Um, so, I seem to have misplaced the logon to redirect this domain to my new one, so while we all wait for that, feel free to go check out Hoosier Political Report, which is conveniently located at www.hoosierpoliticalreport.com.
Bear with me while I load in [...]
Hark, the long wait is over, and the blogmistress has made a decision.
*pause*
Well, not entirely, but at least with respect to this site.
Friends and foes, TDW as you've come to know it over the past three-plus years is going away. I, however, am not.
I'm just moving my [...]
Former TDW blogmistress always got a good laugh out of me when she mocked Becky Skillman for the way she says, "Hoosier." It's truly emblematic of the fembot we have for a Lieutenant Governor. If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a look [...]
This isn't really a news item, but it's a funny story involving my wonderful grandmother and Mitch Daniels, so I just had to share.
So, my grandma was talking to one of her neighbors the other day. They went out for a walk and caught up on things. When they got [...]
Okay, so I put up an open thread thinking I would be too busy to post anything today. However, I just ran across a hilarious site that I have to share.
The blog is called "Things younger than Republican Presidential Candidate (oh, and did I forget to mention "War Hero"?) [...]
Many apologies for the lack of posts lately, it's been a busy week, and will continue to be a busy weekend.
On the bright side, the weather is supposed to be beautiful today and most of the weekend and we'll finally get some May temperatures next week! Get out and enjoy [...]
Another study in 'then and now'
From September 2005:
Gov. Mitch Daniels pulled into Reynolds, Ind., Sept. 13 in his biodiesel-powered RV 1 to unveil BioTown, USA — a city that uses biorenewable energy sources to meet all of its energy needs.
"BioTown, USA is an aggressive plan that I [...]
A study in 'then and now'
March 2006: From Inside Indiana Business
Indiana’s rapid growth in the life sciences-related industries reached new heights today as Governor Mitch Daniels joined Pfizer Inc executives to announce the company’s intent to hire more than 450 new employees to manufacture the complete Exubera line at [...]
Hiya.
TDW here, just popping by to see what's happening and check up on the blog.
First off, thanks for the congratulations on the bar exam. Talk about lists you check more than twice to make sure you're not imagining things.
For those of you who were wondering, your friendly [...]
Smiling big:
Incumbents – only one incumbent got tossed by his constituents, Rep. John Ulmer (R-Goshen). He managed to capture only 25 percent of the vote in District 49. No other incumbents were as unlucky, and indeed many of them handily crushed their opposition while others managed to eke [...]
The results are final and Jim Schellinger has officially conceded to Jill Long Thompson.
Jim received 567,553 votes to Jill's 574,655.
Congrats to everyone on a historic election cycle, and for surviving the initial punch. Now it's on to November and sweeping the Republicans out of office!
As I am still recovering [...]
Jill Long Thompson has declared victory, but with some precincts still out and thousands of provisional ballots still waiting to be counted, this race will likely not be over until it is over, as they say. Jim Schellinger's campaign is promising to let the process work, and that [...]
This update on the Indianapolis Star's site tells me all I need to know about who can and can't win in November...
7:57 AM -- Voters reveal their choicesVoters in metro area polling places revealed their ballot strategies this morning.
Banker Ike Coney, 59, said he voted for Sen. Barack Obama [...]
Hillary knows one thing that works in the last twenty-four hours: on-point advertising that crtitcally hits your opponent between the eyes. According to the latest ad, Hillary wants Obama to give us a better reason to oppose the gas tax holiday than "it'll only save you $30." At the [...]
It was just announced that Stevie Wonder will be joining Barack Obama for a concert/rally at American Legion Park this evening @ 7:30pm. Know of any visits/events going on?
Barack is campaigning in Raleigh right know and Hillary just sent out an all-call for volunteers tonight and tomorrow.
Where will the [...]
Since I and my political counterparts will be swamped for the next couple of days, let's get an open thread going to get us to Wednesday. So, Step right up and give us your predictions!
In almost every election cycle there is something that happens on election day that completely shocks [...]
