What Are We Even Doing?

Pete Buttigieg is a friend. I've known him for 15 years. He's the same guy I met at the IDEA Convention in French Lick in 2011.

Pete's incredibly smart. He's articulate, and he can communicate a message like few other in political circles. In fact, I'd go as far to say that he's one of the smartest and most well-spoken men I have ever met. Even though he's that smart, he retains the ability to be relatable. If he runs for President in 2028, I will support him. He will be my candidate because I think we need a smart candidate who has proven he can lead whether it be in the Mayor's Office in South Bend or as Secretary of Transportation.

I also get that this is 2026. Many find Pete's brand of politics unpalatable. They want a Democrat who is further left. They want someone who ticks off every box on their bingo card of issues. I know this because I posted a link to an article talking about how Buttigieg is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in a recent Emerson College poll. It didn't take long for people to start opining.

Listen, I'm not here to tell you how to vote or who to vote for. I'm just telling you that whatever candidate prevails throug the 2028 Democratic Primary, Pete or otherwise, will have my vote. I know that there is no purity test when it comes to electing a Democrat in 2028. We need someone with a "D" beside their name to put this country back together from the mess that has been made.

Unfortunately, I'm seeing a trend developing that makes me wonder if other Democrats have that same philosophy. It seems that, for some and not all, it's their candidate or the highway. That disturbs me, and it makes me really wonder what we're even doing out here.

For a more pertinent example that's happening right now, I'm seeing this same mentality on display in our own Secretary of State race here in Indiana. You have delegates out here pledging support to Blythe Potter or Beau Bayh. You also have some, not all, delegates saying they won't vote for the winner of the nomination. I don't get it. Does the Republican platform of election reform appeal to you? Don't you think we need a Democrat in that office to at least advocate and protect our rights from the GOP supermajority. Staying home elects Republicans. Whether it's Beau or Blythe, they need the support of every Democrat they can get.

I know that many of you quit reading by now and are already calling me an "establishment shill" and that's ok. I'm just saying that we have to elect Democrats in 2026 and 2028. I am just urging you to see the big picture.

Carson Fends Off All Challengers, Other Incumbents Advance in Congressional Primary Races

André Carson

Congressman André Carson took a big step towards returning to Congress with a resounding win over Destiny Wells, George Hornedo and Denise Paul-Hatch. 

In a race that many had circled as one to watch, Carson is leading with 62 percent of the vote with 97 percent of the precincts reporting. Wells (23 percent) and Hornedo (10 percent) combined for 33 percent of the vote. Hatch is tracking at around four percent.

Carson will face Patrick McAuley. McAuley leads his competition, Felipe Rios, 84-16 percent with 97 percent of precincts reporting. In November, Carson will be the heavy favorite to head back to Congress for his 10th term. 

In other U.S. House primaries around the state...

In the 1st District, Incumbent Frank Mrvan will take on Barb Regnitz in November. Mrvan, a Democrat is leading Lavetta Sparks-Wade, 80-20, with 99 percent of precincts reporting.

Staying in Northern Indiana, incumbent Republican Rudy Yakim and Democrat James Decio will square off in November. Decio has apparently defeated his primary opponent, Shaun Mayens, 71-29 with 89 percent of the precincts reporting. Yakim was unopposed.

Democrat Kelly Thompson was unopposed in the 3rd District Congressional Primary. She'll take on incumbent Republican Marlin Stutzman. With 66 percent of the precincts reporting, Stutzman roughly has a 2/3 advantage on his opponent, Jon Kenworthy.

Out in West Central Indiana, Congressman Jim Baird leaned heavily on his endorsement by President Donald Trump and leads fellow Republican Craig Haggard, 61-31, with 80 percent reporting. Jon Piper is a distant third with eight percent of the vote. This race was thought to have been one to watch, but Baird has apparently easily won the GOP nod. On the Democratic side, it was an eight-way battle royale. It appears Drew Cox has emerged from the jumble with 30 percent of the vote. 

In Indy's Northside suburbs, 5th District incumbent, Republican Victoria Spartz, leads her challenger, Scott King, 60-40. Indiana State Senator J.D. Ford will be her opponent in November. In a seven-way primary, Ford has around 43 percent of the vote with 96 percent of the precincts reporting.

The 6th Congressional District encompasses East Central Indiana as well as the Southside of Marion County and much of the city's southern suburbs. It will be a rematch from 2024 as Democrat Cinde Wirth goes up against incumbent Jefferson Shreve. Wirth easily advanced, but it's been very tight for Shreve. Shreve is up 53-47 over Sarah Brown.

In he 8th District, Republican Mark Messmer, the incumbent, will take on Democrat Mary Allen.

Finally, in Indiana's 9th District, Representative Erin Houchin will have to wait until the morning to find out her opponent. It's a race that's too close to call as of yet. Brad Meyer leads Tim Peck in the race for the Democratic nomination by roughly 1,600 votes with 92 percent of the precincts reporting.

