HPI Interview
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V23, N1 Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017 HPI Interview: Lawson guards elections She believes that the Rus- From 2016 hacks and sians hacked the Democratic National Committee, but does arrests, to the Trump not know if it was the Russian election commission, to government. “Now do I know whether it was the Russian reelection, a busy year government? No, I don’t,” she said. By BRIAN A. HOWEY The interview came after INDIANAPOLIS – Secretary of State a tumultuous 2016 election, Connie Lawson flatly asserted that she followed by the chaotic Trump believes the 2016 elections in Indiana were White House. And it comes as not tampered with by the Russians and has Lawson is seeking a second full confidence in full term. She is president of the results. the National Secretaries of Her com- State Association and is serv- ments came during ing on cyber security panels. an exclusive HPI In- “I have a full plate,” she said terview last Friday several times during the inter- at a time when she view in her Statehouse office. is serving on the President’s Advisory Com- Here is our HPI Interview mission on Election Integrity, a group se- with Secretary Lawson: lected by President Trump after he alleged HPI: Rep. Dvorak wrote a that there was massive voter fraud in 2016. letter to you earlier this sum- She confirmed to HPI, “The election results are absolutely unaltered and no votes have Continued on page 3 been changed.” Impeachment politics By MARK SOUDER FORT WAYNE – President Trump’s completion of his four-year term may depend upon two things: The Republicans maintaining control of Congress, and being on good terms with fellow Republicans. Recently, those things “That really put me face to face aren’t going so well. Certainly no Democrats are going to bail with these addiction issues. I got him out. He can divide his sup- to know families, mothers sitting porters but there are no signs of adding any new ones. on curbs, sobbing. I got to watch Some discussion of the history of impeachments pro- this play out at a level you just vides insight about the argu- cannot ignore.” ments that continue to unfold. A few things are very clear. No - State Sen. Mike Crider. vice president that survived a He is running for 6th CD presidential impeachment went on to win a presidential elec- Page 2 tion. Vice Presidents Andrew Johnson, ported the precedent of a much lower Gerald Ford, and Al Gore never won at threshold for impeachment during the the national level post-impeachment. Clinton process just as Democrats are It isn’t impossible that Vice President doing in the Trump era. The standard Pence could win nationally should for impeachment has become lying President Trump be impeached, but or covering up actions, not actual he would be an American original. treason or the original acts that led It is also clear that Trump to the lying because, in fact, they threats of retribution at critics will may not be impeachable acts (even have no impact on his potential of be- if provable). The Clinton process also Howey Politics Indiana ing impeached. If the Democrats win established that impeachment didn’t WWWHowey Media, LLC 405 control of Congress, threats against even need a single supporter from the Massachusetts Ave., Suite 300 them will only strengthen them among other party, unlike the cases of John- Indianapolis, IN 46204 their base. He can cause Repub- www.howeypolitics.com lican divisions that could cost Republicans seats, but that just Brian A. Howey, Publisher means that there would be even Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington more severely anti-Trump Demo- crats in office. There would be no Jack E. Howey, Editor message “learned.” His future in Mary Lou Howey, Editor office, not just his agenda, likely Mark Curry, photography depends upon a Republican Con- gress. A Democrat takeover in Subscriptions the 2018 elections would begin HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 with tortuous, daily hearings and HPI Weekly, $350 investigations that would make the son and Nixon. Ray Volpe, Account Manager 2017 Republican-conducted hearings These standards have put our 317.602.3620 look like love-fests. They would be current president more at risk. His drawn out to maximize impact on the supporters, many of whom wanted to email: [email protected] 2020 presidential process. And the put Hillary Clinton in jail and remove Clinton impeachment standard cer- Bill Clinton from office, now want the Contact HPI tainly lowered the threshold for over- standard to be different. Now liberals turning an election. Clinton survived want standards imposed that they op- [email protected] because the Senate was split 50-50, posed for Clinton. Whether or not you Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 and Vice President Gore was the tie- agreed or disagreed with the impeach- Washington: 202.256.5822 breaker. ment of Clinton, he definitely