At the risk of also being sued, and being added to the list of people including Bil Browning (Bilerico), Sheila Kennedy (American Values ALliance), The Orentlicher campaign, and Tyrion Lannister, Woody Myers is using his substantial warchest to send his lawyers after the political world.
Yes, that's not a [...]
The story of the DC Madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, took a tragic turn yesterday was she was found hanging in a shed on her mother's property in Florida. Deborah said several times that she was not suicidal and that if she ended up dead, there needed to be [...]
Political stalker hack checking in...
Wanna know where Obama is? Check my favorite website, FlightAware, to see where the candidate's Boeing 757 is at any particular moment. Of course there's no guarantee Obama is actually on the plane, as some venues are close enough to do a drive around. But [...]
Barack Obama just an hour ago took a bit of time before his appearance at Assembly Hall to talk with key volunteers and precinct committee captains on a half hour conference call.
Unlike an earlier April conference call with President Clinton, technical and logistical problems did not keep us waiting for [...]
Sensing that we all need a good laugh today, I give you a Dan Burton commercial that makes me want to vomit. Seriously, who keeps electing this guy?
posted by tdwblog@gmail.com
[...]Hoping to pull a Borst or Garton upset, several big name Republican lawmakers face primary opposition this year. From today's Indystar:
Anger over Indiana's property tax crisis and a general distaste for incumbents have led to an unusual number of primary challenges in Statehouse races this spring, particularly among key [...]
Here's an idea that I thought was worth noting.
Take Your Kids 2 Vote, a non-partisan, 501C 3 organization was created to encourage parents to take their children to vote in [...]
The Jill Long Thompson for Governor campaign was served with a cease and desist order from the law firm representing Schenkel & Shultz. Inc. for using their copyrighted projects in her television ads. The letter, (Download jlt_cd.pdf ) delivered yesterday via certified mail to the campaign, reads:
Please be advised [...]
Dear Motorists Who Turn Left Into The Starbucks At Fall Creek And College At Rush Hour:
I hope, as you sit there backing up traffic through the intersection at a light that's not very long for those of us Northbound commuters, that you are really looking forward to the grande double-shot-mocha-no-fat-latte-with-whip [...]
A rare shout-out to Gary Welsh over at Advance Indiana for this great post on Woody Myers today:
Editor's Note: This is a guest post on Advance Indiana by Dr. Woody Myers, Democratic candidate for the 7th District congressional seat. Last year, Advance Indiana was the first to report on a [...]
This year will certainly turn out to be historic for the nation and the State of Indiana. Regardless of who wins the Democratic nomination for president, they will either be the first African-American nominee or the first female nominee. Also, the same group that is being courted to lead Hillary [...]
Linda Richman here.
Heads up, 08ama fans:
Barack will make an appearance Wednesday evening in Bloomington.
RALLY WITH BARACK OBAMA
Assembly Hall at Indiana University
1001 E. 17th St.
Bloomington, IN
Doors Open: 6:00 PM
Program Begins: 8:30 PM
Talk amongst yourselves!
Posted by: divanongrata
[...]A very late April Fools?
I am sure that anyone reading the blog yesterday was wondering what in the hell I was thinking, and rightfully so. I wanted to do an experiment, so I decided I had to play the devil's advocate for the day to remind people of the consequences [...]
Jill versus Jim.....Evan Bayh?
In a recent fundraising email sent out to Jill Long Thompson's email list, her campaign manager says:
This is it! We've been counted out throughout this race. But because of your help, we've done what many thought couldn't be done - and the insiders didn't want to be [...]
The sun is shining and it's 10 or so days until the election, so get outside and work in the yard or knock on doors for your favorite candidate!
Knowing that myself and many other colleagues are swamped with election stuff this weekend, I thought I'd give you all a chance [...]
I am getting very frustrated with the governor's primary race. I was surprised that Jill Long Thompson attacked Jim Schellinger in the first place but now her campaign has contradicted itself.
On Tuesday Thompson's press secretary said her attack that Schellinger is a lobbyist was fair because...
“It’s a part of [...]
CD9 Candidate John Bottorff lost his four year old daughter Demiah today. She was in a parking lot with her mother when she was struck by a car. The eighty-nine year old driving the car apparently became confused and hit the gas instead of the brake according to this WISH-TV [...]