Libertarians will name their candidates at their party convention later in the election season.

Kern Appears to Possibly Swing Marion County Clerk's Race

Bob Kern
Photo: Hoosier Enquirer

For the second time in his long political career, Bob Kern has sent some shockwaves through Central Indiana politics. 

This time, he's not here to see it.

Back in 1998, Kern defeated the Democratic Party-backed candidate and a handful of others in the May Primary to take on Dan Burton in the General Election. Kern lost that race with Burton claiming 72 percent of the vote to Kern's 17 percent. Libertarian Joe Hauptmann came in with 11 percent of the vote. 

Since then, Kern's run for a wide variety of offices including his choice this year, Marion County Clerk. Unfortunately, Kern had a stroke and passed in early April. It was too late to remove his name from the ballot.

It appears that, from the grave, Bob Kern certainly played a factor in the Marion County Clerk's race. It appears that former Marion County Democratic Party Chair, former Marion County Recorder and the incumbent Marion County Clerk, Kate Sweeney Bell just got past attorney Karla Lopez-Owens.

As I write this blog post at 10:30 pm. Lopez-Owens trails Sweeney Bell by 2,088 votes with 97 percent of the vote in. Kern has 4,564 votes. If just half of the people who voted for him voted for Lopez-Owens, the race would have flipped. 

Of course, there are still votes to count and things could change, but it does appear that Bob Kern swung a race from the Great Beyond. Ain't politics grand? 

Perhaps Kate Sweeney Bell should pour one out for Bob tonight.

No Joe...No

Hogsett and Easter on the
campaign trail in 2015

Joe Hogsett is teasing a run for Mayor in 2027, and no one I've talked to on either side of the aisle can figure out why.

Listen, not everything that Joe Hogsett has done since he was sworn in as Mayor of Indianapolis and the Chief Executive of Marion County has been bad. He does have some wins he can point to on his resumé that show he's succeeded as Mayor. 

That said, the mishandling of multiple scandals and the perception of inpropriety within his administration has drawn widespread and bipartisan criticism that, frankly, has been warranted.

I could detail it all here, but I think most of the readers of this blog would understand the laundry list of things that have gone wrong under Joe Hogsett's occupancy of the 25th Floor of the City-County Building. Multiple city agencies have come under review. His own inner circle has been rocked by scandal. He rehired people like Thomas Cook after strong allegations of inappropriate and creepy behavior came to light. He, himself, has been accused of being inappropriate towards a female staffer in his administration.

All of these allegations and mistakes have some on all sides of the political aisle, including me, calling for the resignation of the Mayor. When confronted in public, the Mayor has little to say. He dodges the allegations, and he continues to do things that just make you scratch your head. 

I don't take joy in saying any of this. Joe, at one time, was a very good friend of mine. Without me even asking him, Joe Hogsett, then US Attorney, showed up at my mother's funeral viewing. He spoke with my brother and me about loss and his own personal feelings when his parents passed. Joe included me on campaign mailings when I ran for City-County Council without asking for anything in return. He campaigned with me here in Decatur Township, an area I was never likely to win. That's why the behavior I see now seems so foreign with the Joe Hogsett I knew before he was Mayor. Maybe I just didn't see the signs. 

The fact of the matter now is that a fourth term as Mayor is something only Joe Hogsett wants. While he may see a path to victory by being the incumbent, I see a humiliating defeat coming. A defeat where, quite possibly, he could finish behind two far superior candidates in a primary. Maybe he thinks that the anti-Hogsett vote will split and he will cruise to victory on the support of his loyal base. At this point, though, who is that base? Developers? I mean...who?

Some have speculated privately to me that Hogsett is waiting until later in the year to decline a run. They speculate that he's continuing to enrich his campaign coffers based upon the possibility he could run again for a fourth term and then play queenmaker or kingmaker in 2027. That seems possible, but I can think of nothing more destructive for the Democratic Party in Marion County in 2027 than a run by Joe Hogsett.

For these reasons, please, say it ain't so Joe. 

Classic Change vs. More of the Same Campaign in Marion County Clerk Battle

Sweeney-Bell

Sad to say, but one thing's for sure in the Marion County Clerk's race. Unfortunately, this will be Bob Kern's last ride as a candidate on the ballot. Kern passed away on April 4, 2026, from complications of a stroke. His presence on the ballot has been a given over the past 25+ years. It's been the Indy 500 in May, and Bob Kern on a Primary ballot.

In this race, there's no doubt that Kern will get at least a few votes for Clerk, but the two other candidates in the race will be fighting it out to become the favorite in November to win the job.

