Baron Hill NOT running

by: fryguy09

Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 19:45:48 PM EST

A Cold Welcome for Dan Coats

by: BrianK

Wed Feb 03, 2010 at 13:47:46 PM EST

On behalf of Hoosiers everywhere, we'd like to welcome back Dan Coats to the State of Indiana.

After more than a decade working, living, and voting in Washington, D.C., it seems that Mr. Coats has decided to come back for a visit. The announcement that he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate has come as a surprise for those of us who haven't seen or heard from the Republican in a good many years.

No worries. Our welcome basket will soon be in the mail.

As soon as Mr. Coats lands, however, maybe he can find some spare time to talk to real Hoosiers about the issues that have been affecting this state while he was away. A lot has changed since Coats abandoned the Hoosier State for the posh life of a Washington insider.

While he's at it, perhaps Dan Coats can tell us about what he has been up to since he left town. He seems to have done well -- being a registered lobbyist for major financial institutions is a great job inside the Beltway from what we hear.

And with those banks receiving billions in TARP bailout money under his watch, it's hard to imagine Mr. Coats hasn't been reaping the benefits of that taxpayer money.

Between all of that lobbying, heading up the failed Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers, and championing Sarah Palin during the 2008 campaign, it's no wonder that Dan Coats was too busy to stop in and spend time in our state over the last decade.

Regardless, we wanted to extend our welcome -- if Mr. Coats would just let us know whether he wants the welcome basket to go to his Virginia address or his extended stay suite here in Indiana, that would be a great help.

If Coats is the hero the RNC is looking for, they must be really terrified of a Bayh vs. Hostettler race. And I'm not sure how Coats fits into the RNC's strategy against Bayh (as laid out by Greg Sargent):

NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh tells me the GOP response will be this: Target Bayh's wife, and the "Bayh family partnership."

GOP operatives point out that Evan and Susan Bayh have been criticized over her service on the boards of major insurers such as WellPoint, which reportedly earned her millions.

It's also interesting to note, as Chuck Todd did, that Coats' language on this has been very conditional: "allowing supporters to put his name on the ballot" and "as I test the waters for a potential challenge." Typical political posturing, or is there actually some hesitancy there?

Brown's Win and the Climate Vote

by: Heather TaylorMiesle NRDC Action Fund

Wed Jan 20, 2010 at 20:02:35 PM EST

The signs of momentum for a clean energy and climate bill outweigh any signs that come from the Massachusetts special election.

Citzen for Senate

by: aludo

Thu Nov 26, 2009 at 09:59:06 AM EST

For d'Ippolito the campaign is about bringing power back to the people."I am running for Senate as a citizen not as a politician. To make change one has to become change," Tamyra pronounces, encouraging citizens to be the active role toward progressive Indiana. "My mission is to bring awareness to the fact that it is the people who participate that have a voice."

Her plans for Indiana, include raising awareness of the states increasing poverty levels and the web of issues that created it such as healthcare and government lobbying. "Poverty in Indiana is prevalent, and I want it eradicated," states Tamyra.

About Tamyra D'Ippolito

Tamyra d'Ipollito was born and raised in Indiana by a single working mother. The United States government financed her education with a B.E.O.G, which she is forever grateful. D'Ipollito is proud to say that as a world traveler she has obtained three college degrees. Through her studies abroad she was represented as a U.S. ambassador for peace and became an originator of the Peace Corps. D'Ipollito currently owns and operates Ragazzi Arté Café in Bloomington, Indiana, where she supports local artists in displaying their works at the café. As a small business owner and cancer survivor d'Ippolito understands first hand the struggles of living without healthcare. At the present time she is on the board of the Advisory Committee at Volunteers in Medicine, located in Bloomington.

###

Contact:

Tamyra D'Ippolito

915/232-9005

tamyraforsenate.com

Judge David Hamilton confirmed to 7th Circuit Court of Appeals

by: BrianK

Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 17:04:26 PM EST

Just two days after 70 Senators voted to break the deadlock and move forward with his nomination, Hoosier Judge David Hamilton was confirmed by the full Senate this afternoon by a vote of 59-39. Senator Lugar was the only Republican to vote for confirmation.

