Clay Defeats Stiglich; Mayor King Bolts Democrats Treacherous Journey for Dan Parker Through ‘Cave of Snakes’ by BRIAN A
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V 11, No 32 Thursday, April 21, 2005 Clay defeats Stiglich; Mayor King bolts Democrats Treacherous journey for Dan Parker through ‘cave of snakes’ By BRIAN A. HOWEY in Indianapolis “Enough is enough. At By 10 p.m. Tuesday, you could almost hear an audible sigh coming from the some point, politics as lips of Indiana Democratic Chairman Dan Parker. “Maybe now I can concentrate on electing Democrats,” Parker told HPR shortly after the Indiana Democratic Central usual has to end, and Committee elected Lake County Commissioner Rudy Clay as its new chairman. that’s exactly why I Since Parker took the reins of the chastened think I was elected.” Indiana Democrats after the –– State Rep. Billy Bright, R- party lost the governorship, North Vernon the House and speaker, and another Congressional seat, he has faced an almost unprecedented set of circum- stances. With the governor gone, lost is the fundraising engine that Govs. Evan Bayh, The Howey Political Report is published Frank O’Bannon and Joe by NewsLink Inc. Founded in 1994, The Kernan used to fill party cof- Indiana Democratic Chairman Dan Parker found himself deal- Howey Political Report is an independent, fers. On Tuesday, Republican ing with unprecedented - even bizarre - party politics and pos- non-partisan newsletter analyzing the political Gov. Mitch Daniels got a bill sibly emerged with a more diversified party. (HPR Photo) process in Indiana. that will rub salt in that wound Brian A. Howey, Publisher -- ending the personal license plate funding to the two major political parties. Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington Writer When the Indiana General Assembly convened in January, the party found Jack E. Howey, Editor House Minority Leader B. Patrick Bauer as its spokesman by default. And that was Subscriptions: filled with controversy, highlighted by the March walkout that gutted 130 bills and $350 annually HPR via e-mail; prompted Gov. Mitch Daniels to compare the South Bend Democrat to a “car $550 annually HPR & HPR Daily Wire. bomber.” Within hours, Bauer had retreated to a hospital where part of his colon was Call 254-0535. removed, leaving behind Democrats like State Rep. Russ Stilwell to define the party. Just as Bauer fomented House recalcitrance and then disappeared, the coun- The Howey Political Report ty party reorganizations took place on March 5 and that left Parker with even greater PO Box 40265 challenges, particularly in the party’s most critical cell of Lake County. There, Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265. Democratic Chairman Stephen Stiglich failed to muster a quorum. Even though he www.howeypolitics.com [email protected] Indianapolis Office: 317-506-0883. Statehouse: Bright & the end game p. 4 Indianapolis Fax: 317-254-0535. Washington Office: 202-775-3242. Pence will avoid DeLay fallout p. 5 Business Office: 317-254-0535. Howey: Terry Holt sizes up Sen. Bayh p. 7 ©2005, The Howey Political Report. All rights reserved. Photocopying, Internet for- Columnists: James, Brown, Ciancone p. 8 warding, faxing or reproducing in any form, in whole or part, is a violation of federal law Ticker: Rep. Adams done for session p. 9 and is strictly prohibited without consent of the publisher. Covering a Decade of Indiana Politics HOWEY Political Report Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, April 21, 2005 easily defeated a challenge by State Rep. John Aguilera, presided over what he called the election of the first African- Parker stepped in and voided the election. American Lake County chair in Indiana history with the ascen- That posed a huge challenge. Would the Indiana sion of Commissioner Clay (in March, Tippecanoe County Democratic Central Committee impose a chairman on the Democrats elected the first black county chair, Perry Brown). feuding Lake Democrats? While some saw it as an opportuni- ty to end the East Chicago domination of the chair since Wading through a cave of snakes 1957, U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky quickly endorsed Stiglich But getting there was akin to Indiana Jones wading instead of a reformer such as former District Attorney Jon through a cave of snakes. For instance, late last week the six DeGuilio. Democratic mayors of Lake County joined Parker reacted by returning the party to former rules, Visclosky in endorsing Stiglich. But that giving the Lake County Democrats a second chance to elect came after Gary Mayor Scott King made his a chair. But in early April, Stiglich again failed to muster a own play for the job before realizing it was quorum, once again returning the question to the state futile. Then at the 11th hour, King tried Central Committee. It came after people such as Clay and another power play, reportedly calling up