I post this with the hope we can remain congenial. Gentle Reminder? No D-on-D crime, friends...
Now that Pennsylvania is over, staffers for both the Clinton and Obama campaigns are flocking to the Hoosier state. Prepare to be inundated by a barrage of phone calls, visibility and appearances by both candidates [...]
This might be old news to you but some Hoosiers are still facing problems that jeopardize the ability to keep their mortgages up-to-date and food on the table. Many of your neighbors are going hungry and growing sicker due to FSSA's continued lack of efficiency when [...]
It seems that Jim Shella was right on the money with his scoop this morning, and Sen. Barack Obama will be watching the Pennsylvania election returns in Evansville tomorrow night. Oh, and John Mellencamp will be there, too.
In addition, the Clinton campaign has released a tentative schedule for Sen. [...]
Pro-guillotine? More than a little kooky. Shredding Playboy magazines? Kind of odd. Advocating for the return of segregation? We all shook our heads.
But hanging out with Illinois Nazis?
An outlandish long-shot seeking the Republican nomination for an Indiana congressional seat spent Sunday at a neo-Nazi gathering celebrating the birth [...]
Tell me about a politician in an election year lecturing on leaving the legacy of Reagan behind, and I won't be surprised. Tell me that politician is a Republican, and I'll call you a liar. And yet, here's the Guv with a little bit of controversy:
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels [...]
I'm still torn on whether there is actual fire amidst all of this smoke, but any article that contains a description of Mitch Daniels as "shady and inappropriate" gets a free shout-out in my book.
This is an AP version of yesterday's Gitte Laasby piece in the Gary [...]
I just saw Jill Long Thompson's first negative ad on television.
I can not find a copy on Youtube, but the ad names Jim Schellinger by name and comes at him with her standard property tax attack.
Someone just emailed me a copy of the script. Here is the part where JLT [...]
After 4 years of rubber stamping the Governor's unpopular legislative agenda, it looks like Bob Meeks is giving up the fight. Being from a toll road county and being personally responsible for getting the Governor's Toll Road Lease passed would make one not so popular back home. There is also [...]
This is a rumor that I've been hearing about for a month now, but it finally looks like discussions have moved out of the shadows and on to the pages of the Star. With Pennsylvania looking like it won't likely end anything -- and North Carolina appearing positively [...]
As a born-and-bred Hoosier, the sensation of waking up to your house shaking isn't exactly the most calming thing in the world. Especially with Kokomo fighting off alien invasions and the whatnot.
Regardless, a quake it was, and the question of the day will undoubtedly be, "did you feel [...]
Looks like trouble is brewing (again) for Republicans in Muncie.....
The Delaware County prosecutor wants to know why Republican Party officials were given access to police reports on a fight involving a voter registration deputy, a reporter and a candidate before the documents reached his desk.
"The Republican Party chairman is [...]
This is completely off topic and related to nothing politically, but if you are like me, you have nothing but hatred in your heart for private student loan providers, such as Sallie Mae. Seeing articles like this bring a smile to my face:
Sallie Mae lost $104 million in the [...]
The next time I tell the right wingers that Indiana's lack of gay rights (and outright hostility towards the gay community by some legislators) are driving away economic development maybe they'll listen. Perhaps benefitting from a homophobic rant by an Oklahoma legislator will get them to look [...]
Another day, another report that seems to contradict the rosy rhetoric of the My Man Mitch rebranding effort.
Bankruptcy filings jumped 38 percent last year compared with 2006, as many consumers struggled with higher mortgage payments and other debt loads, a nonprofit group said Tuesday.
Indiana placed fourth among the states with the [...]
I made the trip up to Fort Wayne yesterday to catch the Democratic gubernatorial debate. They had cookies afterward, so I can't exactly think of anything bad to say about the event itself, except to note that they only passed out 150 tickets to a venue that looked to [...]
Here is an interesting article from the Star today:
Call it the Department of Correction's version of day care.
