V18, N28 Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Oz to Indiana: A Road Map showdown On Tuesday, before the Indiana Association of Cit- In a twist few had foreseen, ies and Towns, the governor found a crowd of mayors and legislators, many of whom are against the tax cut. Pence a fledgling governor turns up the acknowledged that, saying “I know there is some disagree- heat on legislative Republicans ment within the organization” before he made his case: Tax relief for 4.4 million middle class Hoosiers, a benefit to 83% By BRIAN A. HOWEY of businesses. “I ask you from my heart, keep an open INDIANAPOLIS – Any Hoosier who crosses paths mind.” That night at the Marion County Republican Reagan with Gov. Mike Pence these days knows that the avenue of Dinner, WISH-TV reported that about half of those pres- the future is his 2012 campaign “Road Map.” ent applauded when Pence made his tax cut pitch. House From a policy standpoint, the ultimate destination is Pence’s 10% income tax cut. Continued on page 3 Hershman pushes back By MAUREEN HAYDEN INDIANAPOLIS – If you’re outside the Indianapo- lis TV market, you may not have seen yet the Americans For Prosperity ad that demonizes the House Republicans for resisting “What should we do?” Republican Gov. Mike Pence’s tax cut plan. - Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, But GOP Senate Tax and pressing legislators on a meth Fiscal Policy Committee Chairman Brandt Hershman has. And he’s not bill following a motel lab impressed. explosion in his city last weekend The mild-mannered, measured-worded Hershman de- scribes it as “disingenuous” in content HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Wednesday, March 20, 2013 and “overheated” in rhetoric. lawmakers who remember that after The ad is part of a statewide Indiana built up a big budget surplus media campaign recently launched by in 1998, a series of subsequent prop- a national Tea Party organization with erty and income tax cuts led to a $1.3 www.HoweyPolitics.com ties to Pence and founded and funded billion deficit six years later, prompt- by the billionaire Koch brothers of ing what Hershman recalls as “painful Kansas. “It reminds me of the rhetoric and difficult” decisions about what Howey Politics that takes place in Washington, D.C.,” state services to slash. Indiana Hershman told me last week. “It’s And that those same view- is a non-partisan newsletter very aggressive in its message.” ers might be skeptical of a one-minute based in Indianapolis and The one-minute ad is a rip-off ad funded by an outside organization Nashville, Ind. It was founded of a campaign commercial that former that taps into the anxiety and anger of Gov. Mitch Daniels once ran. It starts taxpayers—emotions that Hershman in 1994 in Fort Wayne. with the muscular “Mutiny on the attributes largely to the dysfunctional It is published by Sea” music and flashes climate of Washington, WWWHowey Media, LLC of newspaper headlines D.C. 405 Massachusetts Ave, touting the state’s budget “It’s not a bad idea to Suite 300 surplus. have aggressive debate Then it abruptly on tax and budget is- Indianapolis, IN 46204 switches to ominous sues,” Hershman said. music and headlines that “As long the debate is Brian A. Howey, Publisher point to the GOP House civil and reasonable.” Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington budget plan – now in the The Americans for Jack E. Howey, editor Senate – that includes $1 Prosperity ad, meant billion more in spending to browbeat reluctant than Pence’s proposed Republican lawmakers, Subscriptions budget and excludes is running at the same $599 annually Pence’s plan to cut the state income time that Indiana’s Republican gover- 'Call Adrian France tax rate by 10 percent. nor is traveling the state, urging voters It ends with words flashing to browbeat their legislators into ac- 812.455.4070 or email on the screen: “Will Indiana grow cepting his plan. [email protected] the economy? Or grow government Hershman said “good pub- spending?” lic policy” needs to drive the debate Contact HPI Hershman (pictured), a fiscal among legislators, not fear that an www.howeypolitics.com conservative with high ratings from outside special interest group will pro-business and pro-tax reform come after them. (The fear is real: [email protected] groups, would like people to believe The Americans For Prosperity brought 'Howey’s Cabin: 812.988.6520 that he and his GOP colleagues in the down Republicans who dared to 'Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 General Assembly have been working disagree with a similar tax cut plan 'Washington: 202-256-5822 for the first option and against the proposed by GOP Kansas Gov. Sam second. His major criticism of the ad is Brownback last year.) 