Frugal Hoosiers

Costas Building Momentum Ahead of Convention

Mayor Jon Costas clearly has the momentum in his bid for the party nomination for Attorney General at a key time, just two weeks before the Republican State Convention.  Today he received a multitude of endorsements from the statewide team and was endorsed by those who considered running for AG before Costas entered the field. 

VALPARAISO, IN -- Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas today received the endorsement of Lt. Governor Becky Skillman (R-Bedford), Secretary of State Todd Rokita (R-Munster), State Auditor Tim Berry (R-Ft. Wayne) and State Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R-Evansville).

"Jon Costas is the candidate we support to serve as a partner in state government," Lt. Governor Skillman said. "The combination of his successful executive experience as Mayor of Valparaiso, his nineteen years of private legal practice, and his track record of proven results are just what we need to keep Indiana moving forward. We enthusiastically endorse Mayor Costas and urge his nomination at the State Convention."

Also endorsing Costas today are former Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Kyle Hupfer, Indiana Election Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler and Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Charlie White. All three men had considered running for Attorney General before choosing to endorse Mayor Costas.

It's Payback Time

Governor Mitch Daniels has ordered the remaining money owed to local government be repaid by the end of the month, a full year ahead of schedule.  This completes a payback program that Daniels started in 2006 to repay local government and schools money that was withheld starting in 2002 to "balance" the state's budget.  This would be a rough equivalent to you withholding payment to the phone company so you can pay your credit card and tell people you don't have any debt.  That's the way the State of Indiana used to work, but not anymore. 

INDIANAPOLIS (May 16, 2008) – Governor Mitch Daniels today ordered that the remaining $212 million long owed to local governments be repaid by the end of May, a year ahead of schedule.

“As the only state in the Midwest that is in the black fiscally, we’re being extremely careful about every dollar. But the very strong March and April revenues strengthen our confidence that we will register a fourth straight surplus this year, and that we can accelerate this final repayment of the debts the state once owed to schools and towns,” said Daniels. “With this year’s property tax cuts, we’ve entered a new era of taxpayer protection. We know there will be an adjustment period for local taxing units and want to do all we can to help.”

During an extended period of deficit spending, starting in 2002, state government delayed payments totaling $761 million to K-12 schools, higher education and local governments.

The debate over jobs needs to be put in perspective

Submitted by "I wish to remain anonymous"

There has been a lot of talk about jobs in campaigns everywhere from the statehouse to the white house this election cycle.  Everyone is promising to deliver more of them, most have nothing more than rhetoric to back it up.  Before voters get too excited about the candidate they support delivering thousands of jobs or preventing the factory they work in from closing, just remember that our elected officials have very little to do with job growth and loss. 

State government can create a better environment for growth by lowering the relative tax rate, reducing regulation, and making it easier to do business when a company has to interact with the state.  Those things are great.  In Indiana, Mitch Daniels has done a great job of streamlining state government, ensuring it works faster and taxes less to meet the needs of companies that are growing or relocating here.  Beyond that, the private sector creates jobs, not the government.  It is the private sector that decides what kind of risk, through overhead, to assume given a variety of economic indicators and trends. 

So before you support Mitch Daniels, Hillary Clinton, Jill Long Thompson, or John McCain based on their promises of delivering jobs or keeping obsolete plants in business, remember that they can actually do very little in this regard.  At their best, they can make sure that the government they oversee is not an impediment to job growth, and recognize that economic growth occurs best when government minds its own business and allows the free market to operate. 

This will cause some pain at times, economies evolve, and new markets emerge that can over cheaper labor and cheaper production.  Let's face it, that sucks and "market evolution" is a hard sell to a guy who's leaving the Delphi plant he worked at for 20 years with an uncertain future.  But the alternative is more government regulation and intervention, which causes more pain than it prevents. 

At the end of the day, it's not the role of government to confer happiness and success upon people, but instead to give free people the opportunity to find happiness for themselves.  Remember that before you buy a fancy line or a campaign ad from this year's political crop that is promising the moon when it comes to jobs in Indiana and the United States.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Anonymous

(Nice work, interesting perspective.  I suppose all politicians overstate the impact their candidacy and governance will have once they are elected.  But we think Governor Daniels has done a great job of getting government out of the way and when it needs to be involved, does so in a productive manner. -- FH)

Indiana Primary 2008 Crossing Over: Right/Wrong or Just Democracy?

Submitted by DannyE

As we wrap up the 2008 Indiana Primary we all can look back and say that it was something most of us have never experienced before. For a brief time Indiana politics was alone in the spotlight—we saw everything from the many issues, struggles and triumphs that Hoosiers are facing to an election night fiasco in Lake County . We even saw democracy in action with Schellinger Rocks! We were subjected to a political analysis that only political junkies would enjoy. Even more we were overwhelmed with tons of mail pieces, phone calls, campaigns knocking on our doors and do not forget the thousands of political commercials on television and radio. All this was aimed at one thing—to get our vote—but to do so one had to vote a Democrat ballot.

It is been said that in political campaigns it is a zero sum game, that is the object of the game is to win---nothing else-there are only winners in political campaigns. This was evident in our recent primary. The 2008 primary for the most part was about two races seeking a Democratic nomination one for President of the United States and the other for Governor of Indiana. However, with the presidential race taking precedent they completely ignored the fact that this was supposed to be a primary aimed at Democrat voters—they instead turned the primary into a sense a general election—except one had to ask for a Democrat ballot, which in turn encouraged a moderate number of crossover voters from the Republican side as well as people who choose no party, in Indiana this would signify they are not a primary voter, to cast their ballot as a Democrat as well.

