In what is being described as a decision made with by the "flip of a coin," the new book by Obama campaign guru David Plouffe confirms what seemed so obvious at the time: Senator Evan Bayh was on the shortlist of shortlists in the 2008 Veepstakes.
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe's book, excerpted in Time magazine, reveals he and senior strategist David Axelrod met with Biden, Bayh and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D), the three finalists for the job.
During those meetings, Plouffe writes, Biden filibustered the two top strategists, alternately explaining why he should be picked and why he did not want the job. Biden "could not be taught new tricks," Plouffe writes.
"Bayh's answers to our questions were substantively close to perfect, if cautiously so," Plouffe writes. Kaine acknowledged that he was likely on the bottom of the list, and he told Plouffe and Axelrod he would have no hard feelings if he weren't picked.
More than a few recent columns have insinuated that the 2012 contest could see a shake-up on the ticket if Sen. Biden steps down from his current post. Should that happen, expect to see a similar list of contenders emerge.
Our friends over at Congressional Quarterly were kind enough to post their 2010 race ratings map, and the conventional wisdom seems to be pointing toward the status quo in the Hoosier state as we head toward next year.
Baron's district is the only Democratic-held area to not get the strongest rating, but that has more to do with demographics than the potential challengers lining up against him.
Democratic incumbent Hill's trouncing of Republican Sodrel likely put an end to the longest-running rivalry in congressional politics, as the two faced off in four consecutive elections.Hill won as the incumbent in 2002, Sodrel narrowly unseated him in 2004, and Hill recaptured the seat in 2006. While all of those contests were close, the 2008 race was anything but.
Congressman Hill seems to have used his twenty point margin from last year to scare off any legitimate opponents. Expect Baron to run like hell, per usual, but this contest is looking better by the day.
Oh, and for those of you keeping score at home, CQ currently projects the Democratic caucus in the House to pick up a few members next year.
After receiving a shout-out from President Obama in last week's radio address, and with news that the aforementioned leader of the free world will be in town at his request and on his behalf next month, it appears the Ninth District's Baron Hill is flying high at the moment on the heels of his dominant electoral victory last year. With the wind at his back, Hill seems to be parlaying his close relationship with Obama into a vocal leadership position within the new Congress.
The practice was credited in the 1990s with helping to reach a balanced budget, but the law mandating it expired in 2002. Efforts to use congressional rules to enforce the same fiscal discipline have often failed.
But leaders of the 51-member Blue Dog group won a written promise from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Obama that they would push for a law mandating PAYGO in exchange for support of the $3.4 trillion budget plan for the next fiscal year.
That plan, a nonbinding resolution, cleared the House on Wednesday.
"We trust the Majority Leader and the Speaker and the President to follow through on their promises to enact statutory PAYGO," said Hill, D-9th District.
"These policies were instrumental back in those days of making sure that Congress was fiscally responsible," he said.
The Star's own Bill Ruthhart writes for the Dallas Morning News as a debate rages deep in the heart of Texas over a proposed voter identification law. Slightly less strict than our own -- isn't everyone's? -- the law would require picture identification while allowing for an exception if multiple non-picture documents can be presented.
Experts on the results of Indiana's law were quick to raise the alarm on behalf of the low-income population of Texas.
Marjorie Hershey, a political science professor at Indiana University who has studied the law, equated it to "trying to swat a fly with a Sherman tank. There was no proven voter fraud at the polls in Indiana, so this law really was a solution to a nonexistent problem."
She said the added hurdle of a photo ID has prevented some Hoosiers from voting. She predicted a similar law in Texas could be more oppressive, because of the state's large Latino population.
"There's no question this kind of law has more of an impact in Texas," Hershey said. "The large [legal] immigrant population there would be less likely to get an ID, because they have a tougher time getting the necessary documents, speaking English and are more likely to fear the government and decide not to bother with the process."
Todd Rokita is quoted as saying that our law was intended to instill "confidence in the election process." All of this over a form of voter fraud that has never, ever been prosecuted in our state.
Michael Steele thinks that abortion is an "individual choice," which wouldn't be so much of an issue if he wasn't the newly-elected leader of a Republican Party that really, really wants to be more conservative than ever. Notable GOPers have been quick to help -- ahem, enthusiastically push -- Steele's words back into his mouth, but the gaffe won't quickly be forgotten.