Judge Hamilton, a Bloomington native, has served on the US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana since 1994. Hamilton also served as counsel to then-Governor Bayh from 1989-1991. He was President Obama's first nominee to the federal bench in March, but his nomination has been held up by Republican Senators since the Judiciary Committee endorsed him in June.

Judge Hamilton is the nephew of former Indiana congressman Lee Hamilton, and the brother-in-law of Obama's stalled nominee to head the Office of Legal Counsel, IU Professor Dawn Johnsen.

Senator Evan Bayh gets challenged by a Teabagger.

by: Daily Activist

Thu Sep 10, 2009 at 23:57:05 PM EDT

The man who helped launch the protest-oriented "tea party" in Indiana is running as a Republican against Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh.

Richard Behney, a 45-year-old Carmel businessman, has filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. Two other Republicans also are in the race: state Sen. Marlin Stutzman, Howe, and Don Bates, a banker from Richmond. Others looking at a run against Bayh include former state Rep. Dan Dumezich, Lake County.

Behney already has a campaign jingle, to the tune of "Hey, Look Me Over," in which a chorus sings that it's time to say "bye Bayh."

http://www.indystar.com/articl...

Guess what?  He's a plumber.  Warning:  This is video of an interview Mr. Behney did with Glenn Beck.  Have your B.S. detector at the ready.  ;)

Kabuki Konfirmation

by: Donkey Hussein Girl

Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 22:17:01 PM EDT

MN-Sen: Make Norm Coleman Go Away for Just One Dollar a Day

by: Senate Guru

Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 22:39:27 PM EDT

Even in Indiana, I'm sure you've heard plenty about what's going on with the still-unsettled Senate race in Minnesota.

While Republican Norm Coleman prolongs his endless and pointless appeals, cementing his admission into the Sore Losers Hall of Fame, progressive organizations Democracy for America and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee have introduced a new effort: NormDollar.com, "A Dollar a Day to Make Norm Go Away."  Very simply put, commit to contributing just one dollar per day for every day that sore loser Norm Coleman refuses to concede.

This is exactly the correct approach to take in order to provide Republican leadership in Washington with adequate disincentive from continuing to fund Coleman's endless appeals.  The GOP bigwigs funding Coleman's appeals see value in putting their money toward keeping progressive Senator-elect Al Franken from being seated.  This grassroots-powered effort will make them think twice by generating many thousands of dollars for progressive candidates for every single day that they fund the Coleman circus.

If you feel so inclined, you can certainly chip in a bit of change directly to the Franken Recount Fund, as well.

Gubernatorial Monkey Wrench

by: finifinito

Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:51:13 PM EDT

Brian Howey is reporting:

Republican State Sen. John Waterman of Shelburn is exploring whether to enter the Indiana gubernatorial race as an independent candidate. "There's a lot of disgruntled people," said Waterman in an exclusive Howey Politics Indiana interview Friday morning. Waterman, who was elected to the Senate in 1994 after two terms as Sullivan County Sheriff, added, "I know in this area, people are living paycheck to paycheck. There's no communication with the governor's office. He's got this open door policy that doesn't work. Nobody will call you back. There's a lack of interest in education. The schools are in bad shape and nobody wants to talk about it. Economic development in Southwestern Indiana is zilch." Waterman said that "right now, things are exploratory."

I don't know much about this guy but it sounds like he knows a key constituency, local officials, who could form a formidable coalition. Never underestimate the power of the local politicians who can stand in your living room to influence elections in a big way. Again, my lack of knowledge of this guy makes me wonder how much of a threat this guy is to Mitch "Govfather" Daniels and Jill Long Thompson? It's definitely the first big monkeywrench thrown by either party in this race, I would stock up on a lot of popcorn, folks, this is gonna be fun to watch!

Senate

by: yaelbelle

Sun Mar 02, 2008 at 22:34:40 PM EST

In her time in the Senate, Hillary has sponsored 21 bills that have become law including:

- a bill that extended the availability of unemployment assistance.

