Have you ever noticed ...

(Spl Thnx to Splash News for the Paris Hilton Pic)

... how somebody can be famous for just being, well, famous - and for no particular reason.

Take Paris Hilton for example. Aside from her occasional romps with the fashion police and, um, the Los Angeles Police, her only real claim(s) to fame are a couple of sex videos she let her boyfriend(s) shoot that ended up on the internet. She has done nothing notable other than a short-lived reality show and being photographed with some of the people she hangs around with. (Remember the whole Spears/Lohan freak fest? Bet that was a real proud daddy moment, huh.)

The gal never graduated from high school, yet she's managed to ditz-n-glitz her way into the headlines, write an autobiography, cut an album, and launch her own fragrance ... well, other people have actually written the autobiography, produced the album, and made the perfume ... and paid her to use her name, but that's another story.

I bring this up because Paris Hilton reminds me of Barak Obama, albeit Barak is much better dressed and educated - no fashion faux pas for the big BO. (Well, there was that bike riding thing.) As well, to my knowledge, there have been no run in's with the police either in L.A., Chicago, or D.C.

However, consider:

Here's a guy who has done nothing notable other than a short-lived and unremarkable stint as the junior Senator from Illinois who's managed to sham his way to the Democratic nomination without really ever having to explain the who, what, where, and how -- let alone the why -- of his campaign for "Change" and bringing "Hope" (or was it hype, I get confused) to the unwashed masses.

He hangs out with some real characters (and not just his other Senate colleagues).

Let's review:

There's the infamous Bill Ayres and Bernadette Dohrn. Dohrn is a Communist. She believes that "Marxism-Leninism is the science of revolution" and Ayres, in his youth, was a terrorist who ran around blowing things up - hardly youthful indiscretions.

Then there's our friend the right Reverend Jeremiah Wright. James Cone couldn't be any more radical than Jeremiah is. In fact, Cone says that Wright and his church, Trinity United, are the best example of a church living out black liberation theology. So controversial is this man and his Theology, that our boy, BO, had to undergo an excruciatingly public "throwing-my-Pastor-under-the-bus" moment.

My personal favorite is Tony Rezko. BO's bag-man, Tony raises big-big money for Illinois pols.
Consider the following from the Chicago Sun-Times:

In 2003, Obama announced he was running for the U.S. Senate, and Rezko -- a member of his campaign finance committee -- held a lavish fund-raiser June 27, 2003, at his Wilmette mansion.
A few months after Obama became a U.S. senator, he and Rezko's wife, Rita, bought adjacent pieces of property from a doctor in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood -- a deal that has dogged Obama the last two years. The doctor sold the mansion to Obama for $1.65 million -- $300,000 below the asking price. Rezko's wife paid full price -- $625,000 -- for the adjacent vacant lot. The deals closed in June 2005. Six months later, Obama paid Rezko's wife $104,500 for a strip of her land, so he could have a bigger yard. At the time, it had been widely reported that Tony Rezko was under federal investigation. Questioned later about the timing of the Rezko deal, Obama called it "boneheaded" because people might think the Rezkos had done him a favor. (You mean the Rezko's didn't do you a huge favor BO? Do the math Baby! -G.O.D)

Eight months later -- in October 2006 -- Rezko was indicted on charges he solicited kickbacks from companies seeking state pension business under his friend Gov. Blagojevich. Federal prosecutors maintain that $10,000 from the alleged kickback scheme was donated to Obama's run for the U.S. Senate. (Update: Rezko was convicted on 16 of 24 charges. BO gave the 10 grand to charity - G.O.D.)

It's a long way around the track to get back to Paris Hilton. Heck, there really isn't any way to tie this back in. I just knew you were not going to read the whole BO thing without something to keep you from dozing off.

" ... and my flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. Yeah, baby!"

But before you nod off, kids, remember: This guy wants to be our President. Shouldn't we want to know more about him before we give him the job?

Post Turtle

Cross Posted at Weird Pro Central and Circle City Pundit.com.

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year-old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.

Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our President.

The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Obama is a post turtle'. Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was.

The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle'.

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain.

'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb ass put him up there.'

WTF? The Ryerson Rag Getting Lazier All The Time.

This is the headline for the article announcing the schedule for the Indianapolis Colts pre-season training camp:

"Colts release July training camp sked"

You gotta be kidding me! sked?? I gathered it means "schedule" but for a major metropolitan newspaper to use these types of terms in a headline? Get real.

What is next? Writing articles as if they were written in text message lingo?

Convention Round-up

A sampling and some comments from around the conservative blogosphere on the Indiana GOP Convention in Indianapolis

From our friend, Scott Fluhr at Hoosier Pundit:

Monday, June 2, 2008

Zoeller Wins Convention Floor Fight

Title says it all.Just two quotes...

"And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth."- 1 Samuel 17:49

"A really great man is known by three signs— generosity in the design, humanity in the execution, moderation in success."- Otto von Bismarck

Time to kiss and make up.Or at least make up; I'm not kissing anybody.

Posted by Scott at 6:04 PM Labels: 2008 Election, Indiana Politics

June 2nd, 2008 by Michael Jezierski

Greg Zoeller Wins The Convention Nomination

The hard-fought battle for the nomination for Attorney General comes to an end, and Greg Zoeller has won the nomination.

And the people said ...
(7 Responses to “Greg Zoeller Wins The Convention Nomination”)

john Says: June 2nd, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Great job Jim Banks on the campaign. Greg Zoeller picked the right guy! You and your adopted Indianapolis crew really worked hard, good luck on the general. Paul Mullin, way to step up, you have a great future with the way you battle for great Republicans. Good luck My Man Mitch and the entire ticket, let’s roll. Special kudos to Steve Carter and Carl Brizzi, way to stand strong. Way to go all around folks!

Scott Says: June 2nd, 2008 at 6:06 pm
A good fight was had by all; time to come together.
And I’d say that even if Costas won.

mimi Says: June 2nd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
My faith in the political process has been restored. My congratulations to Greg Zoeller. I look forward to seeing him in the AG’s office as the AG. My best to Jon Costas and his family. I am sure we will see more of him in the future.

howardcountychairman Says: June 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Congratulations to Greg Zoeller! Impressive campaign. I’m sure you will be a great Attorney General. Congratulations to Jon Costas. You lost, but you lost with class. You are a great Republican and I hope we see you again in the future. Now, let’s all get on the same team and focus on the really important task at hand, defeating Jill Long Thompson. We cannot return to the days of bankrupt finances and bankrupt ideas. We need to back Governor Daniels with 100% of our energy and finances. Let’s start today and have one heckuva victory party in November.

daltonsbriefs Says: June 3rd, 2008 at 8:41 am
Congratulations to Chief Deputy Zoeller and yes Jim Banks’ team for a very well run and fast campaign. There is no doubt that you were better organized for the day yesterday, I noticed that right off the bat.
I heartily agree that we now work together to get this entire slate elected in November. And yes, I’m sure we’ll see Mayor Costas again … somewhere … but for now back to the business of Valparaiso.
Josh, I won’t leave comments on every post, so hope you see this, great coverage.

mark95 Says: June 3rd, 2008 at 9:14 am
Also want to send my congrats to the Southern District Republican Chairmens for their hard work for Dr. Tony Bennett and Greg Zoeller! You guys worked hard and deserve our Thanks!

divi1960 Says: June 3rd, 2008 at 10:29 am
It was obvious when one walked into the convention hall that Zoeller would prevail. Most of my conservative friends, including Eric Miller, John Price, and Micah Clark made a difference in their lobbying efforts. I trust their judgment enough to hope that he was the right choice. I’m willing to give Greg a chance and get behind his candidacy the way I did when Steve Carter ran. I hope I’m not disappointed. Congratulations to Greg.

