Five-Pronged Emasculation of the Lake County Democratic Machine Pastrick’S Catastrophic Week by BRIAN A
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V 11, No 1 Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004 Five-pronged emasculation of the Lake County Democratic machine Pastrick’s catastrophic week By BRIAN A. HOWEY in Indianapolis As the Hoosier public policy community gathered last October to watch the “We would all have swearing in of Kathy Davis as lieutenant governor in the south atrium of the been annihilated. That Statehouse, off to the right of the stage stood East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick. He was has to begin to sink in.” chatting with a group of Indiana Supreme –– An animated U.S. Sen. Court justices. One not in the photo was Associate Dick Lugar at the National Justice Robert D. Rucker, who is illustrative of Press Club Wednesday, on Pastrick’s past clout. Rucker had practiced law in his home town of East Chicago and one of what would have happened if his patrons was Pastrick, who helped him the 9/11 planes had contained attain a seat on the high court in 1999 as an appointee of Gov. Frank O’Bannon, as well as East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick talks with nuclear weapons an Indiana Appeals Court seat in 1991 by Gov. Indiana Supreme court justices at Lt. Gov. Evan Bayh, Democratic sources say. Davis’s swearing in October 2003. (Eye photo by Ellen Jackson) But last Friday, during the most cata- The Howey Political Report is published by NewsLink Inc. Founded in 1994, The strophic week in Pastrick’s legendary career, it was Rucker who sided with the 3-2 Howey Political Report is an independent, majority, ordering an unprecedented new election in East Chicago. “When as here an non-partisan newsletter analyzing the political election is characterized by a widespread and pervasive pattern of deliberate conduct process in Indiana. calculated to cast unlawful and deceptive ballots, the election results are inherently deceptive and unreliable," the court said. Brian A. Howey, Publisher It was a thunderous development on a day that brought indictments of Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington Writer Pastrick confidant James Fife and his wife by District Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen. Jack E. Howey, Editor By early this week, key Pastrick associates were predicting he would pass on the new election, though his legal team was preparing to appeal the decision. Subscriptions: $350 annually HPR via e-mail; What is occurring is the systematic emasculation of the Lake County $550 annually HPR & HPR Daily Wire. Democratic machine on a five-pronged front, it’s impact every bit as dramatic as Evan Call 317-254-1533 or 254-0535. Bayh’s assault on the Indiana GOP machine in 1986-88. There is Van Bokkelen and, higher up in the U.S. Department of Justice, Assistant Attorney General Deborah The Howey Political Report PO Box 40265 Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265. Dr. Larry Sabato heads HPR Forum p. 3 www.howeypolitics.com [email protected] Horse Race: Lee’s small claims woes p. 5 Indianapolis Office: 317-254-1533. Indianapolis Fax: 317-968-0487. Howey Column: Son of Unigov p. 7 Washington Office: 202-775-3242. Business Office: 317-254-0535. Statehouse Watch: Lugar & Peterson p. 6 ©2004, The Howey Political Report. All Columnists: Kovener, Rutter p. 8 rights reserved. Photocopying, Internet for- warding, faxing or reproducing in any form, Capitol Watch: Labor gets behind Hill p. 9 in whole or part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without consent of Ticker Tape: Lugar praises Goss p. 10 the publisher. HOWEY Political Report Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Aug, 12, 2004 Daniels, who heads the Office of Justice Programs (the “shenanigans” as well as the length of time it took Kernan to Daniels campaign says there is no coordination). There is propose a solution -- a 2 percent cap of a home's assessed Attorney General Steve Carter, a Crown Point native, who value -- to stem some of the huge property tax hikes in north- invoked RICO statutes against Pastrick, alleging that East ern Lake County. “The state's also cleaning up voter rolls,'' he Chicago city government is, essentially, a criminal enterprise. said. “It'll be much more difficult to pull the hanky-panky stuff.” There is Secretary of State Todd Rokita, a Munster native, The Times quoted Lake County Republican Randy who orchestrated a voter file purge that resulted in 70,000 of Peters as saying Kernan will be hurt in Lake County. “He’s 340,000 Lake County voter registrtion validation forms com- toast,” Peters said. ing back as “undeliverable mail.” And there is Republican But the troubles of the Pastricks and Kings and Harris gubernatorial nominee Mitch Daniels, taking aim on the politi- do not leave the party GOTV apparatus barren. There are still cal and economic front. His