I got an unexpected letter in the mail on Saturday. It was from the Marion County Democratic Party; they were writing me as a precinct committee person. Of course when it came time to choose a candidate for the special election, they decided that I wasn't a committee person and refused to let me vote against Andre Carson. Now, apparently, I'm back in but who can be sure?
The letter seriously irritated me for it's sheer idiocy and threatening posture. County Party Chair Michael O'Conner's note to party insiders insists that Congressional candidates David Orentlicher and Carolene Mays can only hand out literature at the polls that asks people to vote against them. It also asks for poll workers to rat out any other lower level volunteer who hands out literature for any Democratic candidate other than Andre Carson and threatens an unspecified punishment. Keep in mind that O'Conner has maxed out his allowable contributions to the Carson campaign.
For those who don't know, "slating" is a process designed to make money for the party. Candidates pay a fee that varies depending on the race in question and generally runs in the thousands of dollars. After you've paid your non-refundable fee, party insiders pick which candidate the party is going to be on the "slate" at a slating convention. Slated candidates get the official backing of the party and get party resources, campaign materials, and from the sounds of this letter, a goon-squad to make sure no one strays from the script.
So much for democracy in action. Why in the hell do we even need a primary? Why don't we just allow candidates to pay the Party their money and allow the insiders to pick our candidates for us so those silly voters won't have to get involved at all! For the Marion County Democratic Party to threaten sanctions against those who participate in one of the most basic functions of democracy is beyond outrageous; it's treasonous.
Copy of the letter and my analysis at Bilerico-Indiana. Just for the record, my calls to the Marion County Democratic Party about this story were not returned.
Here's another reminder that last night will bring us what I believe will be the last joint appearance by the four front-runners for the Democratic nomination in the 7th District. Here's the scoop, for those that missed it earlier in the week:
IUPUI will host on April 27 a live debate among four candidates vying for the 7th Congressional District Democratic nomination in the May 6 primary. The debate will be shown on MyNDY Channel 23 and broadcast live on WIBC, 93.1 FM.
Jim Shella, 24-Hour News 8 political reporter, will serve as moderator of the debate between U.S. Representative Andre Carson, former State Health Commissioner Woody Myers, and State Representatives David Orentlicher and Carolene Mays.
The debate will be held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.in the University Place Conference Center Auditorium.
My sense is that if you don't have a ticket already, you may have a hard time scoring one at this point. No worries, because you can listen to the WIBC broadcast via their website.
I never received any hard details from the organizers about the prospect of some Blue Indiana questions making their way into the event, so I have no idea if that will occur or not. I will be there, though, and if the 'net cooperates I will liveblog the event as best I can.
Expectations? Is anyone even paying attention to this race right now in Indianapolis?
Indianapolis Star columnist John Ketzenberger turns his eye toward the 7th District, and looks at one of the major issues facing the Indianapolis area: Job creation. He breaks down the various experiences of the candidates themselves, and their policy proposals, but the real question at the end of the day is whether any of the voters will be paying attention amidst all of the presidential noise.
Job creation is Job One in the 7th Congressional District.
The four major candidates for the Democratic nomination put that issue atop their list of concerns. That's music to local business leaders who spend an inordinate amount of time trying to replace lost jobs.
The public is engaged, too. An Indianapolis Star/WTHR poll showed Hoosiers care far more about job creation than anything else. So, as the primary nears, which Democrat has the best combination of business savvy and a plan to address job woes?
Sorry for the slow start today, but I come with some good news. It looks like IUPUI will host a 7th District Democratic primary debate this weekend, and they have reached out to us with a request for questions.
I'm not exactly certain how this is supposed to work, but I think the way I will handle it is to say that any question left in this thread will be forwarded to Jim Shella, and I've been led to believe that we'll see at least one or two of them make their way into the debate.
One note: Logistically, I would think the best questions will be those that can be asked of all the candidates, rather than one specifically.
IUPUI will host on April 27 a live debate among four candidates vying for the 7th Congressional District Democratic nomination in the May 6 primary. The debate will be shown on MyNDY Channel 23 and broadcast live on WIBC, 93.1 FM.
