Chairman Shine on Party Evolution Run
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V26, N28 Thursday, March 18, 2021 Chairman Shine on party evolution run. It’s no longer tell- Dean of GOP county ing a candidate how to run their campaign, un- chairs talks of changes less it is out of bounds.” During the past to Indiana’s parties 60 years, Indiana’s By BRIAN A. HOWEY political parties have FORT WAYNE – Since 1961, Allen realigned in profound County Republicans have been led by just ways. After a license two chairmen, Orvas Beers and Steve branch scandal in South Shine, who was reelected on March 6. Bend that involved When Beers took the GOP the purchase of a race mantle, the United States was less than horse, Gov. Robert Orr a decade into a new technology – televi- moved to decouple sion. When Shine took over the party in the Bureau of Motor 1993, conservative talk radio was com- Vehicles from political ing in bloom and the new forum of the parties. day, the World Wide Web, was just a few The late 1980s years away from wide use. and 1990s also saw an “The job was changing when end to political patron- I took it in 1993,” Shine, the dean of age, where jobs were Indiana GOP county chairs, told Howey part of the so-called Politics Indiana on Tuesday. “What has “2% Club,” with loyalty happened is it’s no longer picking favorites. It’s no longer deductions from the telling people they have permission to run or they can’t Continued on page 3 Rokita’s job ethics By DAVE KITCHELL LOGANSPORT – It’s one thing for a public of- ficial to accept donations from the private sector when the transparency is required by law. But it’s another thing entirely when a sitting public official is on the payroll for “I would recommend the vaccine. multiple companies as a “part-time employee” with no benefits. And I would recommend it to a lot The real benefit is for the of people who don’t want to get it, private sector companies that leave the appearance the Indiana attorney and a lot of those people voted for general is in their pocket because me, frankly.” their money is in his. The sudden revelations of - Former president Donald Trump, Todd Rokita’s questionable ethical asked by Fox News’ Maria Barti- practices just over two months into office raise several questions. Not romo on if he is urging supporters the least of those questions is, “Who is the Indiana attorney general really to get the COVID vaccine. Page 2 Howey Politics Indiana WWWHowey Media, LLC c/o Business Office PO Box 6553 Kokomo, IN, 46904 www.howeypolitics.com Brian A. Howey, Publisher Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington Mary Lou Howey, Editor Susan E. Howey, Editor Subscriptions working for, Hoosiers in 92 counties or commensurate with the obligations HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 private companies that aren’t required and responsibilities of their positions. HPI Weekly, $350 to divulge their connections under Further, the standards and policies Lisa Hounchell, Account Manager state law?” that guide their conduct should be (765) 452-3936 telephone It would seem that while the clearly articulated and transparent in (765) 452-3973 fax Indiana General Assembly has spent order to ensure consistency and fair- [email protected] much of this session trying to rein in ness in their exercise of the state’s the emergency powers of the gover- power.” nor, they really should focus more on Agreed. Contact HPI the state’s top attorney. Even after The report goes on to say, [email protected] Rokita resigned one of his positions, “AGs must not engage in outside Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 the Indianapolis Star uncovered at activities that create or appear to Washington: 202.256.5822 least four more. How many more are create a conflict of interest with their there exactly, Mr. Rokita? official duties.” Business Office: 765.452.3936 It’s ironic that Republicans Whether or not Rokita had back in 2016 battered Evan Bayh for conflicts of interest, it’s the appear- © 2021, Howey Politics all the corporate connections he had ance that he could have because Indiana. All rights reserved. while a U.S. senator, yet we’re hearing he didn’t make these clear up front Photocopying, Internet forward- nothing but crickets from the GOP on when he was running for the of- Rokita’s blatant avoidance of transpar- fice last year. Moreover, Republi- ing, faxing or reproducing in any ency. Clearly, he should make all his cans sought a candidate with more form, whole or part, is a violation compensation and stock options from personal integrity than their previous of federal law without permission companies who pay him available to party nominee. While Curtis Hill had from the publisher. the public. The Indiana Ethics Com- one incident that did him in politi- mission should review the situation cally, Rokita apparently has several and examine how other states have instances of potential conflicts of Jack E. Howey handled the same issue. interest that merit review, if not editor emeritus The U.S. Chamber of Com- rebuke. 