Politics Indiana V15 N8 Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 Raging river runs through IN Polls all over the map, bailout, & Obama vote add to dramatic October By BRIAN A. HOWEY In Russia a decade ago, a young bureaucrat who headed the fuel and energy ministry named Sergei Kiriyenko was stunned when President Boris Yeltsin plucked him out of relative obscurity to become prime minister. This came as storm clouds gathered around the then-aspiring democracy’s financial markets and banking systems. As our delegation accompanying Sen. Richard Lugar and Sam Nunn ap- proached the Moscow steps of Rosatom a year ago - the Russian nuclear agency that Gov. Daniels surveys Southerrn Indiana flooding last June. (Access Indiana Photo) Kiriyenko now heads - Washington Post foreign editor David E. Hoffman recalled the have an eerie ring today even though the Russian economy 1998 crisis. Kiriyenko described himself as “in the middle of then and the U.S. economy of today are worlds apart in a raging river” and he simply wanted to get “to the other magnitude. There are, however, similarities. In 1998, there side.” Hoffman describes the events in his book “The Oli- garchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia” that See Page 3 JLT & Lazarus By JACK COLWELL SOUTH BEND - Lazarus did it, though it took a miracle. Can Jill Long Thompson, as dead as Lazarus, ac- cording to some analyses, also come to life to win the race for governor? “Um, all of them, any of them If Long Thompson, the Demo- cratic challenger, upsets Republican that have been in front of me all Gov. Mitch Daniels, it won’t be a miracle in Biblical terms. But it would these years.” be amazing for a candidate who began the general election effort with nary a - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, asked cent in campaign coffers. Daniels has been on TV day after day, week after by CBS anchor Katie Couric on week, month after month, with ads enhancing his image as our man Mitch, what news sources she reads HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 working for us to make Indiana bet- the economy, Obama has seemed to be Howey Politics ter. Long Thompson has lacked funds pulling ahead nationally, with at least a to dent the way Daniels has defined chance to carry Indiana and help Long Indiana himself. Some analysts, citing not Thompson. The chances will improve if is a nonpartisan news- just the money disparity but also a John McCain takes Indiana for granted, flurry of polls showing Daniels with with only token effort. letter based in Indianapolis big double-digit leads, have indeed Focus on the economy also and published by NewsLink pretty much concluded that Long is helping Long Thompson in her own Thompson can’t win. campaigning and in the debates with Inc. It was founded in Then, in what could well Daniels. A major theme of the gov- 1994 in Fort Wayne. be Long Thompson’s best day of ernor’s campaign is that he has done the campaign, the Indianapolis Star wonders for the economy in Indiana, came out with a front page story helping to lure industry and creating Brian A. Howey, publisher on Sept. 19 that related a different new jobs and an improved economic Mark Schoeff Jr. Washington poll finding. A statewide professional climate. He can cite statistics about poll conducted for the newspaper that. writer showed these percentages: Daniels, Now, as some factories close Jack E. Howey, editor 46; Long Thompson, 42. and joblessness grows in Indiana, Long Beverly Phillips, associate Long Thompson quickly Thompson can cite statistics, too, ones used that story to breath life into her that counter the rosy picture presented editor campaign fund-raising and rally her by Daniels. supporters with an Obama-like “yes, In their battle of statistics dur- Subscriptions: we can” message. ing their debates, they clearly are using The Daniels campaign statistics from different time periods. $350 annually HPI via e-mail; scoffed at the poll, saying the race Daniels talks of the good economic $550 annually HPI & HPI Daily isn’t anywhere near that close. May- statistics in Indiana from back when Wire. be it isn’t. Other polls now will come the nation’s economy was robust. Long along to measure the margin. And, Thompson cites the more current sta- Call 317-631-9450. of course, the only poll that really tistics in Indiana now that the nation’s Howey Politics Indiana counts is the one in which all voters economy is in terrible trouble. PO Box 40265 can participate on election day. Governors never deserve all If Long Thompson is able the credit they claim when the econ- Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265. to pull an upset, it