Jim Shella, 24-Hour News 8 political reporter, will serve as moderator of the debate between U.S. Representative Andre Carson, former State Health Commissioner Woody Myers, and State Representatives David Orentlicher and Carolene Mays.
The debate will be held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.in the University Place Conference Center Auditorium, 850 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis. There are limited seats available to the community. Tickets are required, contact Maggie McFarlin mmcfarli@iupui.edu or 274-7400.
Tonight there will be a big ol' forum for candidates far and wide at the Light of the World Christian Church, including those in the 7th District Democratic primary. The big four are expected to be there, and if Robert King of the Star is to be believed, those in attendance are likely to hear talk of some more controversial issues.
The forum, like a pastors' discussion on the same subjects last month, was prompted by the controversy that followed news reports about statements made by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright when he was pastor to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Its purpose is to try to make something positive come out of the controversy, said the Rev. Mmoja Ajabu, minister of social concerns at Light of the World Christian Church, which is hosting the forum.
"Race and politics and religion have been the big old 800-pound elephant in the room, and nobody was talking about it," Ajabu said. "We said, 'Let's not try to hide it. It is on the floor now. It's on the table. Let's sit down and have a conscious conversation about this situation.' "
Also of note: Dr. Myers has lent himself another $450,000 in order to fuel his bid in this race. That brings his total investment to over $1.2 million, and almost guarantees his on-the-air presence over the next few weeks.
Word on the street is that Carolene Mays will also be hitting television screens across the 7th starting tomorrow.
That's the question of the hour, at least according to Robert King of the Star. He takes a look at the ongoing race for support among Indianapolis churches and finds that the near-universal support that Congresswoman Julia Carson garnered over the years is not nearly as clear-cut this year, leaving many to wonder whether now-Congressman Andre Carson will be able to keep his primary opponents from peeling away too much of the traditional base.
"Generally, you are able to determine long before this stage in the campaign where many of the black churches are coming down," said Rozelle Boyd, a former City-County Council member and longtime leader among black Democrats. "But that has not been the case in this situation."
Leading up to his special-election victory March 11, Carson and his surrogates visited 36 black churches. Since the special election, Mays has so far focused on black churches almost exclusively, hitting as many as four a week. Former state health commissioner Woody Myers has aimed for two a week.
Mays, Carson, Myers and Orentlicher are expected to continue their church stops across the district for the next five Sundays.
Also noted in the article is that Carolene Mays will begin running radio advertisements today featuring the endorsement of the influential Rev. Jeffrey Johnson.
While I was off fighting the good fight yesterday, the candidates who are competing for the Democratic congressional nomination in the 7th District were jumping off of the starting line with notable speed. Woody Myers and David Orentlicher both held press availabilities, while Carolene Mays officially starts her bid today.
Brendan O'Shaughnessy o' the Indianapolis Star filed this round-up of the day's events.
Orentlicher, a lawyer and doctor who teaches in both areas for Indiana University, held a news conference that featured the endorsement of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s nephew.
Orentlicher called for a series of debates and said Carson's margin of victory in the special election leaves the primary open to challengers.
He said he will push for changes that bring Hoosiers tax relief and better health-care options. He said he is well on his way to raising the half-million dollars he thinks will be needed to be competitive against Carson.
Myers debuted his first TV commercials. The 30- and 60- second spots are designed to introduce him to voters and remind them of his former role as health commissioner. He said his message is that education, jobs and health care must be improved together.
For those of you interested in the Woody ads, you can watch them below.
I've not received any information from the Mays campaign, but David O. has another press conference today, announcing some variety of ethics pledge. From the press release:
"I voted last year against a pay raise for State legislators because I think elected officials must tighten our belts. When I go to Washington next year I will adhere to strong ethical standards to avoid even the appearance of special interest influence. Democrats have made some progress in undoing Washington's culture of corruption, but there's much more to be done. I'll not only push for real ethics reform - I will set an example. Changing the laws is important - but changing behavior is even more important," Orentlicher said.
It's getting busy already, and we've only been at this one day.
The public silence of those Democrats who have filed to run in the May primary for the 7th District congressional nod has been chalked up to a common understanding that most of the hard campaigning should probably take place after the March 11 special election.
