Archive for October 13th, 2007

This is too good to pass up. Congressional Democrats need to watch out for those dangerously contagious NASCAR fans. They just might catch NASCAR fever.

Hat Tip: Hoosier Pundit

(Consider this an open thread)

Certain folks of leftward tilt in the Indiana blogosphere must surely be disappointed that Brian Howey has left the 4th District and their much-touted candidate off of his recent listing of competitive races:

Hoosiers will have potentially competitive Congressional races in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th and 9th Districts in the coming months. U.S. Rep. Dan Burton is facing a May primary challenge from Dr. John McGoff. U.S. Rep. Baron Hill and former congressman Mike Sodrel are preparing for a fourth showdown in Southeastern Indiana. Democratic freshmen Reps. Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth will be defending their first two years in Congress, with polls telling us that Americans have little confidence in the White House or the Congress. U.S. Rep. Mark Souder is facing an energetic challenge from Democrat Michael Montagano.

Maybe this has something to do with the reality of Ackerson’s campaign (he is already, as his amended FEC filings reveal, on his second campaign treasurer), as opposed to the rosy spin that has been swallowed whole by certain folks of lefty-leanings in the Indiana blogosphere.

If Steve Buyer was going to be beaten, it would have been either in 2006 (the high-water year for Congressional Democrats in Indiana) or in 2002, when the Democrats redrew his entire Congressional district the year before with the objective of defeating him.

Democrats in the legislature redrew Buyer’s district as punishment for him being one of the presenters of the House impeachment of Bill Clinton before the United States Senate.

Buyer responded by jogging across the entire district and winning by a landslide of better than two-to-one.

I guess you have to be excited about Ackerson if you’re a lefty blogger, right?

I mean, there aren’t a lot of Democrats in the 4th District (and even fewer elected ones), so it’s hard to find a Democrat willing to run for Congress as a sacrificial lamb.

That’s got to be worth something.
(more…)

I’ve seen these actions played in Republican politics before, but I never thought that the Indy Democrats would turn on each other, especially while they’re in power. This is from Indy Flashover:

Who’s In Charge? The Juice vs The Taxman

THIS JUST IN: A behind the scenes look at the local Democrat politics explains a lot of the headlines that you firedudes and dudettes have been reading over the last few days during shift change. The latest series of behind-the-scenes skirmishes between the Mayor Bart Peterson and Monroe and Co. has now escalated. To show his disapproval of his Democrat allies’ behavior on the Council, Bart has directed party donors not to give any money to certain Democrats candidates. This is his best effort to gain any degree of control of this year’s election without directly challenging Council President Monroe Gray and his cohorts during a surprisingly tight municipal election. In response, many of those same Democrat candidates are now furious at Bart who has reneged on his promise to help them raise money for their re-election if they passed his income tax increase less than a month ago. It will be interesting to see who really is in control of the City - Da’ Mayor or Da’ Juice.
Let’s get ready to ruuummbleeeee!