- a bill which established a program to assist family caregivers.

- a bill that provided benefits to public safety officers who were killed or injured during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

But Hillary's accomplishments in the Senate are not limited to bill sponsorships. Among her many other legislative accomplishments:

- Hillary worked with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to expand access to health care for the National Guard and Reserve.

- Hillary passed an amendment that created a national program for teacher and principal training and recruitment.

- Hillary used Senate rules to force the Bush administration to make emergency contraception, also known as Plan B, available

The reality is, since Sen. Obama joined the Senate (applying the same standard the Obama campaign applies to Hillary) he has sponsored two bills that have become law:

- a bill that sought to promote democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

- a bill that named a post office.

~~~~~~

Sen. Obama and Hillary have almost identical voting records on Iraq:

In fact, Obama's Senate voting record on Iraq is nearly identical to Clinton's. Over the two years Obama has been in the Senate, the only Iraq-related vote on which they differed was the confirmation earlier this year of General George Casey to be Chief of Staff of the Army, which Obama voted for and Clinton voted against. [ABC News, 5/17/07]
As a Senate candidate in November 2003, Sen. Obama said he would have 'unequivocally' voted against war funding because it was the only way to oppose Bush on Iraq:

"Just this week, when I was asked, would I have voted for the $87 billion dollars, I said 'no.' I said no unequivocally because, at a certain point, we have to say no to George Bush. If we keep on getting steamrolled, we are not going to stand a chance." [Obama remarks, New Trier Democratic Organization forum, 11/16/03; Video]
But until he ran for president, Sen. Obama supported every funding bill for Iraq. [2005 Vote # 117, HR1268, 5/10/05; 2005 Vote # 326, S1042, 11/15/05; 2006 Vote # 112, HR4939, 5/4/06; 2006 Vote # 239; 2006 Vote # 186, S2766, 6/22/06, HR5631, 9/7/06]

Obama campaign advisor Susan Rice falsely claimed that Sen. Obama and Hillary have voted differently on Iraq since joining the Senate. Rice claimed these vote differences reflected Sen. Obama's "different position" on the war:

JANSING: Bill Clinton made the point that in the senate Barack Obama voted exactly the same way that senator Hillary Clinton has on Iraq, and is there a vote where they took different positions?

RICE: Yes, they have taken different positions from the beginning...Since coming to the senate, he has been very clear in pushing every year 2005, 2006, and 2007 for a withdrawal of our forces. Senator Clinton took the view for a good part of that period that it would be premature and unwise to signal that the U.S. was prepared to withdraw, to set a timeline or a deadline.

Actually, with the exception of Sen. Obama's vote to promote Gen. Casey, one of the chief architects of the war, his voting record is exactly the same as Hillary. Hillary and Sen. Obama have never voted differently on troop withdrawals, timelines or deadlines.

Full list of votes available here.

~~~~~~

Sen. Obama blasted the energy policy developed in secret by Vice President Cheney:

Washington's failure is the failure of a president who spent most of his time in office denying the very existence of global warming - of a Vice President who developed America's energy policy with a secret task force that opened the door to oil lobbyists and then shut it to every other point of view.
Sen. Obama failed to mention that he voted for Dick Cheney's energy policy, the 2005 Energy Bill.

~~~~~~

Sen. Obama claimed he voted against the amendment on the 2005 Bankruptcy bill because he thought that a ceiling of 30 percent interest for loans on credit cards was too high:

Absolutely. It is a fact because I thought 30% potentially was too high of a ceiling. So we had no hearings on that bill, it had not gone through the banking committee.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Sen. Obama was planning on voting for the measure until a colleague noted, 'thirty percent is sort of a random number':

To some liberals, the proposal was a no-brainer: a ceiling of 30 percent on interest rates for credit cards and other consumer debt. And as he left his office to vote on it, Obama planned to support the measure, which was being considered as an amendment to a major overhaul of the nation's bankruptcy laws. But when the amendment came up for a vote, Obama was standing next to Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), the senior Democrat on the banking committee and the leader of those opposing the landmark bill, which would make it harder for Americans to get rid of debt. 'You know, this is probably not a smart amendment for us to vote for,' Obama recalled Sarbanes telling him. 'Thirty percent is sort of a random number.' Obama joined Sarbanes in voting against the amendment, but they lost the larger battle when the new bankruptcy law passed by a lopsided 74-25. There remains no federal ceiling on credit card interest rates. Obama's deferral to Sarbanes was just one example of the freshman senator learning to navigate a chamber famous for its egos. [Chicago Tribune, 6/12/07]
Sen. Obama did end up voting against a ceiling of 30 percent interest for loans or credit cards:

Obama voted against and Hillary voted for a Dayton, D-Minn., amendment that would set a 30 percent ceiling on interest rates for loans or credit cards. [Vote 20, S.Amdt. 31 to S. 256, Rejected 24-74: R 0-55; D 23-19 (ND 22-16, SD 1-3); I 1-0. CQ, 3/3/05]

