Some CHOICE

So healthcare for retired legislators is sacrosanct, but care for elderly people with disabilities is ok to cut?

I wonder what Rep. McLain (R-Out of the loop) knew about this? Or in his case didn't know.

What's good for the goose apparently isn't good for the Governor

So the new ethics standards that Mitch campaigned on? Apparently that's for other people. The Star, surprisingly showing something resembling actual reporting (instead of it's usual love poems to Mitch,) actually asked Mitch to defend the gifts he been taking.

"The fines for seemingly small infractions led some in the public to question why Daniels could accept the loan of a $175,000 recreational vehicle along with free soy biodiesel to fuel it; a free private jet trip to Washington while on state business; and an autographed football from Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
Daniels said the vehicle, fuel and jet trip were not personal gifts to him but instead were donations to the state. The RV was donated by Monaco Coach Corp., an Oregon firm with plants in Indiana, so he could take his office on the road."

I suppose technically he right, the RV wasn't a personal gift, it was a campaign contribution. No sooner then Mitch started showing his true colors (arrogant, and belittling of anyone not agreeing with him) then he decides he better take his "common-folk" shtick back on the road. Though with the chants of "No more Mitch" ringing throughout the capitol I can understand his wanting to get out of there.

If Mitch was really "common-folk" he'd know that most of us can't afford a $175,000 house let alone a RV. If he understood that maybe he'd wipe that smug smirk off his face, park that toy and get to work bringing more and better paying jobs to this state. Instead he's more concerned with the '08 election, and taking care of his rich neighbors in Geist.

New stadium deal

Mayor Peterson of Indianapolis has ceded control of the new stadium and convention center to Mitch. You may remember that when Mayor Peterson announced his plan, it wouldn't require raising any taxes. That of course was something Mitch couldn't live with, and now we know why.

"Under the plan the mayor unveiled today, a seven member state building authority would oversee the construction project. The state would control the financing, and choose the bonding lawyers who will earn lucrative work."

Gee I wonder if Mitch knows any campaign contributors who happen to be lawyers looking for lucrative work? Best case scenario, Mitch is a control freak. Worst case he's holding public works projects hostage to pay back his friends.

Where was this guy 6 months ago?

It seems like we're finally learning to take the GOP head on by talking about values. Hopefully this isn't a short term phase, but a real return to grassroots politics. We need to talk about the things that matter to us and the voters, instead of trying to avoid them.

Rep. Chris Chocola (R-Chocola)

Rep. Chocola has made the League of Conservation Voters "Tom's Tainted Team." A list of Congressmen who have voted for a provision of the energy bill that protects polluters from paying for the cleanup of MTBE (a petroleum additive.) There are two water systems in the 2nd Congressional district alone contaminated with MTBE. Who will foot the bill for the cleanup then? Us of course.

On an ethics note Chocola owns stock in companies that are major manufacturers and polluters of MTBE. So who's interests is he protecting, our's or his?

Benefit cuts to Social Security?

So Treasury Secretary Snow is explaining that in order to cut down the deficit there will have to be cuts in Social Security benefits. Really? I don't remember Clinton having to cut benefits to create budget surpluses.

But then that was before Snow's boss starting handing out tax cuts to his rich friends.

Your Department of Labor at work

So the Department of Labor has a handy guide for employers to use to avoid paying overtime. One suggestion is to cut pay so that when the overtime is added in the worker is making what they did before.

Or in other words the Department of Labor is advocating more hours for less pay. Sounds fair doesn't it? The level with which the GOP is out of touch with the reality of everyday life is astonishing. People struggle to make it as it is, for a lot of low wage employees who are lucky enough not to work at Wal-Mart overtime is how they stay off welfare. Now the GOP is trying to screw them out of that too. And it ends up costing all of us, the workers who spend less time with their families for less money, and the rest of us when they're forced into assistance programs because they no longer have the income to support the families they never see (or at least until the GOP kills that too.) And trust me, employers will embrace this idea, they'll be like kids at Christmas thinking about free overtime.

I'd suggest increasing job training, but apparently the GOP has a different idea http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=22536

The future?

This guy may be the next President, or just the Governor of Montana, but what he says is how we have to think to take back control from the radicals that represent the GOP:

"We are the folks who represent the families. Talk like you care. Act like you care. When you're talking about issues that touch families, it's OK to make it look like you care. It's OK to have policies that demonstrate that you'll make their lives better -- and talk about it in a way that they understand. Too many Democrats -- the policy's just fine, but they can't talk about it in a way that anybody else understands."

Note: You have to watch an ad first before you can access the article, but its more then worth it.

Ted Nugent off his meds

Well that does it, no way am I inviting Ted to my barbecues again.

Sorry folks for the lack of value on this one, it was just to funny to not post.

The GOP's selling out of Rural America

Yes, this is a repeat, but Cass County happens to be Rural America, and people need to read this. Expect to see it posted often.