It occurs to your humble blogster that the conservatives won big with the Zoeller nod and may be ready to reach out and get behind the Daniels re-elect effort. Time will tell, but I suspect that the GOP will need to get everybody pulling the oars in the same direction if they expect to prevail in what appears to be a "generational election year" (in much the same way that Kennedy (1960) and Reagan (1980) were.) I may be wrong. I look at the primary/voter registration numbers and (despite the Obama-mama-mia/Hill-Bill-ary cage match) I get nervous given the trend toward "purple" and the general desire of the message-less GOP to slouch toward mediocrity (at least nationally). With the exception of a few brave souls who actually have an agenda for solving some of our problems, the GOP could be looking at a real thumping come November. Stay tuned ...

Why Pfleger (et al) Matters

You are known by the company you keep and those with whom you associate. While I believe that it is important who is the President, it is equally if not more important whom that President surrounds him/herself with.

Frankly, The Rev. Wright, Fr. Pfleger, Bill Ayres and his bride Bernadette, are not exactly the people I would choose to have associated with the President. These people clearly hate America. There is nothing wrong with dissent, mind you, but hatred for the institutions of the country and our society is not dissent.

BHO's association with these folks demonstrates an astounding lack of good judgement. Judgement, in my view, is the key characteristic that one must have to be President. Good judgement - whether in considering temperament for the Courts, Cabinet Offices, or Foreign policy - makes all the difference in the success or failure of an administration.

That is why BHO's association/acquaintance with these persons is important and how it will effect his ability to execute the office of President.

"We must destroy this village in order to save it."

APPARENTLY, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE'S FRAGGING OURSELVES.

I was going to write this piece about the fratricide taking place within the GOP here in the Hoosier state. While I was googling around doing some research I ran across this article from Brian Griffiths in Maryland.

If you read the first couple paragraphs and replace the references to Maryland, you could easily mistake it for Indianapolis. It's unfortunate that our once great GOP is pitting friends against friends, strong-arming colleagues, and shooting veiled threats at folks who we will ultimately need again for another battle.

Some wounds take a long time to heal.

I'm old enough to have vivid memories of Viet Nam. A place where the warrioirs won all the battles only to have the leadership lose the war. The parallels are not obscure to even the most casual observer.

If we're not careful we will lose the war in November. We will have certainly destroyed the village. Who will step up to end the folly?

Ron Paul revolution at the Indiana GOP Convention?

Is there going to be a Ron Paul revolution at the Indiana GOP Convention? Apparently, someone thinks so.

Kristen got a call yesterday from 219-000-0000. The caller asked specifically for her (although we are both delegates to the convention) and identified the survey as one specifically for Indiana delegates to state convention. They asked three questions:

1. Do you think that the US should pull out of the War in Iraq?

2. What is your view of the Patriot Act?

3. Who did you support for President?

If I were trying to identify Ron Paul delegates without specifically asking, that would be how I would do it. State Party has been musing about the large numbers of Paulistinians who contacted state party about running for delegate this year. I've heard numbers as high as 200 identified Paul delegates who made it through on the May ballot.

After the Nevada fiasco, is state party trying to make sure the Paulistinians don't create a riot? With the AG race sucking everyone's attention, is there a possibility that Ron Paul's delegates are organizing themselves quietly via this phone survey?

Interesting...

Talking About Serious Matters

(Cross posted at Hoosier Access)

This is Lauryn Walls a local four year old girl who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in January. In our heavy discussions about the AG’s race, we can’t lose site of some of the really important matters out there, such as the fight against Leukemia and Lymphoma.

Earlier this month I wrote about fellow blogger Mark Warner who is raising money to run in the Chicago Marathon in October. The money he raises will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a participant in their Team In Training program. Mark has written an update to his progress and I ask that you check out Mark’s training page and consider helping Mark out. Below is a portion of a recent letter he sent out.

I am training for my very first marathon and am doing so with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training (TNT). TNT is the largest, oldest and most successful sports endurance program in the world. People just like me volunteer to fundraise for the society’s mission of curing blood cancer, while training for an endurance event.

The inspiration for me to complete this program is Lauryn; a local four-year old girl who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in January. Lauryn loves playing with her big sister, Jordyn, traveling to Florida (me too!), reading, playing school, riding horses, painting fingernails and playing make over on her mommy, Dea. She is an amazing little girl and is the honored hero I am running for.

I am asking for your help so that the society can achieve its goal of curing blood cancer by 2015. My personal goal is to raise $3,000. I would greatly appreciate a donation for this worthy cause. Please check out my Web site to donate online or send me any check donations, made out to LLS, by Wednesday, July 23.

Carl Brizzi: “No Candidate Has the Experience Greg (Zoeller) Has”

(Cross posted at Hoosier Access)

In the fall of 2006, I ran for re-election committed to a philosophy that Experience Matters. Voters expected an experienced prosecutor to lead the 175 attorneys who prosecute without apology the violent felons, drug dealers and habitual criminals who prey on the innocent.

The voters believed that when it came to going after the bad guys there just wasn’t time for on the job training. Our team had experience – my Democrat opponent never worked a day in the prosecutor’s office – Not 1. My opponent was quoted as saying “Experience Just Isn’t An Issue.” Turns out experience was the only issue. And the reason we broke the trend of Democrat victories and won re-election in what proved to be the toughest year for Republicans since Watergate.

Like Prosecutor, the office of Indiana Attorney General needs a leader who has been in the trenches fighting everyday to protect Hoosiers. That is why I’m supporting Chief Deputy Attorney General Greg Zoeller during the Republican State Convention.

Over the past seven years, Greg has been a tireless advocate for Hoosier families. He helped fight the nightly invasion of telemarketers by implementing one of the strongest Do-Not-Call lists in the country. Greg then aggressively pursued telemarketers who violated the Do-Not-Call list and returned almost $800,000 to Hoosier taxpayers.

Greg also keeps our families safe from dangerous criminals. The Attorney General’s Office is responsible for representing Indiana whenever a criminal attempts to appeal their conviction. I, along with every prosecutor in the state, rely on the Attorney General’s Office to keep the convicted murderers, rapists, and child molesters behind bars. When one of these predators attempts to appeal his conviction, I’m comforted knowing Greg’s team wins over 93% of the time.

I’ve been friends with Greg for over 10 years. I’ve seen first hand how deeply he cares about protecting Hoosiers from sexual predators, telemarketers, and those who prey on innocent consumers. No candidate - Republican or Democrat - has the experience Greg has. Please join me in supporting Greg Zoeller for Attorney General.

Hey Pete, Joe, Andre, Brad and Baron How Much is Too Much?

Here’s an open letter to all of our Democrat Indiana Congressmen and their constituents.

I just have one question to ask; how much is too much? Unleaded gas in some parts of Indiana is over $4.00 a gallon.

“It is painful. It is painful,” said Fischbach, 44, Marion, who paid $4.08 for unleaded regular at Kroger on West 38th Street near Moller Road. - The Indy Star

The cost of a barrel of oil is over $120 and has been as high as $130 in recent weeks. Democrats took over congress in 2006 with a promise to the end of the war and declining gas prices. Shockingly to no one (except for probably Democrats) you’ve failed to accomplish ending the war or lowering gas prices.