~~~~~~

In 2003, Sen. Obama said that he would support a repeal of the U.S. PATRIOT Act:

Q4. Would you vote to repeal the U.S. Patriot Act?" A. "Yes, I would vote to repeal the U.S. Patriot Act, although I would consider replacing that shoddy and dangerous law with a new, carefully crafted proposal... [Illinois NOW questionnaire, 9/10/03]
In 2006, Sen. Obama to extend the PATRIOT Act:

The Washington Post said of the reauthorization, "[T]he Patriot Act fight started with promises of major changes and ended largely with the status quo." Obama himself said the bill only "modestly" improved the PATRIOT Act and failed to do enough to protect civil liberties. [HR 3199, Vote #29, 3/2/06; Washington Post, 3/7/06; Obama Floor Statement, 2/16/06]
~~~~~~

Sen. Obama suggested he made his opposition to Kyl-Lieberman clear 'at the time of the vote.' From the debate:

Blitzer : This was an important vote you missed the, you weren't present in the senate when that vote occurred.

Obama: This is true and it was a mistake - one of the hazards of running for president. What I have consistently said and what I said at the time of the vote was that we should not take steps that would increase two presences inside Iraq with an eye towards blunting the impact of Iran. I always think that's a mistake.

Sen. Obama missed the vote and said nothing at the time the vote occurred. His campaign didn't release a statement until 9 hours after the vote. The vote occurred at 12:44PM. Sen. Obama didn't issue a statement until after 10PM.

The issue also came up at a presidential debate that night, and Sen. Obama didn't mention it.

Sen. Obama voted present 129 times on a wide array of issues, including choice, privacy for victims of sexual assault, and school violence. In fact, the Obama campaign claimed that Sen. Obama's present votes were part of a legislative strategy but failed to mention that Sen. Obama was the lone present vote on a number of key issues.

~~~~~~

THE ABUNDANCE OF NON-VOTES:

Sen. Obama's Present Votes By The Numbers

Sen. Obama voted 'present' 129 times while in the State Senate. [New York Times, 12/20/07]

In 1999, Sen. Obama voted 'present' more often than he voted 'no': According to state records, Obama voted 'present' 43 times in 1999, while voting 'no' just 29 times. [ilga.gov]

At least 36 times, Sen. Obama was either the only State Senator to vote present or was part of a group of six or fewer to vote that way. [New York Times, 12/20/07]

Other Present Votes of Interest:

Sen. Obama was the only State Senator to vote 'present' on a bill that sought to protect the privacy of sex-abuse victims, and the only state senator to not support the bill. [HB854, Passed 58-0-1, 05/11/99]

Sen. Obama was the only State Senator to vote 'present' on an adoption bill that imposed stricter requirements for parental fitness, and the only State Senator to not support the bill. [HB1298, Passed 57-0-1, 5/6/1999]

Sen. Obama voted 'present' on a bill that would increase penalties for the use of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school. The bill called for the mandatory adult persecution of a minor at least 15 years of age being tried for using a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school. [SB759, Passed 52-1-5, 3/25/1999]

