V24, N4 Tuesday Aug. 28, 2018 Banks: Trump holds in ‘phantom’ blue wave much out of the Despite tariffs, GOP same mold. The congressman sees modern northeastern Indiana Republican Trump fending off congressman brings a cunning type of Democratic gains conservatism to Washington. It is By BRIAN A. HOWEY one of practical- INDIANAPOLIS – Intertwined ity, pragmatism and in the publishing legacy of Howey Poli- understanding the tics Indiana is 3rd CD Republicanism. world around them. At our founding in 1994 in Fort Wayne, In Banks case, he Mark Souder was on the precipice of has applied nose-to- upsetting U.S. grindstone to learn Rep. Jill Long and then champion and is now a the state’s defense content con- sector as a member tributor today. of the House Armed This Repub- Services Committee. lican bastion It is a sector which has been the launching pad of other has been in atrophy astute political strategists, most nota- over the past genera- bly former Vice President Dan Quayle tion. and National Intelligence Director Dan U.S. Rep. Jim Banks doesn’t believe a “blue wave” will Coats. sweep the GOP from power. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) Continued on page 3 U.S. Rep. Jim Banks is very INDems avoid the I word By MARK SCHOEFF JR. WASHINGTON – Last week, President Donald Trump’s legal woes reached a new depth when his former personal lawyer pleaded guilty to breaking campaign- finance laws and implicated Trump. But Democrats running for “We weaken our greatness when Congress in Indiana are avoiding we confuse our patriotism with the issue of impeachment. “That’s not something I’m tribal rivalries that have sown hearing about on the campaign trail,” Liz Watson, who is running resentment and hatred and vio- for the 9th CD seat held by Rep. lence in all the corners of the Trey Hollingsworth, said in an HPI interview. globe. We weaken it when we She and other Democrats hide behind walls, rather than are supporting Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian tear them down.” - Sen. McCain interference in the 2016 election. Page 2 Neither the guilty plea by ersthwhile veterans get the care they earned.” Trump lawyer Michael Cohen nor the Even though Watson avoids conviction last week of former Trump the topic of impeachment, she said campaign manager Paul Manafort on Trump’s legal troubles add to recent tax and bank fraud were related to Republican ethical stumbles. For whether the Trump campaign colluded instance, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., with Russia. “It’s important that these was indicted on campaign-finance investigations play out,” Watson said. violations last week and Rep. Chris Howey Politics Indiana Republican Senate candidate Collins, R-N.Y., was recently charged Mike Braun on Monday tried to coax with securities law violations. WWHowey Media, LLC 405 incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Don- “This is part and parcel of the Massachusetts Ave., Suite nelly into a debate over Trump’s fate corruption that’s gripping Washing- 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 by putting out a statement headlined: ton these days,” Watson said. “The www.howeypolitics.com “Does Donnelly Want to Impeach corruption and greed in Washington President Trump?” is something I do hear about [from Donnelly didn’t take the voters].” Brian A. Howey, Publisher bait. Last week, Sen. Elizabeth Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington “I’m first and foremost fo- Warren, D-Mass., introduced sweep- Cameron Carter, Editor cused on my job serving Hoosiers in ing legislation, the Anti-Corruption Joel Weyrauch, Editor the Senate,” Donnelly said in a state- and Public Integrity Act, that would Mary Lou Howey, Editor ment released by his campaign. “I’m place strict limits on lobbying, curb closely following the developments corporate influence on legislation and Mark Curry, Daily Wire, photo in our legal system and, as I’ve said, regulations, stop the revolving door Jack E. Howey, Editor Special Counsel Mueller should follow through which industry officials transi- Emeritus the facts wherever they lead.” tion to government jobs and back and There was similar circumspec- require greater government transpar- tion in the 2nd CD from Democratic ency. Subscriptions candidate Mel Hall, who is running Watson paints Hollingsworth HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 against incumbent Republican Jackie with the corruption brush. She links HPI Weekly, $350 Walorski. his fundraising to votes to end the HPI Mobile, $5.95 monthly “As Mel continues to travel to Affordable Care Act and to enact tax Ray Volpe, Account Manager all 10 counties of the 2nd District, he cuts that she says hurt voters in the hears the same two things from Hoo- district and help Hollingsworth. 