'Business Office:812.455.4070 the role of the AFP “in misrepresent- “If you start allowing your de- ing the House Republican budget as a cisions or the process to be influenced © 2013, Howey Politics Indiana. billion in new spending,” he said. by fear of any special interest group, All rights reserved. Photocopy- The ad, he said, fails to it diminishes your effectiveness as a ing, Internet forwarding, fax- acknowledge that much of that spend- legislator,” Hershman said. “I’m not v ing or reproducing in any form, ing is the backfilling of prior cuts (to going to do that.” schools and other public services like whole or part, is a violation of road repair) that was due to the sharp Maureen Hayden covers the federal law without permission drop in state revenues brought on by Statehouse for the CNHI news- from the publisher. v the 2008 recession. papers in Indiana. She can be He’s hoping viewers of the ad reached at maureen.hayden@ will understand the reluctance of GOP indianamediagroup.com HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Wednesday, March 20, 2013 tion in childhood poverty.” Pence, from page 1 Road Map Solutions was described to Political Fiber Speaker Brian C. Bosma and Pence “haven’t fought publicly as “Brownback’s policy organization.” But Kansas Demo- over the issue,” WISH reported, but Pence hinted at ten- crats see Road Map Solutions as an organization prepared sion between the two when he referred to Ronald Reagan’s to take on and oust “moderate Republicans” in the Kansas “11th Commandment” that Republicans not fight among Senate, some of whom proved to be obstacles in Brown- themselves. back’s crowning policy achievement, an income tax cut. But in the “who’d a thunk it” Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, category, this road map has now pitted D-Topeka, told Political Fiber, “The plan is the fledgling governor in a showdown for him (Kensinger) to basically run those with Republicans in the Indiana General conservative Senate campaigns.” Assembly, fueled by out-of-state money In 2011, the Kansas City Star re- from the Koch Brothers and their Ameri- ported: “The departure of Gov. Sam Brown- cans For Prosperity advocacy group. back’s chief of staff David Kensinger during And there is a “man behind the a bruising legislative session has raised curtain,” a political “Machiavelli” from Oz, questions throughout the Kansas political who didn’t arrive via a hot air balloon world. Last week, Brownback, a Republican, from Omaha. Instead, the key character announced that his longtime assistant and in this Indiana story with a vital link from strategist left to take on two jobs: Work on Kansas is a political operative named Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Pence’s cam- David Kensinger. paign for governor of Indiana and serve as According to the website Political chairman of Road Map Solutions.” Fiber, Kensinger has a long history with On Election Night 2008, Kansas Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, like Pence U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts declared, “The true an evangelical conservative Christian Machiavelli of Kansas, David Kensinger, our who returned to his state after more pit bull without lipstick, whose expertise in than a decade in Congress. Kensinger David Kensinger has been de- this new and very different world of political was Brownback’s campaign manager in scribed by Kansas U.S. Sen. Pat campaigns is unrivaled. David mounted the his 1998 reelection bid, became execu- Roberts as the “true Machiavelli parapets, waved the flag, fired the first and tive director of GOPAC Inc., described of Kansas.” He is also a campaign last shots and led our troops to victory.” as “the nation’s premier training ground consultant and “friend” to Gov. Mike Kensinger’s client – then candidate for Republican activists and Pence. Pence – adopted the “Road Map” candidates,” from 1999 to 2001 theme and unveiled his top before he returned as Brown- campaign priority in July 2012, back’s Senate office chief of the Pence 10% income tax cut. staff. And it happened without the Kensinger & Associates imprimatur of Bosma or Senate was formed in 2004 before he President David Long. Pence created the firm Road Map So- was elected in a surprisingly lutions, a not-for-profit corpora- close race last November over tion. As chairman of Road Map Democrat John Gregg, winning Solutions, Kensinger said in a by just 2.7% with 49% of the prepared statement, “In this vote in a race most thought role, I will be free to advocate would be a blowout. There were in the public square for poli- two key reasons for Pence’s cies which will fulfill the goals tight victory. He refused to described in Gov. Brownback’s wage a negative campaign, and Road Map for Kansas: Private he was a victim of the Rich- sector job growth, increased ard Mourdock ticket drag.