And best for us? He's coming to Indiana next month to speak to a Vanderburgh County Right to Life organization that will be looking for some serious, um, ass-kissing. Did I mention Sarah Palin is coming to referee?
SarahPAC put out a request for donations Wednesday with a message that Palin would soon be traveling the country and working to support leaders who share her conservative values.
PAC spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton said committee staff is sifting through thousands of invitations for Palin and so far only two events are confirmed.
Palin will be attending the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner in Evansville, Ind., on April 16 and a breakfast the following day with members of S.M.I.L.E., a nonprofit support organization for people with family members who have Down syndrome. Palin's 10-month-old son, Trig, was born with the condition, which is caused by an extra chromosome and characterized
As anyone who has registered voters knows -- especially if you've registered on a college campus -- the number one question from people in a rush is quite simple: Can't I just register online?
The answer has always been in the negative here in the Hoosier Heartland, but Deanna Martin of the AP reports that a bill recently passed out of the Indiana Senate would push Indiana's voter outreach reluctantly into the 21st century.
Currently Indiana allows people to download voter registration applications online, but they must print and mail the forms.
Washington and Arizona, meanwhile, allow online voter registration. Voters there can go to a Web site, enter personal and driver's license information and then register to vote or change their voter registration information.
Indiana's proposed system would work in a similar way, using Bureau of Motor Vehicles information to verify that a person is eligible to vote. The BMV, secretary of state's office and county voter registration office would be involved in processing applications.
Secretary of State Todd Rokita, the state's top elections officer, said using technology such as online registration can drive down costs without compromising the integrity of elections.
What remains to be discussed is why if Rokita thinks this is such a great idea, he didn't pursue it, I don't know, prior to the 2008 election season? I'm sure it couldn't have anything to do with the fact that new voters overwhelmingly leaned Democratic last year. No, not from an elected official with such a sterling record when it comes to voter suppression.
Chris Cillizza, aside from his love of all things Drudge, is a pretty smart guy. Time and time again during the oh-eight election season, he showed that he "got it" when it came to the national political landscape. And I think he hits the nail on the head once more this morning with his discussion of the rhetorical importance of President Obama's visit to Elkhart, Indiana -- a city of 50,000 that has lost roughly 8,000 jobs in the last year.
Obama and his team demonstrated time and time again during the campaign that they grasped the importance of symbolism when choosing event locations -- witness the coming-together of Obama and his one-time rival in Unity, N.H. (get it?), a town in which they each won 107 votes -- and heading to a traditionally Republican state in the middle of America that Obama won last fall is not an accident. It's meant to reinforce the message that the economic crisis that catapulted Obama into office is not a partisan issue and woe to politicians who view in through that lens.
Just in case anyone misses that message, Obama is bringing along a bipartisan group of lawmakers that includes Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Illinois congressman, and Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton as well as Sen. Evan Bayh and Donnelly among others.
Millionaire Mike Sodrel, we just can't quit you. At least, we can't do it until this whole "alleged illegal campaign work" issue is put to bed. Luckily, you've rediscovered the calling card of your short-lived political career: when in panic, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.
Bud Bernitt vehemently denied charges filed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that cited illegal activities between his organization and former Republican Rep. Mike Sodrel.
"It's a blatant lie," said Bernitt, founder of Citizens for Truth.
[...]
The DCCC accused Bernitt of spending more than $10,000 on radio advertisements attacking Hill through the moniker of Citizens for Trust. That amount would require the organization to register with the election commission.
Bernitt denied spending more than the legal limit and said the complaint is about revenge.
"[Hill] is mad because I've been revealing his voting record," he said. Bernitt added he spent around $5,000 for ads for the 2006 election.
Little known fact about the Democratic National Congressional Committee: Unlike the cozy relationship between Bernitt and Sodrel, the folks over at DCCC headquarters tend to do whatever the hell they want. Even if Baron Hill knew about this complaint -- and to my knowledge, he has been a bit too busy representing the district in Washington to give two hoots about it -- his cries to not pursue it would have probably fallen on deaf ears.
And besides -- if Sodrel and his soft-money buddies didn't do anything wrong, they have nothing to worry about, right?
Governor Mitch Daniels was reelected by a wide margin, an outcome due almost entirely to a well-oiled campaign machine and a mere specter of token opposition. The victory was impressive, surely, but hasn't justified the level of hero-worship that has followed in its wake.
