Archive for July 3rd, 2008

Attorney General candidate Greg Zoeller (who is the only AG candidate without scandalous ties to sidewalk for votes shenanigans), has launched a brand spankin’ new website. It’s very cool. Please take a moment to visit the new website to sign up to volunteer, contribute money to our effort or subscribe to the email list and check back often for updates.

Z4AG

Congratulations to Hamilton County! Forbes Magazine ranked you America’s best place to raise a family! What are you going to do now?

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Fort Wayne Democrat and Fort Wayne Community Schools Board Member Kevin Brown has filed to run as write-in candidate against Republican and Democrat candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction. This only helps Dr. Tony Bennett.

UPDATE: Good commentary from Fort Wayne City Councilman Mitch Harper at his blog Fort Wayne Observed.

From the Fort Wayne News Sentinel.

Fort Wayne Community Schools board member Kevin Brown is seeking a higher stake in education – a job as state superintendent of public instruction.

Brown, a Democrat, filed Monday to run as a write-in candidate in November against Greater Clark County Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett, the Republican nominee, and Tippecanoe County Schools Superintendent Richard Wood, the Democrats’ pick.

Brown, 50, who works as a contract administrator for Dana Holding Corp., said he didn’t feel the two candidates vying to replace Suellen Reed had the experience necessary.

“Neither one of the candidates have anything to do with a huge influx of minorities,” said Brown.

He said working with a diverse district has shown him how to deal with issues smaller communities Bennett and Wood represent don’t face.

The state superintendent is responsible for implementing policy and setting a legislative agenda for education.

Brown, who was elected to the FWCS board in 2006, said his experience as an elected official gives him an edge, defining the office as a governing, not an administrative, one.

Brown, who has two years left on his term on the board, said he would resign if elected to the state post.

“Now I’ve got to get a hook so that people will remember (my name),” he said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge, and that’s what it is, a challenge.”

Reed, who served for 16 years, announced in May she would not seek a fifth term.

Bellwether Research and Consulting, who released the poll that Jim mentions below show Governor Daniels with a commanding lead heading into the upcoming general election, crushing JLT by 14% points. Not only that, but more Hoosiers have confidence in our state economy that the national economy. In somewhat surprising though not startling numbers, JLT only has support from 60% of her party! Numbers like these make you wonder if Jill Long Thompson is the Democrats version of Linley Pearson.

Linley who?

Exactly.

Commissioned by the Indiana State Republican Party and sent from the My Man Mitch campaign.

I wanted to share with you the results of a recent survey done for the State GOP. The findings mirror similar polls and show Governor Daniels with high approval ratings and in a strong position for re-election. –Cam

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To: Murray Clark, Indiana Republican State Committee

From: Christine Matthews, Bellwether Research & Consulting

Date: July 2, 2008

Subject: Latest Poll Results

These findings are from our June 22-29, 2008 statewide poll of 1,000 likely voters. The margin of error is + 3% in 95 out of 100 cases.

Hoosier voters are decidedly more optimistic about the state’s economy and general direction than they are the nation’s.

- By a 49%-31% margin, voters say Indiana is headed in the right direction.

- Just 19% of Hoosiers describe their view of Indiana’s economy as “pessimistic,” compared with 52% who view the national economy negatively.

- Most believe Indiana is doing as well as, or in fact, better than, other states in the Midwest.

By a strong 57%-34% margin, voters approve of the job Governor Mitch Daniels is doing.

- Independent voters give the Governor a 55% approval rating.
The Governor’s image rating tracks with his job approval: 55% view him favorably, while 33% view him unfavorably.

-By contrast, a majority of voters have not heard of Jill Long Thompson or have no opinion of her. Her image is 31% favorable – 17% unfavorable.

Governor Mitch Daniels leads opponent Jill Long Thompson by a 14-point margin (50%-36% with leans).

-It also appears that Ms. Thompson has yet to pull the Democratic coalition behind her following her razor-thin primary win. Just 60% of Democratic voters support Thompson in the race against Mitch Daniels.

-Female voters are as supportive of the Governor as male voters.

Fully 13% of likely general election voters say they voted in their first primary election in May, 2008. By an 82%-18% margin these new voters say they voted in the highly-contested Democratic primary. Governor Mitch Daniels fares very well with these newly engaged Democratic voters, leading Thompson by a 47%-40% margin among this group.

Bottom Line

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A year ago, the House of Representatives voted 309-115 to prevent the so-called “Fairness Doctrine” from being enforced for one year. One would think that, with that lopsided of a vote against the “Fairness Doctrine”, the Democrats would at least allow an up-or-down vote on H.R. 2905, the Broadcaster Freedom Act. You would be wrong. Congressman Mike Pence spoke on the floor of the House:

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But following that vote, I introduced the Broadcaster Freedom Act which would permanently ban the “Fairness Doctrine” from ever coming back. And so far, not one single House Democrat has signed our petition for an up-or-down vote on broadcast freedom…and now we know why.

Asked yesterday if she supported reviving the ‘Fairness Doctrine,’ Speaker Nancy Pelosi replied “yes.”

She told a meeting at the Christian Science Monitor that the Broadcaster Freedom Act would not receive a vote because “the interest of my caucus is the reverse.”

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