V16, N28 Thursday, March 17, 2011 Mayors avoiding anti-incumbency Kruzan, Hamilton yet to feel it in Bloomington; most mayors appear to be on solid footing By BRIAN A. HOWEY BLOOMINGTON - The question posed to both Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan and his Democratic primary challenger, John Hamilton was this: Is there a widespread detectable anti-incumbency sentiment stirring among the voters? The question came just less than five months after Hoosier voters expressed frustration by defeating two congressmen while Republicans increased their state Senate majority to 37 seats and the House went from 48 to 60 GOP seats. “I always run like I’m behind,” Kruzan told HPI, noting that party “regulars” like Sen- Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan during Tuesday’s joint appearance with primary ate Minority Leader Vi Simpson and State Rep. opponent John Hamilton. An anti-incumbency sentiment has yet to surface in Matt Pierce, along with virtually every elected Bloomington and across Indiana. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) Democratic official, are backing his reelection. be conducted (and there has been no independent polling Hamilton, who headed FSSA and IDEM under Gov. in this race to date), he would expect Kruzan to be ahead. Frank O’Bannnon, said this race has yet to be fully en- joined. He acknowledged that if a scientific survey were to Continued on page 3 Time to get out of box By RUSS STILWELL BOONVILLE - Last weekend I decided to take a trip to Urbana, Ill., and see firsthand what all the fuss is about in this college dominated community just a few miles from our Hoosier “There have been others out border. When I pulled into the park- ing lot of the Comfort Inn I knew there accused of committing right away that House Dems weren’t voter fraud, both famous and holed up in a four-star hotel. And no, there wasn’t a hot not famous. I’m the one person tub, as Mitch likes to suggest from time to time. What I did see was they go after.” a group of special Hoosiers defying - Secretary of State Charlie White all odds to ensure that their beloved HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, March 17, 2011 www.HoweyPolitics.com Howey Politics Indiana is a non-partisan newsletter based in Indianapolis and published on the campus of Franklin College. It was founded in 1994 in Fort Wayne. Brian A. Howey, Publisher Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington Jack E. Howey, editor Beverly K. Phillips, associate editor state continues to value fairness in the weekend, I renewed my belief that no Subscriptions workplace and classroom. one, and I mean no one, would relish $350 annually HPI Weekly As I visited with these former rolling in the muddy ring of politics $550 annually HPI Weekly and colleagues, I realized that they’re not with Pat Bauer. in Urbana to score political points, Unlike most politicians, Pat HPI Daily Wire. and they’re not in the Land of Lincoln Bauer is an excellent listener. He 'Call 317.627.6746 for the purpose of offending the new takes ridicule and Bauer-bashing with Republican majority. a grain of salt, although sometimes They know they are the I think it bothers him more than he Contact HPI last assemblage left in the Hoosier shows. But he is one thing above all Howey Politics Indiana State that can prevent the wholesale else – one tough in-your-face leader. 6255 N. Evanston Ave. destruction of the middle class and Contrary to his critics, he Indianapolis, IN 46220 the union members who sustain the doesn’t always pick the fights. Most www.howeypolitics.com middle class. just come his way and unlike many of [email protected] They sent strong signals to his contemporaries, Pat Bauer never the other side that they are prepared walks away from a fight. And if that 'Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 to come back, debate the issues and fight is for the things he champions 'Washington: 703.248.0909 finish their collective work if one most, there is not a fiercer combatant 'Business Office: 317.627.6746 particularly offensive bill is rescinded than the feisty out-spoken Irishman Seems like a simple solution to such a from South Bend, Indiana! © 2011, Howey Politics Indiana. complex stalemate. But politics and Pat Bauer champions the Type A personalities never make for fight for the little people (and no, not All rights reserved. Photocopy- simple solutions. because he is short) and those that ing, Internet forwarding, fax- I have known House Demo- need a voice. He champions the fight ing or reproducing in any form, crat leader Pat Bauer for a long time, of the middle class, public schools and whole or part, is a violation of and I’ll readily admit that he can be the rights of Hoosiers to have a union federal law without permission difficult to deal with from time to time. and earn a decent wage. Sometimes I But I also know a lot about this man think that is his calling. from the publisher. v that many folks don’t. After spend- Anyone engaged in a political ing several hours with him this past fight with Pat Bauer had better be well HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, March 17, 2011 prepared and ready to go the full 15 rounds. on common construction, and every day Leader Bauer and I really don’t know what round this legislative stale- his band of 39 pull that string ever closer to the brink of mate is in, but I know that Pat Bauer has a lot of rounds legislative destruction. left in him. He won’t bite off your ear to end the fight, but What is a box? when the bout is over, you might wish he had. A box is a metaphor for a situation that restricts That brings me to the point of this article. Are Pat your freedom. House D’s stuck in Urbana and House R’s Bauer and the House Democrats in a box? stuck in a half-empty legislative chamber are in boxes. But Some might suggest that these temporary resi- there is a way out of every box. One only needs to be will- dents of the Land of Lincoln are in a box. Others might ing to pay the price. suggest that Speaker Bosma and his band of 60 are in a When you remain in a box, you pay a price. The box. House D’s are feeling the wrath of Hoosiers for not do- One should not be surprised that both caucuses ing the job they were elected to do. House R’s are on the are in a box. On any given day these Type A personalities receiving end of a barrage of outrage from many of the are boiling, enraged, fighting mad, livid, singing songs in voters who put them in office. I can’t believe either side is caucus, or just resigned to another useless day of waiting. enjoying its position. Like most Hoosiers, I would like for this stalemate The way out of the box is to pay a price. to end. So I thought I would do what any enterprising The House D’s have served notice that their price Hoosier would do: Find out how to get out of a box. is one lonely legislative arrow in the overloaded Republican quiver of arrows. Peanuts and the coconut The House R’s? Seems their price was $250 daily In Africa and parts of India the natives use a fines, a poorly sung melody in their caucus that pissed off unique technique to catch monkeys. They hollow out one the D’s and a Republican letter serving notice that their end of a coconut and tie a long line to it. Then they put agenda was nothing short of the Second Crusade. peanuts inside the coconut and hide it in the bush. When a Pay the price and get out of the box? monkey discovers the coconut is filled with nuts, he works House D’s were probing for a rallying cause, and his hand through the small hole in one end of coconut to the House R’s sent them a Right to Work curve ball that grab a fist full of nuts, but finds that when he makes a was hit out of the park all the way to Urbana. It’s time for fist to grab the peanuts he is unable to pull his hand out Speaker Bosma to unclench his fist full of labor-troubling through the hole. peanuts and this “session of all sessions” can begin anew. Once the monkey has his hand inside the coconut, When you are trapped in a box you should remem- the natives slowly pull in the line attached to the coco- ber that Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” claims that there is noth- nut. No matter how loud the monkey squeals, he remains ing more dangerous than a foe that has no way out but to trapped as long as his fist is clenched. The monkey is in a fight. And if the fight goes another round, my money is on box and the only way he can have the peanuts is to give up the tough-nosed guy in the corner protecting the little guy his freedom. on the street. My money’s on Pat Bauer and the House It looks to me that Speaker Bosma and the House Democrats. v Republicans are just like the proverbial monkey.