Still, the GOP is in search of someone -- anyone -- who can offer some thoughts on where they went wrong and how they can do better. Cue the appearance of Daniels at a recent Republican leadership retreat, and some words of advice that I sincerely hope sounded better out loud than they do on paper.
Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-Ind.), another speaker, offered his keys to success in politics: be bold, be yourself, toss the talking points, speak from the heart, get to know the people you work for.
Have slumber parties with your constituents, he told the early risers. "End up places candidates don't go," he said.
"I talked a lot about getting your hands dirty; being with and connecting and really understanding the lives of real people. I travel all the time, I stay over night at peoples homes all over Indiana, I've been doing this for five years. Incidentily it makes a much better office holder out of you," Daniels revealed. "I think it makes a more effective advocate of you."
Allow me to translate.
Toss the talking points, except when it comes to the economy, in which case you should don those suckers like riot gear and deny or ignore everything in your path. Oh, and don't forget the slumber parties, where you can hear from ordinary people (read: campaign contributors) who love you unconditionally and will remind you incessantly of how gosh darn great you are. In addition, be bold, which is a term loosely defined as "doing whatever you want without listening to the concerns of others."
The most striking thing about the "New GOP" is its remarkable resemblance to the old one.
This story has been floating around for a few days now, but the damn Herald-Times doesn't allow us mere mortals to look at their reporting. Sure, I could have walked over and paid fifty cents for a paper copy, but I refuse to give them the benefit of victory with one of the worst business models of any paper in state.
Regardless, the rest of the free world is now reporting on what looks to be a set of serious allegations against the perennial 9th CD candidate.
The Federal Election Commission received the complaint, which also names the organizations Citizens for Truth and the Economic Freedom Fund.
"There is overwhelming evidence that Mike Sodrel engaged in a pattern of multiple violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act by illegally coordinating his attacks on Congressman Hill with the shady soft money groups Citizens for Truth and the Economic Freedom Fund," stated Jennifer Crider, communications director for the DCCC, in an e-mail.
The DCCC claims Sodrel, Citizens for Truth and the Economic Freedom Fund are guilty of accepting and making illegal in-kind contributions, failing to register as a political committee with the Election Commission and not reporting coordinated communications and expenditures.
"We're filing this complaint to hold Mike Sodrel and his soft money supporters accountable for attempting to skirt federal election law and deceive Indiana voters," Crider said.
The DCCC points to phone records showing dozens upon dozens of direct contacts between the soft money groups and Sodrel staffers, among other things. And with Sodrel having lost spectacularly -- and the rumor mill seeming to confirm his political ambitions are dead -- you have to assume the DCCC wouldn't pursue this without some pretty solid evidence behind them.
If there was one distinctly human moment yesterday amidst the fanfare and living history, it was the "what is going on?" moment that developed around the actual swearing in of President Barack Obama. An explanation is certainly in order:
Obama started to repeat his name, but then Roberts continued, speaking over Obama: "... do solemnly swear ..."
Obama caught up with both phrases. Then the awkwardness continued.
Roberts, 53, said, "...that I will execute the Office of President to the United States faithfully."
Obama, 47, began to repeat the chief justice's words but then paused, apparently realizing they were not quite right. The proper phrase is: "... that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States."
Roberts, who then began to correct himself, did not appear to have the wording of the oath handy for reference. His immediate predecessor, Chief Justice William Rehnquist, used to practice the oath repeatedly before the event and would bring a card with him for extra measure. The card showed the words of the oath and indications for pauses.
Conspiracy theorists jumped on Roberts' mistake as some sort of something -- and the less informed of the world lost their minds with Obama finger-pointing -- but I'll echo one legal expert in the belief that Roberts was probably just nervous.
Regardless, it was nice to see that even during the most beautifully scripted events, a few tricky words can bring everything to a temporary halt. Strangely refreshing, even if future generations may wonder just how the Chief Justice managed to screw things up.
David Maraniss, writing for the Washington Post a few days ago, outlined just a few of the historic firsts represented by the individual who in just a few short hours will become the 44th President of the United States.
The first president to enter the White House with a literate and introspective memoir behind him, Obama is his own book of firsts. He is the first president with a foreign father. He is the first president to grow up in Hawaii, the 50th state. He is the first president whose parents earned doctoral degrees. He is the first president who once could speak the Indonesian language. He is the first president who was president of the Harvard Law Review. He is the first president who was a hapa, as they are called in Hawaii, with parents of different races. He is the first president who has a sister from Asia and a sister from Africa and a wife from the black working-class South Side of Chicago. And he is the first African American president, yet one with no slaves but a few slaveholders in his ancestry.
