Politics Indiana

V14 N43 Thursday, June 19, 2008 Thompson-Oxley seeking unity Waterman-Jehl look for a ‘miracle’ while Daniels picks up key RTL nod

By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS - For the first time in Hoosier history, when Jill Long Thomp- son addresses the Indiana Democratic Convention around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, she will become the first female nominee, following the footsteps of other gender pioneers like Virginia Dill McCarty, Ann DeLaney and Vi Simpson. She will greet a convention with the theme “Restoring Indiana’s Promises” along with her new running mate, State Rep. Dennie Oxley. The campaign hopes it closes a controversial and unsettled period for Indiana Democrats. The state party and much of the establishment backed Jim Schellinger’s gubernatorial bid. The six weeks since her primary victory has offered an array of mixed signals. The Jill Long Thompson with State Rep. Dennie Oxley and his wife, Jayme, at the State- campaign had house on Monday. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) only two press See Page 3

Daniels’ Iraq calculus

By SHAW R. FRIEDMAN LaPORTE - How could he have gotten it so wrong? How could Mitch Daniels have failed to properly advise his President and his country on the true costs of war? Yes, volumes have been written on how “I don’t think it’s going to be nearly “All the President’s Men” gave him bad advice in the lead-up to war that big a distraction. It’s not and trimmed and tailored their views to suit the President’s inclination to new; it’s old news by now.” wage a war of choice. But how could the man with ultimate responsibility - Glenna Jehl, on managing for our federal budget - Mitch Dan- iels - have gotten war cost estimates the Matt Kelty campaign that ended so wrong when he was White House budget director? Shouldn’t that with a loss and 9 indictments HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008 horrendous lapse of judgment raise tor Mitch Daniels gets a pointer from Howey Politics continuing questions about his judg- President George W. Bush in the Oval ment now when it comes to objec- Office as Lawrence Lindsey looks on. Indiana tively valuing state assets or resisting (White House Photo)He shouldn’t be is a nonpartisan news- impulses to further privatize state talking about that.” Clearly a realis- resources like the Indiana lottery? tic view of war costs wasn’t “part of letter based in Indianapolis When it came time for a the script” for selling the war to the and published by NewsLink hard-nosed assessment of war costs, American public. Yet, Mitch Daniels Mitch Daniels not only missed the felt the need to ingratiate himself with Inc. It was founded in mark, he missed it by a mile. And our the President’s inner circle by publicly 1994 in Fort Wayne. country is still paying for it. We now claiming that Lindsay’s assessment have the burden of an additional four was “very, very high” and that we years of Iraq War costs since Daniels’ were somehow poised for a bargain Brian A. Howey, publisher election in 2004 to know how tragi- basement rout in this conflict. Mark Schoeff Jr. and Mark cally mistaken he was when he served Our governor seems to have in the highest levels of our federal been an all-too-willing participant in Curry, Washington government. the selling of what Scott McClellan writers As White House Budget Direc- now admits was an “unnecessary” war. Jack E. Howey, editor tor, Mitch Daniels brashly predicted At a time when our country desper- Beverly Phillips, associate that the Iraq War would not only be ately needed candor and honesty from “an affordable endeavor,” he had the its public officials, Mitch Daniels aided editor audacity to tell the world the Iraqis and abetted what the president’s “would not require sustained Subscriptions: aid.” Sitting in the comfort of his kitchen at his Geist Reservoir $350 annually HPI via e-mail; mansion, Mitch Daniels insisted $550 annually HPI & HPI Daily by phone to a reporter for the Wire. New York Times on December Call 317-254-0535. 31, 2002, that the Iraq War costs “will be in the range of Howey Politics Indiana $50 to $60 billion.” PO Box 40265 What amazes many to Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265. this day is the pure hubris of a man who had never known the horrors of war, who had never Contact Us served a day in uniform, not OMB Director Mitch Daniels, Lawrence Lindsey www.howeypolitics.com only predicting with absolute and President Bush in the Oval Office. (White certainty the costs of this war, [email protected] House Photo) but participating in the public Main Office: 317-202-0210. flogging of a fellow administra- Howey’s Mobile: 317-506-0883. tion member, Lawrence Lindsey, Indianapolis Fax: 317-254-0535. whose war estimate was a lot closer spokesman now says was a “politi- Washington: 202-256-5822. to reality than his own. cal propaganda campaign” which was Former Bush Press Secre- “aimed at manipulating sources of Business Office: 317-254-0535. tary Scott McClellan says, in his tell-all public opinion.” ©2008, Howey Politics book that the President became As has been his pattern as Indiana. All rights reserved. enraged in September 2002 when governor, Mitch Daniels simply ignored Photocopying, Internet forwarding, Lindsey, at that time the president’s contrary views and chose not to listen. top economic adviser, was cited in the It appears the White House budget faxing or reproducing in any form, Wall Street Journal as saying the war director never even factored in the in whole or part, is a violation of might cost $100 billion to $200 billion. disastrous impact of the Iraq War on federal law without permission from McClellan quotes Bush as saying, “It’s our economy, such as estimating the the publisher. unacceptable. impact of war on the price of oil. It White House Budget Direc- was $25 per barrel right before the HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008

