Generational HPI Power 50 List HPI’S 20Th Anniversary Rating of Power and Clout by BRIAN A
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V20, N11 Thursday Oct. 16, 2014 Generational HPI Power 50 List HPI’s 20th Anniversary rating of power and clout By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – Journalists write the so-called first draft of history. Some of us join the true historians, step back and reevaluate the early takes. With Howey Politics Indiana observing its 20th Anniversary this year, it was appropri- ate to take that step back, go through past editions and make some new as- sessments. In this anniversary edi- tion, we not only Sens. Dick Lugar and Birch Bayh ran against each other in 1974, then served did that, but we did together for four years. For 50 years, there was either a Lugar or Bayh in the U.S. it with almost 300 HPI subscribers participating. same with Frank O’Bannon’s. In the “exit interview” This anniversary edition gave us a similar but with Gov. Mitch Daniels, the broader retrospective. My professional journalism career notion was that a decade beyond a governorship would began in 1978 when I took a job with the Warsaw Times- be a good time for such an evaluation. Daniels agreed. In Union as a sports writer. But my passion for politics had 2006, we conducted the most comprehensive review of Evan Bayh’s governorship, and in September 2013, did the Continued on page 3 A Hoosier political journey By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – The 12-year-old Hoosier boy was just as interested in Indiana politics as this professional journalist is today. Attending an Associated Press Managing Editors meeting with my parents at “Aug. 11, 1994, was a most sig- South Bend in 1968, I watched a joint appearance between U.S. nificant day in the history of In- Sen. Birch Bayh and his Republi- diana politics. When you began can challenger Bill Ruckleshaus. The newsmen thought it would publishing Howey Politics in Fort be nice to let the kid ask the first question, and this is what Wayne that day, the quality of In- I asked: What would you do diana political thought and dia- about pollution and the environ- ment? logue took a bold step forward.” Ruckleshaus observed - Former U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar that it was the first time the Page 2 subject had come up. He went on to Our close family friend was become the first head of the Envi- House Speaker Kermit Burrous, whom ronmental Protection Agency before I paged for. I remember getting my President Nixon fired him during the picture taken with him at the House Saturday Night Massacre. podium, and scanning the chambers A couple of years later, to find Pat Bauer, Chet Dobis and Jeff Betty Rendell helped me interview Espich looking on. It was amazing to Speaker Doc Bowen at the Miami me they were still there when I was a County Lincoln dinner. “Are you going 50-year-old pro. to run for governor?” I asked, holding I’ve watched Dan Quayle is a non-partisan newslet- a balky RCA cassette tape recorder. get kicked out of a McDonald’s in New ter based in Indianapolis and Doc responded, “I have to admit I’ve Castle, seen Evan and Birch Bayh Nashville, Ind. It was founded been thinking about it.” eat late night ice cream in Evansville, in 1994 in Fort Wayne. I come from newspaper and and spent a bizarre day with former farming families: My father’s side congressman Earl Landgrebe in Val- It is published by from Michigan City and Hobart in The paraiso, coming away thinking he was WWWHowey Media, LLC Region; my mother’s from 405 Massachusetts Ave., Dearborn County near Au- Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN rora, and later from Bates- 46204 ville and Liberty. My two sons were born in Elkhart and Fort Wayne. I gradu- Brian A. Howey, Publisher ated from high school at Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington Peru, and attended college Jack E. Howey, Editor in Vincennes and Bloom- Mary Lou Howey, Editor ington. I believe I’ve lived in every Indiana congres- Maureen Hayden, Statehouse sional district save what Matthew Butler, Daily Wire is now the 4th. I live in Nashville and work in Indy. Subscriptions My professional career was HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 a step up the ladder, from Peru, to Warsaw, to Elkhart, HPI Weekly, $350 then Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. I’ve actually a pretty cool guy and not a Ray Volpe, Account Manager covered town boards, city councils, kook. I drank “sassperellis” with Char- 317.602.3620 county commissioners, the General lie Halleck at the Tippecanoe Country email: [email protected] Assembly, Congress, governors and Club, traded stories