Incumbent Clerk Kate Sweeney-Bell was elected to the office four years ago in 2022. While she's put together a record to run on, it doesn't take a campaign expert to see that she is a little concerned and is not taking her opposition lightly. Sweeney-Bell is pulling out all of her rowdy Democratic friends who are recording endorsements for social media. The former Marion County Party Chair has that Rolodex, and she's using it.  She's been endorsed by Ed Delaney, Renee Pack, Carey Hamilton, Mitch Gore, Kristen Jones and Jeb Bardon. 

Attorney Karla Lopez-Owens is running against Sweeney-Bell (and Kern) for the Democratic nomination. Lopez-Owens, a past candidate in a crowded field for State Senate and a City-County Council caucus, is an immigrant and is talking about that part of her bio in this campaign. "Becoming a citizen and voting are privileges I don’t take for granted," Owens-Lopez says on Facebook. "I am prepared to meet this moment with courage and honesty. Together, we can rebuild trust in local government through transparency and accountability. Through that work, we can start changing the outcome of our circumstances and create new possibilities for ourselves."

Lopez-Owens

It's change vs. more of the same here. Sweeney-Bell is telling voters, in effect, that she's been there, done that and has all the t-shirts. Her campaign literature says, "As Marion County Clerk, Kate Sweeney-Bell has been on the frontlines defending free and fair elections, standing up to partisan redistricting attempts and fighting to protect access to the ballot...Kate is the experienced, steady, trusted leader who will keep Marion County Elections secure and ensure every voice is heard."

Sweeney-Bell remains the favorite, but that doesn't mean that Lopez-Owens can't make this interesting on Election Night. She has received endorsements from PACs like the Speedway Democrats and candidates like Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. Mears co-sponsored a fundraiser for Lopez-Owens. 

The winner of the Democratic Primary will almost certainly win election in November...even if it is Bob Kern. The Republican candidate, Robbin Stewart, sure is a fun Google.

I think Sweeney-Bell probably has the inside track. That said, Sweeney-Bell, as I said earlier, is a former Marion County Democratic Party Chair. You don't become a Party Chair without ticking a few people off. Sweeney-Bell could lose this if enough people find Lopez-Owens as someone who could credibly replace her. At this stage, I don't think that's going to be enough. In the end, it will be those strong party ties that I think carry the day for Sweeney-Bell. That's not to say that Lopez-Owens is a bad candidate. On the contrary, she's very good, and I think she will someday win a race for an elected office. 

Indiana's 7th District Congress Race Heads Towards 2026 Primary

I voted today. I went in. I did my civic duty, and I was out in a flash. I love having these satellite voting centers. They sure make it easy. I voted for Cinde Wirth in the 6th District primary. Because of the redistricting after the 2020 census that took my house out of the 7th, I didn't have to make a choice in that race.

Congressman André Carson

Had I made a choice, I don't think it's a surprise. I would have voted for Congressman André Carson. Congressman Carson has long been a friend of mine, and I say that with full disclosure. Even if he wasn't a friend who I once had a conversation with about our Transformers, I'm still curious as to why people think he needs to go.

Congressman Carson has made great strides in infrastructure funding for his district. He helped lead the fight for veteran mental health, and he's been a force for education especially those who are the most vulnerable. Besides all of this, Congressman Carson is the only Black representativein our Congressional delegation. He remains a voice for those who are most vulnerable. As one of only four Muslim members of Congress, he also provides an important role for the Muslim community in our area and across the country.

People try to use the argument that Congressman Carson got his position on his last name only. I think even he would admit that it did help him to be related to the wonderful Julia Carson, but Congressman Carson had to work to get the job and the seat he currently sits in. He had to fight off a crowded caucus field. He had to defeat a motivated Republican opponent in the special election. He had to then turn right around and win a primary against heavy hitters like Woody Myers and David Orentlicher. After winning that, he had to win again in November. He did it all. He hasn't looked back since then. 

As a veteran, Destiny Wells has a fantastic bio. I'll even go as far as to say that I think she'd probably make a really good Congresswoman. With that said, I still can't figure out one single issue that would rise to the level that I would choose to change course in the 7th. Wells has campaigned actively. She's been hitting Congressman Carson's record as well as been calling him out in areas she feel he's been lacking. I just don't think it's that effective. She's taking him to task over money he's taken into his campaign coffers. That's probably her most effective attack. Wells, a candidate for past offices in statewide races, says that she is running to help turn out the vote. That's noble. It's still not enough in my judgement to go away from the Congressman.

There are other candidates on the ballot. George Hornedo hoped to make a splash, but his campaign has floundered since Wells entered. That's my perception, anyway. Then, there's Denise Paul Hatch. I'm not going to pile on.

I think Carson goes north of 50 percent and any anti-Carson vote is split with Wells and Hornedo in that order. 

If, by some chance, Congressman Carson does lose renomination, then I think the Mayor's race could get REALLY interesting in 2027. What would the Congressman do? Does he run for Mayor? 

I don't think we will see that happening. Carson wins on May 5.