war, with gas at about $1.50 per gallon. Now oil has hit make a year of college affordable for 160,000 low income $130 per barrel and gas is over $4 a a gallon. students through Pell grants, or pay the annual salaries of The quadrupling of oil prices was predictable had nearly 14,000 more police officers. Mitch Daniels only looked. A Brookings Institution study in Mitch Daniels wasn’t the only hopeless optimist 2001 projected a worst case scenario with oil at $75 a bar- around this president who insisted on absurdly low esti- rel and gas at $3 a gallon based on an interruption in the mates of the costs of war. Five years ago, President Bush’s world’s oil supply in the event of a war lasting 18 months. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfelt also mocked Lawrence Months before we invaded Iraq, Yale economics Lindsey for estimating the war might cost $200 billion. professor William Nordhaus, a former member of the Presi- Yet wind the clock forward and we find Congress having dent’s council of economic advisers, wrote that a protracted already appropriated $600 billion for the Iraq War, some war would result in a recession, just as we suffered a short 10 times Mitch Daniels’ estimate. An entire generation of recession following the relatively brief first Gulf War. Americans will pay the price as billions more are borrowed This war is now over five years old and will be from foreign dictators to pay for this war while countless the most expensive in history, apart from World War II, ac- schools, roads and bridges in this country are starved of cording to Joesph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureat economist. Stiglitz their much needed public investments. In the meantime, has predicted that our Iraq War undertaking will cost far we all pay dearly at the gas pump as the war continues fu- more than $2 trillion when taking into account lifetime eling commodity speculators and uncertainty in the futures healthcare and disability benefits for returning veterans and market. the special round-the-clock medical attention needed for There should be a reckoning for these kinds of mis- many of the tens of thousands of brave American men and takes. Many Americans have paid the ultimate sacrifice for women returning with long-term health problems. We’re this conflict and the horrendous costs continue to mount. spending $275 million every day on a war that another one Hoosiers will have an opportunity to tell Mitch Daniels in of Bush’s yes-men, Paul Wolfowitz, told us would be fully November they won’t abide that kind of grossly negligent paid for by Iraqi oil! conduct and they aren’t willing to trust that kind of judg- At a time when Mitch Daniels had an extraordi- ment at the helm of our state government for the next four nary opportunity to perhaps provide some candor and yes, years. v unwanted news to this President, he failed as OMB direc- Friedman practices law in LaPorte, Ind., and tor and our country has subsequently poured hundreds of is a regular Howey Politics Indiana column contribu- billions in national treasure into the sandy pit that is Iraq as tor. a result. Robert Hormats, vice-chairman of Goldman Sachs put it into context in March when he testified before the Publisher’s Note: Cam Savage of Gov. Daniels’ re-election Joint Economic Committee of Congress. As Hormats made campaign made this statement: “Daniels’ estimate was only clear, the money spent on the war each day is enough to for the cost of one year. He didn’t try to extrapolate any enroll an additional 58,000 kids in Head Start for a year, or future figures.”

from page 1 comment on the campaign’s finances, saying the numbers Democrats, would be revealed in early July. “We feel very good where we are,” he said. “Fundraising is going exceptionally well. conferences. It took most of that time to choose Oxley, We won’t compete dollar for dollar. We’ll have more than after several higher profile possibilities asked not to be con- enough money to compete with Gov. Daniels. We have a sidered, which temporarily created the perception that the game plan. We were outspent in primary 3 to 1. We know campaign was treading water. There was no endorsement how to use resources we know how to use effecitvely.” from Jim Schellinger, though the campaign says that he The campaign is beginning to take shape. In ad- and Thompson are communicating. “Jill and Mr. Schellinger dition to campaign manager Travis Lowe, and Harris, the have spoken a number of times,” said communications Thompson team includes Joe Retoff as finance director, director Jim Schellinger. “That is coming together. We wel- Cheryl Bergman as deputy campaign manager (she worked come his support. We expect him to be a part of that.” on the campaign of Michigan Gov. Jennifer Grandholm), Thompson is expected to sound themes along the scheduler Chris Becker (from Winston-Terrell), deputy com- lines of “Dreaming Big Again,” said Harris. The convention munications director Keith Johnson, Kate Sweeney Bell as caps a critical week for Thompson, who a number of sourc- central Indiana field director (a former aide to Gov. Evan es say lags in money raising in the six weeks since she Bayh), and a finance team that includes Shaunica Pridgen, defeated Schellinger. She needs to create the perception Steve Kolbert and Lisa Flegel. The campaign is also work- of unity and stoke the money machine. Harris would not ing closely with former Democratic chairman Robin Winston HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 4 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008

and former Bloomington mayor John Hoosier families,” Oxley said. “Dennie Oxley is Fernandez. an outstanding public servant and I am proud to welcome him to the team,” Thompson Unknown money factor said. “His experience in the state legislature, The fact that the Thompson in the classroom and in the business world campaign had posted only one sup- will be put to good use as we work together plemental over $10,000 - $25,000 to rebuild our economy and restore Indiana’s from the Democratic Governor As- promise. He is known as a tireless and dedi- sociation - has raised eyebrows in cated legislator who can get the job done.” political circles. That could change While the media and blogs noted that on June 26 when Sen. Evan Bayh, Oxley voted for the tax reforms that Thomp- Gov. Joe Kernan and Speaker B. son criticized, she spun it like this: “Just like Patrick Bauer host a Skyline Club Indiana is very diverse and we have many reception for the Thompson-Oxley families from different backgrounds who think ticket. The campaign is also work- Indiana Democratic Chairman Dan differently on issues, I think it’s important to ing to muster union resources, Parker hugs gubernatorial nominee have a team that knows how to bring people with some of what would normally Jill Long Thompson on Monday when together to move this state forward.” It was a be Democratic supporters instead they announced the Dennie Oxley good spin, but ultimately it gives the Daniels going to Gov. Daniels. At the Jef- campaign some cover on the tax issue. While ferson-Jackson Day Dinner on May blogs like the Daniels front Frugal Hoosiers 4, two sponsor banners on either side of the dais featuring painted Oxley as a legislator who passed only six of 51 Tom O’Donnell and Jay Potesta greeted atendees, though authored bills in 10 years, Oxley said that as majority whip, both have offered support to Daniels, in large part due to his “fingerprints” were on every major piece of legislation. the Major Moves initiative that has spawned a number of The Democrats seemed intent on going after labor jobs. Daniels on the economy. “As a lagging economy continues Harris noted that Thompson has been endorsed by to slow, as health-care costs increase, as foreclosure rates the AFL-CIO and that the campaign is in talks with unions rise, gas prices go sky-high, as high school dropout rates like the UAW, IBEW and the Indiana Building Trades. “It’s increase and as home sales slow, Hoosiers are facing real coming together quite nicely,” Harris said of the unions. uncertainty,” Oxley said. “And they have good reason to “We’ve received a lot of help from those organizations.” feel that way. From January to April of this year, Indiana The convention will be chaired by Lake County lost nearly 30,000 good-paying jobs. It is time that we Sheriff Roy Dominguez and will feature U.S. Reps. Baron demand more. We need a governor that will tackle our Hill, Brad Ellsworth, Joe Donnelly and Pete Visclosky. There problems head-on. Not just sell them off to the highest will be a Chris Sautter video that will feature Birch and foreign bidder and hope things get better.” Evan Bayh, former First Lady Judy O’Bannon (who will be Those numbers tell only one side of the story, as attending a family reunion), and Lee Hamilton. “It will be the Daniels campaign will point out that the jobless rate very fun, very energetic,” Harris said of the convention. stayed stationary at 4.7 percent as it rose in neighbhoring And it will showcase the Thompson-Oxley ticket, states and the U.S. which apparently came together last week and was intro- duced on Monday. Multiple informed and reliable Democrat- Potesta & O’Donnell ic sources told HPI late last week that while Oxley was the Cam Savage, communications director for the top choice, it took time to work out details including a job Daniels campaign, used the O’Donnell and Potesta endorse- during the next five months. His father is expected to run ments as proof that the jobs profile of the administration in the caucus for HD73, which Oxley guaranteed would stay transcends traditional politics. “Tommy has endorsed us, Democratic, like it has for most of the last 50 years. That but the union hasn’t at this point,” Savage said..”Jay has would give Oxley the option of coming back to the House if endorsed us and is part of our steering committee as well. the Thompson ticket loses to Daniels. Tommy and Jay care about jobs. They care about grow- ing. Their guys have to work. Gov. Daniels has created jobs An energized moment here. There’s a reason we’re doing better than our sur- On Monday, the Thompson campaign seemed rounding states.” energized for the first time since the primary. “Jill is a proven leader with executive experience and I’m honored Awaiting the Waterman-Jehl ‘miracle’ to partner with her to fight for better opportunities for all The Daniels campaign has also kept tabs on the Page 5 Thursday, June 19, 2008