As we have seen from the election results and exit polling that there was in fact a considerable amount of people who either crossed over from the Republican side or as an independent voter pulled a Democrat ballot. We also have been told of many reasons why people voted for a certain candidate— because they were in their party and like what they stood for or they were influenced by race and gender and a big issue that seems to be gaining traction is that a cross over vote for a certain candidate would make sure that the Republican candidate would have a better chance of winning in the general election.

Please do not think that I am attempting to discourage Hoosiers from voting it is their right and civic duty. However, having said this, I would argue that the majority of voters in Indiana who choose a party either Democrat or Republican do so for a reason. They rarely change parties and stay loyal for the most part to the ticket. They are the primary voters for their respective party.

My argument is this, and I would welcome any and all comments or critique to further this discussion, is that Republican voters and Independent voters who generally vote Republican in the general election have crossed over into an area where even though they could not be stopped they voted in the Indiana Democrat primary to effect the outcome for the general election in November. I would further go on to argue that this borders on the line of being unethical, that is, that the primary was put into place for a particular party to select their candidate and for a voter to crossover to vote for a candidate that they would not generally vote for in the general election is wrong. I would also point out that if it were Democrats and Independent voters who generally vote Democrat in the general election the same argument holds as well.

Nevertheless, the Indiana primary has come and gone and the winners will be moving on while losers are left wondering what the heck happened. You cannot help but think if the crossover vote did not happen how the election would have turned out. We must ask ourselves is this behavior right or wrong or just democracy?  Once again thank you FH for the thread and I look forward to the responses to this post.

(Thanks Danny, this idea was inspired by you so we hope you'll keep submitting your thoughts -- FH)

IU Race for Trustee: Why Didn't Shively Run?

Submitted by Jim Holden

Dear Conservative IU Alumni,

Now is your chance to make a difference!  Once a year in May, all IU alumni (anyone with ANY IU degree from ANY campus) are eligible to vote in for an alumni member of IU's Board of Trustees.  This year a solid conservative, Kelly Burton Smith, is a candidate for IU Alumni Trustee!  She needs your support if she is going to defeat the incumbent, a far-left trial lawyer from Evansville who is also a left-wing talk radio host.  Kelly is an intellectual property attorney in Indianapolis.  She holds a law degree from IU - Indianapolis and will make a great Trustee!  You can see Kelly's candidate profile here.

Kelly's opponent Pat Shoulders openly opposes Governor Daniels' agenda on his show.  He was originally appointed to the Board by a Dem Governor and made it clear that he only ran for the alumni seat because he knew he wouldn't be re-appointed by Mitch.

If you have already signed up to receive an email ballot, please use it to vote for Kelly.  If you have not received a ballot already via email you can either:

VOTE VIA THE INTERNET BY GOING HERE:      

It's easy and takes only seconds to do!  It's by far the easiest way to vote.

Or you can wait and vote by mail by waiting for your paper ballot to come in mid-May.  If you wish to vote by mail and don't receive a ballot, email for a new ballot.

Most important of all:  Please forward this message to ALL your conservative IU friends and encourage them to take a ballot and vote for Kelly!  Remember, any IU degree-holder can vote.  Kelly can only win if conservatives get the word out about her candidacy.

Thanks for making a difference!

Jim Holden
IUB '97, IU School of Law -Indy '01

(The FH team is dominated by IU grads, so please go vote for Kelly.  For those of you who frequent this blog, you'll remember Mr. Shoulders from the famed "Schellenberger incident." -- FH) 

Two Emerge to Replace Meeks

Since State Senator Bob Meeks hinted at his retirement a couple of months ago a lot of folks have been speculating about who might replace him.  Two names have emerged, as reported by Mitch Harper on Fort Wayne Observed. 

It won't be the Fight the Century.  But it will be interesting.

State Representative Marlin Stutzman is set to announce his candidacy within a day for the Republican nomination for the Indiana State Senate seat held by longtime Senator Bob Meeks.

While State Representive Matt Bell is still considering a run, sources have indicated that his own candidacy for the senate seat is a 99.9% certainty even with Marlin Stutzman in the race.

Don't expect a slugfest.  Far from it.  These are friends who are closely matched in temperment, outlook and issues.  Nice guys, both. -- FWOB

It won't be the Fight the Century.  But it will be interesting.

State Representative Marlin Stutzman is set to announce his candidacy within a day for the Republican nomination for the Indiana State Senate seat held by longtime Senator Bob Meeks.

While State Representive Matt Bell is still considering a run, sources have indicated that his own candidacy for the senate seat is a 99.9% certainty even with Marlin Stutzman in the race.

Don't expect a slugfest.  Far from it.  These are friends who are closely matched in temperment, outlook and issues.  Nice guys, both. -- FWOB

A Report from the Feminist Daily News Wire (no, really)

The Feminist Daily News Wire touts the Jill Long Thompson win today on their daily news wire (hat tip: Google Alert).  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this organization, they make Emily's List seem too stuffy and conservative.  Today they celebrate JLT's win, the decision in California to allow gays to marry, and the defeat of a key anti-abortion measure in Colorado.  If they're hoping that JLT will become the consensus candidate on social issues here in the Hoosier state, they're going to be disappointed.  JLT might want to ask them to keep their support to themselves.

So you think you're so smart? Open Line Fridays at Frugal Hoosiers

Today is the first day of our new weekly "Open Line Fridays at Frugal Hoosiers" feature.  Read more about it here.  We've received three posts and plan to put them up after we visit today's news.  There is still time to submit, so put your thinking cap on and get busy.