Republicans Would Elect that Indicted Ham Sandwich in Indiana Right Now

WIBC Morning and Midday host Tony Katz blasted former Democratic nominee for Governor, Jennifer McCormick for being out of touch with local issues on one of his shows. He claimed that she is out of touch with Indiana issues and cares more about things like Project 2025 links than what goes on here in the state. 

This comes after McCormick called out Timothy Wesco's ridiculous bill that could conceivably lock someone in a marriage if they have children and cannot produce a witness to testify to the "irretrievable breakdown of the marriage" among other things. It's House Bill 1684 if you're interested. McCormick linked that to parts of Project 2025.

That made Tony Katz apoplectic...as he often is when not smoking a stogie (and don't try to take away his stogies). Katz said, "This is why you lost. You’re uninspiring as as the kids would say, you’re boring. Most importantly, you are interested in national progressive claptrap and not being focused on Hoosiers."

We can talk about McCormick as a candidate. I think she ran a pretty darn good campaign against Micah Beckwi...er...Mike Braun for Governor, but Indiana, specifically the Indiana GOP, has a darn good track record of electing its nominees to state office. That includes a recent run of some real humdingers! Richard Mourdock, Charlie White, Todd Rokita, Diego Morales, Curtis Hill, Micah Beckwith...should I go on? 

It took a "Mourdock Moment" to help elect Joe Donnelly to the U.S. Senate in 2012, and I'm not even sure that would matter anymore in today's political climate. Had Richard Mourdock said that a woman who conceived a child as a result of a sexual assault was something "God  intended" in 2024, he might be a U.S. Senator. I think it certainly sounds like something that might come out of Micah Beckwith's mouth.

Jennifer McCormick didn't lose because she was wrong on the issues. Jennifer McCormick lost because, unlike the previous time she ran and won statewide office, she wasn't a Republican. That's the bottom line. Indiana Republicans would elect a ham sandwich if it ran on a statewide ticket even if that ham sandwich was the proverbial one that was indicted by a grand jury.

That's just where we are right now in Indiana politics.

Time to Plow Those Roads?

 Finally, my street is thawing out from the early January snowstorm. It's been three freakin' weeks of slipping and sliding around after our huge snow.

The problem is that no one seems to want to take the blame for this. DPW ended the policy of hiring contractors for a 6+-inch snowfall and still no one seems to know exactly why. The reasons given have been ridiculous. "We are now plowing connector streets," seems to be the official line from DPW. Of course, that begs the question that many have asked, "How in the hell am I supposed to get to the connector streets I can barely get to the end of my neighborhood street?"

Someone a few weeks back stated that this is why people are moving out of Marion County and into the suburbs if they can afford it, and I have to agree. 

Hopefully, the next time we get a major snow, cooler heads will prevail and the city folks throw some money the way of the contractors, and we won't have to wait until the snow melts. 

At least my old friends, the potholes on my way home from work, are back on West 10th Street. I've resorted to naming them. I try to swerve and avoid Big Frank right along the eastbound lane of West 10th each day. I say hello. His mouth is getting bigger.

I guess that's the next battle. 

Opportunity Knocks, Will the Democrats Answer?

The Indiana Republican Party is going to you know where in a handmaid's tale...er...handbasket, and the Indiana Democratic Party stands ready to scoop up the opportunity and dunk it in the basketball ring.

So...um, about that.

Opportunity has not just knocked. It's kicked the door in. As a Democrat, part-time blogger and political observer/hack, I have to wonder if anyone's home.

Yeah, the GOP has nominated self-proclaimed Christian Nationalist Micah Beckwith as its Lieutenant Governor candidate. He pairs with Mike Braun about as well as a tie on Mike's campaign buttondown. Braun is the sensible one on the ticket, which is scary since he once questioned the Supreme Court's ruling on Loving vs. Virginia. The landmark case that prohibited discrimination against interracial couples wanting to marry.

Braun, a U.S. Senator whose main accomplishment in office so far is to get on TV as much as possible, is running on a ticket with the vulnerabilities of a computer still running Windows 95. There's Jim Banks, the crazy U.S. Representative and Trump syncopant who seems to think the WNBA officiating is cause for a Congressional inquiry. There's Todd Rokita who is, well, Todd Rokita. We all know him by this point. That brings us back to Beckwith who is about as qualified to run a state as I am to run a Weightwatchers aka WW franchise. 

This should all be easy, right? Just point out who these people are and tout your superior candidates. 

On the Dem side, there's Jennifer McCormick, the former Republican State Schools Superintendent who lost her position due to the elimination of direct elections for that position. There's Valerie McCray, a clinical psychologist, who wants to be your next U.S. Senator. She's the first Black woman to sit on a statewide ticket in Indiana. 

Then, at the convention, voters will have to choose between attorney Destiny Wells, a combat veteran, and attorney Beth White, the former Marion County Clerk and Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis, to get the candidate for Attorney General to face Rokita.

