Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott to seek senate nomination

Some links... (0.00 / 0)

...for those of you, like me, who want to learn more about him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T...
http://www.gohammond.com/web/m...
http://www.gohammond.com/blogs...
http://www.facebook.com/people...

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

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 19:48:22 PM CST

Uhhhhh (4.00 / 2)

Can we get Tamyra back?

We can NOT nominate a candidate from Lake County, people.

Hoosier Progressive

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by: Vox Populi @ Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 19:49:00 PM CST

*chuckles* (0.00 / 0)

Upon first read, I'm not overly impressed by the Mayor from Hammond, but at least he's proven he can get on a ballot and get elected.  ;)

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

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 19:55:32 PM CST

[ Parent ]

But (0.00 / 0)

Isn't he the mayor that during the primaries smacked down on national TV that jackass mayor from Gary for literally holding up the entire election?

ELLSWORTH FOR SENATE 2010

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by: Mario Cuomo @ Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 20:51:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Without agreeing with your... (0.00 / 0)

...characterization of the mayor from Gary, yes he was.

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

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 21:01:35 PM CST

[ Parent ]

shame (4.00 / 1)

I don't this gentleman and have no idea whether he would be a good candidate or not.  However, I find your bias and disparaging remarks re: Lake County to be bigoted and unwarranted. This is an area that give the Dems a substantial margin each election.  While I live in Indy,  the sun does not rise and set here.

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by: Howard C. @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 02:07:18 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Shame? (4.00 / 1)

Lake County is a bastion of corruption and nobody from Lake could shake that off in a statewide race.  How, pray tell, were my comments "bigoted?"  And when was the last time someone from Lake County elected statewide?

We win with candidates from Southern Indiana.

Hoosier Progressive

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by: Vox Populi @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 05:28:50 AM CST

[ Parent ]

bigoted? (4.00 / 1)

When you propose to exclude everyone from running for the senate because they live in one particular county,  I find that geographical bigotry.  Marion County has had more than it's share of corruption in the last couple of years, do you wish to bar Marion County residents from running also.

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by: Howard C. @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 09:00:46 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Two places that no DEM can win statewide from.... (4.00 / 1)

Gary area or Indy.

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by: LafayetteLib @ Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 22:52:10 PM CST

Alas (0.00 / 0)

You may be right.  In Marion County's case, it is the perception that it gets more than its share of goodies, right or wrong.

In the case of Lake County, although there are many politicians there who are untainted by scandal, the public perception outside of the Region would be "corrupt".  That would be too tough to deal with in the current climate, IMHO.  I know only a little about Mayor McDermott, so my comments are generic to any Lake Co. politician.  

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by: FishersDemo @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 11:30:23 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Mitch (0.00 / 0)

is from Indy

Vote for the person, not the party.  

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by: kcflood @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 17:33:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Actually (0.00 / 0)

...he is from Hamilton County......

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by: Howard C. @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 17:53:35 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I went to school with one of his daughters... (4.00 / 1)

and I have lived in Marion County my entire life.  Perhaps they recently moved to Hamilton Co. (in the last 5 years or so) but they lived in Indy at least until 2000.

Hoosier Progressive

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by: Vox Populi @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 21:31:14 PM CST

[ Parent ]

you are correct (0.00 / 0)

He graduated from North Central, I believe so he must be a native here.....I think when he ran he was already in Hamilton County...I am certain you have more info that I do.

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by: Howard C. @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 22:41:23 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Indy (0.00 / 0)

He did go to NC in Indy, that's why I'm always curious where he picked up that country-ish accent he uses sometimes.  

Vote for the person, not the party.  

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by: kcflood @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 23:39:18 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Country accents... (4.00 / 1)

appear when candidates are running in rural states.  And sometimes they appear just because.  Have you been to Indy's south side?  Yikes.

Hoosier Progressive

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by: Vox Populi @ Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 07:42:18 AM CST

[ Parent ]

phony (0.00 / 0)

His accent is as phony as his flannel shirts and "love" for breaded tenderloins.