antics of political puppeteer John Price and the “Taxpayer There is also the abortion angle to the Waterman- Party” ticket of State Sen. John Waterman and Glenna Jehl. Jehl ticket. Price has indicated that Daniels is not sufficient- The renegade trio appeared - with Waterman in cowboy ly pro-life, even though he agrees that Daniels has been boots and a clip-on tie - together at a near Northside the most pro-life governor in post-Roe vs. Wade Indiana. Indianapolis home to talk about property taxes, the new Not only did the Indiana Right to Life PAC endorse Daniels, party, and whether they could get the 33,000 signatures to it did so emphatically. “We are proud to endorse Gov. Dan- qualify for the ballot. Waterman said it would be an “act of iels in recognition of his steadfast support for the sanctity God” if they got on the ballot less than a week after he told of life,” stated IRTL-PAC chairman Mike Fichter. “Mitch Dan- the Sullivan Daily Times they would have the signatures iels pledged to support pro-life legislation as a candidate in last Thursday. Price said it would be “a miracle.” Said Price, 2004 and he has been true to his word. Now it is time for “If it happens, it would be quite a statement.” And Water- pro-life Hoosiers to show their appreciation for Gov. Daniels man insisted he would take more votes from Thompson by actively working to secure his re-election. Since abortion than Daniels. on demand became legal in 1973, not a single Indiana gov- Knox County Republican Chairman T. J. Brink told ernor prior to Gov. Daniels had the courage or conviction to the Evansville Courier & Press that he didn’t think Water- publicly support the sanctity of life of unborn children.” man could get the 33,000 signatures, that Daniels will carry Fichter noted that Daniels signed legislation that Knox County, and that Waterman will likely face a primary requires abortion providers to show their patient ultra- challenger if he runs for re- sounds, the state licensing election in 2010.”I think on of abortion clinics, and the June 30, it’s over with,” Brink establishment of an umbilical said. “John will not be on cord blood bank to advance the ballot. Outside of Sul- “life-affirming stem cell livan County and the area he research instead of killing represents, he’s a no-name. human embryos.” He has no state appeal what- That endorsement seemed soever, and when he goes to to showcase the Daniels talk to people in other areas, campaign propensity to he’ll have even less appeal.” produce same news cycle A similar assessment came counters to what their oppo- The Democratic ticket: Woods, Pence, Thompson and Oxley. from Vanderburgh County nents are doing. “The Right Democratic chairman Mark to Life endorsement does Owen. “I don’t think he’s undercut things that some people are saying,” Savage said. a factor,” Owen said. “I think the race is really between “I wouldn’t call it a deliberate strategy but we have a lot of Thompson and Daniels.” friends. It’s not the same coaliton that we’ve used before. And then there was Jehl and her role as campaign We have a lot of people speaking.” manager for the Fort Wayne mayoral campaign of Matt There was also an endorsement of the governor Kelty that ended with a loss (in the first election after from the Fraternal Order of Police, which did not endorse scores of GOP voters from Aboite Township were annexed Daniels in 2004. The governor earned their respect and into the city) and a nine-count campaign finance and always had an open door,” Savage said. FOP President Tim perjury indictment of Kelty. Jehl whistled past the political Downs said, “Mitch Daniels has worked hard to develop graveyard, noting that, “I don’t think it’s going to be a big strong and effective relationships with law enforcement and distraction. It’s not new, it’s old news.” While much of the he’s always responded to our needs. The FOP appreciates statewide press glanced over Jehl’s Fort Wayne fiasco, the Gov. Daniels’ leadership and we enthusiastically support his fact is that it won’t be “old news” once Kelty goes on trial re-election.” in October, according to WANE-TV. At that point, it is likely Daniels was also the recipient of extensive me- we’d see Jehl on the witness stand explaining her own il- dia coverage of the floods and tornadoes in Central and legal $10,000 loan to the Kelty campaign she managed. Southern Indiana. TV clips showed Daniels directing the Sharing the news cycle state response, and hugging victims on the ground. That Sharing the same news cycle with Price’s Taxpayer certainly wasn’t a planned political calculation, though it, Party was the fact that Allen County homeowners will see too, undercuts Democratic criticism that he is out of touch, 28 percent property tax reductions and Howard County doesn’t listen and doesn’t care about the average Hoosier. homeowners will see a 50 percent decrease. Both counties And if the response had been botched, the political ramifi- are expecting even greater relief on 2008 bills payable in cations could have been immense. 2009. HPI Horse Race Status: LEANS DANIELS v HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 6 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008