That also leads us to the Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate to run with McCormick. Uh...well...you see, what happened was...we'll get back to you about that. Bob Kern is running at the convention, and he may actually be the nominee since no one else seems to want to step up and run. Kern, a perennial candidate, has an interesting past that he never hides from but would be no doubt fodder for the GOP's attacks should he get the nomination. 

So, here we are. A golden opportunity to do something in the state of Indiana as Democrats and...uh...the party doesn't have its ducks in a row. It's not surprising. Since the Dems last held state office, and even before that, it's been a struggle. Evan Bayh got pummeled by Todd Young. Joe Donnelly got retired by Braun. Pete Buttigieg left the state for Michigan leaving his former chief of staff, Mike Schmuhl, in charge. There are good people in place, but my fellow Dems just don't have anything together right now.

With the dumpster fire that's happening on the right in the Republican Party at this time, Democrats MUST muster some defense. McCormick is a very good candidate. I just fear that the infrastructure that used to be strong in this state on the Democratic side has been lost to time. Our Democratic Party that used to punch above its weight seems to lost that fighting edge. 

It's time to get it back. We cannot see another election where Todd Rokita, Mike Braun, Jim Banks and now, Micah Beckwith, go unchallenged. Get your house in order, Dems! In the end, the calculus still favors the GOP, but they have to at least know we were here and we're not going to take this lying down.

Muni Elections Sure to Get Nasty This Season

We're just a little over a month away from the Municipal Election Primaries, and voters are just now waking up and taking a look at the races for Indianapolis Mayor and City-County Council. It could get quite interesting.

On the Democratic side, you have incumbent Joe Hogsett. He's got a gaggle of opponents which includes longshots like community activist Larry Vaughn and perennial candidate Bob Kern among others. Also opposing him is State Representative Robin Shackleford. Shackleford, a veteran lawmaker, is making the rounds touting her legislative experience as her inside route to success on the 25th floor of the City-County Building. Hogsett is out talking about his efforts to rein in crime and the city's crumbling infrastructure which, let's face it, had been largely neglected for years under previous administrations, R and D.

Over on the GOP's side of the aisle there are also a handful of candidates, but it appears that the two leading candidates have different backgrounds. One one hand, you have the sometimes controversial and never-quiet attorney and radio talk show host Abdul-Hakim Shabazz pitted up against the quiet but extraordinarily wealthy businessman and former City-County Councillor Jefferson Shreve. Shreve has already spent a chunk of change on cable and over-the-air TV ads which specifically go after Mayor Hogsett's record. Shreve has experience on the Council, but he was largely an anonymous backbencher in the GOP caucus. 

This General Election season will be a huge referendum on Democratic Party rule of Indianapolis. The Dems have a huge majority on the City-County Council and sit in the Mayor's Office, so it's easy to pit every ill that the city has experienced, rightly or wrongly, on the Dems. Hogsett is trying to turn back the "third term jinx" which has befallen incumbents like Steve Goldsmith and Bart Peterson. Greg Ballard flirted with running for a third term, but he ultimately declined. The only successful post-Unigov third termer was Bill Hudnut.

After redistricting and the way population has changed in Marion County, the Dems are probably going to lose a few seats on the City-County Council. It was just nearly impossible to draw 20 safe Democratic seats. 

I expect this race for Mayor to get nasty and VERY expensive over the next few months. It's something we haven't seen in years.

Rokita Embarrasses Indiana Yet Again

Indiana AG Todd Rokita
Photo: State of Indiana

Todd Rokita never should have been Attorney General of Indiana. 

But, here we are, Todd Rokita is Indiana's problem because every time he gets the national spotlight, he proves to be a colossal embarrassment to our state and to the Republican Party.

Today's Todd Rokita embarrassment story is that he's investigating the doctor who performed the abortion on a 10-year-old girl who was raped in Ohio and who then became pregnant. The procedure could not be performed in Ohio due to the law there, so she was brought to Indiana where, following the law, the doctor performed the procedure.

Rokita claimed his office was waiting for the documents to prove that the doctor acted under the law.  Fox 59 got the documents by an FOIA request.

Yep, that's our Todd. As my late but very Hoosier Grandma would say, "He's dumber than a box of rocks."

As social media circles cuss Indiana for being an embarrassment for electing Rokita, it's important to remember that even Republicans don't really like Todd Rokita. The only reason he is Attorney General is because his predecessor ran afoul of party bosses after multiple women levied accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior against him, and he wouldn't do the decent thing and resign. 

So, Todd Rokita was available when Republicans needed a replacement for Hill. Available because after giving up his safe seat in Indiana's 4th Congressional District, he pursued the GOP Senate nomination. He finished behind Mr. Blue Shirt, Mike Braun. 

Rokita eeked by the politically wounded Hill and the rest of the competition at the 2020 Republican convention to win the AG nomination despite having by far the most name recognition of any other candidates. I mean, it came down to a guy whose law license had been suspended for 30 days while he was AG or Todd Rokita. Rokita barely won. He raced to victory in November on the coattails of a strong GOP performance statewide.

