Marlin Stutzman -- A fun kind of crazy

On the mark (4.00 / 1)

Too funny...

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by: IndyJeff @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 12:16:42 PM CDT

Isn't it funny... (4.00 / 1)

how Indiana values just happen to line up with Stutzman's personal values? That's convenient for him.

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by: reverentandfree @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 13:38:09 PM CDT

Where to go? (4.00 / 1)

As a good life long Democrat, I will NOT vote for Evan Bayh due to his lack of support for Obama.  I sure wish Birch Bayh was still our senator.   I obviously will not vote for Stutzman either.  I hope there is a  third party candidate to cast a protest vote.

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by: Howard C. @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 13:45:55 PM CDT

If that is your determinative factor... (4.00 / 1)

...then you'll be throwing out our entire congressional delegation at one point or another.

Even Pete Visclosky voted against the president on the energy bill.

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by: Thomas @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 14:24:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

and so? (4.00 / 2)

And Pete and the others were wrong, and Andre Carson and Baron Hill were right.  I give them A+ each for courage and conviction, and for being right on the facts.  That bill was actually very watered down, and even repealed part of current environmental legislation at the behest of the coal industry.  Frankly, it should have been a lot tougher.  I for one hope the Senate restores the original provisions.  

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by: FishersDemo @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 15:15:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

My point isn't that they were necessarily right... (4.00 / 1)

...but rather that if you allow a handful of votes to completely discount a larger body of work, you're going to have a hard time finding very many "real" Democrats.

Even Barack Obama went against the caucus on occasion.

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by: Thomas @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 15:57:20 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Evan seems to go aginst the caucus... (4.00 / 2)

...more than just "on occasion" and without a doubt does it far more than Obama ever did.   Evan even tries to lead the "buck the caucus" movement.  

Bayh has been relatively quiet lately, so I can't say he's annoyed me recently.  I expect that to change, though, when we get closer to the health care and energy votes.

"It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority."  --Benjamin Franklin

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 22:42:27 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Healthcare and Energy (2.00 / 2)

Here are two issues where Bayh's votes will actually be consequential.  And I really, really hope he votes the right way.  If he doesn't, though, it's too bad you guys already wasted your righteous indignation on something that doesn't even matter (the budget vote) becuase it will all be old hat by then.  Choose your battles, please.  Otherwise it just gets old.

Also, I imagine there is some system of tracking correspondence from constituents in his office.  Do you think he's going to weigh too heavily the opinion of someone who writes or calls in any time he votes against the President?  I don't.  I'll be contacting him about healthcare, and I already corresponded regarding the energy bill.  Hopefully his office will take my concerns seriously.  They probably will considering I don't contact them over every little thing like voting against a budget bill that passed anyway.

ELLSWORTH FOR SENATE 2010

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by: Mario Cuomo @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 10:14:25 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Visclosky (0.00 / 1)

It is my understanding that Visclosky didn't vote against the bill because it wasn't tough enough; he voted against it because his district might be disproportionately affected. Also, you're out of your mind if you think the Senate is going to do anything other than water down the bill even further.  The House is definitely the more progressive of the two bodies.

Barack Obama isn't always right.  I wonder if you'll fault Democrats who go against the president's apparent inclination to extend the Bush administration's unconstitutional policy of indefinite detention for enemy combatants.

ELLSWORTH FOR SENATE 2010

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by: Mario Cuomo @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 16:42:19 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I would applaud Democrats... (0.00 / 0)

...who went against indefinite detentions.   Somehow, though, I don't think Evan Bayh will be leading that contingent.

"It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority."  --Benjamin Franklin

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 22:35:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

If Evan Bayh is a socialist... (4.00 / 1)

...I'm Brad Pitt.  ;)

P.S.  I'd probably like Bayh more if he were a socialist.

"It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority."  --Benjamin Franklin

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 13:58:30 PM CDT

Only the Radical Right (4.00 / 1)

... believe that Evan Bayh is a socialist, and probably not all of them.  This just won't sell with hardly anyone, and it will be funny to see someone try.  