The office of the presidency has been consistently filled over the last two centuries by leaders who staunchly defended our self-proclaimed history as a land of proudly defended contradictions, limitless opportunity, and peaceful diversity. Never before have we had the Oval Office occupied by someone who embodies these ideals so appropriately by his mere presence.
And yet, as Masson noted yesterday, the success of Barack Obama had little if anything to do with his race, and so much more to do with his ability to connect to the voters of this country on a personal level. Today marks an historic departure from the traditional notions of, well, a lot of concepts in this country, even as the problems associated with our dark and twisted history loom ever-present under the surface. Barack Obama enters office with great fanfare, and even greater challenges.
But today, we celebrate. We celebrate our country, our democracy, and our future.
Via the New York Times, here is what happens when change comes to the White House:
With enthusiastic support from President-elect Barack Obama, the House on Wednesday passed a bill to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program. President Bush twice had vetoed similar legislation.
Mr. Obama will probably be able to sign the bill within days of taking office on Tuesday. The Senate might take action within a week.
[...]
The bill, which would extend coverage to four million uninsured children, symbolizes the shift in priorities in Washington. The vote came five days after the House, defying a veto threat from Mr. Bush, passed two bills to combat sex discrimination by employers who pay women less than men doing the same or substantially similar work.
There were only two dissenting votes from within the Democratic Party. Republicans, meanwhile, concerned themselves with raising the tired red flags of yesteryear. Every Indiana Republican voted against the SCHIP expansion, and these two consecutive paragraphs from Maureen Groppe's story tell you everything you need to know about the wobbly leg they are trying to stand on.
"I wish my colleagues would think about the kids in the future as well as about today," said Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indianapolis. "You have to print this money. It's got to come from someplace and the kids will have to pay through the nose for the things we are doing today."
The bill would increase the federal tobacco tax by 61 cents a pack to help pay for 4 million more children to be covered by the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Apparently, Dan Burton didn't read the bill. That shouldn't surprise anyone.
Or maybe he just expects a lot of smokers in the next generation or two. Who knows.
Mike Pence was no better:
Rep. Mike Pence, R-Columbus, said the proposed expansion will "usher in a new era of socialized medicine in America."
And remember, this is the guy who is supposedly heading up the messaging department over at the GOP headquarters.
These scare tactics worked when the economy was roaring along, seemingly providing an endless supply of dot-com bubbles that we could all ride to financial salvation. But after eight years of hyper-conservative deregulation -- not to mention a foreign policy plan that hasn't exactly assisted with our domestic financial security -- the American people aren't nearly as scared by the specter of straw men as they are the prospect of not being able to put food on the table.
And these guys wonder why they got their arses handed to them in November?
For those who care, Governor Mitch Daniels was re-elected in November, and today will take the ceremonial first step to his second and (thankfully) final term. Festivities will be, apparently, very sparse.
Gov. Mitch Daniels will make a brief inauguration speech today after being sworn in for a second term and will be in front of a crowd again Tuesday to give the State of the State address.
Daniels said he's treating the speeches as a pair: Monday's address is a more poetic outline of his long-term vision for the state, while Tuesday will be a more businesslike speech about the immediate challenges Indiana faces.
[...]
"I'm trying to find the right balance between realism and optimism," Daniels said. "We're facing very difficult times right now and possibly for quite some time. But also, I think it's important to keep some perspective historically.
For a guy that has been light on the "realism" end of the spectrum as of late, I'll be curious to see whether the Guv can resist the self-congratulatory back-patting long enough to honestly lay out his slash-first-ask-questions-later strategy for economic recovery.
For those of you in the Indianapolis listening area, it looks as if I will be joining Abdul and the gang for some post-game analysis after tomorrow evening's State of the State address. Look for both radio and speech festivities to kick off around 7pm.
How in the world did I miss this hilarious mess? With a tip of the ol' hat to Pharyngula, and courtesy of Sylvia A. Smith of the Journal Gazette, may I present Mark Souder:
I personally believe that there is no issue more important to our society than intelligent design. I believe that if there wasn't a purpose in designing you - regardless of who you view the designer as being - then, from my perspective, you can't be fallen from that design. If you can't be fallen from that design, there's no point to evangelism.