the attorney general campaign of Valparaiso Jon Costas, Elrod, Miller boost House GOP, who lost a convention floor fight to Greg Zoeller by a but some unfilled holes, too landslide. If the GOP fails to retake the House, there is now some talk that a leadership fight could ensue prior to By BRIAN A. HOWEY Organization Day after the election. INDIANAPOLIS - With a June 30 deadline for filling Gentry points to an American Viewpoint Poll ballot vacancies, Indiana House Republicans are mak- that shows Elrod leading Democrat Mary Ann Sullivan ing some progress, buoyed by the re-emergence of State 55-32 percent in a Democratic district that Elrod won by Rep. Jon Elrod in defending HD97 that many thought was only a handful of votes over Democrat Ed Mahern in 2006. a certain pickup for Democrats as well as former Elkhart That poll shows Barack Obama leading John McCain 45-38 mayor Dave Miller’s challenge percent and Gov. Mitch Daniels leading Jill Long Thompson to State Rep. Craig Fry in HD5. 49-42 percent in the district. Elrod’s fav/unfavs stand at 61- It comes at a time when there 16 percent while Sullivan’s were 16-4 percent. The pollster are rumblings within the House notes, “They will have to spend $ 500,000 to get her name Republican caucus about several ID to equal Elrod’s.” unfilled seats in districts cen- In addititon, retired Anderson Police Chief Frank tered in Kokomo, Madison/North Burrows will be nominated to take on State Rep. Terri Aus- Vernon and Vincennes and fears tin. In HD68, Brookville attorney Jud McMillin will challenge that the GOP might not control State Rep. Bob Bischoff. “We waste too much time and the House, even if Gov. Mitch Daniels wins re-election. money in Indianapolis,” McMillin said. “I will be a strong Those seats are held by freshmen State Reps. Kreg leader fighting for change at the State House.” Battles, Dave Cheatham and Ron Herrell, who lost in 2004. Caucuses “may be called” in HD6 (House Speaker Going into this year, HPI and other observers expected B. Patrick Bauer), HD7 (State Rep. David Niezgodski), and those seats to be in play despite a problematic national HD77 (against Democrat Gail Riecken in a seat being va- environment for Republicans that cated by the retiring State Rep. Phil is potentially mitigated by the Hoy). Republican Kevin Mitschelen Daniels re-election campaign. is preparing a challenge against “No we probably won’t Bauer, sources tell HPI. Two-term have candidates,” said HRCC Elkhart mayor Miller, who didn’t Director Mike Gentry of Battles seek a third term, will be nomi- and Herrell seats. “They were nated in a HD5 caucus before June not on our recruitment focus 30, Gentry said this afternoon. list.” He said that Battles is the Gentry said that HRCC 62nd most Republican district polling shows that Republican in the state with Gov. Daniels Randy Truitt is ahead in HD26, the polling 48.5 percent in 2004 and seat being vacated by State Rep. State Treasurer Tim Berry polling Joe Micon with John Polles run- 46 percent. He said that Herrell’s ning for the Democrats. He said HD30 seat is the 69th most that Mark Messmer in HD63, a seat Republican seat. “John Smith vacated by State Rep. Dave Crooks was able to sneak up on Her- where Democrat John Burger is rell in a strong GOP year (2004) running; and in HD46, where for- when most of the union activists State Rep. Jon Elrod’s decision to seek his Indiana mer Indiana State basketball star in Kokomo were in Ohio working House seat and drop his 7th CD congressional bid Bob Heaton is challenging State for John Kerrey,” Gentry said. He gives Republicans a chance to hold on to a seat they Rep. Vern Tincher, the Republicans called the recent wins of Smith thought they had lost. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) “are within striking distance.” In in HD30 and Troy Woodruff in HD62, where State Rep. Sandra HD64 as “lightning strikes.” Blanton is on the ballot for the first Several Republican members believe that Gen- time after Jerry Denbo retired, Republican Brook Tarr “is try and Minority Leader Brian Bosma “took their eye off the running a strong race.” In HD17, “Mark MacKillop is put- ball” in candidate recruitment while Gentry commenced a ting pressure on (State Rep. Nancy) Dembowski,” Gentry private political consulting firm that worked on the congres- said. “Starke County was one of Obama’s worst performing sional campaigns of Elrod and U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, and counties.” Gentry said “The only seat not filled on our focus HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 7 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008

list is HD69,” which is held by Rep. Cheatham. That would candidate in Indiana’s 3rd District, for a half-hour handed mean that freshmen Rep. Battles and Rep. Herrell are pos- out allotments of $1.13 Thursday to motorists filling up at sibly going to get a pass in districts many thought would be the Shell station at 5805 Fairfield Ave. Montagano was try- in play. Howard County Republican Chairman Craig Dunn ing to draw attention to the fact gas cost $1.13 per gallon thought he had Kokomo radio talk show host Peter Heck in 1995, when Souder, R-3rd, took office. Souder didn’t see lined up, but Heck recently announced on his show he it in that light. By Thursday afternoon, his office released would not run. Dunn told HPI earlier this week he was still a statement attacking his opponent for breaking campaign hopeful to have a challenger there. finance laws. “Giving cash to influence votes is illegal, and Dunn raised questions about HD38 nominee we will ask the U.S. Attorney to investigate his conduct,” Clinton County Auditor Jacque Clements, who edged out the statement read. “We in Fort Wayne know that election newly selected State Rep. Heath Vannatter for the nomina- law violations are a serious matter.” Before disbursing the tion after he won the caucus to replace Jim Buck, who has cash, Montagano said he had checked into its legality. “It’s moved to the Senate. Dunn announced Monday that he not political pandering,” he said. “This is just a token, a has serious doubts about the viability of the candidacy of gesture.” He said the money came from his campaign ac- Clements, saying “I recently was e-mailed copies of the count. Later, Montagano said in a statement, “Gas has risen 2005 and 2006 Indiana State 350 percent since (Souder) took office and he has done Board of Accounts audits of the nothing to stop it: no support for alternative energy, no Clinton County Auditor’s Of- support for renewable fuels and nothing whatsoever to re- fice and found them extremely duce America’s dependency on foreign oil.” Status: LEANS troubling. These two reports SOUDER. and a failed supplemental audit Congressional District 7: Republican: seem to indicate a serious lack Open. Democrat: U.S. Rep. Andre Carson. 2008 Forecast: of management and oversight by State Rep. Jon Elrod has exited the 7th CD race and is ex- Jacque Clements in the Clinton pected to seek nomination to HD97 which he currently rep- County Auditor’s Office and could resents. “I take no pleasure in walking away from a fight,” be used as political fodder by Freshman Democrat Kreg Elrod said this morning. “Two elections have passed, and Democratic candidate Bob Snow Battles looks like he’ll get the voters have chosen a victor. No one stepped forward in November.” a pass this fall. for my seat.” U.S. Rep. Andre Carson reacted by saying, But Gentry said that “Over the past few months, as we campaigned in both the HRCC polling shows that Clem- special and primary elections, I enjoyed the opportunity to ents has an 18 percent lead over Snow and that Gov. Dan- get to know Jon better and I respect his decision.” Mary iels is running 41 percent better that Jill Long Thompson Ann Sullivan, the Democratic candidate for House District in that district. Democrats believe the divisions between 97, said, “It’s becoming increasingly unclear what office Howard and Clinton county Republicans could present a Jon Elrod wants to run for,” Sullivan said. “Does he want to pickup opportunity. be in Congress? Does he want to represent House District Said Gentry, “The Dems in this state like to talk a 97? What will he run for next?” Sullivan said constituents lot of smack but they always seem to under perform their deserve representation they can count on, not someone predictions. This year will be no different. We have the who looks at each campaign as a stepping stone to the best team of candidates, the best campaign team, a great next elected office. “I got into this race because I want to fundraising effort and a very strong GOV candidate. Yester- serve the residents of House District 97 who are looking for day was a big momentum switch in the race for the Indiana leadership on the issues that matter to them,” Sullivan said. House” with the re-emergence of Elrod. “If elected, I pledge to serve a full term at the Statehouse, and I hope Jon Elrod will offer his constituents the same promise now that he’s returned to this campaign.” Sullivan Indiana Congressional said she welcomes Elrod back to the race and hopes they can run a campaign that focuses on pressing state issues 3RD CD: Democrat: Michael Montagano. Re- such as education, tax reform and economic development. publican: U.S. Rep, Mark Souder. 2006 Results: Souder Elrod is expected to seek the HD97 seat in a caucus among 95,421, Hayhurst (D) 80,357. 2008 Outlook: The DCCC Marion County Republicans. The GOP will also nominate has added the Montagano campaign to its “Red to Blue” a candidate to face Carson sometime in the next 30 days. program. It is one of 14 Democrats to make that cut. Soud- Sources tell HPI that former Jerusalem Post Publisher Tom er wants federal officials to investigate his opponent’s effort Rose, who challenged Elrod in the special election caucus, to draw attention to the nation’s rising gasoline prices (Fort will not likely run. Status: SAFE CARSONv Wayne Journal Gazette). Mike Montagano, the Democratic HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 8 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008