Sen. Obama voted 'present' on a bill to prohibit the presence of adult sex shops near schools, places of worship, and day care facilities; bill allows local governments to regulate the presence of adult sex shops. [SB609, Required 3/5 majority, Failed 33-15-5, 3/29/2001]

No hearing for single-payer commission

by: BrianK

Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 20:23:35 PM EST

In a previous post, I wrote about SB 218, which would have created a commission to study single-payer healthcare in Indiana. Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan (HCHP) was encouraging members to contact Senator Patricia Miller, chair of the Health and Provider Services Committee, and encourage her to schedule a hearing on this bill.

In my email to Senator Miller, I argued that the fiscal threat to Hoosiers from healthcare was similar to the property tax "crisis" she has emphasized.

Her response was disappointing, to say the least. She argued that since Indiana has already passed the "Healthy Indiana Plan", there's no need to even schedule this bill for a hearing.

The full response is after the jump...

Action Alert: Single Payer Study Commission

by: BrianK

Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 16:31:05 PM EST

Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan (HCHP) is asking everyone to contact Senator Patricia Miller (R-Indianapolis), the Chair of the Health and Provider Services committee, to schedule a hearing for this bill.

Senator Patricia Miller
(317) 232-9400
(800) 382-9467
S32@in.gov
http://www.in.gov/S32/

HCHP suggests contating Senator Miller's office, and also contacting your own Senator to encourage them to support this bill. You can see the email I sent to Senator Miller after the jump...

Bayh Statement Re: Bhutto Assasination

by: finifinito

Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 19:01:49 PM EST

"I have seen firsthand in that very country the knowledge that she brings to the table, the respect with which she is held by people across the political spectrum," he said. "Knowing these individuals, knowing their background, their strengths and their weaknesses, and it just gives you a tremendous leg up in dealing with some of the problems that we face."

He then added:

"When there are unfortunate calamities like this, the Republicans [will say], 'See. See what we told you? We have to have someone who's strong to defend America at a time of concern.' Well, Senator Clinton is strong," he said. "And she's experienced. And she's tough enough to defend this country and do it in a way that's true to our values, the civil liberties we cherish, and that's one of the reasons why I'm supporting her."

Big Tent Democrat, writing at the blog TalkLeft is no fan of our favorite Senator:

What an idiotic remark from Bayh. But he is legion with this type of stuff. He does Clinton no favors and her campaign should disavow the implication of his remarks.

I don't think he said anything that out of line with those remarks, what do you think?

Dodd to Filibuster FISA Bill, You Can Help

by: finifinito

Sun Dec 16, 2007 at 21:25:08 PM EST

I received the following email from Dodd's campaign this evening and Dodd's team is putting word out that he needs our help in the blogosphere to come up with things to read into the record of the debate so he does not have to yield the floor except for questions from other allied Senators. Here is the email I received earlier:

FDL and Crooks & Liars  have posts up about how to get involved with the filibuster:

http://firedoglake.com/2007/12...
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...

Here's Jane Hamsher:

The latest word from the Dodd camp regarding what will happen on the FISA bill is that tomorrow, Dodd will take the floor and not yield.

He can take "questions" from other senators during the filibuster, which can be no more than 20 minutes.  We understand that Kennedy and Feingold so far have agreed to do this.

They're asking for people to express their thoughts on the subject and leave them in the comments below.  Dodd is going to have plenty of time to read, so if you'd like to have your feelings on the matter read on the Senate floor you can leave your them in the comments below.

Go Dodd.

It looks like it's gonna happen tomorrow.  Dodd is going to take the floor and not yield.

1.) Dodd can "take questions" from other Senators during the filibuster.  The questions can be no more than 20 minutes.  So essentially Feingold, Kennedy and other Senators can give Dodd a break to get a glass of water, a bite to eat or just sit down.  He'll come back and be like, "yes," and then take the next question when times get rough.  In a case of life imitating art, I present a scene from the West Wing.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CkJ...