For most Republicans, the War is not a major voting issue this November, but for the vast majority of the voting electorate gas prices are. Republicans have been championing drilling in different parts of our nation, such as ANWR and off the Straits of Florida for years. Congressman Steve Buyer has even offered a new proposal to the energy crisis, which Democrats immediately ridiculed. But other than claiming that they’re saving the “pristineness” of a barren and desolate area in ANWR, they’ve also said that it would take 10 years to get produce oil from ANWR. Well guess what? You’ve been saying that for 1O YEARS And you still have no new ideas! Even Jay Leno is making fun of you for it!

To top it off, we can’t drill in Straits of Florida, but you know who can? China! They worked out a deal with Cuba to begin drilling for oil in our backyard! Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for research and development of alternative energy sources, but with the rising cost of corn, milk and other foods at what point do you suck it up and say enough is enough? How high does the cost of gas have to get till something is done? $5, $10, $20 a gallon? $200 - $300 for a barrel oil?

Indiana has been at the forefront in the search for alternative energy sources, but while preparing for the future, shouldn’t we also secure the present?

I will close this by saying, I know the man made global warming argument is one that is used against new drilling. While I find man made global warming to be less of a problem than AlGore and his mad cadre of scientists would like to make it, you should ask yourself, how is Jupiter going through worse climate change than earth is when they don’t have any human life?

And just for a little bit of extra reading:

In just one year. Remember the election in 2006? Thought you might like to read the following:

A little over one year ago:

1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.

Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:

1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $3.50 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) American households have seen $2.3 trillion in equity value evaporate (stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.2 trillion dollars;
6) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.

America voted for change in 2006, and we got it!

Of Bureaucrats, Indygo, IMS, and a fellow Weird Pro

I didn't see The Contrarian at IMS though where his seat is located it's of the "How The Other Half Lives" ... I was in my Paddock Box seat at the Yard of Bricks and saw a lot of action during the 500 mile race. Including Buddy Rice cut off Darren Manning coming out his pit box and knocking the sideplane off his front wing. In spite of that Manning pulled out a 9th place finish for AJ Foyt. This is quite the result for AJ since his tenure as an owner since he retired from driving has not been the best. Congrats though to the Friends of The Contrarian Panther Racing as their driver Vitor Miera pulled out a respectable 2nd place in spite of the horsepower and budgets of "The Big Three".

Thanks to whoever made that phone call to the Federal Transit Administration on allowing IndyGo to continue the shuttle bus service. Not to say there was a lot of people using the shuttle, but I was ticket #9713 and after the race I waited in line to get onto the shuttle to go downtown for over 1-1/4 hour, and when I boarded the line to get onto the bus still stretched from 16th & Georgetown all the way to 14th & Main. Now imagine all those folks driving to the track in their own cars, and leaving all at once in their own cars. I'm sure IndyGo and Town of Speedway Police will think of something to help the boarding process in the future. Considering the shuttles were a "last minute reprieve" then they should be cut some slack.

What if we actaully gave activists the yard signs, t-shirts and stickers they wanted?

Yard signs, t-shirts and stickers.

There are few subjects that will invoke more anger, frustration and crazy stories from veteran campaign staff than these mundane items.

Mundane? Yes. Simple? No.

Anyone who has ever had the privilege of working on any campaign of any size is familiar with the sanity-testing exercise of keeping donors, activists and volunteers happy. Undoubtedly, these supporters of our candidate want a visual representation of their support for our candidate.

It used to be we could give them a "Smith for Congress" yard sign or a "Jones for Governor" bumper sticker and call it a day. Not anymore. Welcome to a micro targeted, coalition driven, Long Tail world of campaign collateral.

C'mon Chris I thought this would be a substantive discussion on REAL campaign logistics. Trust me, it is. Just hang with me for a few minutes.

We are starting to see more segmentation of campaign collateral as our supporters ID themselves as "Veterans for Smith", "Viva la Bush!", "Sportsman for Kennedy" or even "Asian American Pacific Islanders for Bloomberg". I am not making that last one up, I have a button to prove it.

Enter the The Long Tail. Recently I finished reading the The Long Tail by Chris Anderson and was blown away by such a simple but powerful concept. People want more choice in everything they do...including their politics.

Now add Threadless. Read a great article in Inc. Magazine on the success of Threadless and how it uses its user driven community that cuts out all the advertising and marketing and just prints the shirts customers actually want. Free lance designers upload their art, community members vote on their favorites and then that same community buys them by the truck load.

So what if a big campaign that had some online store component actually asked it's online supporters (specifically the small dollar donors) what they wanted? How many "Frat boys for McCain", "Dentists for Coleman" or "Pet owners for Mitch" would want a t-shirt, bumper sticker or yard sign?

Even better than having to give it away at Campaign HQ all the time what if supporters actually pay for their own stuff. Allow them to "actively" participate in the campaign and engage on their own terms under their own label.

Now that would be a cool idea.

Whew, What a Week!

So much for our poll. By a 4-1 margin respondents said they were going to vote in the GOP Primary, but the post election data shows that only two of the 92 counties in Indiana cast more GOPer ballots than Dem.

In looking at a couple of races there were significant under-votes on the down ballot contests which leads us to believe that a bunch of folks were just voting the POTUS race on Dem ballots and going on about their business. It will be interesting to see the academic analysis of the election both here in Indiana and overall nationwide as it gets published later in 2008 and '09.

There was a pretty spirited discussion of some of the races this weekend on the Hoosier Access podcast live from the VFW in Lawrence. (Shout-out to the good people at the VFW for being such gracious hosts.) Your humble correspondents tried to illuminate things in between Squidword's cut-ups and the three pizzas we had spread out between us. If you listen carefully, you can hear the clink of beer bottles getting passed around too.

More coming on the "Live Blog from ..." project. We had all the bugs worked out Saturday, but had connectivity problems and just could not get a signal on the old Sprint card. We are working on setting up a live blog/podcast from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this month. Hey, it's May in Indy, where else are you gonna be?

Stay tuned! Way more to come ...

We're on Hiatus ... back in a few days

Fellow flacks,

We're going deep underground to do some serious dumpster diving and will return in just a few days with more good stuff to dish on.

See ya soon.

THE WPBCHQ CREW

Here's one for the Weird File. A Japanese company uses a unique marketing tool that you just have to see to believe.

Brought to you by the same people who do those odd anime toons on Saturday, this has got to be a hot seller. I just don't think it will fly here in the Midwest. (What with all the flap over Victoria's Secret window displays and all.)

Fellow hacks, can we get this into a political campaign office somehow? I mean stress balls are OK, Maalox is a given, but putting one of these things in the Chief Strategerist's office would be cool.

H/T Weird News

After Tuesday

I need some therapy.

So, beginning Wednesday morning, after my coffee and Fiber One flakes, I am going to go out and scrape the old flaking paint off the barn. Then I'm going to break out the belt-sander (Hmmmm, More Power!) and the paint brushes. That might get me to Friday. Assuming I can get a day without rain, I can likely get the barn painted, and fix the barn door that rotted out from ice damage over the winter.

If I am lucky, I can fix the mower deck, pump up the air in the tires on the drop-spreader, and weld a new hitch on it so I can pull the roller behind the drop-spreader in tandem (save fuel by doing two things at once) and maybe, just maybe, on Sunday I can cut the grass, fertilize, and roll (all at once, no less!) around the house and get some of the things that I really needed to do last month done.

Such is the nature of campaigns. I am just thankful that I don't have "baby chicks and ducklings" or a "sick" horse (@joetrippi) to complicate matters. (Although, the idea of some chickens has crossed my mind - just so my grand kids could have some fun ...)

