DCCC have hammered Spartz hard with some cringeworthy but probably effective ads. I would love to see some recent polling on this one. Given the amount of money coming in, I'd say it's probably close still. Hale and Spartz each released ads in the past showing each with a lead. Independent polls have slightly favored Hale.
• The 5th District race has kind of taken the air out of the other Congressional races in Indiana, but Jeannine Lee Lake's race in the 6th against Mike Pence's brother, Greg, has gotten attention for the wrong reasons. Lake has told WTHR that she has been receiving threats and that her campaign RV was vandalized. Lake also went on Facebook Live following an incident where someone allegedly fired a weapon in her vicinity. It's sad where politics have led us in 2020. My best to Lake as she continues her courageous attempt to unseat Greg Pence. Let's hope that law enforcement helps keep the candidate safe as she continues campaigning.
• The race for Governor should be ramping up, but, as Adam Wren reported in Politico, the campaign has become a referendum on Eric Holcomb's mask mandate. Libertarian Donald Rainwater has found broad support and has more cash on hand than Democrat Woody Myers by his staunch opposition to Holcomb's pandemic response. Myers is trying to open up the conversation on doing more in Indiana to control the surging COVID-19 case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths. It's really a shame Myers has not been able to break through. In the Politico piece by Wren, former Indiana House Speaker and 2012 and 2016 Democratic nominee for Governor, John Gregg goes off calling Myers the "most disappointing candidate the Democrats have put forward" for Governor in his lifetime. I like John, but I don't think he needs to be criticizing too heavily on that regard. Yes, Myers has struggled to raise money and campaign in what should be a downwind season for Dems, but Gregg didn't run a perfect campaign in either of his runs, either. Holcomb remains the heavy favorite. Will he get 50 percent, though? I think you'll see him around 55 percent on Election Night. Then, without the need for reelection as Indiana Governors are term limited maybe he'll return to the pre-election season Holcomb who might move Indiana back on the "Back on Track" plan out of Stage 5. Since moving to Stage 5, Indiana has seen cases of coronavirus explode.
• Which leads me to the next point: The Indiana Democratic Party. Boy, have we reached the same crossroads again here. The Indiana Dems have proven that they cannot run a multiple fronts campaign again forcing all their resources in one or two directions. This time, the Dems seem to be placing their advocacy behind a few state races, Hale's race (though much more federal and PAC dollars seem at play here) and the race for Indiana Attorney General between Jonathan Weinzapfel and Todd Rokita. All the while, John Zody continues to hold on to his Chairmanship. It's understandable that Dems would have an uphill battle in Indiana, but it shouldn't be, in my estimation, nearly as bad as it is right now. 
• The fact that Republicans are running ads in the Indianapolis market for several General Assembly races really underscores how concerned that they are about them. While they are in no danger of losing their majority, Dems could pick up enough seats to end the supermajority in the House at least. There are also some great opportunities in the Senate where progressive voices could gobble up Republican seats. It bears watching.

That's it for now. As I write this, I'm watching Colts football. Back to the game.

Vote Holcomb Out: Time for a Doctor to Lead COVID Response, Vote Woody Myers

Dr. Woody Myers

Eric Holcomb deserves to lose this race for Governor, but the Indiana Democratic Party is again in no position to help him do it.

The Governor has watched while Indiana's COVID numbers and hospitalization numbers skyrocket for a third time. All the while, he meekly tells people to wear a mask and now has hidden himself away from the media at the COVID briefings each week. Meanwhile, the state is poised to hit 2,000 daily cases sometime in the next few days with a rising positivity rate.

As far as candidates go, you have the Libertarian, Donald Rainwater. Rainwater's supporters were absolutely giddy over an outlying poll showing him in hailing distance of the Governor. More recent polls show Rainwater with more support than normal for a Libertarian, but Holcomb with a wide lead in the race.

The Democrats, meanwhile, are running a medical doctor in Woody Myers. Dr. Myers has come out with reasoned, strong and realistic plans on many topics...not just the Coronavirus. The Indiana Democratic Party is, however, providing little support instead putting their efforts behind electing Jonathan Weinzapfel as Attorney General. 

So, while Woody continues to fight to find support, he's also fighting the battle of name recognition. 

Holcomb looks to be in the driver's seat here a couple of weeks out, but we still have the Gubernatorial Debates coming up on October 22 and 27. Barring some major collapse a la Richard Mourdock's disastrous performance in the 2012 Senatorial Debate, Holcomb probably is the favorite to breeze into a second term.

Still, he doesn't deserve it. He's thrown his initial caution on COVID to the business of politics and has put his own electoral fortunes over the things necessary to control this virus. Governor Holcomb leaves most major decisions to local communities because he clearly is more happy talking about sunshine and rainbows in his "One Indiana" ads than what's truly going on here. Holcomb has taken what was a strong start in his pandemic response and is simply watching while COVID comes back for a third bite at the Hoosier apple.

Rainwater won't take the steps needed to curb this virus. This is why he's received a lot of support from angry Holcomb voters. He's capitalized on those anti-maskers who are mad at Holcomb's ridiculously lax mask policies for the State of Indiana. 

There's only one candidate in the race for Governor who's willing to do something about this pandemic. That's Woody Myers. For that reason, among many others, a vote for Myers is the wise and prudent move. Holcomb must be voted out.

Keep Working Until Biden Wins

So, here we are just a few weeks before the election, and it appears that Joe Biden is doing about as well as can be expected in the polls. I don't think this thing is over yet.

While my prediction based upon the statewide polls puts Joe Biden at a 375 electoral vote mark when everything is said and done, the polls are still too tight to just coast across the finish line...even with Donald Trump continuing to implode.

The biggest thing you can do right now is keep advocating to those persuadable voters you know. Maybe those old-time Republicans that you've met over the years might just be fed up enough with the state of their party to flip over and vote for Biden this year. If that can happen, perhaps we can even turn Indiana blue.

Personally, the only person who could turn Indiana blue is Barack Obama, and he did it with hard work. His 50-state strategy with boots on the ground everywhere in the United States paid off. In the age of COVID-19, Biden can't do that. I think he's running a much better campaign than I expected him to run. He may even have some coattails as the Senate looks more and more likely to flip to Democrat.

Still, nothing will surprise me in 2020 short of aliens coming to Earth. Of course, we'd have to hear endless news conferences of Donald Trump telling everyone to go out and look directly up at the alien craft while Dr. Fauci, the CDC and the Space Force all advise against it. Imagine all of the gun owners firing their weapons up at the ship. Well, yeah, that's hopefully not going to happen.

This has been the longest, strangest year I can remember, so I wouldn't expect the last three months to finish in any other way but nasty. 

Biden winning this election would be a start, but we'll still have a long way to go. Keep working.