Eric Holcomb has little use for Rokita who fought him tooth and nail on public health efforts during COVID-19. Rokita already has racked up quite a losing record in court on frivolous cases that have little chance of anything but bolstering his own credentials as an arch-conservative Trump loyalist.

Ultimately, Todd Rokita doesn't care about Indiana. He cares only about Todd Rokita, and it's dangerous to run the Attorney General's office like a crusader for all the arch-conservative causes. It's also expensive for taxpayers. The doctor in this abortion case has, through her lawyer, threatened legal action against Rokita for harming her reputation. I hope she wins. Doubt it will send a message to Rokita, but she deserves to be compensated for this mess when all she was doing was helping a girl who needed her.

More embarrassment from this embarrassment of a public official. I'd ask Todd Rokita to do everyone a favor and just resign and go away, but Rokita doesn't know when to quit. He'll never be Governor or Senator, as James Briggs so eloquently wrote in the Star, and he's either too dumb or too power drunk not to see it. He's still in a position to do a lot of harm to Hoosiers and our state's reputation.

The Return of the Mitch?

 

Mitch Daniels
Photo: Purdue University

Purdue President Mitch Daniels has been in the news a lot lately. 

First came the somewhat surprising news that he would be retiring from his post as President of Purdue University. Then, nearly immediately, the speculation began about what the former Indiana Governor and Federal Budget Director under George W. Bush might do in his retirement.

Hint: the speculation is that he's not moving to the Villages in Florida.

Politico's Adam Wren, one of Indiana's finest political reporters, has reported that friends of Daniels say he is "fascinated" by the idea of returning to the Governor's Mansion that he never lived in when he was Governor of Indiana from 2005-2013. Daniels defeated incumbent Governor Joe Kernan in 2004, and he easily won reelection over former U.S. Representative Jill Long Thompson in 2008. The term-limited Daniels left office and quickly was named the President of Purdue University in 2013. Since then, he's been the head Boilermaker.

Wren also floated the possibility on Twitter that some Republicans are trying to convince Daniels to challenge Joe Hogsett for Mayor of Indianapolis in 2023. Hogsett, a former U.S. Attorney, is also a possible Gubernatorial candidate in 2024. Many forget that Hogsett was once Indiana's Secretary of State back in 1989. He won election to his own term by beating Bill Hudnut in 1990. He also lost statewide races in 1994 for U.S. Senate and in 2004 for Attorney General. Hogsett definitely has been around the block a time or two of Indiana's 92 counties and is also a former Indiana Democratic Party Chair.

Whatever Daniels decides to do, it should be an interesting time as the statewide GOP becomes more and more another agent of Donald J. Trump's hostile takeover of the party. Trump loyalist Diego Morales bounced Secretary of State Holli Sullivan at the Republican Convention on Saturday. He'll be their statewide ticket leader in November. The GOP also passed a very far right platform on Saturday signaling the continued movement away from a guy like Daniels and his former Chief of Staff and curent Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. There's not a guarantee that Daniels, who by most accounts would be far more to the center than to where his party now sits politically, would win a primary against a Trumper like Jim Banks or Mike Braun or Todd Rokita.

Personally, I think Mitch is enjoying the attention having been out of the political spotlight for a while. It must be nice to still be wanted by some in the party. The next few months will reveal much about Daniels' future plans as well as those who might run against him. 

Personal Prerogative: Where Have I Been?

 Today was the first day in a LONG time that a state party convention happened in person and I did not attend. 

I can honestly say that I didn't miss it all that much. While I enjoyed the day and meeting all the candidates, my personal priorities have changed, and the current nature of politics has taken a lot of fun out of it.

In case you might be bumping into my blog for the first time, I founded the Indy Democrat Blog a long time ago in 2008. I wrote daily for a long time, including weekends. That was back when my fervor for party politics was at its peak. Slowly, I began to see how "the sausage is made", and I became much more of a Stadler and Waldorf kind of character. I enjoyed that role too.

I know I made a lot of friends through the blog, and I probably also made some enemies. As my love for politics cooled, my love for blogging went with it. Eventually, I pulled the plug and even deleted the original Indy Democrat Blog from the internet.

From time to time, I get an itch to blog, and I will occasionally scratch it. I find myself getting lost in the minutae and details and often delete what I write before I post. I've taken my snarkiness and politics more to Twitter these days. 

As I see all my friends posting pictures today and talking about their experiences at the Jefferson-Jackson Day Hoosier Hospitality Dinner and the Indiana Democratic Party Convention, it brings back those memories of myself being so jazzed up that I'd post and live blog the event on social media. 

I'll check back in here from time-to-time, and I may have something to say every once in a while. I'm not deleting this blog. It's going to stay up, so I won't ever close that blogging door. I think of myself as someone who's still walking through the political wilderness trying to find out what it all meant. I may figure it out someday.