wax nostalgic for $4.20 gasoline in the years ahead. There will be blood between McCain opened the debate this week in Houston of Obama, McCain on energy all places (Who’s doing this guy’s press and advance work? Do they not understand the symbolism of delivering this By CAM CARTER speech at ground zero for Enron and the newest corporate INDIANAPOLIS - “To drill or not to drill? That is the greedheads/punching bags, the oil companies?). He pro- question.” posed that we lift the 27 year-old moratorium on offshore Not quite Shakespearean in its eloquence, but drilling along our coasts. certainly in its potential for tragedy if we fail to answer it Good idea. America has nearly 21 billion barrels correctly. To sustain our of untapped oil reserves ($2.9 trillion at today’s prices), prosperity and security, each untapped barrel enriches mostly Mideast regimes we must answer a host of that are hostile to us or are our “friends” in name only, and questions regarding our 67% of Americans support the move. Only a fringe 18% nation’s energy needs in opposes it (those that answer Sierra Club mailers, hang coming years – years that on Ed Begley’s every word and spike trees for Greenpeace just happen to coincide on odd numbered weekends). And, if there was any silver with either a McCain or lining to Hurricane Katrina, it proved the oil industry’s off- Obama presidency. shore exploration technology and procedures are safe – the The two major Gulf of Mexico was not turned into one giant oil slick. party candidates squared off this week on energy matters Bad idea, as well. When McCain ran for president in and, if this is the new, post-partisan politics Obama promis- 2000, he opposed such drilling and still, inexplicably (unless es, then this is not change we can believe in. The exchange he has a fondness for caribou), refuses to open up the Artic between the candidates was enough to make one want National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska to such explora- to club both in the head with tion. His intellectual inconsistency a bowling pin – repeatedly. opens him up to criticism of While seemingly serious, both a flip-flop and irresoluteness McCain and Obama offered up from Team Obama. proposals that address only McCain also proposed part of our energy conundrum federal subsidies for nuclear and nothing but scorn and de- power, which he views as the rision for the other’s propos- best way to reduce U.S. carbon als. They need to get serious, dioxide emissions. That is a tone down the reflexive “that good idea despite the stigma guy’s ideas suck” mentality, attached to nuclear energy. and look for strategic solu- In the realm of “alterna- tions. tive” energy, nuclear may be At the end of any the only one that can meet analysis, we (and here, “we” demand on an industrialized can be defined as the entire scale. industrialized world) are a Worst idea: McCain’s petrol- and carbon-based so- proposal to suspend the 18.4 ciety. Get rid of oil or coal and cent per gallon federal gaso- the energy they create and line tax for the summer driving our economies stop, literally, Sen. John McCain spent about five minutes talking about season. Horrible, gag-inducing in their tracks. Societal strife energy policy at an Indianapolis town hall meeting at Emmis pandering with no economic follows. Global demand for en- last winter. He will address the National Sheriff Association in or intellectual underpinnings ergy is growing at a rapacious Indianapolis on July 1 in Indianapolis as well as host a fund- whatsoever. It would provide rate with billions of Indians, raiser. (HPI Photo by A. Walker Shaw) only mild, temporary relief Chinese and others in the at the pump and have the developing world seeking to attain a standard of living we perverse effect of actually increasing demand at a time of in the West have enjoyed for a century or more. In other short supply (see above, or talk to any high school eco- words, demand is going to go up indefinitely and, if supply nomics teacher). Worse yet, he has to share this turd of an does not follow, prices will continue to spiral. You and I will idea with the late, not-so-great Wicked Witch of the West Wing, Hillary Clinton. (One redeeming quality of Obama’s Page 9 Thursday, June 19, 2008