The Wee One’s Nursery officially will open today as a special wing of the Indiana Women’s Prison on the Near Eastside. The nursery is billed as the first facility in [...]
Not that anyone is surprised by this, but the Guv has a huge warchest.
New campaign reports released this afternoon show Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels has continued to raise far more campaign cash than his Democratic opponents.
Between Jan. 1 and Mar. 31, Daniels raised $1.5 million, bringing the total amount [...]
Yours truly just returned from Bill Clinton's appearance at Perry Meridian Middle School. It was a great event, and helps confirm why I am on Hillary's bandwagon. I am not ancient, but I am old enough to remember how great our economy was under Bill. When Hillary makes promises of [...]
The race for the Democratic nomination in the 7th District now features three candidates vying for votes via television screens. The latest is David Orentlicher, who has released an introductory ad that pokes fun at the candidate's name and features cute kids galore.
By way of fairness, I'll go ahead and [...]
Talk about a busy day, at least in Indianapolis. Congressional candidate David Orentlicher is set to roll out his first television ads of the season this afternoon, as well as tout some yet-to-be-named endorsements. Gubernatorial hopeful Jim Schellinger has scheduled an afternoon presser to discuss the third portion of [...]
Matt Tully takes a look at the oft-maligned-but-rarely-felt issue of cross-over voting, and what effect it may have on the upcoming primary vote.
Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Keith Clock said the question comes up often in his solidly Republican county. Many Democrats and independents typically vote in the Republican primary there, he [...]
Mitch Daniels cannot be happy with this story in the Post Tribune of Northwest Indiana this morning:
Plasmatronics, the plasma ignition system company promising 220 local jobs and touted by Gov. Mitch Daniels at a news conference last year, wants out of Crown Point.
In a five-page letter to the city's Redevelopment Commission [...]
Want to know a sure-fire way to get on an editorial board's bad side? Try physically attacking one of their reporters.
The Star Press wasn't amused:
Yes, Will Statom was back on the job Thursday morning in the voter registration office after tackling Nick Werner from behind, knocking him down and [...]
It's known in the world of politics that if you have news to release that you don't want anyone to notice, do it on a Friday. Looks like Mitch used that idea to hide this inconvenient story.
Arizona inmates to leave Indiana prison
Arizona prisoners who've been involved in at [...]
As a general rule, I try to avoid posting stories that find a reason to quote Don Davis of the famed Don's Guns, but this morning is an exception. Vic Ryckaert of the Star takes a look at Indiana's current compliance with rules designed to keep guns away from the [...]
Want in on one of the worst kept secrets in the political world? Running for office is a lot easier than actually running an office. It's a lesson that most learn pretty quickly, but after 100 days at the helm, it looks like Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is still trying [...]
Alright guys, fess up, who did this? I want a name on my desk by lunch.
A fire department official said nothing appeared to be suspicious about a blaze that destroyed Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign office in Terre Haute this morning.
Investigators were still sifting through the ashes to figure [...]
Gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger was in Terre Haute yesterday pushing his Pick Up Indiana plan and earning a few legislative endorsements. This is on the heels of announcing the second portion of the proposal on Tuesday, addressing how he would seek to help Hoosiers deal with the [...]
A tip o' the hat to Masson once more for pointing out this morning's story in the Journal & Courier discussing the fact that Tippecanoe County and West Lafayette have already had their oft-touted Major Moves money dry up.
Considering that the foreign consortium currently in charge [...]
A tip o' the hat to a commenter over at my other digs for pointing out the latest in the ongoing saga of Republican wankery in Muncie. As if under-staffing their office and potentially disenfranchising new voters wasn't bad enough, it looks like the local GOP have taken [...]
The Louisville-Courier had a good article about the problems facing Hoosiers and their lack of access to medical care.
An estimated nine Indiana residents die every week from illnesses that turned fatal because their lack of health insurance limited their access to medical care, according to a new report.
In its [...]
There's a reason that Masson has taken to calling the guy Everybody’s Favorite Economist™ -- Larry DeBoer is everywhere. The Purdue University economist has been all over the property tax mess since day one, which is something that can't be said for certain Governors who embraced outright denial [...]