When it's over, it's over. We get to go back to what we do. Fortunately, when the Primary is over, I'm pretty much done. I feel for the rest of my friends who have to go through this for the next six months. Political campaigns have become a bloodsport. Too bad. Our Republic suffers from the deterioration of the process that the Founders hammered out that miserably hot summer in Philadelphia.

We have a media that has abdicated it's responsibility as the Fourth Estate to the almighty "ad dollar" and editorial bias. We have the Internet, the 21st Century "Whisper Campaign". But the most depressing thing to me is that we have about 60% of the population that will not take the few hours necessary to cast an informed vote. In a time where we can access information at an unprecedented level; where we can discern the truth beyond what is spoon-fed to us, we just don't seem to care. I hope I am wrong. I hope that we do really want to look beyond the pablum of the pandering.

It strikes me as odd that "teen angel" porn sites get more hits in fifteen minutes than any candidate for public office gets in a month. What does that say about the process?

Well, after Tuesday, it doesn't make any difference to me. I'll be wearing my John Deere hat. I will be scraping paint off my barn. I'll be doing manly-man things with welders and hand tools. I'll be having a cathartic experience.

And I'll be reminding myself that June 8th is only a month away. Bring on the baby chicks.

Wow! That was better than a $225/hr therapist.

God Bless the John Deere Company.

Waiver Granted to IndyGo: Speedway Shuttle Service Resumes

Yay! In one of the WORST decisions out of the Beltway was the regulation banning the use of IndyGo and it's Speedway Shuttles to get fans to and from the track.

According to the Rag, a waiver was granted Wednesday and IndyGo will run shuttles for the Indy500 and Brickyard 400. There will NOT be shuttle service for the Red Bull GP. Of course if you're going to the Red Bull you're riding your motorcycle to the track anyway.

If someone here pulled some strings with the FTA to get this waiver done - THANKS!

More rage against the Ron Paul machine ...

For all you Paulista's out there, check out this review of Ron Paul's new tome by our pal, Jacob Perry, at Circle City Pundit.

Devoted Readers will know that I, as the uber-conservative I am, actually supported Ron Paul so that he could inform the debate. Clearly, there wasn't much information communicated because we ended up with the McCainiac.

The best part of the post is the comments. You simply have to read the back and forth between Sean Shepard and everyone else ... I love the Blogosphere. Really, I do.

The Hits Just Keep On Coming....

Read around the blogosphere about the Cart00neys for CSO Architects (and by extension Dumocrat Guv candidate Jimmy Paycheck) bitchslapping JLT with a C&D for her "infringement of rights" because she used a PUBLIC school designed by CSO for her campaign ad.

So since when has something PUBLIC like a school become the exclusive intellectual property of an architect?

This is gonna be a doozie of a week.

and yes I approve this message!

Indiana in the Election News Again. Is this Our Year, or What?

SCOTUS Upholds IND VID Law

The Justices, in 6-3 decision, uphold the Indiana Voter ID law.

Reaction has been predictably partisan with the liberals blasting the decision, and the GOPers hailing it as common sense protection against voter fraud. IN SoS Todd Rokita said, "“This says to the voter you can have confidence again in the elections because we’re doing some of the things the guy at the video store does when you go and rent a video.”

Makes sense. You have to show ID to make a bank deposit/withdrawal, rent a car, to pick up your prescriptions, to get on an airplane, and as Todd points out, to rent a video - so why not to cast your ballot? I rather think that it protects your franchise rather than diminish it. I have worked in many campaigns and it seems to me that it is always easier to get a ballot thrown out than to get one counted. The Indiana law makes it much harder to challenge a ballot when election officials have verified the identity of the voter.

Case in point: One of the Plaintiffs in the suit was a woman who was registered to vote in two places (Indiana & Florida) proving, in my mind, that the Indiana law accomplishes what it is intended to do. I feel better knowing that my vote will not be diluted by someone else voting twice, thrice, or from Crown Hill Cemetery.

H/T Election Journal, SoS Todd Rokita

Indianapolis Democrats: Examples of Hypocrisy

[Crossposted to Digital Farmers]

I live blogged the City-County Council meeting tonight and found one very interesting piece of hypocrisy from the Democrats: When complaining about the lack of African-Americans on boards and commissions, they throw another African-American professional woman under the bus and vote against her appointment as an Administrative Law Judge for Environmental Court. I'm referring to Proposal 163 and the appointment of Darla Williams to this court.

Black Democrat City-County Councilors Paul Bateman, Vernon Brown, Dorothy Minton-McNeill, Jose Evans, Monroe "Sweet Pea" Gray, Duke Oliver, Cherrish Pryor, and one caucasian woman Joanne Sanders voted "NO" on this proposal. Note Sweet Pea's opposition to Williams' appointment.

Later, in Proposal 198, Sweet Pea "axes" about the number of African-American appointees to boards. You gotta be kidding me, oh master of the pea shake! Just a few minutes before you tried to deny a black professional woman opportunity and refuse her appointment to a adjudicate cases while complaining about the lack of African-Americans on boards and commissions?

HYPOCRITE!!!

How DARE he even state such a thing with a straight face? Or a goofy face - or any face for that matter.

It gets better. In the next proposal #199, another board appointment, Sweet Pea axes the question why are there not more African-Americans appointed to the Community Corrections board? Does the hypocrisy ever end with the Moonbats?

It's really not just getting an African-American on these boards, now is it? It's getting the ones a few can serve as masters over and these appointees comply willing without asking questions.

This Joint is Jumpin'

Greetings Fellow Hacks, Flacks, and DD's!

For the first friggin' time in my life I have actually seen Democratic Presidential candidates in Indiana. In fact, you almost can't go anywhere (seriously, anybody downtown by the American Legion Mall the other day?) without tripping over throngs of Clinton and or Obama supporters heading over to one of the events and/or rallies.

Even little ol' Marion, up in Grant County, is getting a visit from Obama-mama-mia this weekend. I can already hear the swoon and thud of another ecstatic Obamaite hitting the floor - out cold - in the mere presence of the Obamassiah. Can I get a medic here, please?

As a proud, whiskey-swilling, bitter old, gun-toting, Bible-thumper I must be honest. I actually find all this fawning and preening quite entertaining. All these local news-reporters are getting plastered with stuff from the campaigns in a way they have only dreamed about previously. Even the local cage-liner here in the Big City is getting into the act in a big way.

Dem Hack and CBS pundit, Joe Trippi, thinks that Team Clinton is using Indiana as a "head fake" to draw attention away from their efforts in North Carolina, but I don't care. Indiana still gets to be in the limelight for the next 10 days and, by Crom, we deserve it.

Even us rank amateurs here at the WPBCHQ are having some fun with it. Enjoy, Indiana. It may be another 40 years for the next political "perfect storm" rolls across the Hoosier state. In the meantime, stay tuned we'll surely find something weird enough to comment on.

Decision Time, America

What do we do with the Rebate Check, Mabel?

Soon, many of us will be receiving a gift, of sorts, from our government. Yes, in their infinite wisdom, the folks in DC decided to pass back a little (very little) of the cash they so mercilessly snatch from our collective paychecks.

The rationale behind this largess? Well, to stimulate the economy by having us all run right out and blow it on a new digital TV or refrigerator or something. Personally, I'm either investing it or reducing debt, but that's just me.

The more fundamental question, in my view, is: If the economy is getting stimulated by giving us some of the tax money back, why would letting the 2001 and 2003 so-called "Bush Tax Cuts" expire not "un-stimulate the economy" ... causing the government to again pander to our stupidity by throwing us another bone?