Dems Rally for JLT... kinda

Yesterday morning, the statehouse was transformed into what first looked to be an AFSCME rally since it was so poorly attended.  We later learned that this was the democrat unity celebration that we've heard so much about.

Unity events are fairly common among political parties.  In Illinois, the Republican Party hosts a big luncheon the day after the primary.  The event is attended by all primary candidates, their staff, party officials, donors, and other supporters of the party.  The Indiana Democratic Party is probably the closest thing we have to the Illinois Republican Party in this state, given their weakness, lack of power, and the tendency of their party officials to wind up in prison.  But even Illinois Republicans can have a unity celebration that actual represents party unity. 

What happened yesterday was the few folks who supported JLT in the primary got together with the people who didn't care (Speaker Pat Bauer and Ways and Means Chairman Bill Crawford) and announced their mutual hatred for Mitch Daniels. 

The only person in attendance who was firmly in the Schellinger camp was Chairman Dan Parker, who has had to swallow hard in the wake of being on the wrong side of everything lately.  Schellinger himself was nowhere to be found, he reportedly hopped on a Trident Air, LLC jet earlier this week and is vacationing somewhere sunny.  Good for him. 

Despite the nice little show yesterday, democrats in this town are far from unified.  Their biggest supporter continues to pursue an investigation into Long Thompson's finances that was launched before the primary election.  That's typically the kind of thing you abandon after the primary, particularly if you lose.  Mike Schellinger, Jim's brother, took to the blogosphere himself yesterday and basically called JLT a liar and questioned why Jim should ever endorse her. 

So far it looks like the fence-sitters and JLT supporters have unified, but the other 49.9% of the party is on vacation.   

This isn't your parent's BMV, VII

BMV Commission Ron Stiver announced more changes to the BMV.  Hoosiers can now enroll online with the new "MyBMV" service, a virtual branch that allows users to renew plates, view information on titles and driver records, and more.  They even offer a discount now for transactions completed online.  Of course, if you do decide to go to a branch, don't forget that you can check wait times at your local branch or simply schedule an appointment.  They're running this place like an actual business.  Who would have thought that was possible?

I'm makin' some major moves, major moves just for you

Another long awaited road project is underway, funded with the proceeds from Major Moves and not a gas tax increase or more state borrowing.  Construction on the US 231 corridor began yesterday and will improve access to I-64 in southern Indiana. 

“Because, and only because of the Major Moves transaction, our wait for a bigger, better US 231 is over. And because we have the dollars to build it now, it will cost millions less than was expected, and we’ll invest those savings in more roads and more jobs,” said Daniels.

The original estimated cost of the corridor was nearly $163 million, with a projected completion date of 2014. But because the project has been accelerated by three years, the Indiana Department of Transportation has been able to reduce its cost. The US 231 corridor project will fulfill a long-standing commitment by the state, local government, regional planning commissions, and citizens to improve US 231 between the Ohio River and Interstate 64. Studies on improvements to US 231 were initiated years ago for safety and economic development reasons. -- Inside Indiana Business

This is how democrats come together? The UAW attacks JLT

Since the democrat's establishment candidate Jim Schellinger lost his bid to be their nominee for governor, there has been a lot of talk about their ability to unify and support Jill Long Thompson.  She has since reassured the press and the public that democrats will be united against Mitch Daniels in the fall.  Apparently someone failed to mention to her that the Indiana Democratic Party's biggest financial and grassroots supporter, the UAW, has launched a campaign of its own against Long Thompson on the basis of questionable campaign finance practices.

In a letter to the Indiana Election Commission on May 2, the UAW questioned Long Thompson's ability to purchase media that exceeded her cash on hand, implying that some undisclosed source of funds might be helping her out under the table.  (The entire letter is available for download below):

To Whom it May Concern:

As an organization representing organized labor in the State of Indiana, we are extremely concerned about the lack of disclosure associated with what appears to be large contributions to the Hoosiers for Jill campaign for Governor.  Based on the information available to the public, we cannot account for the significant media expenditures Ms. Long Thompson's campaign has made.  We have collected and reviewed competitive media information estimating media buys by the Hoosiers for Jill committee in the range of $1.2m since March 31, 2008, which was the final date of the last reporting period under Indiana campaign finance laws. 

The UAW was clearly worried that their $445,000 investment in the Jim Schellinger campaign was going to go to waste and that he was in trouble four days before the election.  This was a desperate move that received no attention in the press as they sought to discredit the Long Thompson campaign in the final days of the primary campaign and put Schellinger over the top.  It didn't work.

Ok, you say, that was before the primary.  Indiana's democrats have put the election behind them and are focused on the future. 

Not so fast. 

On May 8, two days after the primary, the UAW sent another letter to the Indiana Election Commission seeking confirmation that they received their request for an investigation into JLT's finances.  Just for the record, Schellinger conceded on May 7.

To Whom it May Concern:

I sent and faxed the attached letter to you on Friday, May 2, 2008.  The fax confirmation is also attached. 

Please respond that you received the second copy.

Sincerely,

Maurice "Mo" Davison

Director

UAW Region 3

The UAW burned $445,000 of their members money on May 6. If a union the size of the UAW picks the wrong horse in a campaign like this, they typically have to add a zero to whatever they spent on the loser to win a seat at the table of the winner.  They can hardly go back to their membership and ask for another half million dollars, which by the way, they're probably going to waste. 

It's hard to tell what the strategy is here, this is uncharted territory.  But just for fun, let's speculate. 