nomination victory is that we will not have that vainglori- reasonable proposal by his opponent for more offshore ous shrew or her husband preening around center stage of exploration that has proven to be environmentally safe? American political life anymore.) Sad. Perhaps he will have a different (shall we say, more So, McCain offers some good ideas (in a terrible worldly?) view once he has a chance to sit down and chat setting) and a really bad idea. At least he has his eye on personally with those dictators during his first year in of- the ball. What was the Obama camp’s reaction? To reject fice. both the good and the bad and – surprise! – offer some Obama’s preferred fix, best one can tell, is to soaring rhetoric. use taxes raised through an auction of greenhouse-gas Obama was right to pan the gasoline tax rollback, emissions credits to fund new alternative energy research especially in light of the huge deficiencies with our trans- and development projects, while also imposing renewable portation infrastructure that the tax is supposed to fund. energy mandates on public utilities. Now, this cap-and- But the follow- trade-and-tax-and-regulate approach may have merit if you ing does not a) agree that global climate change, not U.S. energy secu- instill much rity, is the main issue, and b) you want to pay more – a lot confidence in more – at the pump and further want to turn your home his judgment thermostat down to a Jimmy Carter-esque 67 degrees or his promise in winter (75 in summer). Otherwise, Obama’s proposal of a “new poli- seems quite Draconian and ignores market forces that likely tics”: will provide the proper incentives to the private sector to “John do their own R&D on alternative energy sources and more McCain’s plan fuel-efficient vehicles. to simply drill Obama reflexively rejects McCain’s policies and our way out of follows liberal doctrine to a regulation-heavy, big govern- our energy cri- ment solution. So much for the great orator’s post-partisan sis is the same Sen. Barack Obama at an Indianapolis Phil- promises and grasp of market economics. misguided ap- lips66 station in April. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Bought an SUV lately? Didn’t think so. Market proach backed Howey) forces are at work and those gas-guzzlers are sitting on by President dealers’ lots. I’m eyeballing a Honda Civic Hybrid as my Bush that has next vehicle – on a short-term lease, of course, because failed our families for too long and only serves to benefit I expect the technology to leapfrog in a few years. That, the big oil companies,” Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan and I plan to trash the vehicle on a summer road trip to said. Alaska… caribou tastes good. v Really? You see, I thought McCain was suggest- Carter is a vice president of the Indiana Chamber of ing we lift a moratorium on drilling that has been in place Commerce. He is a regular HPI column contributor. since 1981. That would make it a new policy, not the same, and certainly not an approach “that has failed our families for too long.” I won’t even dignify the Obama spokesman’s attempts to link McCain to the unpopular president or oil Republicans to the Arctic! companies. Obama himself had this to say, “Our dependence By JACK COLWELL on foreign oil strains family budgets and it saps our econo- SOUTH BEND - Two Hoosier Republican congres- my. Oil money pays for the bombs going off from Baghdad sional candidates plan to campaign way up north in Alaska to Beirut, and the bombast of dictators from Caracas to in July. It’s not that they’re trying to escape Indiana’s sum- Tehran,” Obama said. “Our nation will not be secure unless mer heat. They’re going just about as we take that leverage away, and our planet will not be safe far north in Alaska as possible to put unless we move decisively toward a clean energy future.” the heat on the incumbent Democrats I didn’t see video of these comments, but presum- they hope to defeat. ably Obama was crowned in a halo with his feet hovering Destination: the Arctic National slightly above Iowa floodwaters while imparting this wis- Wildlife Refuge. dom to the mere mortals around him (at least on the CNN Purpose: To make ANWR a fa- and MSNBC feeds). miliar acronym in their districts and So, Obama sees a strategic economic and security convince voters that failure to drill for threat from the world’s oil-rich dictators if we don’t break oil there is a factor in high gas prices our dependence on foreign oil, but he rejects a perfectly and that it’s all the fault of Demo- HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 10 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008

crats. legislation to permit drilling as depriving the nation of what Luke Puckett, Republican nominee for Congress now could be the flow of oil from just a small sliver of the in the 2nd District, came up with the plan. He is run- refuge. ning against Rep. Joe Donnelly, the Granger Democrat Environmentalists opposed to drilling contend, who seeks a second term. Puckett announced that four however, that fuel from ANWR would be just a drop in the other GOP congressional challengers, tank in terms of total U.S. usage, would including former Indiana Congress- only place more reliance on oil rather man Mike Sodrel, will accompany him. than alternatives, and would lead to Sodrel is in another rematch with Rep. environmental dangers from drilling Baron Hill, the Democrat who re- and pipelines. Puckett says those con- claimed the 9th District seat in 2006. tentions are from “the extreme envi- Also scheduled to travel ronmental lobby.” to ANWR, way up in the northeast He and the other GOP challengers corner of Alaska, are Republicans hope to meet with “energy industry challenging Democratic incumbents in experts, state and local officials . . . three other states: Craig Williams, in and private landowners and native resi- Pennsylvania’s 7th District; Chris Lien, dents of the Arctic Circle.” All likely will for the at-large House seat in South approve drilling. Hill has voted against Dakota; and Paul Stark, in Wisconsin’s ANWR drilling but says he has sup- 3rd District. ported more realistic efforts for energy Puckett says the July 14-17 independence. trip is designed “to call attention to Donnelly says he would “support the plentiful energy sources that ex- responsible exploration of oil reserves” ist right here at home and to call on in ANWR and that “now is an appropri- Congress to remove prohibitions on ate time to allow focused and respon- domestic exploration.” The Elkhart 2nd CD Republican nominee Luke Puckett sible new oil and gas exploration” off County Republican contends that will journey to ANWAR with former con- the shores in the outer continental gasoline price woes “can be solved gressman Mike Sodrel in July. (HPI Photo by shelf. In seeking to neutralize Puckett’s simply by increasing supply” and that Brian A. Howey) main campaign issue, Donnelly risks ire it is “the Democratic-led Congress” of environmentalists in his district. that stands in the way of tapping supplies in ANWR and As they call for ANWR drilling and use terms such elsewhere. as “extreme environmental lobby” to describe opponents, The candidates will send back photos and state- the Republican congressional candidates are in agreement ments to web sites for viewing back home. They hope for with the Bush administration. They hope to appeal to those news media attention in their districts and even on the in the conservative GOP base that have been suspicious of national level. But they will be just voices crying in the global warming claims and to expand the appeal to voters wilderness unless there is a major policy change in the U.S. of all types now upset over gas prices. Senate, where a large bipartisan majority has voted to op- This is not exactly McCain’s message. He pose ANWR drilling. wants to appeal to voters concerned about the environ- Columnist George F. Will, who supports ANWR ment, especially young voters, who regard Bush adminis- drilling, lamented in a recent column that 72 senators, 39 tration policies as anti-environment. McCain points to his Democrats, including Barack Obama, and 33 Republicans, disagreement with Bush over ANWR and notes that he long including John McCain, “have voted to keep ANWR’s esti- ago broke with the administration to warn of global warm- mated 10.4 billion barrels of oil off the market.” ing. That’s right, McCain and Obama say “no” to ANWR Still, McCain’s call to let the states decide on off- drilling. So, while President Bush supports it, the next shore drilling is right in line with views of the Republican president will be on record against it. McCain, though candidates traveling to ANWR. Maybe, for a more unified softening past opposition to offshore drilling, has remained party appeal, they should have gone to some off-shore oil steadfast against tapping ANWR, saying that drilling in the rigs instead of way up north to Alaska. v pristine wilderness area would be akin to drilling in the Grand Canyon or the Everglades. Colwell has covered Indiana politics for the South Many conservative Republicans portray ANWR as a Bend Tribune for five decades. His weekly column partisan issue, blaming President Bill Clinton’s 1995 veto of runs Mondays at www.howeypolitics.com HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 11 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008