It reminds me of the "Tax the Big Corporations" mantra. No corporation that I know of pays taxes. If taxes go up, their costs of doing business goes up. When their costs of doing business goes up, they either cut costs/resources or raise prices. Either way it's not a good thing for us.

I think the best strategy is to save or invest your rebate friends. You'll need it to pay the IRS when your taxes go back up. Having recently paid my own tax liability (interesting word, liability. Why do you think they describe it as a liability?) for Tax Year 2007, I am nonplussed (to say the least) about getting a couple hundred dollars back. In fact, I am curious just how much it's going to "cost" to give us back our money? Who's the genius that dreamt this one up ... I mean, puhl-eeeze?

Let's total up the postage, printing, man/woman-hours, overtime, energy costs, and etc ... what do you think, $100, maybe $200 bucks for each check ... I dunno, maybe there's some economies of scale here. Still, it had to cost a ton to do this.

It makes you wonder just how far we have drifted off the course set by the Founders of the Republic.

"What hath we wrought?" someone asked Benjamin Franklin.

He might have a different answer today. A nation dominated by a political class that has raised pandering and partisanship to an art form, only because citizens got too lazy to take responsibility to cast an informed vote. A system that allows for the most uncivil discourse and personal attack so as to debase even those strongest of character.

Somebody tell me that $600 isn't enough to buy them off. Please tell me that these people can't head fake you into not asking the tough questions with this sanctioned bribery ... Anyone?

I guess everybody already left to take advantage of the early bird specials at Wal-Mart.

Senator Byrd, Sir, you're drooling on yourself ... Sir, wake up

Who can for get that memorable moment?

Who can forget that great TV moment when, during an impassioned speech from the Senate floor, Harry Reid is upstaged on C-SPAN by a sleeping Robert Byrd seated just behind and over Reid's shoulder, clearly visible to the cameras!

I was reading through some of the online information sources I use, (a few of which I actually enjoy) when I came upon this item at WhatHillPeopleLike regarding the "Gentleman from West Virginia" (that's West, By G-d, Ver-gin-knee-yah, for us dialectically-challenged Midwesterners). They bring a different perspective to the good senator.

Worth a few minutes of your time to read and get a few chuckles from.

The Pelosi Premium

Check this out from our pals at the NRSC.

Another installment of "The Best Government Money Can Buy" brought to you by Nancy I-wanna-rule-the-world Pelosi (BTW, is it me, or does anyone else think she just looks like she needs a laxative all the time?)

H/T RNSC and Pictorial Directory of the USHoR ...

The Cubs, First Place in the Central Div.

Chicago	12	6	.667	-
St. Louis	12	7	.632	0.5
Milwaukee	11	7	.611	1.0
Cincinnati	8	11	.421	4.5
Pittsburgh	7	11	.389	5.0
Houston	7	12	.368	5.5

A Beautiful Sight indeed, eh Gonz?

Boston	13	7	.650	-
Baltimore	11	8	.579	1.5
Toronto	10	9	.526	2.5
New York	10	10	.500	3.0
Tampa Bay	8	11	.421	4.5

Ohhh look at the Yank-me's. Poor Josh.

Danica Patrick Makes History ... Again.

They Didn't Build 'em Like This When My Dad Took Me to the Races ...


First Woman to Win in Indy Car Racing ... and not too bad in a swim suit either!

Personally, I am a huge fan of Vitor Meira and the Panther Racing crew, but you have to appreciate the cool factor for Indy Car when DP won the race in Japan over the weekend. It would have been better if she'd been able to pull it off here in the US, but a win is a win and Indy Car has been on a winning streak lately.

In the politics of big-time motorsports, Indy Car has pretty much run the table. The split in open wheel racing has been repaired and the Champ Car guys will be running in the Indy Car series now - that makes for better competition, and competition always makes the product better.

The world is full of big problems. Isn't it great to be able to take a few minutes out and appreciate this really nice woman who has accomplished something truly historic. What's next? Well, there is this little get together out on 16th Street in May.

And, in my perfect world, the Cubs (12-6!) take the Series ...

FEC COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST ORENTLICHER CAMPAIGN ALLEGING MULTIPLE FUNDRAISING VIOLATIONS

Cross Posted: CircleCityPundit.com

Complaint alleges campaign accepted contributions from at least three individuals which exceeded legal limits

A complaint was mailed to the Federal Election Commission's General Counsel's office charging the Congressional Primary campaign of current State Representative David Orentlicher (D) of Indianapolis with soliciting and accepting individual donations of $9200 each from three contributors in 2007, in violation of 2 U.S.C. § 441a, the provision of the Act limiting individual contributions to $2300 per election.

According to the complaint itself:

Robert N. Bader Excessive Contributions

On December 24, 2007, Robert N. Bader, 5262 Roland Dr., Indianapolis, Indiana 46228-2225, contributed $2300 designated for the 2008 special election (see transaction ID# C4719400). Pursuant to the Act, this contribution constitutes the maximum Robert N. Bader can give towards Orentlicher's 2008 special election bid. Nevertheless, on December 24, 2007, Robert N. Bader again contributed $2300 specifically designated for the 2008 special election (see transaction ID# C4719399). Thus, the December 24th contribution is excessive and should have been refunded within 60 days (11 C.F.R. 103.3(b)(3)).

Tori Bader Excessive Contributions

On December 24, 2007, Tori Bader, 5262 Roland Dr., Indianapolis, Indiana 46228-2225, contributed $2300 designated for the 2008 special election (see transaction ID# C4719403). Pursuant to the Act, this contribution constitutes the maximum Tori Bader can give towards Orentlicher's 2008 special election bid. Nevertheless, on December 24, 2007, Tori Bader again contributed $2300 specifically designated for the 2008 special election (see transaction ID# C4719402). Thus, the December 24th contribution is excessive and should have been refunded within 60 days (11 C.F.R. 103.3(b)(3)).

Ann Stack Excessive Contributions

On December 7, 2007, Ann Stack, 4131 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, Indiana 46208-4014, contributed $2300 designated for the 2008 special election (see transaction ID# C4719482). Pursuant to the Act, this contribution constitutes the maximum Ann Stack can give towards Orentlicher's 2008 special election bid. Nevertheless, on December 7, 2007, Ann Stack again contributed $2300 specifically designated for the 2008 special election (see transaction ID# C4719481). Thus, the December 7th contribution is excessive and should have been refunded within 60 days (11 C.F.R. 103.3(b)(3)).

According to 2 U.S.C. § 441a(i)/441e-1, the so-called "Millionaire's Amendment", House and Senate candidates are able to exceed individual contribution limits for their own campaign when an opponent injects a certain amount of their own personal funds into their race. These increased limits are only applicable after a campaign files an "FEC Form 11".

In the case of the Orentlicher campaign, FEC Form 11's were filed on March 28, 2008 and again on April 8th, 2008 in regards to the personal funds of Dr. Woodrow Myers. However, these filings are NOT retroactive, and thus do NOT apply to contributions received in December of 2007.

Ripped from the Headlines! Or, "How we swiped this idea from another Blog."

Greetings fellow DDs!

All us bitter gun-toting Jesus-freaks here at the WPBCHQ are clinging to our AR-15's and sandbagging the perimeter in expectation of the opportunity to have the Hil-ster over for a whiskey-swilling good time firing up the "Ma Duece". Fellow flacks, Josh Gillespie of Hoosier Access and Burton hack, Rick Wilson, are rumored to be in Tennessee as we speak picking up some of the "family's finest" (aged an entire week, out behind the barn!)

