V13 N7 Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006 Bush uptick, but Donnelly up It’s Terror vs. Iraq By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS - Except for that con- frontation last Friday at LaPorte City Hall, this was a week of poll watching. Specifically, we were watching the na- tional polls taken after the Bush-Cheney Sept. 11 media blitz. The two polls that sent GOP hearts aflutter were a Gallup Poll, taken Sept. 15-17 that put President Bush’s approval rating nation- ally at 44 percent, and the Congressional generic at 48-48 percent, and a Los Angeles Times/ Bloomberg Poll (Sept. 16-19) that shows Bush approval at 45 percent, although the congressio- nal generic was 49/38 favoring Democrats. That compared to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll (Sept. 8-11) that had Bush at 42 percent. But then came the South Bend Tri- 2nd CD Democrat Joe Donnelly has a 50-42 percent lead over U.S. Rep. Chris bune/WSBT-TV poll conducted on Sept. 16-17 Chocola. None of the three embattled Indiana GOP congressmen are polling that showed Democrat Joe Donnelly leading U.S. over 42 percent Rep. Chris Chocola 50-42 percent. On Wednes- day, SurveyUSA (Sept. 14-17) had Bush’s fav/ unfavs at 47-52 percent in Indiana. In Southern to 14 percent, while 22 percent cited Iraq. But the “one Indiana, Bush stood at 44/54 percent fav/unfav. striking finding” was that 77 percent of the respondents -- And a New York Times/CBS poll published today including 65 percent of Republicans -- said most members (Sept. 15-19) pegged Bush’s approval at 37 percent. People See page 3 citing terror as the top issue jumped from 7 percent in July Cutting the gov off at his knees By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS - The late U.S. Sen. Homer Cape- hart was once asked by a Washington reporter why Indiana produced so few national political figures. Sen. Capehart responded, “Here in Indiana, we cut them off at the knees if they start “Tell John Gregg that you don’t standing tall.” I thought of ol’ Sen. Homer when I heat the grease until the bass is in read the strange goings-on in LaPorte last week. It was the final destina- the boat.” tion for Gov. Mitch Daniels, who, in unprecedented fashion, was drop- - Former GOP Chairman Rex Early, in ping off $40 million checks to seven response to Gregg’s ‘butter” quote here last toll road counties. The Republican week in House District 20, Tom Dermody, HOWEY Political Report Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006 stayed away from this “radioactive” governor. Dermody won a primary HPR Forum Agenda p. 6 race against State Rep. Mary Kay Will Bayh have coattails in ‘06 p. 7 Budak, who had the guts to vote for INSIDE Major Moves and the toll road lease. Columnists: Colwell, Salter p. 9 Dermody’s opponent, LaPorte Features City Councilwoman Andrea Renner, did Horse Race: Rep. Carson plays the show, along with several dozen of her supporters who heckled the governor. WDYSBYW card; HD20 tossup p. 10 And then Councilwoman Renner said an amazing thing: “Even though it’s Ticker Tape: $3 billion project in Whiting p. 14 ill-gotten money, it’s now incumbent on us to stretch it out for 75 years and use it wisely.” The Howey Political Report is The Howey Political Report Duoh! PO Box 40265 published by NewsLink Inc. It Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265. Then there was State Rep. was founded in 1994. Tim Neese’s Democratic opponent, www.howeypolitics.com John Hardy, who complained that by Brian A. Howey, Publisher [email protected] waiting to disperse the checks, the Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington Indianapolis Office: 317-506-0883. toll road counties lost $328,000 in Writer Indianapolis Fax: 317-254-0535. interest. “Our counties are losing the Mark Curry, Washington Writer Washington, DC Office: 202-256-5822. opportunity to use these much-needed Jack E. Howey, Editor Business Office: 317-254-0535. revenues for new roads and repair.” Duoh! Subscriptions: ©2006, The Howey Political Report. In dispersing $240 million $350 annually HPR via e-mail; All rights reserved. Photocopying, Internet last week, there wasn’t a single city, $550 annually HPR & HPR Daily Wire. forwarding, faxing or reproducing in any town or county council member, not a Call 317-254-0535. form, in whole or part, is a violation of single county commissioner or mayor, federal law. who turned the “ill-gotten money” ning to close or lay off workers. There companies that will locate near the in- down. Not South Bend Mayor Stephen were 16,000 jobs listed for 2006 that dustrial parks that will