When I do, you, my blogging audience, will be first to know.

In the meantime, congratulations to the Indiana Democratic Party on a great convention, a strong slate of statewide candidates and, by all accounts, a very good "Big Dem Weekend" in Indianapolis. Let's go win in November.

Please, Not Again

I am hearing rumblings that Joe Donnelly wants to be your Senator again. I plead with the Indiana Democratic Party not to do this again.

Yeah, I know that Joe once won a statewide race against a truly off-kilter Republican who wrote his own ending weeks before the General Election, but Joe Donnelly won't beat Todd Young or Mike Braun or whoever he runs against next for whatever statewide office he wants. He doesn't have a shot. He connected himself with Donald Trump in 2018. That's not what a Democrat does.

In my view, the 2022 election cycle for U.S. Senate is an uphill battle. Running the same strategy Democrats have run in almost every U.S. Senate in my adult life is not going to work in 2022 or 2024. You won't beat Republican Todd Young by being slightly less Republican. You won't beat Republican Mike Braun by calling out his Trumpiness...when you touted your own Trumpiness in 2018.

To me, the wiser strategy is to give us a candidate who brings something more to the table. More Democrat. Yeah, let's run and support someone who espouses Democratic Party values which consistently poll in the positive. I'm not talking about those fake wedge issues that Republicans try to throw over our necks like albatrosses. I'm talking about those bread and butter issues that carried Democrats in Georgia across the finish line in that Senate race. 

If Georgia can have two Democrats in the Senate...if Arizona can have one Democrat and one who ran as a Democrat in the Senate, Indiana can. Don't tell me we have to keep running Evan Bayh clones or Joe Donnelly each time. There was a time when Diet Republican worked as a strategy here. My mom voted for Evan Bayh. She wouldn't vote for Democrats much, but she could vote for Bayh because he was just a little left of Richard Lugar. 

To win in 2022 or 2024, it's going to take every darn Democrat in the state to get out plus a lot of those Republicans who voted for Joe Biden because they were tired of Donald Trump and who believe things like the environment are important. That healthcare needs to be fixed. That guns should be legal but controlled more. That immigration is essential to our country's future. That democracy is worth saving. That Joe Biden won the 2020 election...and much more.

Laying down with the Republicans to try to pull over votes rather than making a case that our ideas are better is, in my view, a losing strategy. Even if the strategy of making your case loses, you win in the end because you were advancing our party's goals. Every small step makes that difference.

That's just my opinion. Joe Donnelly's better than Todd Young or Mike Braun, but I just fear getting in this never ending cycle of a strategy that doesn't work and won't work again.

Holcomb Logic on COVID Hard to Follow

Eric Holcomb
Photo courtesy State of Indiana

There was a time early on in the 2020 campaign where I actually considered voting for Eric Holcomb.

I know, it's hard to believe, but I was impressed with how Governor Holcomb handled the early days of the pandemic. His steady and principled leadership carried Hoosiers through the early part of this nightmare, and he stuck to his guns early when challenged by those to his far right on pandemic policy.

As the days and months went on, other factors proved that my early feelings of support for the Governor were misplaced. The Governor opened the state too quickly last summer, and we saw an even bigger surge start in the fall that reached its peak in December and January.

Governor Holcomb danced on a line last year. He had a strong Libertarian challenge to his right on COVID policy and a Democratic opponent who was an actual medical doctor. Still, he had plenty of loyal Republican support to coast to an easy victory in 2020. 

Now, he's seen the Indiana General Assembly take swipes at his powers as Governor because of the perceived job he's done managing COVID-19. The far right believes the Governor has been too stringent with his mask mandate and his public health measures against businesses, churches and public events. So, there's now a controversial effort to change the Governor's ability to put in public health measures with the emergency powers granted by the Indiana Constitution. It's an effort that's likely going to end up in court because even if Holcomb vetoes legislation limiting the powers of the Governor, the Indiana General Assembly only needs a majority to override the veto. 

So, that brings us to last week. Governor Holcomb, under attack from the far right, ended Indiana's mask mandate effective on April 6. This comes with less than 20 percent of Hoosiers completely vaccinated against the virus. While the number of vaccinated and completely vaccinated Hoosiers climbs daily, so are COVID-19 cases.

Just today, Indiana went back into the thousands in new cases. It's nosing upward again, and Holcomb is sticking to his decision to put the local governments in charge of masking regulations and public health policies to prevent the spread of the virus. The GOP-led General Assembly now is trying to amend bills to take that ability away from local officials like Marion County Health Commissioner Dr. Virginia Caine and Mayor Joe Hogsett.

So, let's get down to it. What Governor Holcomb is doing makes zero sense. President Joe Biden is begging state governors to not end mask mandates. Neighboring states like Kentucky are making the same plea. Holcomb isn't budging. 