will come with omy is booming or all the blame they the help of Barack Obama and the get when it is floundering. Contact Us now intense focus of voters on the To win, however, Long www.howeypolitics.com economy. Thompson will have to focus on the Back when Sen. Evan Bayh economy, the “Bush-Daniels economy,” [email protected] was a possible vice presidential run- and at least take away any plus Dan- Main Office: 317-202-0210. ning mate for Obama, Hoosier Dem- iels had from the earlier jobs statistics. Howey’s Mobile: 317-506-0883. ocrats were hopeful that Bayh on the Also, if she finally gets the finances to ticket would enable Obama to carry hammer away with a message, she Indianapolis Fax: 317-254-0535. Indiana and to pull other Democrats, will need to remind voters of some of Washington: 202-256-5822. including Long Thompson, to victory. the reasons many of them were miffed Business Office: 317-631-9450. When Bayh wasn’t picked, at Mitch earlier in his administration. ©2008, Howey Politics those hopes faded. Things like the time, the toll road and However, Obama strate- other privatization. Some of those Indiana. All rights reserved. gists still concentrated on Indiana, things are not as unpopular now. Photocopying, Internet forwarding, working and spending in the state, And like Lazarus, Long Thomp- faxing or reproducing in any form, regarding it as a battleground. Polls son will need some important help to show Obama within striking distance rise up in sound political health. Not in whole or part, is a violation of in Indiana. In the ups and downs in help of Biblical proportions. Help of federal law without permission from the presidential campaign, Obama Obama proportions, with Obama actu- the publisher. seemed to be slipping after the ally carrying the state and his support- conventions. Now, with the focus on ers voting for her as well. v HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 from page 1 but came out with a fiery statement just before the Sen- Raging river, ate passed the package Wednesday night. “People are angry, and they have a right to be,” Bayh said. “I am, too. was a fiscal meltdown, currency devaluation, steep stock We shouldn’t be in this mess, but we are. The question is: market slides, bank failures, a crisis of confidence and What are we going to do?” weak leadership. In this Bayh reasoned, “Chairman story, there was Goldman Bernanke is an econo- Sachs, feeding the nation’s mist, not a politician. He debt addiction, bailing out is a man not known for the cash-strapped govern- overstatement. Could he ment with almost $3 billion be wrong? Yes. Is ignor- in bridge loans. There are ing his advice a risk worth Bushes and Soros who flit running at this precari- into the picture. ous time for our nation? Hoffman writes of I don’t believe so. As an embattled prime minis- distasteful as it is for Con- ter: The doomed Kiriyenko gress to take this action, could do little to salve the doing nothing would likely wrath of the markets. He make things much worse. tried to draw up respon- That is the choice before sible, long-term plans, but us. Regretably, there are they were useless in the no good options. But the face of a brutal, immediate Lugar and Nunn with Kiriyenko in Moscow in August 2007. (HPI Photo current plan is far better crisis, and no amount of by Brian A. Howey) than the original proposal. promises could soothe the Executives who have panic. “The markets pro- brought their companies to claimed their own verdict,” Kiriyenko lamented later. the brink of ruin and now seek public help will be prevent- A decade later in the United States, the river anal- ed from profiting. There will be no golden parachutes or ogy is an apt metaphor. The political rivers in Indiana are outrageous executive pay packages. There will be indepen- out of their banks. There are hints of a populist revolt. dent oversight to prevent conflicts of interest and outright Protesters huddled outside of Rep. Brad Ellsowrth’s office corruption. The taxpayer will be protected by receiving an in Evansville on Wednesday after he voted yes. State Rep. ownership interest in any company that receives govern- Scott Reske is actively campaigning in his Pendleton/Ander- ment assistance. If after five years the government has son area seat, trying to fend off a challenge from Repub- lost money, the financial industry will be required to pay it lican Kelly Gaskill, who this past week sent out direct mail back.” accusing Reske of voting against referendums, thus taking Bayh said the current package “has been improved away the rights of people in determining their own govern- because tax cuts are included to help middle class families.