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Tuesday, July 15, 1997 • Volume 3, Number 34 Page 1of8 Larry Conrad, where THE have you ·gone? Is the ol'Hoosier stemwinder a thing of the past? Congressman Ray Madden and Larry Conrad were together one HOWEY day in Washington working on a project.It was a hot and sultry after noon, sapping their energy to the point where Madden nodded off. Conrad, too, began to get drowsy and soon he was sawing wood. POLITICAL But a bump somewhere on the premises woke both these Hoosier Democrats up. "There's a thief in the house!" Conrad blurted out Madden responded, "Larry, there might be a thief in the Senate, but not in the House." REPORT That was the way Conrad introduced Madden at the 1971 Democratic Jefferson-Jackson The Weekly Briefing On Indiana Politics Dinner in Indianapolis and it Special Report was one of those rare The Howey Political Report is published 40 times a year by moments where two of the finest orators in the state found them NewsLink,Inc.Founded in 1994, The Howey Political Report is selves together on the dais. an independent, non-partisan newsletter analyzing the political Madden, the crusty old rep from Lake County, took to the podi process in Indiana. It neither endorses candidates nor advocates positions of public policy. um and looked in Conrad's direction. "Larry, my God, that was the second finest introduction I ever had. The only better one occurred Brian A. Howey when the emcee took ill and I had to introduce myself." editor and publisher What followed was a Madden stemwinder in the old stump style The Howey Political Report Office: 317-926-1433 fashion - a dash of fire and brimstone that came in an era of Nixon & 2625 N.Meridian St,Suite 1125 Fax: 317-254-2405 Agnew, Vietnam, moratoriums, campus takeovers, and the SDS. Indianapolis,IN 46208 [email protected] The times seemed to call for the dramatic speaker. Daytimenumber:317-254-2400,Ext273 And the times have changed. NewsLink Home Page: http://www.inoffice.com/hpr TV and radio commentator Mike Pence remembered being sum moned to Keith Bulen's Southport "Bat Cave" prior to his first chal Subsaiption information: $250 annually for 40 lenge to Rep. Phil Sharp back in 1988. The dark, murky basement via or class mail. Call 317-926-1433. editions fax first office had walls full of memorabilia with only a desk lamp as the sole © 1997, The Howey Political Report. All rights reserved. point of illumination. It was enough, however, to· faintly light a Photocopying, faxing or reprodudng in any form, in whole or in framed front page of the New York Times with a picture of Ronald· part, is a violation offederal law and is ~prohibited without consent of the publisher. and Nancy Reagan at the '76 Republican national convention and a continued on page 2 ((QUOTE" OF THE WEEK INSIDE FEATURES "Dan's shortfall is he's afraid to admit when he needs • Play of the Week: Lugar slugging nukes page2 help.If Dan cannot respond to these attacks, there is a • Ticker Tape: O'Bannon plays to the choir page3 chance he could lose the next election .. :" • Columnists: Marcus, Hammer, Schneider page 6 • Horse Race: Bayh dreams; Helmke's coming page 7 -State Rep. Woody Burt n, In a letter raising • Perhaps We Wander: Okeson on juvenile crime page 8 money for his brother, U.S. Rep. Dan Burt n. Tuesday,July 15, 199'. 1 Page 2 of 8 sign in the background lam::i ooning :Bulen him ernors from Matt Vi'\: le l1 to Frank O'Bannon TICl<:]~R self. have be1en good at 1_:,o iLicking and foeling at "Why do you want to run for Congress?" home with their con~ t1tuents, but none of 1 A P E Bulen asked of Pence. them has been apa r:ti cillarly great speaker. ~l~~I i~J~ll:]CJ[] Pence began, "V1Tell, I'v1e won severcl :twards A classic exampli~ of the gubernatorial a for public speaking .... " appeal occurred at a Christmas party last PLAY OFTHE WEEK: tt~;.sen. Whereupon Bulen qukkly .snapped, "What December when Rex Early came fac:e to face Richard Lugar wo11 fu II fund the hell does public speaking have to do wiith with O'Bannon for tibie first time since the elec- ing for the 1998 Nati mnal winning elections?" tion. Early congratulated O'Banncm, who res Defense Autlhorizc:1ti1m·1 lbill. The It was an on-ltarget - a[ID ~it sad - r1emark. ponded with this simple remark: "Ii. come out bill would fully fund II hie Nunn Pence lost twice to Phil Sharp. '"Why give good." Lugar program thiat us; disman speeches when a 12-second s.ou.ndbite will do:' Noae of the