Archive for December 16th, 2007

For years people in or from “the Region” have called Pete Visclosky a crook. Fortunately, he came out of this unharmed, but maybe this will open his eyes a bit.

(From the Indy Star)

Rep. Visclosky robbed in Merrillville
Associated Press
December 16, 2007

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. — Police were seeking a man suspected of robbing U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky outside a Merrillville supermarket.

The 12-term congressman from northwest Indiana was robbed about 9 p.m. Friday as he was walking alone with groceries to his car.

“I was putting my grocery bag on the back seat when I was grabbed from behind. I never saw it coming,” Visclosky said Saturday.

The man demanded his wallet and keys. He escaped with about $10 in cash and Visclosky’s credit cards. The credit cards have since been canceled.

Visclosky did not think the robber realized who he was. But he described the experience, which lasted less than a minute, as “terrifying.”

The man fled around the north side of the building. Police used a dog to try to track the suspect.

“It’s an unfortunate situation that happens about this time of year because of the holiday,” said Merrillville Town Council President Sean Pettit.

Today, Sylvia Smith’s (the new president of the National Press Club) article on the Bayh’s came out.  Oh sure, there aren’t any ethical violations between the Senator and Mrs. Bayh here…

(Some tidbits from today’s Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette’s article on the Bayh’s and their apparent ethical lapses)

Since leaving Indiana as a first lady, Susan Bayh has become a professional board member, earning more than $1 million a year in director fees for advice she gives to companies that make pharmaceuticals, operate radio stations, sell health insurance policies, offer online banking and distribute ingredients to fast-food restaurants.

In the past four years, Bayh collected more than $1.7 million in pre-tax income when she exercised stock options from two of the corporations. Her actual income from exercising stock options is higher, but the details of one transaction were not publicly reported.

During the same time, her husband, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., cast more than 3,000 votes, including some on issues of keen interest to the pharmaceutical, broadcast, insurance, food-distribution and finance industries.

Oh, it only get’s more interesting….

Sloan insists that there’s no way a married couple can truly wall off their professional lives from each other. Even though Senate rules do not prohibit a spouse from sitting on a corporate board, she said, “there is at least an appearance issue that a member (of Congress) may be making a decision beneficial to the corporation the spouse basically works for.”

Bayh said he and his wife don’t discuss her business interests, and he rarely talks about legislation the Senate is considering.

“The reality is I don’t even know the people who run the vast majority of her companies. I’ve never even spoken to them,” Bayh said. “The reality is, we don’t talk about stuff that she’s involved with.”

You’re telling me, that this power couple never discusses work at the dinner table? Never?!

(Read more below the fold) (more…)

Mourners are still be feeling the loss of Congresswoman Carson, but it would be foolish to think that the individual Marion County parties didn’t start preparing for a special election as soon as they got the news, if not before. Plenty will be written here about the political bloodshed that will occur within the Democrat party to replace Julia, but what about the Republicans?

First we need to understand the process and how it impacts potential candidates. In addition to Governor Daniels having to set a date for a special election, we have to understand that the candidate is chosen by a caucus. According to rule #82 of the Republican state committee rules:

Rule 82. When, for any reason, there is no Republican candidate for a circuit (located entirely in one county), county, township, or city office at a general, municipal, or special election, the vacancy shall be filled by the majority vote of the eligible precinct committeemen casting a vote for a candidate (as required under Indiana Code 3-13-1-11). Caucus rules, stating how a tie would be broken, must be adopted prior to the taking of the vote. The County Chairman, who shall preside at this meeting, must follow the adopted caucus rules.

As we all probably know, there are plenty of precinct committeemen positions open in Marion County, specifically in the 7th Congressional. Since both county chairman were preparing for a possible special election, they have been hastily filling the open spots.

How that pans out for the Democrats is where the real theater will take place. For the Republicans, State Representative Jon Elrod, who announced his candidacy in November, is the early favorite, and not just because the Marion County party has been actively fundraising on his behalf (If there is information to counter to this claim I’m open to hearing it). Elrod’s only challenger at this point is probation officer Wayne Harmon. My gut tells me that won’t be the only person facing Elrod before the caucus. So who does a special election open a door for?

(Read more below the fold to find out) (more…)