message has been that Lake Sheriff Roy Dominguez, Democratic Chairman Stephen County will always have problems attracting good jobs until its Stiglich, Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott (though bloodied corrupt government is rectified. after the May primary), Prosecutor Bernard Carter, and This story is not without Democrats who have cho- Commissioners Fran DuPey and Rudy Clay. All will have sen to take a stand. Justice Rucker is one; Lake County growing power. Prosecutor Bernard Carter had the guts to join in AG Carter’s Bill Oesterle, Daniels campaign manager knows that corruption task force. Unsuccessful primary candidate Alicia Gov. O’Bannon defeated David McIntosh by 75,000 votes in Rodriguez-Lopez, who lost Lake County in 2000, but of the current developments, he to State Rep. John said, “I have no idea. There are these titanic changes going Aguilera in the May prima- on up there. On the good days, I think it will have a big ry, is another trying to impact. With the voter file purge and the indictments, you’d save “The Truth” public think that would have an impact.” Under the new purging access TV show. The list rules, voters whose address comes back as undeliverable of associates of the can vote on a provisional ballot, easier to contest in recount. Pastrick machine under Democratic stalwarts know that the Pastrick machine indictment or investigation has essentially seized up. They tend to see Van Bokkelen’s -- Fife, Peter Manous, efforts as credible, and those by Attorney General Steve Kevin Pastrick -- repre- Attorney General Steve Carter (left) and Carter as grandstanding, particularly the RICO suit filed sents a sea change in Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter. against Pastrick and 26 other people last Monday. Lake County - and Indiana (HPR Photo by Brian A. Howey) Oesterle expects the Democrats to lash back and - politics. Rumors are ram- counter the Pastrick debacle. He said that IPALCO retirees pant that Gary Mayor Scott King and power broker Jewell are being recruited for a TV ad to use against Daniels, a for- Harris are the next targets of Van Bokkelen, along with mer IPALCO board member. “We’ve heard they are going to Pastrick himself. They could follow former Gary Clerk Katie turn up the heat in mid-August,” Oesterle said. Hall and former Lake County Councilman Troy Montgomery. The irony is that it is the squeaky clean Kernan - Go to www.howeypolitics.com and click the “Death of who dropped out of the governor’s race in 2002, in part, a Governor” button on the left side of the page and you find because of the power play that put the corrupt Manous in as my description of “12 Days that Rocked Indiana.” Not only did state Democratic chairman - who stands to pay the biggest it include the passing of Gov. O’Bannon, but David McIntosh political price from all the fallout. leaving the field, allowing the Republicans to coalesce around Indiana Democrats were slow to cut their ties with the Mitch Daniels. And there was the “Godfather II” scene involv- embattled Pastrick. On the night of Kernan’s State of the ing Pastrick’s attendance of Van Bokkelen’s “Zero Tolerance State address, the party under Chairman Hogsett had the of Public Corruption” seminar in Hammond, while U.S. mar- “Pastrick Reception” at the Skyline Club, when there were ris- shals rounded up six East Chicago administration and council ing star mayors like Evansville’s Jonathan Weinzapfel to cele- members. brate. Last year, Joe Andrew and Vi Simpson sought a That story might have seemed to be a stretch. But Pastrick endorsement. It’s a tough call when to get out the Govs. Bayh and O’Bannon got pluralities in the 75,000 to 10-foot pole, particularly with someone like Mayor Pastrick. 100,000 range out of Lake County to win office. Purdue While few realize the context, the assault on Region Calumet Prof. Maurice Eisenstein told the Times of Northwest corruption, the “Indianapolis Works” proposal by Mayor Bart Indiana he believes the Lake County Democratic machine will Peterson (see pages 7&8), and Brent Waltz defeat of Senate slip by at least 15,000 votes this November. Eisenstein said Finance Chairman Larry Borst, all signal dramatic changes in voters may be dissatisfied over Lake County's recent political Hoosier politics, all fascinating precursors to Nov. 2. HOWEY Political Report Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Aug. 12, 2004 Corruption in American Politics (Random House/Times Sabato, Kernan, Daniels Books, 1996). “HPR subscribers are going to be treated to the most will headline 2004 riveting political and public policy event of 2004,” said HPR Publisher Brian A. Howey. “Dr. Sabato and our panels of local HPR Forum Series experts and commentators will offer fascinating insights into Dr. Larry Sabato, Gov. Joe Kernan and Republican chal- the most compelling election we’ve seen in years.” lenger Mitch Daniels will headline the HPR Forum Series from 8 a.m.