1926-2019 merce, historically a conservative I can remember the first organization that supports Republi- time I met Todd Rokita following the cans, issued a report on state attor- 2000 election. A fresh-faced secre- ney general ethics in 2007. In it were tary of state then wanted to do the these words about attorneys general right thing and modernize Indiana’s and ethical conduct: “Because of their voting machines, a move that added important function in government integrity to our electoral process. and law enforcement, AGs must hold Now, it’s time for Rokita to themselves to high ethical standards further the state’s integrity and not Page 3 wait for the governor of his own party to ask him to resign demand it, and nothing less. v his lucrative part-time employment and stock options or give up the highest legal office next to the Indiana Su- Kitchell is the former Democratic mayor of Lo- preme Court chief justice. If he doesn’t, the public should gansport. tory in the 4th CD, and had been shut out of the governor’s Shine, from page 1 office in four straight elections. By the time Shine took the helm, he was well paychecks of political appointees as well as wild employ- aware that the role of the party was rapidly changing. “It’s ment swings whenever the governorship switched parties more of an administrative job in making sure the precinct were the lay of the land. organization and whoever the candidates are is well-oiled, Shine was an attorney who Beers had befriended is running well, is staffed as fully manned,” Shine said. The shortly after he returned to Fort Wayne from Indiana Uni- days of choosing winners in the primary, injecting yourself versity in the 1970s. Beers was part of a GOP power con- in running someone else’s campaign; that is yesteryear up sortium, led by Marion County Chairman Keith Bulen, that here.” included Don Cox from Vanderburgh County, Virgil Scheidt “Two things have greatly changed the chairman- from Bartholomew, and Buena Chaney from Vigo who had ship,” Shine continued. “Prior to me there was license immense sway over gubernatorial nominees and statewide bureau reform. As a result the chairman no longer had tickets. any financial interests in the number of license plates sold By the late 1970s, the power of the chair had be- in a particular county. When the license branches were gun to erode. Dan Quayle’s first congressional run in 1976 in the hands of the party of the governor, that was hand- came independent of Beers and the Allen County GOP, some revenue for party chairmen. with Marilyn Quayle running the campaign Party chairmen could also rent to out of a downtown Fort Wayne pizza joint. the state license bureau buildings Beers saw the writing on the wall in and facilities and make money after the 1992 Republican 4th CD primary when that. That stopped. he openly backed a college student named “The other thing were Phil Troyer in the primary as he sought to the patronage jobs,” Shine added. reclaim Vice President Dan Quayle and U.S. “For the most part those have been Sen. Dan Coats’s old congressional seat done away with. And the loyalty to from U.S. Rep. Jill Long. Troyer was up- a party or having a job in govern- set in the primary by “the candidate from ment is not as dependent upon a hell,” Chuck Pierson, a gadfly unknown who loyalty to a party as it was 40 years worked gun shows to win the nomination, ago. That comes from a time a only to lose to Long that November. loyalty contribution to the party was Despite their relationship, Beers deducted from their paychecks.” backed long-time Fort Wayne Republican Many cite the license Chairman Alan McMahan, while Shine spent branch and patronage reforms as much of that winter meeting with groups crimping the two major political parties. of precinct officials around the county, pulling off a stun- In the decades that followed, Hoosier Republicans ning 228-161 upset on March 6, 1993. Shine’s campaign have fared far better than Democrats. Indiana is a conser- manager and long-time law partner Tom Hardin set up 20 vative state, more naturally aligned with the GOP brand. ward meetings in living rooms. “They clearly told me they During the era of Govs. Bayh and Frank O’Bannon, Demo- felt they haven’t been included in the process,” Shine said crats were driven more by personal loyalty than political of precinct officials.