But that doesn't mean that these folks are sitting still.
No, in addition to the Woody Myers for Congress that was unveiled at his campaign launch, we now have online homes for Carolene Mays for Congress and David Orentlicher for Congress. I've been told that the David O site is currently under construction, and a new and permanent version will make an appearance at some point in the near future.
Also of note from that campaign is the familiar face to many in the 7th District who appears to have taken a leadership role in David O's bid. Chad Chitwood is rumored to be the campaign manager working behind the scenes right now, and his name may ring a bell to many due to the fact that until recently he was the official spokesman for Julia Carson's congressional office.
Interesting stuff.
And finally, let this serve as a gentle reminder that any of the 7th District candidates can register and begin posting stories on this site within minutes. I've already promoted to the front page a story from a Woody Myers supporter, and I will gladly give each of the campaigns some face-time as we head toward May.
But most importantly -- Keep your eye on the immediate prize! March 11 is no done deal at this point, and I would urge any of you that are so inclined to make sure you are doing what you can to keep this seat in Democratic hands, no matter who you plant to support in May.
The last few days have brought us quite a few local news stories about the impending special election and looming primary in the 7th District. I picked a few to upload to YouTube in case you missed them, so here's a taste of what waves the various campaigns are making at this early stage of the game.
Not being a state legislator will certainly give Woody Myers a bit of an initial advantage in terms of challenging Carson's operation. David Orentlicher and Carolone Mays would probably have more time to campaign if that whole "General Assembly" thing wasn't taking up so much of their radar screen.
(I would say the same for Jon Elrod, but from what I understand, he has been spending a good deal of time this session on the floor of the House ignoring the bills and focusing on his congressional bid.)
And for those who aren't aware, this is the last day for voter registration before the March special election.
These are exciting times if you are a Democrat in the 7th District. Andre Carson supporters should be happy to know that he is working tirelessly with the DCCC to put in place a campaign infrastructure that they hope will carry him to March and beyond. The David Orentlicher bid that just a few days ago seemed like a dark horse fading fast is suddenly swimming in cash, giving hope to his fans that his bid will go through after all. Woody Meyers is expected to make an entrance to the primary battle in the next few weeks, and yesterday brought word that state Rep. Carolene Mays wasn't willing to wait that long -- she's in.
Mays, publisher and president of the Indianapolis Recorder and Indiana Minority Business Magazine, is serving her third term in the Indiana General Assembly.
"Indiana needs an experienced, hardworking and compassionate leader to serve constituents of District 7, and I'm the person to serve the community in that position," Mays said in a statement Friday. "I'm extremely committed to continuing the work of being an advocate and community bridge-builder."
Who knows how many of these candidates will still be standing on March 12th, but for the time being, the increasingly crowded field is making for great fodder for political junkies like myself.
(Amazing round-up of the event. Thanks! - promoted by Thomas)
So I just got home from the 7th District Democratic candidate forum, which featured a whole host of candidates from different regions, races, genders, and even political philosophies. Present were State Representatives Carolene Mays, David Orentlicher, and and Gregory Porter; Indianapolis City County Councilors Joanne Sanders and Andre Carson; Attorney Randle Pollard; Marion County Treasurer Michael Rodman; and former Indiana State Health Commissioner Woodrow Myers.
I think the first and most important thing to point out is that we have a strong field of candidates. I went into the forum not knowing what to expect (including the fact that it was apparently oriented to the gay community-I just thought it was odd how the candidates were all talking about gay issues), and left with positive and negative impressions of different candidates, for different reasons.
Of the serious contenders for the seat, State Representative David Orentlicher was the first to give his opening statement, video of which can be found below. I apologize in advance for the low quality of the video throughout this diary, but it gets the point across.
Primarily, David O. focused on the need to restore moral leadership to Washington, that we have a "disgraceful" history when it comes to dealing with discrimination and equal rights. He wants to provide universal health care and will work as hard as he does as a state legislator. His wife Judy worked the room and passed out a letter with some of his issue positions. Key thing: David Orentlicher is leading on property tax reform. That's a huge issue in Indianapolis.