Clearly the UAW has no plans to support JLT in the near future.  If they thought it was going to cost them money to win their way into JLT's good graces after pouring $445,000 into the Schellinger campaign, just wait until they're done pushing the Indiana Election Commission to investigate her for fraud. 

It appears that the strategy of the UAW is to force JLT out of the top spot by either discrediting her to the point where she has no choice but to resign, or to actually have criminal charges filed against her.  Either way, it appears that democrats are far from coming together and their biggest supporters are already shopping for a candidate to replace their embattled nominee.

Download UAW.pdf

A Gracious Loser? Not so much, no.

If the comments of Michael Schellinger are any indication, Jill Long Thompson doesn't need to worry about getting an endorsement from his brother Jim.  She can probably take him off the short list for LG as well.

On May 7, Jim Shella speculated that Jim Schellinger would not seek the nod for LG because of the way he snuck out of his election night party without speaking to the media.  This kind of media avoidance wasn't just an election night exception, it was the standard throughout his campaign.  Shella blogged about it and received one comment from Michael Schellinger. 

Mr. Shella,
I take exception to your comments regarding my brother Jim Schellinger. It is very easy for you to sit on your throne and casts stones at others. Throughout Jim’s campaign you were less than objective, not suprising for a member of the media. If you have all the answers, why don’t you run for political office? Oh wait, that would require a commitment to serve a cause other than your own.
God forbid Jim not stop and address the beloved media the day after the election; since when is it the media’s birthright to have their every wish granted. Perhaps if you were not so self-serving and do something for someone else you may have a different view of the world.
Why would Jim support Ms. Thompson? He possesses a different value system than Ms. Thompson….mainly honesty.
No I’m sure you will respond with some quaint remark to my posting….a privilege you enjoy because people like me have protected your right to free speech for the last 232 years. However, before you do, read the following quote as many times as you need to in order to let it soak in. I’m not asking you to change your personal views; I’m asking you possess some small measure of integrity and report the news objectively.
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
— Theodore Roosevelt

Michael G. Schellinger
Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army

So much for coming together. 

Indiana Chamber Blog

The Indiana Chamber has launched a new blog that focuses on their policy and political priorities.  There are already several posts up including today's post, which focuses on local government reform and the recommendations from the Kernan-Shepard Commission.  Check it out here, and visit it often.

Members of the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform didn’t abandon the cause after coming up with their far-reaching and meaningful recommendations in late 2007. The six months of work in compiling the report obviously became personal for the commission members – co-chairs Joe Kernan and Randall Shephard along with Ian Rolland and John Stafford of Fort Wayne, Sue Ann Gilroy and Louie Mahern of Indianapolis, and Adam Herbert of Bloomington.

Kernan, at the Indiana Chamber’s request, jumped in early this year with a series of video messages and BizVoice magazine article emphasizing the need for reform and discussing the findings/recommendations in specific issue areas. The former governor – along with Shepard, Stafford and Mahern, in particular – has been out on the speaking circuit ever since the report was released. They, along with others, recognize the challenge. It’s fair to say they (again, along with proponents who understand the importance of modernizing a system that has been in place for more than 150 years) wished more progress had taken place during the General Assembly session, but as political veterans they also realize little could be done with the runaway train that became homeowner property tax relief.

It’s no secret that Gov. Daniels will be focusing on this topic in his re-election bid and, if successful, in the 2009 legislative agenda. The status quo must change – at all levels. The numbers are in the report; the message is the same as those four words from Kernan upon its release – “If not now, when?”

Daniels Backing Costas for AG

Governor Mitch Daniels threw his support behind Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas for Attorney General yesterday.   

"Gov. Mitch Daniels sent state Republican Party leaders a letter Monday endorsing Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas' bid for Indiana attorney general.

"Costas is vying for the GOP nomination against New Albany native Greg Zoeller, who has served as Attorney General Steve Carter's chief deputy since 2001. The winner will join a November ticket that figures to feature two other southern Indiana names -- Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and Greater Clark County Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett, who is running for state schools superintendent.

"I have known both Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas and Greg Zoeller for years. I like and admire them both very much," Daniels wrote in his letter to Republican State Committee members. "I have heard from a large number of party and civic leaders making the point that three-quarters of our 2008 ticket should not come from one geographical area, and I find I must agree.

"Mayor Costas is a proven vote-getter and progressive leader of one of the best cities in our state. ... Jon is an accomplished attorney with 19 years of private practice experience."

"Zoeller, a former aide to former Vice President Dan Quayle, declared his candidacy with the state party last week and campaigned Friday in Lake County. Republicans will slate their candidates for attorney general, lieutenant governor and schools on June 2 at the state party convention.

"Costas, a part-time attorney specializing in elder law, hosted a Valparaiso news conference Monday to tout the governor's endorsement and announce he has filed the paperwork to run against Zoeller.

"I've been on the ballot three times (locally), and feel I can do well for the state ticket here in Northwest Indiana," Costas said. "It looks like it will go down to a convention vote. I look forward to that."

The nomination was expected to go to Attorney General Steve Carter, but in a bizarre Easter Sunday press conference, Carter dropped off the ticket with no warning to GOP officials. Many Republicans were displeased at Carter's apparent attempt to sneak Zoeller, his deputy, onto the ticket.

Buying a spot on the ticket? More Money Than Sense? What gives Woody?

For a mere $25k, Woody Myers has found a place in Jillary's fav five.

One of the biggest losers in last week's primary election has to be Myers, who dropped at least $1.7 million of his own money on his way to getting 24% of the vote against Andre Carson, et al.