As an evangelical Christian, I believe the premise of a fall being at the core of reforming lives. I believe the concept of grace and forgiveness comes from having fallen from something.
Now, I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on our society, but I will go out on a limb and say that among the various problems and crises currently facing us at home and abroad, the (non-existent) "scientific" fight over intelligent design doesn't make the top ten list. Or the top one-hundred list. Hell, I think it is safe to say that it doesn't make the list, and anyone who says it does has such a bizarre, misguided sense of priorities that they themselves are likely to line up higher on the "List of Things Holding Society Back" than the straw man of a debate over this conjured-up political issue.
Now, how that occurred - whether you believe in the young earth theory, gradual evolution, or whatever - is disputed. Those become religious. But whether there was a fundamental designer who developed a complex DNA molecular structure is critical. Since I view that as the most important thing in the world, yes, being in a movie that advanced that cause was the personal highlight of the year.
I shouldn't even given this garbage the time of day, but it's just so damn funny. Indiana now has its very own Barack-Obama-is-a-foreigner lawsuit!
The suit, filed in Marion Superior Court, Room 10, is among five loosely coordinated challenges that question Obama's status as a "natural born citizen."
Gov. Mitch Daniels and the Republican and Democratic national committees are named as defendants in the Indiana suit, filed by Steve Ankeny, New Castle, and Bill Kruse, Roselawn.
The Star gave this nonsense front-page billing the other day, which probably says more about the Star than it does the case. My favorite part of the story was this, though:
Ankeny -- who is not an attorney and describes himself as a legal researcher and "interested citizen" -- said similar suits were filed this month in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois and Michigan.
The Marion County suit contends neither Obama, a Democrat, nor Republican Sen. John McCain proved he was a "natural born citizen," a constitutional requirement to qualify for the presidency. They also claim neither candidate was eligible to be elected president because both were sitting U.S. senators at the time of the election.
"Our argument is that there has to be evidence that a candidate -- any candidate -- actually meets the qualifications," Ankeny said.
Kudos to the multiple people who passed along this hard-hitting Mo Rocca analysis of today's casting of Indiana's eleven electoral votes.
I am currently watching Indiana's Electoral College delegation meet in Indianapolis, as they officially cast their votes for the President of the United States. Very cool access. (How did I get such access? I simply said that the peony is my favorite flower!)
My personal favorite is the picture of alternate John Bonecutter. He just looks like he should be casting a vote for president, but somehow I doubt that we had any no-shows today.
As of just a few minutes ago, Indiana's electoral voters placed the Hoosier State squarely in the "Barack Obama" column. That must have felt good:
Under federal law, the nation's electors must gather on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December to cast their votes, which then are sealed and sent to the president of the U.S. Senate.
Just in case the package doesn't show up, duplicates go to the national archivist, the state and the chief judge of the federal court district where the electors vote. In Indiana, the electors will gather Monday morning in the House chamber of the Indiana Statehouse.
On Jan. 6, in a joint session of Congress, all of the electors' votes will be read and tallied and a winner declared. Only then will Obama officially become president-elect.
Today marks the first time since 1964 that Indiana has gone for a Democratic candidate, and only the fifth time in 116 years that our little corner of the Midwest ended up in the "blue" pile.
There is no denying that our state is facing an economic downturn due largely to a national economic environment beyond our control. But the truth of the matter is that you wouldn't have known that the way Mitch has been talking the last six months. He told us we were much better off! He told us we were insulated! Two jobs in every pot, and stylish motorcycle rides for all!
He's not an idiot. He knew we were in trouble. And for all of his straight-talking, gee-golly talking points, he sat idly by and let Hoosiers be convinced that somehow, someway, we might not have to face the magnitude of the challenges before us.
That's why I'm a little put off, more than anything.
Along those same lines, all eyes will need to remain vigilant and zeroed in on the Governor's office over the next few months. Mitch's vagueness and general reluctance to reveal what program cuts he has in mind would lead a more conspiratorial mind -- not me, of course -- to guess that he might be planning a few heavy-handed swipes at the social services programs that have already been ravaged under his watch.
I don't need a plan -- I didn't run on a platform of gumdrops and cotton candy -- but the Democrats in the General Assembly will certainly provide leadership during the legislative session. And while we here on the 'D' side of things didn't exactly make it hard for him during the election season, I'll be damned if Daniels gets to shrug off his campaign rhetoric so easily.
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