lation is estimated to hit 1.2 billion by 2011. Candidates avoid the When low-income Indians are given a better chance to join the middle- and upper-classes in taking global skills challenge advantage of IT and other opportunities, the country will become an even more fertile ground for U.S. investment. By MARK SCHOEFF JR. That’s good for America because our companies can inno- WASHINGTON--During the penultimate week of vate and generate profits from their Indian operations. the Indiana primary campaign, I was about as far removed But that also increases pressure on U.S. workers from the action as possible. I was visit- to develop the skills that will keep them in demand in the ing Bangalore, India. As I kept tabs on global economy. They have to increase their aptitude for the combat through CNN International problem-solving, collaboration and teamwork. They have to and BBC, it occurred to me that what I strengthen their interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial abili- was observing in Bangalore and other ties. parts of southern India was actually Those conclusions are contained in a report by relevant to U.S. presidential election. In the Council on Competitiveness, a group of leaders from fact, it was conspicuous by its absence. industry, academia and organized labor. It was rolled out While Barack Obama, Hillary Rod- in late April at a Capitol Hill event sponsored by Sen. Max ham Clinton and presumptive Repub- Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and lican nominee John McCain debated Sen. Richard Lugar. the finer points of a frivolous gas-tax “Skills are our most sustainable competitive advan- holiday, I was getting a glimpse of a country whose ascen- tage,” Baucus said. “They can be our anchor in the turbu- dance is causing deep anxiety among American voters. lent world economy we have.” Bangalore, of course, is the information technol- But many U.S. workers are worried that they lack ogy haven of India. IBM, Microsoft and Dell are among the the skills required to remain employed or find a new job. leading American IT firms that have set up big operations Reps. Rahm Emanuel, D-Illinois, and Jim Ramstad, R-Min- in the country and hire tens of thousands of Indians, often nesota, have introduced a bill that would establish personal for jobs that have been outsourced from the United States. accounts to finance lifelong education and training that are The primary reason that these companies have partially funded by employers. Companies are also empha- come to India is the country’s talented and relatively inex- sizing the need to bolster federal programs for worker edu- pensive workforce. Many of the world’s best scientists and cation and training. Alarmed by the increasingly negative engineers can be found here. And the Indian government is attitude toward trade liberalization on Capitol Hill and the intent on producing more. campaign trail, a group of 26 businesses and trade associa- Over the course of my week there, I got the strong tions is lobbying to help for victims of globalization. impression that India values education. Colleges dot the The Trade and American Competitiveness Coalition, landscape. Billboards call out for people to enroll in cours- launched on June 11, is pushing to reform and reautho- es. Each young professional I met in Bangalore had some rize Trade Adjustment Assistance, a program that provides kind of IT job. But I also observed that most families in the retraining, wage and health benefits for workers who have city--and in rural areas--are battling grinding poverty. Their lost their jobs due to imports or to their company moving children may not finish school, let alone work for IBM one operations to a foreign country. Negotiations between Con- day. gress and the Bush administration over TAA could deter- The government believes that education is the mine the fate of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. key to growth and is trying to get more people from poor It’s not enough, however, that senators, House communities involved in the IT revolution. One party that members and the corporate community are addressing was running in the Karnataka state elections pledged to these issues. So should the presidential candidates. establish cyber cafes in every village. Bangalore is located Obama vows to rewrite trade agreements and keep jobs in in Karnataka. the United States. McCain is a strong proponent of trade The ruling party has implemented the National liberalization. But neither spends much time addressing Skills Development Mission, which is designed to help teach how to prepare workers for new jobs created by globaliza- students job skills they’ll need beyond what they learn in tion. classroom instruction. In addition, the government is open- It would be refreshing to hear the presidential ing more spaces in schools for poor students. candidates engage in an intelligent debate about improving Apply simple math to these moves and you see the the U.S. education and workforce development systems to talent potential in India. There is no one-child policy here, help all Americans participate--and prosper--in the global as there is in China. Kids are ubiquitous. The Indian popu- economy. v HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 12 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008