Today we learn that Woody sent Jillary $25,000 after she beat Jim Schellinger Tuesday. Woody's contribution puts him among Jillary's largest contributors. Emily's List ($350,000), SEIU ($300k), the Steelworkers and their locals ($25,000), and liberal super-donor Barbara Lee of Massachusetts ($40,000) made up for about 70 percent of the money Thompson has raised so far.

So what gives? Is Woody hoping to be Jillary's running mate? We think Thompson could pick a worse running-mate and we assume she will.  However, if Myers agrees to self-fund the effort, who knows? One of the reasons Democrats were scared to death to have Thompson as their nominee was her inability to raise money. Her meager fund raising performance in the primary won't alleviate those fears.
We aren't sure what a spot on the ticket costs, but we're fairly sure it's a lot more than $25,000. We'll keep you posted on whether Myers sends Jillary any additional checks. If Myers was willing to spend $1.7 million on a losing race for Congress, what's he willing to spend on a losing race for Lt. Governor?

 

This is none of our business, but why does the US Postal Service still exist?

If you don't think there is a vacuum of political news forming after the presidential circus has left town, consider this: we're talking about stamps.  The price of stamps is going up today, again, and it will go up again next year too.  And the year after that, and the year after that.  In the age of e-mail, electronic bill pay, and FedEx, mail is nearly obsolete.  Of course, that's silly to say since it's a part of a federal bureaucracy where things are never obsolete. 

In the area of mail delivery the USPS has a monopoly but still can't seem to turn a profit.  If it were a private company, it would have gone out of business by now.  They even have a competitive price advantage over their competitors in the package delivery market since they're tax exempt.  But the price still goes up every year and the USPS finds itself in a deeper and deeper hole. 

That begs the question; why haven't we privatized the US Postal Service?  It's hugely expensive and costs more to run each year.  There are a plethora of private companies that specialize in efficient package and letter delivery, one of them has a huge hub right here in Indianapolis. 

I know, privatize the post office?  Listen, mail shouldn't even exist anymore.  Did we keep using telegraphs after the phone was invented?  The only reason it still does is so this massive agency of the federal government can still exist and employ 800,000 people.  Come to think of it, don't privatize it, just get rid of it altogether and let the private sector determine how many people want to communicate via mail six days a week.  I'm not even sure what I would miss out on if mail went the way of the carrier pigeon. 

This stamp hike madness won't end until we get rid of the post office.  Sure it's one penny today, but it's going to be two pennies next year.  That's three pennies, folks.  Time to wake up. 

You know what I hate? Everything.

We love checking out the reader's forum in local papers.  They are windows into the soul of the electorate, playgrounds for those who hate everything and can't wait to tell you about it, the electronic equivalent to park benches where old folks hang out, feed the birds, and gripe.  This rant comes to us from the Tribune Star in Terre Haute:

I would still like to see one of them get to go up against Daniels in the fall and win, because the only thing Daniels has done is mess this state up in more ways than one.

He brought back that crazy daylight savings time that people didn’t have to worry about for over 30 years.

He raised the cigarette and tobacco tax claiming it was for road repair and education.

He made the kids have to go to kindergarten all day.

He leased the toll road to a foreign company for 75 years and to top it off, he raises taxes on something every time he turns around.

He’s not benefiting anyone but himself and the rest of the big wigs up there in Indy.

No wonder they call this state the Land of Taxes.

One last thing, I’m glad to see Terre Haute progressing into the future, at least it shows they are trying, unlike where I live where the local chamber does nothing except go out and cut a ribbon for some off-the-wall business like tanning salons, specialty shops, insurance companies, tea rooms, or coffee shops.

They never try to bring anything big or worthwhile to Brazil like Terre Haute does and most likely never will.

My next letter will be a true story about cell phones and the potential hazards of cell phone use while driving.

This guy sounds perfect for Open Line Friday's at Frugal Hoosiers.  For the record, Daniels raised the cigarette tax to fund a health insurance program for the uninsured, leased the toll road to fund road repair, and did bring back that "crazy daylight saving time" that is now practiced in 49 states.  We're not sure who calls this state the "Land of Taxes", we just know that business leaders call it an "Island of Growth."  We can't wait to read about the dangers of cell phone use.  Stay tuned. 

The Emily's List Candidacy

In the world of national political action committees, Emily's List is queen.  The group was formed in the mid-80's with the goal of electing pro-choice woman to Congress and statehouses across the nation.  As alive and well as ever, Emily's List poured $350,000 into the Jill Long Thompson campaign.  All said, they bought into JLT for nearly 40% of the total she raised for the primary. 

Though it would seem devastating to their credibility, they take credit for electing everyone from Governor Jennifer Granholm (D-Michigan) to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California).  They also take credit for electing former Congresswoman Jill Long. 

Two years ago, Chris Cizzilla, from The Washington Post, profiled Emily's List and their tenuous relationship with the democrat party establishment.

Some Democratic strategists criticize Emily's List for its alleged desire to control all aspects of the campaigns in which it is involved -- at times forcing the party committees to the sidelines. And others note that the group's mission to elect only Democratic women who support abortion rights often causes it to push aside stronger candidates who would have the best chance of increasing the party's strength in Congress and statehouses.

One high-level Democratic strategist, who requested anonymity so he could speak candidly about Emily's List, accused the group of empire-building -- expanding the message and operational parts of campaigns in ways that compete with the traditional role of party committees and make coordination with the candidate more difficult. -- The Washington Post

Gee, does any of that sound familiar? 