That's how people can "support a filibuster"  I understand Feingold and Kennedy will be there on that end.  We'll see who else shows to help.

2.) Also, what should Dodd read?  I mean, we have speeches, he'll have Glenzilla's book, but we want to take comments from your sites that he can read while on the floor.  Note: this is NOT some tacky list-building exercise, as we aren't going to take them on our own site, but hopefully, yours.

So, if any of you want to ask people express their thoughts on the issue -- he'll read a bunch of them.  And if you're someone building a list, feel free to use this as an idea to do just that.  Please tell your audience you'll direct their comments to the appropriate audience.  That would be VERY helpful.

The part about reading people's thoughts is a traditional media hook, and the comm. shop believes it will be an effective one.  Plus, people will have their thoughts read on the floor, and that's always cool.

3.) We'll have a whole to-do on our site tomorrow about people "standing with dodd while he stands for them" where people can submit comments as the filibuster is happening.  We'll scroll their thoughts across the top of our site for the media to see as the filibuster is happening.

So, that's what we got.

4.) Also, Dodd is going to introduce an amendment with Feingold that seeks to strip RI out of the intelligence bill.  We'll have a whip count tool on that.  Kagro, that will be the only amendment he introduces, although we are really pushing for him to introduce one of the three you have suggested.  We'll see where we get with that in the coming hours.

5.) Finally, we'll have a conference call for folks to pop in on tomorrow AM that hopes to explain what to expect.

So, that's what I got.

Thoughts?

So my fellow Bloosiers, here's your chance to support Dodd's filibuster by leaving some comments below. I will be forwarding the link to this thread to the Dodd folks to let them know to check this thread for comments to add to the record and you might have your comments read into the record of the most important debate of our time. If you don't want to live in a police state anymore now is the time to speak up about it!

UPDATE: Jason Rosenbaum from TheSeminal.com has launched a website for updates on the filibuster at http://www.thankyoudodd.com. Check there for progress on the debate and updates from the Dodd Squad.

Congress Overrides Water Project Veto

by: RedhawkHoosier

Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 15:46:15 PM EST

Good news out of Washington. Congress voted earlier today to successfully override a Bush vetoed bill that would provide up to $35 million for restoration projects on Indy's White River.

Both Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican, and Sen. Evan Bayh, a Democrat, voted for the bill. The bill was supported in the House Tuesday by most members of the delegation except Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indianapolis, and Rep. Mike Pence, R-Columbus. Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Monticello, and Rep. Julia Carson, D-Indianapolis, did not vote.

Indy residents can expect both environmental and recreational improvements to follow. Furthermore the bill provides money specifically outlayed for much needed sewer system repairs.

Just a side note. President Bush claimed his veto was in response to the fiscal irresponsibility of the bill. This coming from a President who has turned a once sizable surplus into an unfathomable deficit. I guess fiscal responsibility doesn't correlate for money spent abroad, but makes perfect sense when the money is headed for our own backyard. It comes as no surprise that Rep. Mike Pence was willing to latch onto this line of logic. I mean vote against Bush? He wouldn't dare. 

Today's Senate vote

by: John Good

Sat Feb 17, 2007 at 23:50:01 PM EST

"A majority of the United States Senate just voted on Iraq, and a majority of the United States Senate is against the escalation in Iraq." - Harry Reid

Today, for the second time, Republican Senators blocked efforts to force debate on the resolution opposing President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq, but defections among them have emboldened Democrats to promise new attempts to derail BushCo's war machine. The 56-to-34 vote, just four votes short of the 60 needed to break a procedural stalemate, suggests that Democrats are slowly pulling Senate Republicans over to their side. Seven Republicans and one Independent joined 48 Democrats in voting "aye" today.

Democratic leaders intend to quickly introduce meatier proposals on Iraq after next week's break:

"We will be relentless, there will be resolution after resolution, amendment after amendment, all forcing this body to do what it has not done in the previous three years: debate and discuss Iraq." - Senator Charles E. Schumer (NY)

"The American people can see what is happening here,and they know that some want to prevent a vote at all costs." - Senator Ben Nelson (NE)