County Surveyor George Van Til along with more than 100 Democratic National Committeeman Robert other precinct officials from places such as Highland and Chairman Clay A. Pastrick and asking him to nominate him. Gary failed to show for the second caucus. Pastrick refused, and in a final payback to If Lake County wasn’t challenge enough, there were his old rival Stiglich, ended up nomination Clay ... a classic other county elections without quorums in Starke and Union brokering a deal from the political grave. counties, and a row in the 6th CD where Delaware County On Wednesday, the key dynamic for the elevation of Democrats appealed the election of Chairman Tim Clay came from the Legislative Black Caucus, led by State Southworth and Vice Chair Melina Fox. Rep. Charlie Brown of Gary. But the nominating speech for Add to that feuds that had broken out between city Clay came from Pastrick, the former East Chicago mayor. councils and mayors in places such as New Albany and Another key supporter was Lake County Sheriff Roy South Bend, and Councilor Steve Talley’s successful coup Dominguez. The idea that Pastrick and Dominguez were on d’etat against Rozelle Boyd in Indianapolis, and it was as if the same page after the dramatic events of 2003 and 2004 prairie fires were breaking out all over the Hoosier Democratic when their relationship ranch. crumbled in spectacular “I was roundly criticized for simply following the rules,” fashion was in and of itself Parker said. a peculiar and riveting Complicating the Lake County situation was the development. March 19 Indiana Democratic Central Committee reorganiza- “I just feel that tion that ended up with a 9-9 tie between Vice Chair Cordelia Lake County could be bet- Lewis Burks and Hobart Mayor Linda Buzinec. After securing ter served,” Pastrick told his own office, Parker was faced with a tie-breaker. Those in the Post-Tribune while fend- Democratic National Committeeman attendance said Parker left the room to consult the braintrust ing off questions as to Robert A. Pastrick helped broker the of his patron, U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, then returned to break whether he played a role in deal for Clay from the political grave. the tie for Burks. But not before U.S. Rep. Julia Carson and Stiglich’s failure to reach a (Indianapolis Eye Photo by Ellen the Indiana Legislative Black Caucus had showed up to sup- quorum. “It’s time we recog- Jackson) port Burks. nize that the African- Some suggested Parker (and Bayh) were behind the American community has provided the tremendous plurality the state Democratic party has enjoyed in elections, and it’s challenge to Burks, something he vehemently denies. “I voted finally time to recognize that in the leadership.” for her to break the tie,” Parker said on March 23, trying to Clay was quoted in the Post-Tribune saying, “I don’t tamp down any notion that he was leading a party that failed know how to feel. I’ll just have to feel my way through for a to recognize its critical diversity. while. I know I have to mend some fences, reach out and In totality, Parker was being challenged on multiple touch base with people. We can do more to form bridges and fronts. He had just turned 35 years old earlier in the week, the build unity and involve more people in the party, especially age a person can run for president. That might be an easier young Democrats.” job that chairing the Indiana Democrats in 2005. On Wednesday night at Barnes & Thornburg, Parker HOWEY Political Report Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, April 21, 2005 Clay a transitional figure; King bolts Democrats es, and then a state Central Committee vote, he wasn’t the The 69-year-old Clay is seen as a transitional figure, only one. Another is Mayor King, who without his long-time though sources tell HPR he is in good health. He is a neme- political ally Jewell Harris working behind the scenes, ended sis of Gary Mayor Scott King, who announced Wednesday up displaying poor strategic skills. afternoon on WJOB-AM in Hammond that he was leaving the Another is U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, who inserted Democratic Party. “I’m disgusted with it,” King said as he left himself in this local drama, but couldn’t save Stiglich. That is City Hall on Wednesday morning an embarrassment coming at a time (Post-Tribune). “I’m embarrassed by it. when Visclosky is trying to rally Lake It’s not good government or good poli- County communities with his “Good tics.” In a statement released by his Government Initiative.” office, King said, “I have tendered my Yet another is former Lake resignation as Deputy Chairman of the County Sheriff John Buncich, who Indiana State Democratic Party and backed Stiglich. He will try and unseat further disassociated myself from the Sheriff Dominguez in 2006, but the party by declaring myself an indepen- events of the past month could hurt dent." those efforts.