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by: Howard C. @ Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 15:20:55 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Let's be fair (4.00 / 1)

While the accent and flannel are BS, how can you not love a breaded tenderloin?

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by: Hank Scorpio @ Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 10:44:16 AM CST

[ Parent ]

on second thought.... (4.00 / 1)

On thinking about it....breaded tenderloins are wonderful...so I won't hold that against him...it is just hard to picture him in some neighborhood bar eating a breaded tenderloin.

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by: Howard C. @ Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 10:49:02 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Well no (4.00 / 2)

but then it's hard to imagine him doing anything normal Hoosiers do.  Honestly I don't know anybody that wears as much flannel as he does campaigning, and I live in one of the more rural areas of the state.

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by: Hank Scorpio @ Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 12:05:06 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Not Hamilton County (0.00 / 0)

No, when Mitch ran, he lived in Lawrence Township in Marion County, off Oaklandon Road.  Perhaps the fact that is in the Geist area has some confused, but it is certainly in Marion County (south of 96th St).  Whether or not he continues to maintain that residence, I cannot say, but I am unaware of Mitch having a residence in Hamilton County.  

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by: FishersDemo @ Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 10:06:51 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Adding to the confusion (4.00 / 2)

was that about a year in, around the time he was calling the Governor's mansion a dump, he bought a house in a gated community in Carmel and talked about moving there until it was brought up that there may be a legal requirement that the governor has to reside in Marion County while in office.

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by: Hank Scorpio @ Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 14:43:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I thought Mitch was from Washington, D.C. (4.00 / 2)

.

ELLSWORTH FOR SENATE 2010

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by: Mario Cuomo @ Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 11:42:53 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Good news for Hammond, bad news for Indiana. (0.00 / 0)

Please ask Mayor McDermott about the styrofoam Statue of Liberty replica that the city owns and that he spent thousands of dollars to study whether or not he could put it on an island in Wolf Lake, near Lake Michigan.

Ugh.

If you are one of his team, he's the greatest thing since hair gel. If you dare question anything questionable that he's done (and there are a few doozies like the SoL), talk to the hand.

You can tune in to the mayor's radio show at 7:35 a.m. CST here; the Lake County Democrats (run by Tommy) have a show on at 5 p.m. CST tomorrow (Wednesday).

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by: wanderindiana @ Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 23:04:25 PM CST

correction (0.00 / 0)

Tom McDermott's radio show is on Friday morning. I regret the error.

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by: wanderindiana @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 19:57:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

This guy looked like a fool (0.00 / 0)

On the night of the Indiana Dem primaries. He went on CNN and started claiming that the Obama campaign and mayor of Gary were somehow trying to pull a fast one and steal the election from Hillary. He looked like a dumbass and I have no respect for him.  

Vote for the person, not the party.  

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by: kcflood @ Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 06:46:46 AM CST

Wrong (1.50 / 2)

That isn't what he was saying. Hammond was giving voice to what everyone else knew to be true: Clay was trying to hold up the election (not steal it) in order to dampen any momentum from Hillary's Indiana win that night.  The election was  not close in Gary; give me a break, there's no reason it would have been so late to report.  Clay was just giving credence to the above-mentioned notion that all Lake County pols are hacks and corrupt.

PS lovely to see the obsession with Hillary still lives on in Obamanots a year and a half later.  I suppose that's a lot easier than admitting we'd all be better off now if she'd won the nomination.

ELLSWORTH FOR SENATE 2010

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by: Mario Cuomo @ Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 11:42:15 AM CST

[ Parent ]

As opposed to your obsession with Hilary? ;) (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 @ Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 11:57:35 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I've been seeing rumors that Hillary will... (4.00 / 1)

...be offered the VP position and replace Biden on the ticket in the next election.  I would support this, not necessarily because I dislike Biden (though he does have an incurable case of foot-in-mouth disease), but because I respect her and I would like to see her run again for President.