spring up along Luecke, who got a $12.8 million check will soon vanish. That doesn’t include a new U.S. 31 freeway, or the Hoo- LaPorte got $4.6 million. Michigan the latest Ford Motor Company force sier Heartland Corridor, or the Honda City received $7 million. Elkhart got reduction that will hit places such as and Toyota plants that plan to situate $8.3 mil- themselves along our interstates. An lion; South Indiana University Kelley School of Bend $12.8 Business study predicts that some million; 300,000 new jobs will come to Indiana Mishawaka by 2014. $5.4 mil- The Democratic response lion; Gos- has been shrill and illogical. State hen $4.7 Sen. Karen Talian said Major Moves million. was tantamount to sending Northern LaGrange Indiana money to Indianapolis. What County it means for Steuben, DeKalb, Allen, will have Wells and Adams county travelers is $37 mil- that now there is a plan to alleviate lion, which Connersville and Indianapolis hard. the bottleneck at I-69 and I-465. A will invest some of the Major Moves Parker’s point was that Gov. Daniels U.S. 31 freeway means that LaPorte, money into a jobs-producing industrial hadn’t delivered on jobs in his scant Elkhart and St. Joseph County com- park. 19 months in office. muters can one day dream of a trip A couple of weeks ago, But here is Major Moves, south without a single stoplight at Indiana Democratic Chairman Dan which in the coming years will provide LaPaz, Kokomo, Westfield and Carmel. Parker handed me an Indiana Work- tens of thousands of construction jobs, As the Ford, Chrysler and GM force Development website printout of followed by thousands more coming to jobs vanish, they will be replaced by “warn notices,” that is, plants plan- HOWEY Political Report Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006 the new companies that will locate projects that most of us figured along our highways. we’d never live long enough to The political fallout from drive a U.S. 31 freeway. Major Moves is that Republican “More than any other State Reps. Marlin Stutzman, John issue, this toll road sale has Ulmer, and Jackie Walorski are in outraged the people of Northern tough re-election battles. Dermody Indiana,” Bauer said, summing is in a dogfight. And, I have to up Democratic resentments. tell you, the bigoted gay bashing Broken promises? How and Bible thumping at the House about eight preceding governor- podium that emanates from parts of ships which refused to return the GOP caucus are troubling. the Indiana Toll Road to free- The problem with Indiana Gov. Daniels presenting a $40 million check to way status once its bonds were Democrats is that there is no alter- LaGrange County officials. repaid? When Bauer was speaker native vision. They’ve had all year and a powerful Ways & Means to articulate an agenda, and we’ve chairman, I don’t ever recall him heard nothing but, as Sen. Evan Bayh warned after the demanding the toll road’s evolution as a freeway. He could 2004 election, the “sum of our resentments.” have done it. I can tell you what Democrats are against. I The real broken promise comes if Hoosiers have to couldn’t tell you how they plan to govern once they install endure the loss of another hundred thousand manufactur- B. Patrick Bauer as the next speaker of the House other ing jobs that have disappeared since 2000. The epic broken than cooking up a recipe for gridlock. promise is an inability by Indiana Democrats to articulate After Gov. Daniels made his toll road swing, Bauer any kind of alternative economic strategy. observed, “The fact is that most of these projects already The one governor who decided to make tough de- were on course to be completed, without any assistance cisions without consulting public opinion polls now stands from the sale of the toll road.” to be cut of at the knees. Not true. There were so many unfunded highway And then what? Duoh! v future (both nationally and From page 1 here in Indiana), the sense is of Congress did not de- that Sept. 11 may have been serve re-election. That was a high water mark. The Tri- the highest percentage bune/WSBT poll showed that since 1994. Iraq was still the most potent In the LAT/Bloom- issue here in Indiana at 20 berg Poll, Bush’s fav/un- percent, with the economy favs on the Iraq War were coming in at 13 percent. The 40/56 percent and on Bush-Cheney offensive was terror, 48/49 percent. immediately overtaken by What’s this all the admonishments of Colin Powell, and Republican U.S. mean? U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola with President Bush at Bethel College Sens. Lindsay Graham, John While Bush got an earlier this year.