317.602.3620 siers: Washington is broken, and what Hollingsworth’s largest con- email: [email protected] are you going to do about my health tributors come from the insurance and care?” Hall campaign manager Max securities and investment industries Harris said in a statement. “From Day and the commercial banking sector, Contact HPI 1 of this campaign, Mel has promised according to the Center for Responsive [email protected] to get Washington working again for Politics. He sits on the House Financial Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 Hoosier families and that will continue Services Committee. Washington: 202.256.5822 to be his focus.” “He’s clearly responsive to Business Office: 317.602.3620 Republicans also are loath to whoever writes the biggest campaign address Trump’s growing legal entan- check,” said Watson, who is on break glements. from teaching in the Indiana Univer- © 2018, Howey Politics “Hoosiers sent Jackie Walor- sity law and public policy schools while Indiana. All rights reserved. ski to Congress to fight for them, and running for Congress. Photocopying, Internet forward- that’s what she is staying 100 per- Putting more weight on the ing, faxing or reproducing in cent focused on,” Walorski campaign views of campaign contributors than manager Stephen Simonetti said in the needs of district residents “is the any form, whole or part, is a a statement. “Whenever Jackie isn’t very definition of corruption,” Watson violation of federal law without traveling around the 2nd District talk- said. permission from the publisher. ing to Hoosiers, she’s working toward A Hollingsworth spokesperson commonsense solutions like protecting did not respond to a request for com- our farmers and manufacturers from ment. the negative impact of tariffs, address- Watson said voters frequently ing the opioid crisis and the rising cost tell her about challenges they face of health care and making sure our paying medical bills. It’s an issue that Page 3 she said is being ignored by Hollingsworth and other con- with pre-existing conditions couldn’t get insurance,” she gressional Republicans. said. “People in the 9th District have important prob- It’s health care, not Trump’s legal morass, that lems that we want addressed, and we’re tired of a Wash- animates Watson, a former labor policy director on the ington that isn’t paying attention,” Watson said. District House Education and Workforce Committee. She said that voters “are sick of the circus in Washington.” she supports both Medicare for All and preserving the Af- Trump’s visit to Evansville later this week, in fordable Care Act. the district right next door to hers, doesn’t faze Watson. “We can have a big vision and we can protect the “I would challenge Trey Hollingsworth to take a Medicaid expansion that helped hundreds of thousands of stand and to challenge the president to do so to protect Hoosiers get insurance,” she said. v Medicare, to protect Social Security, to protect health care – and not take us back to the bad old days when people Schoeff is HPI’s Washington correspondent. FiveThirtyEight provided grist for the Hoosier Rep. Banks, from page 1 congressional assessment. While it gives Democrats a To follow Banks is to find him showing up at Mus- 74% chance to retaking the U.S. House, it will come with catatuck, Atterbury, Crane, and air reserve wings at Fort none of the nine Indiana CDs in play. Republicans have a Wayne, Peru and Terre Haute. He’s built vivid relationships 90% chance or better to win six of the seven seats they with National Guard Adjutant Gen. Courtney Carr and hold and it gives Rep. Trey Hollingsworth a 76.9% chance knows the execs and the strategic plans for Rolls-Royce, of defeating Democrat Liz Watson in the 9th CD and Rep. AM General, General Dynamics and other Hoosier defense Jackie Walorski a 92% chance of fending off Mel Hall in contractors. what some Democrats thought would be a pickup opportu- The 3rd is also an American breadbasket, giving nity in the 2nd CD. farmers an out-sized relevance, and it is a manufacturing David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report center. Look at a map of auto suppli- put the Democratic House gain forecast in the 20- to 40- ers and the 3rd CD is covered with seat range. “The most critical phase of dots. It is also one of the biggest the battle for the House isn’t October; steel producing districts in the na- it’s right now,” Wasserman explained. tion. “Republicans’ only hope of defying a When we sat down with ‘Blue Wave’ and saving their 23-seat Rep. Banks for this HPI Interview we House majority is to personally dis- were mindful of his political astute- qualify Democratic nominees on a race- ness, one that has been developed by-race basis with quality opposition statewide beginning with former research. But there’s a narrow window congressman John Hostettler. In of time to do so before the airwaves GOP circles, it is easy to find Repub- get clogged, and Republicans will need lican leaders who envision Banks to be selective.” with a higher title preceding his In an NBC/Wall Street Journal name in the not-so-distant future.