Should be a smokin' good time, y'all! (We even have Johnsonville Sausages and some deer kabobs to throw on the grill!) I, of course, will be providing the blender.

Speaking of Guns! Check this out from our pals at TBB:

Dan Burton sponsors the Secure Access to Firearms Enhancement (SAFE) Act

All gun owners in the 5th district should be re-assured that their rights are being protected by their current Congressman. Something they can't guarantee from Dan's opponent, who has a history of supporting restrictions on gun ownership.

The SAFE Act protects the right of citizens to carry their firearms into other states by allowing law-abiding citizens who can legally carry in their home state -- even without a permit -- to carry all across the country. The Gun Owners of America is supporting the bill.

Gun owners throughout the district have enthusiastically supported Dan for a long time. When it really counts, they know they can count on Dan to protect our Second Amendment rights!

H/T TBB

Follicle Challenged Flacks Shocked by Faulker Losing Locks

GOP Flack and Hair Fan Club Super Model Lops Off for Locks of Love Donation to Pat Bauer

GOP Political Hack and long-time Hair aficionado, Chris Faulkner, shows up at the Hamilton County Lincoln Day Dinner sporting a "new 'do". While not reverting to his days as a young Marine with the "felt-tip pen" look, the new mane is demonstrably shorter than the Hair Fan Club Photo reprinted above.

Those of us who suffer with Chronic Follicle Absentia Disorder (C-FAD) were troubled by this turn of events until Faulkner revealed that he had done it in order to donate the hair to the poster boy for the bad-hair day, Pat "the Rug" Bauer. Oh the humanity! What greater love than this, that a man would give up his mane for a friend!

All we can say is, thanks. And remember, eventually, even a bad hair cut is better than no hair cut at all.

Mystery Explosion Around Kokomo Explained

Just got word from Mr. J and Mr. K about those mysterious explosions last night around Kokomo. Seems a family of Blurgs were on their way to their centennial family vacation on Mars when they developed spacecraft trouble just past the Venus offramp to the solar bypass.

As most Earthlings are pretty content and don't believe in beings existing outside their little realm, they knew they had to be discrete. In an effort to contact the US ICE to get clearance for a landing somewhere secure so someone could look at their XQB-38a (they don't make them like those old 35's now do they?) they pushed the wrong button on their communication console and intercepted the ABC News Democrat debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Unfortunately the Blurgs have very sensitive hearing and upon hearing Hillary Clinton they experienced excruciating pain. In the meantime they found out ICE was closed so they attempted to land at the nearest secure military facility they could find. However their charts were woefully out of date and did not indicate that Grissom Air Force Base was closed a few years ago (What? No Galactic Positioning System?). So the Blurgs attempted to land at Grissom.

However during the landing attempt someone pressed the button and turned the Democrat debate back on their Spectroscope. The apparent patriarch of the Blurgs lost control of the spacecraft and landed it in a not-yet-planted cornfield near Kokomo. When questioned by MiB the apparent matriarch explained she was so panicked over the choices the Earthlings had for their leaders she grabbed the pilot's 5th eye to show him. "What is this? Earthlings have a choice between a screaming female species and someone who looks like he's never taken ...." The patriarch explained he read about the species and corrected her, that some Earthlings are darker paint (sorry the Blurg language has no word for "skin") than others. He read the darker one was "Clean and Articulate" on a news report while traveling for business near Alpha Centauri.

What she didn't realize though, he was using that 5th eye to watch the gyronator. Unfortunate series of errors later they were on the ground with a resounding THUD! The fire and rescue squads showed up, GSTC (Galatic Spacecraft Travel Club - the UFO version of AAA) was called and towed the spacecraft to an underground bunker for repairs. MiB arrived and talked to everyone involved, and ..... hey what's that thing. Looks like a camer......*FLASH*

What the heck happened? Ah well must be 3 for 1 night at the local Mexican restaurant.

UPDATE: Received a communique' from my source at MiB - The Indiana National Guard is issuing their cover story that 3 F-16's were "in the area" performing a "training mission". Uhhh-huhhhhh. Of course everyone knows it takes 3 F-16's to tow a XQB-38a spacecraft after it's crash landed. DUH! They hooked up their tow cables to the spacecraft and towed it to Grissom for repairs. Expect some more strange noises in the coming days when the Blurgs get their spacecraft repaired and get underway to Mars for their vacation.... *FLASH*

Bet You Wont See This in the Indianpolis Star!

Below is the text of a letter sent to Hoosier Access, Brian Howey, polispolitics, Indianapolis Star, Noblesville Ledger and a couple of others by Howard County GOP Chairman, Craig Dunn. If ever there was an eloquent defense of the Grand Old Party, this is it fellow DD's:

I am writing this as both a Republican and as Republican County Chairman for Howard County. When Dr. John McGoff surprised and disappointed most of the leadership of the Republican Party by announcing an ill-advised campaign against thirteen-term incumbent Congressman Dan Burton, many old political hands expected McGoff to take the easy shots at Burton for missing a few votes for a previously scheduled charity golf tournament. Frankly, since Burton's conservative voting record, constituent services and service to the Republican Party were above reproach, it did not leave much of an opportunity for Dr. McGoff to attack. However, the old political hands failed to realize the depths that someone in desperate political straights might resort to in an effort to revive a moribund and utterly failed campaign.

I was personally sickened and saddened by the callously inappropriate attack mail piece selectively mailed by John McGoff in recent days. To characterize this most recent mail piece as a gross distortion would be an understatement. In fact, it was a senseless, inaccurate distortion of the truth that was not only libelous to Dan Burton personally, but was incredibly damaging to the Republican Party. It is self-evident that the McGoff campaign has shed any vestige of civility and honor and has resorted to the time-worn tactic of obfuscation and smearing of an opponents good name. This is the act of one who is definitely more concerned with his own well-being than with the well-being of his Party and Indiana's Fifth Congressional District. I had hoped that Dr. McGoff would run an honorable, honest and energetic campaign of ideas. However, McGoff, devoid of original ideas, felt compelled to try and rescue his lagging campaign with the political equivalent of a fourth quarter "Hail Mary" pass.

It is no secret that former lobbyist Jack Abramoff donated campaign funds to hundreds of elected officials, of both political parties, over the years. When the news of Abramoff's plainly illegal acts became known, Dan Burton felt compelled to disgorge his campaign of any Abramoff contributed funds. This is a time-honored and accepted tradition in the political world. Dan Burton donated Abramoff's campaign contributions to various charities. This is the truth, plain and simple.

In the hands of McGoff's highly-paid political hit-men this simple act of reasonable charity morphed itself into a mail piece alleging fraud, intentionally diverting campaign funds to a charity. This is not only disingenuous, but laughable in the face of the facts. Upon further reflection, it isn't laughable. To directly challenge the personal integrity of a man who has given the majority of his life to public service in Indiana, agree with his political views or not, is totally inappropriate. It not only violates one of the Commandments against bearing false witness, it also violates Ronald Reagan's Commandment about speaking ill of another Republican. It was an obvious act of desperation, beneath the dignity of Dr. McGoff, detrimental to the Republican Party and just plain wrong.

I am sure that Dan Burton subscribes to Abraham Lincoln's philosophy about a lion doing battle with a skunk. The lion Burton will surely win, but cannot help but come out smelling from the encounter. It is for this reason that I ask Dr. John McGoff to grow up, understand that he is trying to compete on a level which requires much more judgment than he has demonstrated and treat his fellow man and opponent in a manner in which he would also wish to be treated. The constituents of the Fifth Congressional District are entitled to as much. Dr. McGoff owes Dan Burton and the people of the Fifth District an apology for bringing such sewage to our state. Perhaps the mail piece was not the work of Dr. McGoff, but the work of the medical, pharmacological and trial attorney special interests that seem to be his sole source of financial and political support. If so, Dr. McGoff, please repudiate these special interest driven libels!