Makes you wonder why. I mean, I suppose he's possibly going on principle as he sees it that the numbers and positivity rates are down, but he was slow to react to the rising cases in the fall. It appears he's content to do the same thing again. Apparently his ever-present "road map" to beating the virus doesn't learn from previous wrong turns. 

Holcomb doesn't have another election for Governor to run. He has a General Assembly that's out of control with a weak first-year Speaker that's hellbent on undercutting his authority. That's not going to change with any concessions he makes. He has every reason to come down on the side of science and health policy, but he's not doing it. He's content to watch a fourth surge race against the rate of vaccinations. Is he angling for his next move politically? As Governor, what he's doing makes no sense.

I'm fully vaccinated, and I'm glad because I have no idea why Governor Holcomb is doing what he's doing. I fear it's going to lead to more Hoosiers becoming victims of this nasty virus.

State Rep. Tries to Criminalize Mask Wearing

The Indiana General Assembly strikes again!

Rep. Murray Smyth (R-Stone Head) has introduced an amendment to a bill that will make it a criminal act to enforce mask mandates including local business mandates. Smyth added the Amendment to SB4121.

"I don't believe people should be forced to wear masks. It's a violation of their Fourth Amendment rights," said Smyth. "Those face diapers are a form of government oppression."

In past years, Smyth has tried to make the bald eagle Indiana's state bird and ban the word "French Fries" from menus across the state.

It's also amazing that Smyth continues to file these amendments on April Fool's Day. Strange.

RIP The United States Constitution (1789-2021)

The United States Constitution died today in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump and his loyalists killed it.

The founding document took a fatal blow today when 43 of Donald Trump's nearest and dearest friends voted to acquit him of inciting the January 6 riots at the Capitol. That's 43 Senators who raised their hands and took an oath to defend the United States Constitution who chose to look the other way while Donald Trump was allowed to trample it.

Well, I guess Donald Trump did something that even the strongest militaries have yet to do. He beat the Constitution. For all the high and mighty talk about how the GOP values the "rule of law" the only ones standing up for our founding ideas were moderate conservatives, independents and Democrats. There were 57 patriots who did their duty. The other 43 did Trump's bidding.

I mean, inciting an insurrection is about as bad as it gets. Next time, if Trump or someone of his ilk is in office, why leave your fate in the hands of an angry mob? Next time, he'd might as well put tanks on Pennsylvania Avenue Roll them right up there. After all, would the vote really change? Could we get 67 Senators to agree that's inappropriate?

While I'm being a bit hyperbolic here, I just have to wonder. Maybe it's not too late to save this thing. Maybe the Constitution is on life support and we can bring it back.

For now, I'm disgusted, and I'm honestly ready to pack it in on politics. If the most sacred of our founding documents is allowed to be open to the whim of one man, what good is any of this?

Braun Disgraces Great Indiana Senate Legacy by Supporting Election Protest

Senator Stereotypical Modern Republican

We all knew that Mike Braun was an empty shirt. He was "stereotypical modern Republican" in central casting.

Today, it was confirmed that he is "stereotypical modern Republican" as he has chosen to join the certain-to-be fruitless and patriotically-bankrupt challenge of the clear victory of Joe Biden over Donald Trump. 

To quote Barack Obama, "Let me be clear," Joe Biden won the election on November 3. Months of challenges haven't changed the election results, and whatever Lin Wood and the rest of the so-called "Dream Team" of Trump lackeys can dream up for January 6 won't change them either.

On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden will raise his right hand and be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. "Stereotypical modern Republicans" have had the chance to do what traditional Republicans and Democrats and anyone else who cares about this country have done for years: rally, at least ceremonially, behind the new President because that's what we bank on here. The United States doesn't do drama when it comes to the peaceful transition to power. We have had bumpy roads, but, for the most part, it's gone down this way for the entire history of our country. I hope it will go this way for the future, but I'm worried.

What's disturbing is that Indiana has had some impressive Senators when you look at modern history. Vance Hartke and Dan Coats were both respected voices. Joe Donnelly did great work in his six years. Birch Bayh authored multiple amendments to the United States Constitution and redefined gender equality with Title IX. Richard Lugar put country and state over himself and his Republican Party many times. Mike Braun has sadly not lived up to any of these legacies. Not even close. 

Mike Braun must be sent home by voters in 2024. Braun has chosen himself and his perceived future political future over this country's long tradition of a peaceful transition of power. He's given air to the ridiculous fire of conspiracy theories and discord dividing our country. Worst of all, he's doing it in MY NAME because he represents ME in the Senate.

Remember this day when you're not sure about who the Democrats put up in 2024 even if you have to hold your nose to vote for Braun's opponent. I love my country more than I love my party. I am a Hoosier, but I am an American first. 

Mike Braun must be defeated in 2024. The empty blue shirt must be retired to his Southern Indiana home where he can do no more damage to our democracy.

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.