The Star reports this morning that Sec. of State Todd Rokita won't be trying for the GOP nomination to replace the retiring Steve Carter. The reason? Apparently because he doesn't consider himself a "strong leader," or something like that.
He will, however, be throwing his support behind Valparaiso Mayor [...]
All apologies for the light posting today, but I apparently wasn't the only one with a busy afternoon. Gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger was in Indianapolis unveiling the second part of his Pick Up Indiana plan, specifically discussing his plans to combat Indiana's growing health care crisis.
You can read the [...]
Maureen Groppe had a few minutes to pepper presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with some Hoosier-centric questions, and this morning's Star prints the far-ranging interview that touches on everything from Eli Lilly to the 75-year lease of the Indiana Toll Road.
Q: One way Indiana is tackling its infrastructure needs [...]
News out of Jeffersonville, where we find our old friend Glenn Murphy facing some new accusations. For those who need a refresher, the former county GOP chair and head of the Young Republicans is in hot water over his alleged sexual assault of a sleeping man last year.
Now, [...]
The Obama camp is shopping around their newest television spot, which you can check out below. No word yet on if and/or when the Clinton camp may launch an ad campaign of their own, but Chelsea Clinton is making another swing through college campuses over the next few days.
[...]The Princeton Daily Clarion covers the recent criticism of Gov. Daniels over the choice to hire a Kentucky-based company to handle the construction of a new plant that will benefit from Hoosier tax dollars. In return for $2.2 million in incentives from the state, should these projects be required [...]
The Indiana Ethics Commission has issued an "opinion" on the matter of state agency heads attending political fundraisers. I say "opinion" because looking over today's article by Niki Kelly, I'm not even sure that the Commission itself really knows what they ruled:
In the end, the members agreed that going [...]
Gitte Laasby of the Gary Post-Tribune takes a look at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and whether Governor Daniels' policy of "money first" could be undercutting the effectiveness of the department as an environmental watchdog.
In several speeches since Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed him in 2005, IDEM Commissioner Tom [...]
Remember 2nd District congressional candidate Tony Zirkle? Some of the finer points on his platform, in case you have forgotten: loves the guillotine, hates the porn, and thinks segregation could salvage race relations in this country.
How's that working out for him?
Barely a week earlier, an estimated 4,000 [...]
Looking at the records for the Mitch Daniels' old residence, which I believe may still be on the market, it looks like the Governor did alright for himself after the reassessment: Nearly a 5% cut that amounts to just over $50,000 in savings.
Hooray tax savings!
But wait, says Tim Evans [...]
The fact of the matter is that the biggest challenge Mitch Daniels is going to face in his re-election bid will be from one person, and one person only: Mitch Daniels.
The Mitch Daniels of 2004, that is. You know the guy -- he had lots of flannel, a big [...]
Over six months ago, Jill Long Thompson led her opponent Jim Schellinger by as many as thirty-odd points. Last month, she released data that showed her with a twenty-six point advantage, and her campaign declared that she "clearly has the momentum heading into the May primary." [...]
When the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed 40 years ago, countless cities across the country were engulfed in violence as frustration and anger spilled out into the streets. In Indianapolis, it was not so, a fact that many have attributed to the words of Robert Kennedy [...]
I unfortunately didn't make it over here last night to post the latest WISH-TV poll of the presidential primary race in Indiana, and apparently neither did any of the other contributers. While a SurveyUSA release from Tuesday showed the Clinton camp with a cautiously optimistic 9-point advantage, yesterday brought [...]
Looking over this description of Governor Daniels' recent appearance at Indiana University, one has to wonder how much of this was said with a straight face. I couldn't even read it with a straight face.
“Governor Daniels represents what bold yet responsible leadership truly means,” Delta Sigma Pi Co-Vice [...]
Ol' Mitch just can't seem to make up his mind about schools. Put a camera in front of him, and he can't say enough great things about our system of schools. Put a budgetary or property tax crisis in front of him, and he'll stumble all over himself trying [...]
News out of South Bend, where former Governor Joe Kernan announced his support of gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger's bid for the Democratic nomination.