Next up was State Representative Carolene Mays. She showed up and admitted to the audience that she was warned she would find few friends at the event (that was an understatement). She defended her vote in favor of an amendment to the state constitution banning gay marriage and civil unions. She had the distinction of giving the longest opening statement of all the candidates:
Later in the Question and Answer session, Marion County Auditor Billie Breaux gave Ms. Mays a very public spanking. She said, "Representative Mays, I was looking at the information available on Project Vote Smart, and you have a very conservative voting record." Breaux went on to detail Ms. Mays' ratings on gay rights, abortion rights and several other issues. Rep. Mays retorted that she is "100% pro-choice" and that Vote Smart was wrong about her record and she was working to correct it. She kept hitting on the electability factor, reminding us several times that she was the highest vote getter in her district for any office in 2004 and 2006.
Ms. Mays had to leave the forum early because her daughter had to be picked up and get ready for bed. She was only able to answer a few questions.
Next was Representative Gregory Porter. Mr. Porter is my state representative, but I had never met him. He was hilarious. He was engaging. He talked about his 16 years of experience in state government and his work in the community. He talked about representing the same values Julia Carson represented. He hits issues of poverty, education and health care.
The two City County Councilors were quite late to the event, as their city council meeting started at the same time as the forum. First up was Democratic Minority Leader Joanne Sanders. She talks about how we are all "entitled" to health care, peace, and job security. She views crime as an economic issue and believes in a living wage as a means of reducing crime.
One of the most-awaited moments of the night came when Andre Carson spoke. He started off talking about his opposition to the Iraq War, but said residual troops would likely be necessary. He said that gays and lesbians choose to be the way they are, but he supports gay rights and doesn't care what happens in their bedrooms. He also doesn't support universal health care, preferring universal health insurance because he doesn't believe it's the government's role to be giving health care.
One of the best moments in the forum came when City County Councilor William Oliver, as establishment as establishment gets, asked the candidates to promise not to run in the May primary against the party's candidate. He prefaced his 'question' with the statement, "I'm one who hasn't made up his mind." First Rep. Porter and then Councilor Sanders demurred, saying they would decide when the time came. Then Randle Pollard made an impassioned defense of the primary system.
Notice that after Pollard goes off, Michael Rodman says "I'm kind of old fashioned," and that he would support the party's pick. Woody Myers said he was "a new fashioned Democrat" and would make the decision to run in the primary when the time came. Andre Carson too said he would make a decision when the time came, prompting Porter to lighten the mood saying he wanted to change his vote.
Like I said, the forum was quite successful and I think we learned a lot about the candidates. Several of the candidates expressed frustration that this would be the only forum before Saturday's caucus. I spoke with several candidates after the event and they confirmed to me, privately, that they were indeed running in the primary but couldn't very well say so before the caucus.
With the Democrats announcing their caucus will be held next Saturday, and the Republicans selecting the next day for their shindig, it now appears that all of the pieces are set in the lead-up to the anticipated special election to replace the late Rep. Julia Carson. The Indianapolis Star reports:
Republican and Democratic state party officials said today that they agreed the special election to fill out the rest of U.S. Rep. Julia Carson's term should be March 11.
The Tuesday date was chosen after party officials realized their original choice of Saturday, March 1, would be a day too soon under state law.
Gov Mitch Daniels must set the date for the special election but had asked party leaders to reach a mutally acceptable date before submitting it to him for approval.
For those who are keeping score at home, the task of tracking who is in the race to represent the 7th District has become a lot more difficult in the last week or so. To recap:
Democrats:
Julia Carson's grandson Andre Carson has filed to run in the special election, and so has Marion County Treasurer Mike Rodman. State Rep. David Orentlicher has filed with the FEC and is rumored to be looking at avoiding the special election and making a stand during the May primary election. City-County Councilwoman Joanne Sanders has made it clear to supporters that she intends to run, but I have yet to receive word on whether she will compete in the special election. State Reps. Carolene Mays and Greg Porter are also rumored candidates who have apparently been testing the waters behind closed doors. There are other candidates who are also rumored to be wanting in on the action, but I haven't seen conclusive proof.
