HA Interviews with AG Candidates Revisted
Per Scratchman’s thoughtful request in the comments section, I am reposting the blogger conference calls we held with each of the two AG candidates last month. We may have made up our minds, but that doesn’t mean you have (though some of you have). Take a listen to each to help make an informed decision.
In our interview with Mayor Costas, he referred to an article from the Post-Tribune. Here is the link to that article. (Updated to include working link)
Jon Costas [43:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Greg Zoeller [40:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
May 21st, 2008 at 1:12 pm
thank you josh–would you consider this along the same lines of the slating process where there really isn’t a bad candidate here??
May 21st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Well that would defeat the purpose of our endorsement. I do feel that both are highly qualified and would make a good AG. I personally chose Greg Zoeller b/c of his experience as Deputy to Steve Carter and his ability to work with the Daniels administration even if they are backing a different candidate.
I personally know people working closely with both camps which made it incredibly difficult to choose. And despite what people may think about the role of leadership in this position, leadership is what we look for in our Governor and our elected officials in the general assembly. While leadership is important in this race, I find that experience is what wins me over with Zoeller and what I’m looking for in an AG.
But no matter who wins at the convention, I plan on supporting who the delegates choose to be our nominee when it’s all said and done.
May 21st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
i can go along with that….
May 21st, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Josh-That is right on to some extent. I support Governor and we all think he is doing great job. Noone is perfect and he is more businessman than politician and has always said so, he should have stayed out of this. The threats are real, vote for Costas or else, and they are coming from Marion County party. Seriously, this is a scary and risky tactic. The Lake Co leader said vote who you want to vote. Costas Valpo camp clearly saying they cant control what Marion County party says. Marion County GOP has lost respect it had before, and it is for personal gain of the guy running it who works for Ice Miller who does all the Governor’s work. Being scared to vote for who you want to vote, let’s just skip the convention and let Indianapolis pick?
May 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
In my discussion with Carter this morning, he revealed something of interest. He said, in the past, when a Democratic AG defeated a Republican AG, Republican attorneys were let go by the incoming Democratic attorney general, which is usually the standard practice when a new broom takes office. Carter seemed to be proud that when he came to office, he let the Dem lawyers stay and always takes a bi-partisan approach when hiring state-contracted attorneys. Because of this, some Republicans have apparently criticized him.
I think some of the criticism is valid, because when I was addressing this AEPA/Tremco bidding scheme with legislators, I had a horrendous experience with one of those state-contracted attorneys. The senior legislator that I was working with directed the state attorney to research the illegal bidding issue and help draft legislation to put a stop to it only to discover that the attorney had a serious conflict of interest that he did not previously disclose. The attorney reportedly worked for the same lawfirm that was hired by Tremco to sue taxpayers into silence!!! The lawmaker was livid, and rightfully so. We were all dumbfounded, but it did answer questions as to why things were not getting done up to that point.
My question is this: Will Zoeller continue with the practice of hiring liberal Democrats to address the state’s legal business? If so, that’s not a policy that I’d approve of.
But as was stated earlier, I’ll support the Republican candidate over a Dem in the general election.
Personally, I’d rather see conservative Republican attorneys minding the store, because I prefer a conservative approach to legal matters. Liberals tend to mold the constitution into what they want it to be.
While I found Carter to be a nice man, this was not a particularly popular selling point with his audience.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:42 pm
divi1960’s posting gives blogs a bad name. Divi- please “man up” and name supposed legislator who is “livid.” Please “man up” and name the liberal lawyer or liberal law firm who committed a professional violation. The only person you threw under the bus was Steve Carter. I encourage everyone to disregard this hogwash until verifiable information is produced. If you are referring to in-house attorneys (aka DAGS), they are government employees and cannot be fired for their political views.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
“Marion County GOP has lost respect it had before, and it is for personal gain of the guy running it who works for Ice Miller who does all the Governor’s work.”
And a fair bit of work for an EC board up in Lake Co which he was criticized in the NW Indiana Times.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I’ll do more than man up, barry. The whole story is in black and white on my blog. The names of all the key players are therek including names of the senators involved in trying to put a stop to this mega tax rip off. http://diana-vice.blogspot.com/
I’m not trying to throw anyone under the bus. I’m trying to put a stop to a multi-million dollar tax scam. Senator Tom Weatherwax sponsored a bill to do the same. The AG says it’s not his job to investigate; the local prosecutors say it’s not their job to investigate. Taxpayers are stuck in the middle with no where to go. How are we supposed to react?!!!!
As far as the lawyer who didn’t reveal his conflict-of-interest, my goal is to file an official complaint with the Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.
Please stop putting words in my mouth. I didn’t say that the lawyer in question was a liberal. Read my post again. I said I had a bad experience with a state contracted attorney. I don’t know or care if he is a liberal or conservative, but I do care if he failed to reveal a potential conflict-of-interest. I’m not in state government, so I don’t know how the system works, and I don’t know and I don’t care if the lawyer works for Carter or works out of the legislative services office. But what I do know is that taxpayers are being ripped off by the millions, and everyone seems to want to pass the buck. Senator Tom Weatherwax stepped up to the plate to address this situation, and it was the opinion of witnesses that he appeared to be “livid” when he discovered the information.
Mr. Carter seemed to be proud of the fact that he uses a bi-partisan approach when hiring state-contracted attorneys. All I did was report was was told to me and my guests. Some people might think that is a good policy; others may not. Maybe not all Democrats are liberal, so if it will make you happy, I’ll clarify that point. Apparently, you’re upset because the information was revealed. It was not an attempt to throw Mr. Carter under the bus. As I said, he was a nice man, and I admired the fact that he visited my home. I want to make an informed decision when I cast my ballot at the convention, and this is just my opinion based on my observations. You are free to take them or leave them, but fortunately it’s not up to you to decide who can comment on this issue and who cannot. My voice is but one of many in this debate, and I’m making sure it’s heard. Sorry if you don’t like what I have to say, but some people seem to appreciate the fact that I’ve spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours trying to put a stop to tax waste and abuse.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Michael’s remarks are intriguing. It was Fred B. from the Ice Miller firm who was reportedly hired by Tremco to lobby against Senator Weatherwax’s bill and his efforts to put a stop to the tax waste and abuse by the Tremco/AEPA bidding “scheme”. Several taxpayers who witnessed the lobbying efforts by Ice Miller were appalled by the connections that this firm seems to have with so many government officials. I checked out the donations on line that this firm and some of its attorneys have made to various government officials. I saw how conflicts-of-interests have negatively affected good government up close and personal, and I did not like what I saw. This firm has given big bucks to Mitch Daniels’ campaign, and Fred B. has given thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates. Sounds like Ice Miller has all their bases covered. No wonder good people don’t bother to get involved or even go vote. It’s sickening!