Sure, some of this griping is process driven.  There is a finite pool of power in politics and if someone gains then someone else loses.  But it seems that even democrats have a problem with the extent to which Emily's List can cut big checks to long-shot candidates that support an extreme agenda and then try to call the shots once they're the party nominee. 

As Jill Long Thompson tries to pull the party back together in the wake of the Indiana Democratic Party's election night hangover, she will have a hard time reconciling her desire to control the party with the desire of Emily's List to control her. 

Breaking through

We've been flooded with e-mails about the new ad, from the Mitch for Governor campaign, asking about the score that accompanies the accomplishments of Governor Daniels' first term.  A frugal hoosier found the source and posted it in a comment on the original thread.  Here's the link, and the ad again for your enjoyment.

It's your turn: Open Line Friday's at Frugal Hoosiers

We'd like to start a new tradition here at Frugal Hoosiers and take the debate on issues and candidates to the next level.  Every Friday we'll open up this blog so you, the reader, can post what's on your mind.  Not just in the comment section, oh no, right here on the front page baby. 

We want to hear from you.  If you're for or against Mitch Daniels, tell us why.  If you're for or against Jill Long Thompson, we want to hear that too.  But don't just stick to the race for governor, we'll post anything you have to say about other races or just on the issues.

We have no plans to edit the content of the posts that are sent in, so if you send something that is laced with obscenities it's probably not going to make the cut.  Just keep it clean and well reasoned. 

Send your posts to frugalhoosiers@yahoo.com.  If you prefer to remain anonymous, just indicate that in your e-mail.  If you're super-paranoid, just put your post in the comment section and we'll pull it out and post it from there. 

We'll kick this off next Friday, May 16.  Get busy.

Schellinger: Hiding from the press until the very end

Throughout his campaign for governor, Jim Schellinger was regularly mocked by the press for refusing to talk to the press.  When he wasn't replacing his communications director, he was holed away in some secret location so the press couldn't find him.  Jim Shella shares that he remained elusive through the bitter end:

Jim Schellinger successfully avoided the media after conceding the Democratic nomination for governor.   That’s my signal that he has no plans to run for office again.

Nevertheless, he could have shown a little class on the way out the door.   His concession statement contained no offer of support for Jill Long Thompson and neither did the e-mail sent to supporters this morning.

We do know that he’s sorry he won’t get the chance to face Mitch Daniels himself. -- Political Blog with Jim Shella

It can't possibly get any worse than this, right?

You almost have to feel bad for the Indiana Democratic Party.  Just when they think they've hit rock bottom, they fall a little farther. 

First Kernan lost.  The heavily gerrymandered House went to Republicans.  In 2006, the best electoral year for democrats in half a century, they disappointed themselves when they only managed to claw back a one seat majority.  Then Peterson goes down.  After each election they're left wondering; 'how can this get any worse?'  Here's how:

Their candidate for governor is Jill Long Thompson after the party backed Jim Schellinger and lost.  In a year when change is the core message for democrats, and has been for Indiana Republicans going on four years, they pick a career politician who has spent the better part of the past two decades running for office or working for government.  She has a rich history of losing campaigns and had to move back from DC just to run for office.  If Dan Parker didn't have bad luck, he wouldn't have any luck at all.

Mitch Daniels: For "Change" Before it was Cool

These days everyone is talking about change.  Thanks to Mitch Daniels, we got a three year head start on the rest of the nation.  So much has happened here that it's hard to remember all of the changes that have occurred.  The latest ad from the Mitch for Governor campaign helps us remember.

The Obama - Long Thompson Problem

Now that Barack Obama is the presumed democrat nominee for president and Jill Long Thompson is officially the democrat nominee for governor, it occurs to us that democrats in Indiana have an interesting dilemma on their hands.  How do they reconcile their presidential candidate's tone of relentless optimism with their gubernatorial candidate's fatal flaw of habitual negativity? 

While Obama will be flooding the airwaves in Indiana, Jill Long Thompson will be running a campaign that reminds people of the "politics as usual" environment that he is running to change.  The tone of Obama's campaign will be more similar to that of Mitch Daniels, though the two are far different in position and depth on issues and the action to get it done.   

This may help answer the question that has been in strategist's minds for weeks now: what happens to the new Obama voter, the independent person who was one of 100,000 new registered voters in Indiana?  Does that person vote democrat top to bottom or will the newly active independent voter, who was inspired by a democrat, align their vote on a ticket of 'change'? 

What's certain is that the Jill Long Thompson message is wholly inconsistent with an electorate that has never been less tolerant of career politicians and negative campaigning.  While Jim Schellinger had no shortage of his own problems, looking at the broader political environment, democrats certainly picked the wrong candidate to face Mitch Daniels in the fall. 

Hillary: 'I'm the Choice of Stupid White People'

Here's a video of the new Clinton strategy: tell America that it's mostly dumb and white, and also the key demographic for Hillary.  If I were Evan Bayh, I'd be denouncing Hillary Clinton, endorsing Obama, and starting to worry about how I'm going to win reelection in 2010. 

Bye Bayh, it was nice seeing you

We're not sure what's better about this story, the fact that Sen. Bayh went to the wrong polling place, that this active Hoosier politico only recognized him because she worked at the Indianapolis Star, or that he ignored everyone on his way into vote. 

But seriously, it was nice having Evan Bayh in Indiana for a few weeks.  We'll miss him here, but we're confident that he'll return again one day when he needs us for something.

Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., experienced firsthand the intricacies of voting in Marion County when he went to Marten House Hotel on 86^th Street and found that he was at the wrong polling precinct.