Schellinger, an Indianapolis architect making his first run for political office, is running in the May 6 primary election against former U.S. Rep. Jill Long Thompson.
Kernan endorsed Schellinger [...]
During a phone interview I had with Jill Long Thompson last year, she hammered Governor Daniels on the gas sales tax, urging him to suspend it during times of high fuel prices. Yesterday, she returned to that subject, holding a press conference in Indianapolis to discuss her plan for [...]
Hillary Clinton earned the early support of many in the Democratic Party establishment within Indiana, but former Rep. Lee Hamilton was a notable name that had up until today refused to take sides in the presidential primary.
He's neutral no more, though, and announced his support of Sen. Barack [...]
TDW here. The real deal, yo.
It would appear that there's been some confusion today about the nature of this site now that I'm not in charge. Growing pains, if you will. Allow me to clarify a few points that I hope will make the transition a little [...]
And here we have the other poll released today by SurveyUSA, which gives us a baseline as the first results put out by a nationally-recognized polling outfit.
SurveyUSA
530 Likely Voters -- MoE 4.3%
3/29-3/31
52% -- Hillary Clinton
43% -- Barack Obama
5% -- Other/Undecided
It's a lead, but not a huge lead. Thoughts?
[...]SurveyUSA has released the results of their most recent statewide polling, and the numbers show a big turnaround from a February poll showing Jill Long Thompson in front.
SurveyUSA
530 Likely Voters -- MoE 4.3%
3/29-3/31
41% -- Jim Schellinger
39% -- Jill Long Thompson
20% -- Undecided
If we trust the Howey poll at [...]
Gay City News is reporting on Dr. Woody Myers' democratic primary challenge to Andre Carson. The LGBT newspaper published a story today about Myers' highly controversial confirmation as the New York City Health Commissioner.
Myers' 1990 appointment had to be delayed at first when an investigation by ACT UP found [...]
John Byrne of the Post-Tribune writes an interesting article about the "Great! Grand! Biggest Tax Cut In Indiana History!" that is the Governor's property tax plan. Final results of this brilliant legislation? Very little. He writes:
Too late now.
We know you meant to get to the store earlier, but [...]
Morton J. Marcus dedicates his weekly column to an honest assessment of the Indiana economy, and the results aren't exactly encouraging. Behind their rose-colored glasses, the Governor and his re-election campaign have made a point of touting how super-duper wonderful everything is going with economic development in [...]
Niki Kelly dedicates some column space this morning to the ever-growing gubernatorial presence on television, mentioning not only the Jill Long Thompson advertisement unveiled yesterday, but a second Jim Schellinger spot that focuses on his dedication to education. She also gives some earned ink to yesterday's press blast from [...]
Dear Jen,
I remember eons ago when you were a fresh-faced blogger. You’d inherited Taking Down Words from someone else and you were surprised that the readers had taken to you so well. I wasn’t.
You accepted my invitation to be a Bilerico blogger back before the Bilerico Project had been imagined, [...]
Jill Long Thompson wasn't the only one shopping around new television ads today, as the Mitch Daniels crew rolled out a few of their own with that special blend of half-truth that has become the hallmark of his administration.
The highlight? I'm going to go out on a limb and [...]
Jill Long Thompson has an ad up on YouTube. It is nothing spectacular but at least she is trying to keep up with her competition.
[...]There was an interesting article in the Indy Star about businesses that use religious principles as a guide in decision making.
"When customers walk into Chick-fil-A, they get a side with their chicken sandwich that's rare in the world of monstrous fast-food chains: Christianity.
No bones about it, this company's [...]
For all of the things that have been said about the two Democratic presidential nominees, there is one charge you can't lob at the Clinton folks in terms of their campaign within Indiana: They are giving Hoosiers no shortage of opportunities to see her and their camp's chief surrogate. [...]
A tax hike on April Fool's day? Seriously?
Barely two weeks after the Indiana General Assembly passed a monumental change in the state’s tax structure, Hoosiers will start paying for it. Indiana’s sales tax rises from 6 percent to 7 percent – an increase of 16.67 percent – beginning [...]