The idea of her doing a better job under current circumstances than Obama is speculation, 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 @ Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 13:50:09 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I would not support this (0.00 / 0)

I don't think she will run for the presidency again, but she seriously would not need to be VP to do so.  VPs who seek the presidency rarely win the office.  Plus directly joining the ticket at this point would only compromise her current independence and tie her to what increasingly looks like an incompetent administration.

It is inconceivable that she'd be doing a worse job than Obama is now.  For starters, to my mind, due to her experience there is no way she would have fumbled healthcare as he did.  During the primaries she repeatedly exhorted Obama for his willingness to enter the debate from a supine position.  She argued that to begin from a compromised position (i.e. not ask for single-payer and not not demand a public option, ie. exactly what Obama did) would be to invite defeat.  She knew that mandated coverage was a necessity to acheiving true reform and that some form of public option would be required to make the system truly progressive and cost-controlled.  And she never would have wasted time trying to get the Republicans on board for anything.  If there's anyone in Washington that can attest to the worthlessness of bipartisanship across broad, but contentious issues, it's the Clintons.

Hillary has also has shown herself to be a true friend of the lgbt community.  How much progress she would have made on the policy front is certainly debatable, but there would have been no Rick Warren at the inauguration, and I take her at her word that she would have been the first president to march in a gay pride parade. (Unlike Obama, this is something that she bothered to do as a Senator.)  There would have been none of the subtlely hostile undertones toward gays from a Hillary Clinton administration that we've seen emanating from the Obama White House.  I don't think it's any coincidence that one of her first actions at the State Dept. was to grant as much equality to her employees as legally possible.

Simply by virtue of familiarity with Washington and the presidency itself, I think it's safe to say that by the end of her first year in office she'd have accomplished SOMETHING.  Even if it was simply not letting the estate tax expire or rescinding the tax cuts for the wealthy.  She was never afraid to take on the Republicans.  She's done it before; it'd be old hat to her.  Obama's all talk.  I said so in the primaries, and he's proved it since assuming the office.

ELLSWORTH FOR SENATE 2010

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by: Mario Cuomo @ Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 14:10:59 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I agree with much of what you say about Hillary, MC. (0.00 / 0)

I don't want to re-argue the primary.  Obama has been a disappointment thus far.  It would be easy for me to say that I wish Hillary was in office now, but that's not possible and I can make guesses about how she would have been different but they would only be guesses.

I don't know if this is true, but a friend told me that Hillary says she will only serve one term as Secretary of State.  I guess my support for her as VP is about not wanting to lose her experience and skill and seeing her participation in the administration as helping the Democratic Party.  I hope she sticks around in some fashion but I wouldn't begrudge her the wish to retire if that's what she wants.  

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

Yes, even Democratic authority.

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by: Daily Activist @ Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 14:25:06 PM CST

[ Parent ]

roadblocks (4.00 / 1)

If HRC had the same roadblocks in her presidency by the GOP and a handful of Democrats,  she would have had difficulty in making progress.  Perhaps she would not have wasted time trying to create a bipartisan atomsphere like Obama.  It is obvious that the repubs want nothing to do with bipartisanship.

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by: Howard C. @ Mon Feb 22, 2010 at 12:59:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

we dont know (4.00 / 1)

We don't know and will never know if Hillary would have won the election.  I believe that she would not have carried Indiana.  Anything about her performance as president is mere idle speculation.  I am thoroughly impressed with the job that she is doing as SOS.  She was certainly the right person for that job.

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by: Howard C. @ Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 13:07:04 PM CST

Tom McDermott for Senate (0.00 / 0)

I've lived in Hammond for most of my life and I've seen a few Mayors come and go. Tom McDermott is a stand up guy and has done alot for Hammond the area has changed in a positive direction since he has taken the office.Hes not afaid to face the issues(mayors nite out-public access)and fight for the growth of Hammond!I would be proud to see him in the Senate finally somebody with our best interest at heart!!Go for it Tom you have my family and friends support.Ann

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by: Annie K @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 01:28:51 AM CST