la:;1 11 ire U.S. S1enawrs - Birch tling old Soviet m11dea1r war laments Pence, who is an exc1e]font communica Bayh, Va,nce Hartke, F.khard Lugar, Dan Quayle heads and working t~ iinsure tor. or Dan Coats - has pmticularly distinguished safe storage of nucleair materi It used to be that on the Fourth of July, himself on the stump. There has been plenty of al from power plants" Since the communities across Indiana would have para substaneie among ithcse five men, but none of Nunn-Lugar program 5tarted, des and oratory. B·etween the Chril War and them h21s had the abi!i:y to electri~1 an audi the U.S.has helpei:I d :'«1ctivate Wodd War I, such spe·eclm. coU:ld last for hours. ence. Nor has the Ind 12 na legisfatun! been a 4,500 warheads, C!es!trny 99 Today, there is little or 1110 oratory on tl11e recent haven for gild!~:c! tongued orators, once l'!CBMs,eliminate 1~0 llCBM Fourth of July. New Harmony is the only you get beyond Ho11:s1:! Speaker John Gregg and missile silos, destr,oy .W Hoosier commurnity t11at has continued the tra Republican Rep. Bnic 1e Munson, who will soon t ombers, eliminate 61!! subma dition.In some Midwestern pl:Kes,like Green retire. rine-launched bal!is1tk missiles Bay, WIS., efforts have been ta.ken to mate sure In order to pres~ rve a bit of ou:r great ora and sealed 62 nucle~1r ·est that politicians don't speak there on ttllle Fourth torical heritage - Indi al1a raised the man who tunnels in the fonner ~1·oviet of July. gave the greatest spf:cch of all time,Abraham Union. And it isn't just the Fourth of July Jin ques Lincoln and his "Getl y:;burg Address" as well as tion. Good to gr1eat public speakers iru Indi~.111a Wendell Wtllkie who gave a helllava .stem-winder r. • 11 politics are few all1id far between. There hasn't in Elwood back in ll 4HO - HPR walks through Q Indiana State Police '.StJpt. been a Hoosier governor irJ :1!cmt memory who the best (and worst) ::mblic speaker:;, with the Melvin Carraway and! 1G1ov. was known for his oratoric;tl skills. Ind'.aCJa gov- mun- Continued mi page 3 continui:d on page 3 Page 3 of 8 Tuesday,July 15, 1997 dane thrown in between. of his ties with the family liquor store business. It prompted this classic quote from GOP pollster TICKER The Best Bob Teeter, who said, "People can have a martini p There are five who make this list including: in their hand and a cooler full of beer at their. T A E • Larry Conrad, the former Democratic side but they don't want their mayor in the secretary of state and political operative. He had liquor business." Frank O'Bannon attended a the unique combination of intellect, passion, • The late Congressman Ray Madden Sunday morning service historical perspective and humor that he for not only heading a Lake County political before the 76th Original brought together in a great extemporaneous machine for decades, but for his classic stump General Missionary Baptist style. Conrad could speak with almost evangeli style and capacity for the stemwinder. State Convention in Gary. cal fervor.Modern day reporters remember • Former Attorney General Pam Carter Carraway soloed on '10 God Be Conrad's nominating speech at the 1986 is an excellent public speaker. Her speeches are the Glory" and O'Bannon Indiana Democratic convention of Evan Bayh driven by a sturdy voice that beams with clarity, addressed the convention, for secretary of state. "If not him, then who?" history and vision. It comes with evangelistic earning a number ot°amens" Conrad bellowed. "If not now, then when?" It fervor placed perfectly in a political context.Her and applause as he called for was prophetic and dramatic.But Conrad's speech on the lawn of the Gary City Hall last more social spending.'1he career echoes Bulen's sentiments. He lost his summer in which she recounting marching with message was the song and the race for governor, albeit to the popular Doc Martin Luther l\ing was fabulous oratory. dance, 0 0'Bannon said. '1he Bowen. • John Gregg - It's hard to recall a time song is what comes out of the • Bill Hudnut is probably the top when the Speaker of the House has spoken and Bible. The dance is up to us. 0 Republican modern speaker. The 16-year mayor not left his audience amused.He is pure South of Indianapolis had the ability to fire up a crowd ern Indiana Butternut Hoosier, folksy, always O'Bannon stumped the state at any moment.He exuded overpowering confi talking about his tiny hometown of Sandborn, unveiling his plans for 500 dence, enthusiasm and emotion.