Rich James, Post-Tribune: Politics is where Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner circuit, to sporting events in Bobby Cantrell found his niche. He was very, very good at the area, and to political events across his district. Third, his being very, very bad. If you were running for office, you more conservative positions will be a counterweight to what didn’t necessarily need him supporting you. But you sure is likely to be a GOP charge that Thompson is liberal. He’ll as heck didn’t want him working against you. Former East probably make Southern Indiana’s conservatives feel more Chicago Mayor Bob Pastrick and former Sheriff Bob Sti- comfortable with Thompson. But this will be a real test for glich were the two best politicians I’ve ever seen in Lake Oxley as well. As the House majority whip, Oxley has been County. And while they were in power, you knew Cantrell in a leadership position that is essentially all politics all the was somewhere in the background doing what he could to time. His role is not to formulate policy, so details about help or hurt. It wasn’t that Cantrell had so much power as policy have not been his strongest suit. To help Thompson it was that he was bright, very bright. Cantrell had a way of succeed, that will likely have to change. He’s going to be convincing a politician that he needed him to get questioned by voters and the media repeatedly ahead or put out a fire. He bobbed and weaved as he travels, and he’ll need some good answers. and danced and usually came out on top. That v is, until last week when he was convicted in federal court on 11 counts of fraud -- involving Stephanie Salter, Terre Haute Tri- some of the money he received for getting an bune-Star: Sometimes I have this fantasy when addiction service locked into government offices. I hear yet another smug know-it-all talk about Much of the money Cantrell made -- let’s just the “irrelevance” of the mainstream news media. say that he received -- came from Nancy Fromm’s Addic- I think, OK. How about we just fold up shop right now? tion and Family Care business. Just like Cantrell, Fromm and Everybody who has trained for years to gather, verify and her business were pretty much shams, selling services that disseminate news — especially all of us soon-to-be extinct government offices neither needed nor could afford. While print dinosaurs — we’ll just go home. Tomorrow, there will there’s nothing wrong with receiving a finder’s fee to secure be no more daily paper on anybody’s doorstep. And some- a government contract for a business, you do have a prob- one else can pull things together to put on a Web site for lem when you fail to report the money -- one of the things people to read for free. v Cantrell was convicted of doing. When you have shameless people like Fromm and disgraced former Schererville Town Court Judge Deborah Riga testifying against you, there is Sylvia Smith, Fort Wayne Journal almost a guilt by association. Defense attorney Kevin Milner Gazette: It has been amply established – even by made that point when he asked the jury during closing political compatriots of President Bush – that the prepara- arguments, “Wouldn’t you like to hear from someone who tion for the Iraq invasion was appallingly inadequate. We isn’t facing time in prison?” Yeah, but as a former federal are living through (and many are dying through) the effects prosecutor once said, “You don’t swim with swans in the of the White House’s naïve assumptions that the war would sewer.” While Cantrell is another feather in the federal cap, be brief, the cost would be borne by Iraq’s oil production you just know prosecutors are looking for more. If Cantrell and the new government would come together seamlessly. had been convicted on a count or two and been given a History will judge Bush harshly because of those misjudg- year or two in prison, chances are he would have quietly ments. But is metaphorically waltzing into war a cause for done his time. That’s pretty much how it always has worked impeachment? Absolutely not. Rep. Dennis Kucinich thinks in East Chicago. But he was convicted on all 11 counts and otherwise, and he forced the House to vote last week. His now faces the very real possibility of dying a lonely man in contention is that Bush committed high crimes and misde- prison. Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. said he doubts meanors when he snookered America into invading Iraq. His Cantrell will talk, even if he has the goods on someone. 35 articles of impeachment ranged from “creating a secret “He’s old school,” McDermott said. Yeah, but he’s got kids propaganda campaign to manufacture a false case for and grandkids. That’s plenty of reason to sing, even if it war against Iraq” to “endangering the health of 9/11 first isn’t “Hail Noble Washington.” v responders.” The Democratic leadership, which controls the action on the floor, does not support Kucinich’s move but could not completely block it because the rules of the House Leslie Stedman Weidenbener, allow any of its members to bring a privileged resolution to Louisville Courier-Journal: State Rep. Dennie Oxley may the floor and insist on a vote within two days. The House be of more help than your average running mate. First, he leadership funneled Kucinich’s resolution to the Judiciary probably won’t be afraid to attack Daniels, and he’ll likely Committee, which won’t hold hearings or take any action. do it well. Second, he’ll be a relentless campaigner. With his So the matter is buried. The House clearly has no appetite large district, Oxley is used to doing a lot of driving on the for impeaching Bush. The country certainly doesn’t. v HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 13 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, June 19, 2008 Wood kicks off than a decade. “He is a great educa- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called tor with a great background,” said Bush’s proposals “another page from superintendent race state Rep. Sheila Klinker, D-Lafayette, (an) ... energy policy that was liter- INDIANAPOLIS - Democrat “We are delighted to have Dr. Richard ally written by the oil industry -- (to) Richard Wood launched his candidacy Wood running for state superintendent give away more public resources.” for state superintendent of public of public instruction.” Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrats’ instruction presumptive presidential nominee, Wednesday rejected lifting the drilling moratorium by touting Supt. Reed to join that has been supported by a suc- educa- brokerage firm cession of presidents for nearly two tion as a INDIANAPOLIS - State decades. vital invest- schools superintendent Suellen Reed ment tool plans to join a securities brokerage (Times of firm when she leaves office in Janu- 9% of Indiana corn, Northwest ary (Indianapolis Star). Reed said soy crops flooded Indiana). Thursday she would become vice “I believe that it is morally responsible president of business development WEST LAFAYETTE - A crop and it’s economically sensible for us for Cincinnati-based Ross, Sinclaire & report issued this week by the U.S. to build good children, rather than to Associates. The company has offices in Department of Agriculture shows the repair adults,” he said. And Wood, who several states and has a background in recent heavy rains in Indiana have is retiring this after 19 years as super- helping school districts and other local flooded 9 percent of the state’s corn intendent of the Tippecanoe County government units develop financing acreage, 9 percent of the soybean School Corp., isn’t happy about a new plans for capital projects. acreage and 5 percent of the winter state law telling local school districts wheat crop (Lafayette Journal & how much property tax revenue they Courier). The southwest district of can invest in education. “We have Bush wants to life the state, which includes Evansville elected school boards throughout most and Vincennes, received the most crop of the state,” he said. “Those people drilling ban damage with 16 percent of both the are elected officials. They should be WASHINGTON - With gasoline corn and soybean acreage flooded, responsible for taxation and decisions topping $4 a gallon, President Bush along with 6 percent of the wheat that are reflective of their community.” urged Congress on Wednesday to lift acreage. Wood, 55, didn’t go as far as to say he its long-standing ban on offshore oil would lobby against writing the state’s and gas drilling, saying the United new property tax caps into the Indi- States needs to increase its energy Rep. Pelath to head ana Constitution, a multistep process production. Democrats quickly rejected the idea (Associated Press). “There immigration panel legislators are expected to resume INDIANAPOLIS - State Rep. next year. The caps, which eventually is no excuse for delay,” the president said in a statement in the Rose Gar- Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, will will limit homeowner bills to 1 percent co-chair a legislative panel charged of assessed value, are expected to sap den. With the presidential election just months away, Bush made a pointed with studying the politically charged $8 million from state schools next year issue of illegal immigration (Times of and $89 million in 2010. Wood also attack on Democrats, accusing them of obstructing his energy proposals Northwest Indiana). “On no other spoke of improving Indiana’s 76.5 per- issue are the gaps between political cent high school graduation rate, but and blaming them for high gasoline costs. His proposal echoed a call by rhetoric, strong emotions and reliable when asked, he did not offer a specific information more apparent,” Pelath target for improvement. The current Republican presidential candidate John McCain to open the Continental Shelf said Thursday in a statement. “What rate has been roundly criticized by is obvious, however, is that we are a fellow Democrat Jill Long Thompson, for exploration. “Families across the country are looking to Washington for nation of immigrants, and most Ameri- who is running against Republican cans sense our national immigration Gov. Mitch Daniels. Wood, who holds a response,” Bush said. Congressional Democrats were quick to reject the system isn’t serving anyone very well.” doctorate degrees in education and Pelath leads the House Rules Commit- law, will face Republican Tony Bennett, push for lifting the drilling moratorium, saying oil companies already have 68 tee, which has been responsible for the Greater Clark County Schools su- burying Republican-led efforts to write perintendent, this fall in the first open million acres offshore waters under lease that are not being developed. a ban on same-sex marriage into the race for state schools chief in more Indiana Constitution.