More news Bush doesn't want you to use

It turns out that the State Department's terrorism report isn't the only report to be canceled. It’s just the latest in a series of report that the Bush administration found to be embarrassing.

Is this their idea of honesty?

Well if you don't have anything nice to say we won't let you say anything at all

So it turns out that there were more acts of terrorism worldwide in 2004 then any other year since the State Dept started publishing it annual report on terrorism in 1985. But seeing as that doesn't fit in with the GOP's worldview that the war in Iraq made the world safer from terrorism, they decided to stop publishing the report. 2003 had seen 175. There were 625 "significant" act of terrorism in 2004. 625! Does anybody feel safer knowing that the administrations reaction to the number more then tripling is to stop telling us how many attacks there were?

Could somebody tell me what the Republican have done to make us safer? Color coded charts that confuse us? Dire warning of the need to stock up on duct tape and plastic? A war in Iraq that yielded no WMD's and has led to the kidnapping of a Hoosier? Pulling resources out of Afghanistan to go to Iraq, and failing to finish off Al Qaeda and the Taliban? Failing to face the threat of North Korea in a more resolute manner?

Hammering home the truth about DeLay

The DCCC has a new website (the main page will appear in the links) about the Tom DeLay scandal. This page is a more in-depth look at the price average Americans pay for the poor stewardship of the GOP.

Senate Republicans reject Veteran's Care

I thought the GOP was the party that valued veterans? Maybe not, at every turn they've shot down attempts at increasing funding for veterans benefits, and now even care for combat injuries.

How much is that Represenative in the window?

So it turns out that Chocola has taken $30,000 from Tom DeLay's PAC. That is the ninth highest in Congress. So you have to wonder what DeLay get for his money?

Flip Flop?

Indicted lobbyist to roll over on DeLay?

The center of the most recent controversy surrounding Tom Delay is going to cut a deal with prosecutors, and many expect him to crush DeLay. Abramoff is accused of defrauding Native Americans of millions in fees. Fees he collected because of his personal relationship with Tom Delay.

Why do you care? Again, in Congress DeLay is Chocola's boss.

Update: Now with handy graph. http://www.dropthehammer.org/corruption/

"No More Mitch" I like the sound of that!

Is there any possible way for Daniels to be a bigger jerk? I'm serious, at every turn this guy is finding new ways to enrage people. I had heard he was arrogant, but I'm astounded at the level of contempt he has for any view that differs from his own. He's Governor, not owner-operator of this state, he works for us, and in 2008 we need to fire him.

Coincidence?

Interesting how in Mike Ayer's report on the Third House session we (along with Rep. McClain) learned that the GOP leadership had pulled the bill concerning retired lawmakers health benefits. Now we learn they don't need to touch their benefits, they can just go after children and the elderly.

Senate Bill 480

So this bill tags along with the voter ID bill in forcing people who are "challenged" by a observer to cast a provisional vote. This is great news for the GOP, since they always have plenty of observers.

We are going to have to recruit and trains a significant number of observers, we can't just cede to the GOP every time they pull a stunt like this. It time to fight fire with fire.

Tom DeLay Update

Well everyone's favorite one man ethics disaster is at it again. Or more correctly has always been at it. Though I suppose $500,000 over 4 years to be related to Tom DeLay is probably not enough.

I know you're wondering why this matters in the 2nd CD, just remember that Chocola takes his marching orders from DeLay. We're going to have to knock the base out from underneath DeLay if we are going to stop the rampant GOP corruption in Congress. That means getting rid of guys like Chocola who are more then willing to look the other way.

Time for a change?

You know when you're elected Governor on a platform of "leadership" you might want to show some leadership to see that your centerpiece, Daylight Savings, will pass. But this is Indiana, and our Governor is too busy riding around in his RV. First he tries to push through a bill that most voters don't want, and now that it has tied the house up in knots, he's AWOL. Well I guess it all depends on what the definition of "leadership" is.

What was that?

Mike Ayers attended the Third House session over the weekend and filed this report. Nothing too surprising, your run of the mill avoiding questions (inspector general) and hiding the truth in statistics (education.) And while it should be a surprise that Rep. McClain wasn't aware that a major piece of legislation had been pulled (even though it was all over the press) it isn't. Kind of sad that we've come to expect that isn't it?

Can Democrats take back Congress?

As long as the Republicans remain in denial about private accounts, we just might. We're going to have a very strong candidate here in the 2nd Congressional District, and Chocola is considered to be weak, we need to work our butts off to help get a Democrat elected in Northern Indiana. Starting now, not next year, now.

Apparently you can run, and you can hide.

E.J. Dionne does an excellent job of summing up the White House's behavior towards dissenting views. This isn't exactly a new trend, this is a continuation from last year's campaign. What's different is that instead of campaign stop paid for by private funds, this was a public event, so this is the government stifling free speech. Plus we have a GOP volunteer playing Secret Service agent, which I'm guessing is a federal offense.

When did denying citizen's their Constitutional rights become a value? For that matter when did falsely identifying yourself as a member of the Secret Service become ok?