When one reviews the incredible long list of endorsements that Dan Burton has received from State officials, legislators, Congressmen, local elected officials, party faithful and average loyal Republicans, it is very easy to understand why they have put their trust in Dan to represent their interests and defend their Country. He has consistently delivered sound, conservative and effective leadership in the United States Congress and yet has remained a Hoosier at heart. If Dr. McGoff does not provide himself with the appropriate Hoosier self-discipline, I trust that the Republican voters of the Fifth District will apply the needed restraint.

OBAMA vs. HIL in Battle of the Bands: Obama may have Dave Matthews, but the Hil-sters got Elton John!

Can you say, My Rock-Star's Bigger than your Rock-Star?

He may be old, a little pudgy, and gay, but he is a Knight of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, or whatever, and he did sing at Princess Di's Funeral ... Top that, Dave.

Sir Elton John did a concert at NEW YORK CITY's Radio City Music Hall for the Hil-ster and her campaign wasted no time in telling everybody about the cool $2.5 mil they raked in last night.

Far be it from your humble Dumpster Diver to make shameless comparisons on the overall value of pop music (except for our hero, Weird Al Yankovic), but among insiders, and the fashionistas over at Go Fug Yourself, I gotta believe that Sir Elton tips the scale in the Hil-sters favor. And what a perk for Bill and Chel!

The consensus here at the WPBCHQ is that SEJ @ RCMH trumps DMB @ IUB, but we can be bought, er, persuaded if you DMB fans want to weigh in. It's always open-thread Thursday here!

Considering the Source, More Crass Thursday Humor ...

From our "friends" at the Completelyworthless News Network (CNN) ...

April 9, 2008
Huckabee signs with talent agency
Posted: 07:12 PM ET

(CNN) – Former Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee has signed a contract with Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles, daughter and senior advisor Sarah Huckabee tells CNN.
“Nothing has been decided,” the younger Huckabee says of future projects, “[it] probably won't be just one thing but maybe several different things. Just exploring options right now.”
Huckabee follows former rival Fred Thompson’s lead by inking a post-campaign deal with a talent agency. But unlike the former Tennessee senator, this is Huckabee’s first official foray into show business.

While running, his appearances on late-night shows like 'Saturday Night Live' and 'The Colbert Report' garnered praise and Huckabee seemed armed with a new expression for every television appearance. As it became apparent he wouldn’t win the Republican nomination, reporters began asking Huckabee about a possible future in television.

In a letter to supporters Wednesday, Huckabee announced that on Thursday he will host what is being billed as “a landmark teleconference call” that will lay out his plans for the future and discuss the state of the conservative movement.

From: CNN Political Producer Alexander Marquardt Filed under: Mike Huckabee

Another answer to the immortal question: "How low do you have to stoop in this country to become President?" ... or in this case, Vice President, or maybe, a cabinet secretary ... or talk show host.

Crass Thursday Morning Humor ...

Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words ...

National News Breaking from Indiana ... GOP Official files Election Complaint Against Obama-mama-mia Campaign

Harrison County GOP Chairman, Scott Fluhr, files a complaint with the Indiana Election Commission alleging a violation of Indiana Code 3-14-2-1, wherein “payment of any property” of value in exchange for applying for an absentee ballot, casting an absentee ballot, registering to vote, or voting" is prohibited under state law. The issue arises out of the Obama campaign passing out "free tickets" to a Dave Matthews concert at Indiana University in Bloomington on April 6.

Fluhr cited several media reports and annecdotal evidence that the Obama-mama-mia campaign seemed to be clearly in violation of the statute by handing out the tickets in exchange for registering to vote and asked the Commission to conduct "A full investigation ... into the exact circumstances of this event and the distribution of tickets to it is clearly warranted and necessary to ascertain relevant facts regarding potential violations of this and other portions of the Indiana Code."

Fluhr notes that the two Democratic members of the IEC are closely tied to the state's junior Senator, Evan Bayh, and are therefore likely to be supportive of the Clinton campaign. Whether that plays into any decision of the commission is pure speculation, but it does seem to make for an interesting set of circumstances leading up to the state's May 6 Primary.

Stay tuned for more ...

See the original story here.

H/T Hoosier Pundit

This Just In! NEW National Taxpayer Union Rankings

Burton, Pence Lead the way for Indiana!

The NTU ratings just came out today: http://www.ntu.org/misc_items/rating/VS_2007.pdf

The “A” grade earns them the Taxpayer’s Friend Award. Note that Burton and Pence are the only two Hoosiers legislators to receive an "A". Burton has won the award on twelve previous occassions.

Go here for more info: http://blog.ntu.org/main/post.php?post_id=3296

Having just paid my taxes, I wish the rest of the Indiana delegation could be friendlier! Ouch!

WP Live Blog Test finds glitches and riches

Live Blogging meets Frozen Blender Drinks

Last nights experiment in live blogging shows that even us amateurs can get something right if we work at it long enough.

Gillespie had to sit through RW's ranting curses at the the devil technology gremlins that infested the first twenty minutes of the experience, but once we put everything together, it turned out to be a pretty cool experience and one our fellow hacks, flacks, and dumpster divers will really get turned on by we think.

Check it out for yourself at www.coveritlive.com ... best of all, it's FREE!

WP Live Blog ... a little shaky at the start, but we got 'er done!

Well, after a significant use of colorful metaphors and some intense moments of technoscrabble, we managed to pull off the first WP live blog. Thanks to Josh Gillespie of Hoosier Access and our co-conspirator here at WP for staying up late to help test the system ... we may actually get this thing to work at a reasonably professional level of service. Stay tuned for more live blogs from where ever we can make some dish!

We are trying something new! Live Blogging!

We found this cool new app that will allow us to Live blog! which we are going to try out. If it works as advertised, we may try some live blogging from Hoosier Access Radio and other events between now and Election Day.

Whether from the Campaign Trail or just hangin' out in a bar somewhere, we can blog live with all the dish that's unfit for the MSM ... they wouldn't print it anyway.

She's [effing] Obama

Not only is Lizzy Blackney, hot, intelligent, and a good blogger ... but she does good video.

I Think I Need One of Gonzo's Frozen Blender Drinks

I’m not much of a drinker. But when I do, gin and tonic is my beverage of choice (made with Bombay Sapphire…that’s the good stuff). But it looks like Absolut Vodka decided to stoke anti-American sentiment and is running the ad below in Mexico.

Yep, you’re seeing that map correctly. According to the LA Times:

The billboard and press campaign, created by advertising agency Teran\TBWA and now running in Mexico, is a colorful map depicting what the Americas might look like in an “Absolut” — i.e., perfect — world.

The U.S.-Mexico border lies where it was before the Mexican-American war of 1848 when California, as we now know it, was Mexican territory and known as Alta California.

The campaign taps into the national pride of Mexicans, according to Favio Ucedo, creative director of leading Latino advertising agency Grupo Gallegos in the U.S.

Ucedo, who is from Argentina, said: “Mexicans talk about how the Americans stole their land, so this is their way of reclaiming it. It’s very relevant and the Mexicans will love the idea.”

But he said that were the campaign to run in the United States, it might fall flat.

Gee, you think? By the way, Absolut is running the ad in english in Mexico. I see the irony. Do you?