Jenny Labalme (wife of Pulliam School of Journalism Director John Krull) passed out pamphlets at the Marten House polling location to encourage people to vote for friends running in the Washington Township School board election.

Labalme said she saw Bayh come into the hotel and introduced herself because she recognized him from working at The Indianapolis Star.

“I didn’t have a chance to give him the leaflet because he was in such a hurry,” she said. -- The Franklin

They only seem like small wins

Reading this morning's paper we came across an article that announced "DCL Medical will add 125 new jobs."  In the days of 1,400 news jobs at Toyota, 2,000 new jobs at Honda, and IBM and AT&T adding 1,000 each, to name a few, it's easy to overlook 125 new jobs at this high-tech medical laboratory that will pay up to $200,000 per year.  These jobs are coming to Indiana in part thanks to the quick work of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation to offer incentives to encourage DCL to grow here instead of at their facility in St. Louis.  Announcements like this demonstrate just how far we've come in 3 short years. 

In 2005, a few short weeks after Governor Daniels took office, he delivered his first State of the State address.  During that address he summed up the condition of our state and its economy when he said, "Our state's economy is too weak, too narrowly based, and too often impeded by the very state government that should be its chief advocate and promoter."  Yesterday's announcement proves that the change in Indiana over the past three years is leaving our economy stronger and more broadly based.

One year later, during his 2006 State of the State address, Governor Daniels lent some perspective to Hoosiers when he said that "the reversal of economic decline, and then the climb to leadership, will not be the work of weeks, or even a few years. Only boldness, and imagination, and then the fortitude to sustain pro-growth policies will suffice to turn around decades of erosion."

Indiana continues to reverse decades of erosion, 125 jobs at a time.

You might want to listen to this guy, he knows something of losing.

George McGovern apparently spent his Wednesday urging Hillary Clinton to drop out of the presidential race and endorse Barack Obama.  She should listen, after all, McGovern is the nation's foremost expert on losing presidential elections. 

After watching the returns from the North Carolina and Indiana primaries Tuesday night, McGovern said Wednesday it's virtually impossible for Clinton to win the nomination. The 1972 Democratic presidential nominee said he had a call in to former President Clinton to tell him of the decision, adding that he remains close friends with the Clintons. -- Brietbart.com

Our Brief Statewide Nightmare is Over...

Jim Schellinger has conceded to Jill Long Thompson.  He asked that we all just act as if none of this ever happened. 

Jim Schellinger, the Indianapolis architect who fought a campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor to a razor-thin finish last night, conceded the race to Jill Long Thompson this afternoon.

"Jim Schellinger just phoned Jill to concede," Thompson communications director Jeff Harris said. -- Indianapolis Star

Courage. Vision. Results.

The latest campaign ad from My Man Mitch feels more like a preview for a summer blockbuster than a political commercial.  We loved the first show, and thanks to the work Governor Daniels has done, we're confident that Hoosier voters will get to see the sequel over the next four years.

Enjoy it while you can...

We probably won't have a reason to show this video again until the "Jill Long Thompson Rocks!" version comes out.  Of course, before that happens, the UAW has to go and apologize to her for supporting Schellinger to begin with.  That meeting will probably cost them about $500,000.

So before he's gone for good, let's remember that one time when Jim Schellinger rocked:

Schellinger: 'There have got to be more votes for me somewhere!'

Jim Schellinger is refusing to concede even though in order to close the gap he would need to capture nearly every provisional vote remaining.  There's a lot of that going around.  It's like we have our very own Hillary right here in Indiana.  Here's the statement from Jen Wagner:

"We're all in here today getting together a plan," she said.  "There are still precincts. It's not over ... mistakes are made. The vote tally - the count - is a fluctuating number." -- Indianapolis Star

In Schellinger's defense that number is fluctuating, it continually shows JLT with more and more votes.  This might drag on for weeks.  Listening to Wags talk about "a plan" it sounds like they're getting ready to dispatch the lawyers.  Remember, this is the guy who issued a cease and desist order to get JLT to pull her negative ad, so it's completely within the realm of possibility that he would have his attorneys go after any precinct in the state where there was a discrepancy or some report that the election didn't go exactly right.  Just think, Fountain County could be the Florida of the democrat race for governor in Indiana! 

JLT's Summer of Gloom: Did I mention I oppose everything you don't like?

Jill Long Thompson just finished her first press conference after defeating Jim Schellinger in yesterday's democrat primary.  But if you tuned into the webcast expecting to hear a plan or even a positive word about the direction she'll take our state, you were very disappointed.

JLT started her general election campaign the way she ended her primary campaign: predicting doom and gloom for the Hoosier state.  Did she mention she's opposed to "selling off our state"?  That seems to be pretty much what this campaign is going to be about.  Her depressing attitude will be a stark contrast to the record of results that Mitch Daniels has produced over the past three years and his plan for our state over the next four years. 

And then there was one

Today at 10:00am Jill Long Thompson will hold her first press conference as the democrat nominee for governor.  It will be interesting to watch the approach she takes on the first day of her new role.  JLT spent the past year running a negative campaign against the party establishment that didn't support her.  Who could blame them?  Most Hoosiers are used to voting against her.  She's a career politician and perennial candidate who has lost far more than elections than she has won.

After running another classic JLT negative campaign for the past year will she go back to the unfamiliar high road for awhile?  Will she call for unity among democrats?  Will she propose some grand vision for Indiana's future that will excite the party and mobilize their divided base?  Will she carry a silver platter into the room and unveil the head of Dan Parker?  Let's watch.