with Vance Hartke presidents. at French Lick, watched Dick Lugar Growing up in a newspa- press a button and burn a Soviet war- Contact HPI per environment at the Michigan City head motor, heard Frank McCloskey www.howeypolitics.com News-Dispatch and the Peru Daily tell me on the French Lick veranda he [email protected] Tribune, I got the news bug early in would rather lose outright than face Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 my life. Dad came home one day in a recount, and took the last ride with Washington: 202.256.5822 1968 and announced he had spent the Mitch Daniels on RV-1 after we spent day driving around with Sen. Eugene time at The Reservation that morning Business Office: 317.602.3620 McCarthy. I would enjoy a similar day in Milan. The governor just couldn’t with Hillary Clinton in 1992. When I understand why more politicians didn’t © 2014, Howey Politics Indiana. was a senior in high school, I went travel around the state like he did in All rights reserved. Photocopy- with Dad and Mom to the national an Elkhart-made RV. ing, Internet forwarding, fax- APME convention in Orlando where Sometimes it was just instinc- President Nixon scheduled a nation- tive. Gov. O’Bannon’s keynoter in Au- ing or reproducing in any form, ally televised press conference. I was gust 2003 at French Lick seemed, at whole or part, is a violation of in the room when he said, “I’m not a first glance, perfunctory, but I started federal law without permission crook.” I’ve got a folder full of press taking notes a few minutes in, and it from the publisher. dispatches from the media room that turned out to be the last public speech night. he gave. Page 3 Seeking an interview with U.S. Senate nominee I watched my newspaper colleagues give away the store Richard Mourdock in May 2012, his campaign manager Jim and the industry has been in a survival spiral. Holden conveyed that this would be possible if I kissed his Howey Politics embraced the Internet, cut costs ass. I enjoyed covering the rest of that campaign. I had a with it, expanded our business model through it, and I do better election cycle than Holden and Mourdock did. ask for your continued support. Providence willing, I plan In the final years of his life, I was honored to have to do this for the next 12 to 15 years. There will be more Gov. Orr frequently ring me up on the phone just to talk changes in the news media in the coming years. There and vent. He was incensed by the health care for life deal will be outside interests coming in seeking your business. that got tacked on to a 2002 budget bill. Earlier this month We’ve seen how that’s worked out with the local mallpa- I witnessed Gov. Pence drive a combine. per. Howey Politics Indiana has allowed a boyhood My commitment to my subscribers and readers passion to become a career, and with the support you is that I will continue to share my passion and love for subscribers have offered and entrusted to me, this has Indiana. I, along with HPI contributors, will continue to be become a reality. I cannot thank you enough. a steward and watchdog of the process. We may disagree I also believe that over the past two decades, on policy at times, but rest assured my aim will always be I’ve earned that trust. And one thing I’ve learned from to meet those goals. politicians over the years, you have to ask for that sup- And, yes, one more thing. I’m committed to con- port. Over the past 15 years as I embraced the Internet, tinue making this all interesting and compelling. v U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh stands as President George W. Bush recog- nizes him at the Indiana State Faigrounds in 2003 as Rep, Chris Power 50, from page 1 Chocola, Gov. Frank O’Bannon, Secretary of State Rokita, Mitch Daniels, Reps. Dan Burton, Mike Pence, Julia Carson and Mayor me jogging with Sen. Dick Lugar around Winona Lake Bart Peterson look on. (HPI Photo by Ellen M. Jackson) and another endearing afternoon with former U.S. House Minority Leader Charlie Halleck. As a student, I had inter- viewed Speaker Doc Bowen. So while The Howey Political William Jenner and Homer Capehart), the congressional Report began publishing in August 1994, I decided to take delegation, General Assembly leaders, mayors, party lead- this exercise back to the origins of my own professional ers and lobbyists. The results of the reader surveys can career and the advent of the Bowen governorship, a new be found on pages 13. We incorporated the reader survey period where the chief executive could run for reelection. into this generational perspective. HPI asked our readers to not only weigh in on In going through this exercise, there were some the governors of this era, but the U.S.