Republicans:
At this point, State Rep. Jon Elrod is the only potentially viable candidate on the GOP side to toss his hat into the ring, but the deafening silence on that end of the political spectrum has many wondering if there isn't a plan in motion to put a more experienced (qualified?) candidate out on the campaign trail. I've heard a lot of names, and none of them impress me, so until they file or at least announce their intentions, I'm not going to bother looking them up.
There's a lot out there to digest at this point, and unfortunately we don't have a lot of time before the caucus next week. It is important to remember, though, that even if Andre Carson is slated as the nominee for the special election in March -- word on the street is that he enjoys a decent level of initial support among his grandmother's supporters -- he would almost certainly face a contested primary in May. That is the path that I expect you will see a lot of the above mentioned Democratic candidates taking rather than staking their fortunes in a rather small caucus room.
Vox Populi has been doing a series on the potential Democratic candidates, and I recommend you check it out for a primer on the names and faces in question here. The most recent (and final) was a look at Andre Carson, and I think this section in particular is important no matter how you feel about the young Carson's candidacy:
Aside from that brief synopsis, I can't tell you much about Andre Carson. His legislative website is empty of any information. Unlike the other councilors, there isn't even an email address to contact him at-though there is a phone number. There is no biographical information. There are no issue positions. When you visit his campaign website, the only content is a picture of Andre and Julia together. That is understandable with her recent passing, but there was a similar picture on the website in the run-up to his run for City-County Council.
If he expects to run on his own merits, rather than his grandmother's, Mr. Carson needs to let us know who he is, and he needs to do so before the upcoming caucus. He needs to address the rumors of his involvement with the militant Nation of Islam organization. He needs to tell us what makes a first-term city councilor qualified to be a member of Congress. More than anything, he needs to tell us what makes him not only qualified, but what makes him the best choice for the job. Why is he a better option than those with more experience and those with proven competence?
A lot of questions folks, and not many answers. I've put in an interview request with a few of the Democratic candidates, and I want to extend an open invitation to all of them should they want to make their case here on the site.
This is the fifth and final edition of a diary series to introduce us to the Democratic contenders for the upcoming party caucus and special election in Indiana's 7th Congressional District. Previous installments have introduced us to the most likely and most credible candidates. State Representatives Carolene Mays, David Orentlicher, and Gregory Porter, as well as Indianapolis City-County Council Democratic Minority Leader Joanne Sanders are all strong candidates and are all qualified for the job.
This edition is dedicated to the front-runner, the most likely nominee, and the one we probably know least about: City County Councilor and grandson of Julia Carson, Mr. Andre Carson from the west side of Indianapolis.
This is the fourth in a series of profiles introducing us to the potential replacements for Indiana's 7th Congressional District. The seat became vacant in December due to the death of Congresswoman Julia Carson. Previous profiles have been written on State Representatives Carolene Mays and David Orentlicher, as well as Indianapolis City-County Council Democratic leader Joanne Sanders.
This article is dedicated to 8-term State Representative Gregory Porter, from the near-northeast side of Indianapolis.
(Bumped from the user diaries. - promoted by Thomas)
This is the third diary in a series profiling potential candidates for the upcoming 7th District Caucus and primary brought on by the death of Congresswoman Julia Carson. My previous diaries were on State Representatives Carolene Mays and David Orentlicher.
This diary is dedicated to introducing you to Councilor Joanne Sanders, the Democratic minority leader of the Marion County City County Council.
(Bumped from the user diaries. - promoted by Thomas)
This diary is the second in a series of brief profiles on possible Democratic candidates seeking to fill Indiana's 7th Congressional District following the recent death of Julia Carson. The first diary introduced us to State Representative Carolene Mays.
This diary will introduce you to State Representative David Orentlicher, from the north side of Indianapolis.
I decided that with the upcoming caucus, I'm going to do a series of diaries introducing the declared or rumored Democratic candidates for the seat. The first in the series is State Representative Carolene Mays, from the west side of Indianapolis.
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This diary is the second in a series of brief profiles on possible Democratic candidates seeking to fill Indiana's 7th Congressional District following the recent death of Julia Carson. The first diary introduced us to 