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by: FishersDemo @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 15:12:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's not a zero-sum game, folks (4.00 / 1)

Evan Bayh and I agree about two-thirds of the time.  I agree with more-liberal Senators about 95% of the time.

I agree with Lugar about 20% of the time.

Gimme 66% any day. It beats the alternative all to hell.

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by: Blue State Blues @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 20:28:58 PM CDT

Not if your alternative is someone more liberal. ;) (4.00 / 1)

n/t

"It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority."  --Benjamin Franklin

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 22:34:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

get real (4.00 / 1)

your choices are gonna be Evan "I Never Raised Taxes" Bayh and some whacko Republican victims who will be sacrificed.  As much as I don't like Bayh's Conservadem creds, I can see reality.  We hardly even have a bench when it comes to Secretary of State or Governor, let alone to challenge the one politician who CONTROLS the state party.  I saw that firsthand as he squeezed local pols all over my area to support Hillary over Barack....

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by: LafayetteLib @ Wed Jul 01, 2009 at 23:13:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm hoping that the Greens will field a candidate. (4.00 / 1)

If not, I will just skip that line on the ballot.

I hold no illusions that Bayh will lose, either in a primary or in the general and I would vote for Bayh if it somehow ends up being a close race between he and a Republican.

I would prefer to have someone to vote FOR, however.

"It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority."  --Benjamin Franklin

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 00:02:25 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

i know... (4.00 / 1)

I am a realist enough to know that there will be no challenge to Bayh in the primary and that he will win handily in the fall.  My point is that he needs to know that there is a significant block of Dems who are not happy with his getting cozy with the repubs and the conservatives.  Interestingly,  even with his arm twisting of party leaders and and his squeezing of local pols,  Hillary barely carried Indiana in the primary. If I remember correctly, the convention votes were divided almost evenly.  More aggravating was Evan's attempt to organize a rump caucus of Dems to oppose Obama's programs....you are correct.  He has been pretty quiet lately.  The key votes to watch will be the health care votes since Susan has so many ties to the industry.

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by: Howard C. @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 08:57:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I think he's well aware of the discontent... (4.00 / 4)

...but the "significance" may be offset by the fact that numerically, the number is pretty insignificant compared to the massive level of support he enjoys statewide.

I'm not saying that the viewpoint isn't important -- but let's not pretend that we're talking about a sizable portion of the Democratic Party in this state.

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by: Thomas @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 09:41:46 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's hilarious (4.00 / 2)

to see history re-created.  I oft hear how Evan Bayh twisted arms to get folks to support Hillary. Funny.

He is a friend. I was there, raising money for him for his initial SOS race.  He never said a word to me or many other longtime friends about Hillary.  Not one word.  We got letters from the Clinton campaign, just like everyone else, but not a peep from our junior senator.

And two of his most-trusted longtime supporters ran the campaigns: Kip Tew at the Obama camp and Joe Hogsett for Hillary.

Seems to me, he didn't twist any arms.  Looks like he adequately hedged his bets.  A foot in each camp.  He gets a lot of criticism for being wishy-washy on issues, which I do understand.  If the criticism here were pushed in that direction, I'd get it.  But this constant drivel about his 2008 primary influence is pure fiction.

He did campaign extensively for Hillary.  And that means a lot in many areas of Indiana.  It meant zippo in Marion County.

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by: Blue State Blues @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 05:31:42 AM CDT

Credit where credit is due. (4.00 / 1)

I received an email reply from Bayh today that seems to indicate that he supports the Employee Free Choice Act.  If I'm correct that he does support it, I applaud him for doing so.

"It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority."  --Benjamin Franklin

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 11:11:43 AM CDT

thrilled (4.00 / 2)

I would be thrilled if Evan really supports EFCA but the proof is in the pudding and let's wait until the vote before we start passing out praise..........

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by: Howard C. @ Thu Jul 02, 2009 at 12:31:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]