The Biggest Loser

Who was the biggest loser after yesterday's democrat primary?  There are so many to choose from that it's hard to pick just one.

Hillary won Indiana last night, barely.  But politics is like Wall Street, you don't have to lose, you just have to fall short of expectations for everyone to call you a loser.  By that standard Hillary was a big loser yesterday.  The spin will be that she was an underdog who scored a big win in Indiana, which is right next store to Barack Obama's home state mind you. 

Hoosiers know the truth: Indiana was Evan Bayh's chance to demonstrate that he can deliver Indiana and other Republican states in November as part of the presidential ticket.  That's clearly not the case.  After eight months of working the state over he could only deliver Indiana with the help of Rush Limbaugh and his army at Operation Chaos.  Today more people are talking up an exit strategy for Hillary instead of how she can keep the one state win streak alive.  Great work, Senator. 

Who are these 5,930 people?

We haven't talked much about Tony Zirkle this election cycle.  He's the kind of candidate that we thought all Republicans just wanted to have go away.  By "all Republicans" we mean, "all Republicans... minus the 5,930 who voted for him." 

For those of you who haven't followed the strange developments in the Zirkle candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District, here's a list of recent headlines to help you get caught up:

• "Just Can't Shake That Nazi Party Hangover" -- Washington Post
• "The Indiana Congressional Candidate the GOP Wishes Would Go Away" -- Fox News
• "Creep of the Week: Tony Zirkle" -- Between the Lines News
• "Congressional Candidate Addresses Neo-Nazi's -- JTA

The word "Nazi" gets thrown around a lot in politics when people want to describe someone who's an extremist.  "Oh, that guy?  He's nuts, he's a Nazi," for instance. Maybe from now on we should reserve that title for people who are ACTUALLY Nazi's. 

We're calling it...

With 5,214 of 5,230 precincts reporting, it appears that Jill Long Thompson is the democrat nominee for governor.  The vote total has put the race out of reach even if Schellinger captures 100% of the remaining precincts.  Of course, those precincts are in Lake County so who knows?  Also, it seems that Union County didn't have an election today so their votes don't count.  JLT edges Jim "The 800 Pound Gorilla" Schellinger (hat tip: John Gregg) by a vote of 564,936 to 559,475, or something close to that.

*tear* 

We'll miss you Jim, and we'll remember you everytime we drive by an olympic size swimming pool that you built with our hard-earned tax dollars.  The good news is that you can take a vacation via Trident Air without consulting a lawyer before you do so.  Enjoy our money and take the family on a nice trip.   You've earned it.

In case you didn't realize it, you were listening to a concession speech

Is it just us, or did Hillary Clinton sound a bit too nice during her speech in Indiana tonight?  Sure she said that she looked forward to winning these states in November, she just didn't say what office she would be running for.  After tonight's beating in North Carolina and a near loss in Indiana, super delegates have little reason to think that she's still a viable contender.  In case you missed it, Tim Russert thinks it's over:

'I'm the winner because I say so'

Ok.  Go to bed.  It's over.  Hillary Clinton has released a statement that says she's the winner because her campaign's internal projections say she is.  Hoosier democrats can sleep soundly knowing that their votes matter very little in the face of internal modeling from the Clinton campaign.  What a relief for Howard Dean, after all, Hillary said she can still win the nomination so it must be true.  Threat neutralized.  *We're tired, insert obnoxious comment here*

Mr. Mayor, we were just kidding...

We're never shocked to learn that Lake County might have a late and decisive impact on a race in Indiana... but a race for President of the United States?  It appears that Lake County votes are starting to come through and the early results have Sen. Obama pulling down a 3-1 margin over Sen. Clinton.  We called it before, but honestly only as a joke.  Could it be that Gary, IN is the difference in this race for the presidential nomination?  The votes are rumored to be coming from parts of Gary.  In order to cover the gap of just over 20,000 votes, Obama has to carry 60% of the remaining votes.  What's certain is that this race is still up for grabs, along with the democrat race for governor.  If you're at the Murat, you might want to grab another drink and tell Bill not to hit the town just yet.

Late Night Update

For those of you who are soldiering on this primary election night, here's a quick update:

Hillary Clinton won and claimed victory.  Obama gave what sounded a lot like a concession speech.  Then his campaign insisted that it was nothing of the sort.  Clinton is up about 43,000 votes as of right now.  We're waiting for Rudy Clay to release 43,001 votes from Lake County to cover. 

Too close to call:  Jim Schellinger and Jill Long Thompson.  There are still a lot of votes to count in Lake County, where steel workers and old constituents are thought to help out JLT.  Schellinger is currently up 6,000 votes.  Robin Winston predicted that this could "last for weeks".  That would be great.  Maybe Hillary could stick around and consult. 

John Ulmer (R) lost his primary bid.

Rep. Greg Simms (D) lost his primary bid.

Rep. Don Lehe (R) easily won a hotly contested primary bid in his west-central-northwest Indiana district.

Rep. Ed Soliday (R) also won easily in Porter County.  Credit hard work from teams on the ground in both this and the Lehe contest.

Rep. Steuerwald (R) won in Hendricks County, where late night voting problems continue to prevent that county from releasing "official" results. 

Sen. Connie Lawson (R) won in Hendricks County as well.

Sen. Bev Gard (R) won her toughest primary fight in years out in Hancock County.

Sen. Theresa Lubbers (R) won her primary 80%-20%... what was the fuss all about?

Congressman Dan Burton survived his primary fight against John McGoff 52%-45%.