tried to Business Office: 317.602.3620 You shouldn’t just overturn cover up in his actions and used his elections because you don’t agree White House staff to do so. with or are deeply offended by a In other words, the sur- © 2017, Howey Politics president. Even some illegal behav- vival of President Trump hinges upon Indiana. All rights reserved. ior is not grounds for overturning an two things: Maintaining a Republican Photocopying, Internet forward- election or you get into endless battles Congress and that there are no more ing, faxing or reproducing in over what “is” is. Not just about sex, serious, proven revelations. Barring any form, whole or part, is a but about whether weapons indirectly clear evidence that Trump himself exchanged for hostages is sufficient was involved in or ordered illegal and violation of federal law without cause. President Andrew Johnson impeachable (i.e. national interest) permission from the publisher. escaped conviction because some discussions with Russian operatives, Republicans sided with all the Demo- Republicans are not going to impeach crats that even Johnson’s defiance him. At this point and probably going of Congress in implementing laws forward, this entire debate will be which protected basic rights for black largely partisan unless there is clearly Americans, won by the blood of the sufficient evidence. Even Republicans Civil War, was not sufficient grounds who are relatively appalled by Trump for impeachment. are not going to join in partisan ef- The Republicans, and almost forts, just as Democrats defended every Trump supporter, already sup- Clinton. Page 3 General John Kelly is likely to bring some order to only the Republican Congress but at loyal allies including the White House managerial process. But ultimately, he Attorney General Sessions and his long-time advisor Steve has huge challenges that could be beyond his personal Bannon, suggests that, depending upon what evidence is experience and skills. Our political system is not like the uncovered (if it exists) about Russian or other matters, im- military, and it should never become so. It is not autocrat- peachment could move beyond partisanship. General Kelly ic. Only strong-armed, non-free governments are “run like needs to worry less about other leaks and more about the military.” controlling his boss. While I am traditionalist conservative, not a liber- These combustible dynamics undergird the tarian in ideological terms, part of the definition of being 2018 Indiana Senate race. The Republicans are certainly a conservative is to be skeptical of big government versus going to lose a few seats, and Sen. Joe Donnelly repre- individual liberty. A democratic republic is not like the mili- sents one of the only possible gains. Donnelly’s skills as a tary. You can’t have leaks of classified security information politician have been vastly underestimated by Republicans when going to war. Leaks about differences of opinion on over his career. He knows how to exploit weaknesses. He policies can actually help further political debate even if already knew the accusations being thrown around by Re- those in control don’t ever like them. publicans against each other, and will use them effectively. Politics requires listening, not ordering people Donnelly’s bonus assistance regularly comes from around by a single leader. Voters elect congressmen and the president. Trump called the House health care bill senators, governors, state legislators, mayors, city and “mean.” He called the Republican senators “fools.” Presi- county councils, and even surveyors and coroners. We dent Trump’s danger in writing campaign commercials for don’t have one leader who is the boss of us and everybody Democrats is that if they win control, then the impeach- else reports for duty. Governing is messy and requires ment battle will begin in earnest. v negotiation and compromise. General Kelly’s other problem is his boss. Relevant Souder is a former Republican congressman. In to the politics of impeachment, the president’s uncon- 1999, he voted on two impeachment counts against trolled, often nasty and unstable outbursts against not President Clinton and voted against two others. election process is. We examined 15,500,000 logins from Lawson Interview, from page 1 the 92 county clerks’ offices. They were processing candi- mer asking whether Russian intelligence or hackers had date filings, absentee ballot requests and petition signa- probed or compromised Indiana’s election system. How tures and all the things that counties do. So we were fine. did you respond to that inquiry? What do Hoosiers need to Those IP addresses had not touched Indiana’s system. We know? felt very good about that but we are Lawson: First, what Hoosiers continuing to do everything we can need to know is the election results because the worst thing we can do is are absolutely unaltered and no believe that we don’t have any more votes have been changed in the 2016 work to do.