(H/T - Drudge Report and Gateway Pundit)

Just a little something from the Blogosphere

We just had to share this sampling of the fare on the net with our Devoted Readers. First, there's this piece from our friends at Polis Politics :

April 02, 2008
"But sometimes, sometimes Bad is Bad"

One of our favorite campaign moments last year was when Amos Brown had Lonnell "King-Ro" Conley and the other embattled Democrat At-Large Indianapolis City Councilors on his show. All, especially Conley, were under attack for increasing taxes. The GOP claimed Conley increased taxes 19 times, and Amos and Conley went threw his voting record and concluded the GOP was wrong! Conley only voted to increase taxes 11 or so times!

Such is campaign psychology against a gotcha campaign, when your opponent is so eager to point out you are wrong, they make themselves look foolish and prove your point in the process. The latest example of this reverse psychology: Congressional Candidate and former Marion County Coroner John McGoff.

McGoff unveiled a minute-long radio ad last week going after his opponent, incumbent Congressman Dan Burton, for missing committee meetings. Burton countered with his own 60 second ad, saying McGoff was distorting the facts and McGoff was a "career politician" who caused tax increases by increasing the Coroner's budget.

Normally the Challenger could claim success by engaging the incumbent to go negative. But McGoff didn't leave good enough alone. His campaign sent an e-mail out refuting the Burton ad, including this excerpt:

"Burton Claim #2: While coroner, John's budget went up 200%.

"*The first year John was in office, the coroner's budget was $1.1 million; the last year, it was $1.9 million. That is an increase, but only 73%." (emphasis added)

Our advice to McGoff: You don't refute the claim that your budget ballooned by claiming it was only a 73% increase. That's a mighty hefty raise and one that makes out look out of touch with average Hoosiers. It didn't work for King-Ro Conley, it didn't work for Bart Peterson, and it won't work for you.

We don't like speaking ill of fellow Republicans, so just some friendly advice.

Posted by The Polis at 01:14 PM Permalink

And then there's this from Hoosier Pundit's Scott Fluhr:

Burton vs McGoff Spill-Over

As I have long said, I don't have a dog in the fight in the 5th District Republican Primary; all that matters to me is that the seat is held by a Republican and that the bloodletting be cathartic and not fatal.It's true, Dan Burton has been in office for a long time in a safe district, with that political security comes complacency, and with complacency come behaviors in office that are unwanted by the voters.But with being in office for a long time also comes seniority, with seniority come better committee assignments and so forth, and with those come demonstrable benefits for the citizens of the 5th District.

And it's also true, as Thomas Jefferson (or was it Ben Franklin... I forget) famously opined, "A little revolution now and then is a healthy thing."

The question for the voters of the 5th District is whether the seniority Dan Burton has is worth the benefits it brings, even with the downsides, or whether a little revolution is better instead.Because the downsides were brought on by complacency, and if anything the McGoff challenge has ended Dan Burton's complacency (he needed a swift kick in the pants, I think), it's probably an open question as to what the future downsides will be.But that's a balance that will have to be made in the 5th District, and I'll be happy whatever the result, since the composition of the district will almost certainly see a Republican victory in the fall regardless of the primary outcome.

In that sense, a primary is a cathartic, correcting, and healthy process; competition strengthens the participants so long as it is not combat to the death.

But the Burton-McGoff contest is increasingly getting ugly; one need merely look at the allegations that are being traded to see that.McGoff accuses Burton of taking a taxpayer-funded junket to Central America; turns out that McGoff came along on that very trip for a business opportunity and had to get passport help from Burton's office to be able to go.Burton accuses McGoff of having the budget for the Marion County Coroner's office double under McGoff's tenure; turns out that it went up by only about seventy percent (some of which attributable to relocation costs and so forth).How do these exchanges advance the cause of serving 5th District voters?

Give me a break.

More troubling still is the spillover on Wednesday, when the Burton-McGoff square-off somehow managed to spill out of the 5th District and onto Frugal Hoosiers, the de facto campaign blog for Mitch Daniels' reelection campaign.The spillover came in the form of a posting of a McGoff campaign ad, along with some favorable observations (Frugal Hoosiers long ago removed Burton's campaign blog from its roll, and retains the McGoff blog).I would have thought that the Governor has plenty of ads about which to post and his opponents have plenty of ads about which to issue critiques that would keep the folks in green busy, but I digress.Of course, a quick check with the communications director of the Daniels campaign confirmed that, no, Mitch Daniels (Governor of Indiana, candidate for reelection, leader of the Republican Party in Indiana, et cetera) has not endorsed John McGoff in the 5th District race for governor.This is not the first time that Frugal Hoosiers (which professes itself to be utterly unaffiliated with the campaign or the Governor's office, which everyone knows is manifestly absurd; no more believable than Jen Wagner claiming her blog had nothing to do with the Indiana Democratic Party) has weighed into the 5th District race, and almost always in favor of the challenger John McGoff.I also know it's not the first time that Daniels will have gotten grief from Burton and his people over this "unaffiliated" blog.How exactly such posting about a controversial and increasingly divisive primary among fellow Republicans advances their proclaimed cause of getting Mitch Daniels reelected is beyond me; such posting might actually hurt it.

Posted by Scott at 11:49 PM Labels: 2008 Election, Congress, Indiana Politics, Mitch Daniels

H/T Polis Politics and Hoosier Pundit, insightful and fair assessment

Dude. A Bowl-off? C'mon.

Seriously, I think my namesake was right. "How low do you have to stoop in this country to become President?" (see "Our Quotable Quote on the right side of this space)

I got this tweet on my Twitter today:

"hillaryclinton It has been a hard fought race but I have a proposal for the Democratic Party – I challenge Senator Obama to a bowl-off, winner takes all. about 1 hour ago from web "

It was actually a freak of nature thing until I just saw Fox News do a bit on it. I appreciate humor more than any other person on this planet. Especially, political humor. I live for Leno and Letterman ... even Colbert (his tweets are a hoot, btw.), but this is too much. Forget the 24-hour news cycle, this is the leader of the free world man! Except for my good friends in Wisconsin that actually live at the bowling alley, will anybody get the joke?

I have never been a huge McCain fan ... really. But, after this, I'm thinkin' that McCain looks positively Presidential. He's got my vote.

Obama tells us that we have to do everything that "Grandma tells us to do" - after he throws Grandma under the bus as a racist throwback to the 50's - and the Hil wants a bowl off? Are we serious here?

Gamers for net neutrality? Tranny's for Jesus? What the heck comes next? Bowlers for Pick-up Spare at the DNC?

Fellow DDs, I propose we all go over to the WPBCHQ, fire up the blender, and have a few blue fruity drinks... we'll even throw in the little paper umbrellas.

Is it Friday yet?

Obama's Going to Make a World Without Spiders

Sometime the world is going to have to stop hatin' and know that Obama is going to save the world! It's just as simple as that and the video below will answer everything. (There's a slightly off-color joke half way through, so fair warning.)



(Hat Tip to Red State)

If The Steroids and Baseball Hearings were any indication....

The the upcoming hearings of oil company executives before the House Energy committee should be a walk in the park.

From the Houston Chronicle:

"The records came on the eve of a congressional committee appearance by executives from the nation's five largest oil companies.

The title of the hearing — "Drilling for Answers: Oil Company Profits, Runaway Prices and Pursuit of Alternatives" — hints at the reception industry leaders may expect from the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

"This new gas prices record is a perfect example of why we need these oil companies to go on the record with the American people to discuss our dangerous dependence on oil," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., chairman of the panel."

The Democrats in Congress: All Talk, No Action.