This morning brings us an extensive look at the looming 2011 showdown in Indianapolis for control over a Mayor's Office that has been, to say the least, floundering under the current occupants. The roster of potential candidates includes quite a few familiar faces.
Dr. Woody Myers ran a strong campaign last year, and his ads were far and away the best of any candidate in the state last year who wasn't named Obama. Signs have been inconclusive about his interest in this race -- he wasn't featured in the story -- but keep an eye on him in the coming years, as he has solidified his position as a player in state politics.
"It feels like we're drifting," said [Kip] Tew, 47, who most recently headed the Obama campaign in Indiana. "The last time the city voted for an outsider, we see where it's gotten us. I think [Ballard] is a nice guy, but there's no real vision for what he wants to do."
[...]
"It's a delicate balance between laying the kind of groundwork for an election that will take place in 2011 but at the same time be respectful and mindful of those who are running in 2010," said Hogsett, who ran an unsuccessful race for attorney general in 2004.
The mayoral campaign should focus on Ballard's tenure, he said, asking whether citizens are satisfied with "the vision and leadership he has provided."
"Indianapolis is a world-class city that deserves a leadership team that treats it as such," Hogsett said. "I think the mayor's office should be doing everything it can to reach its potential. In some ways, the current leadership seems to be content with standing still."
We've been talking lately about the will-he-or-won't-he-speak controversy over Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett's involvement with the Indiana Creation Evidence Expo, which will bring together "scientists" and evangelical Christian activists in the name of sending the public instruction of evolution the way of the dimetrodon.
Now, we have evidence that even if Bennett is a no-show, the wing-nut political constituency will be represented in the room.
That's right, it's everyone's favorite Republican candidate for US Senate, Marlin Stutzman. The presumptive GOP candidate is so gosh-darn excited about the event, he's hosting a dinner with fellow punchline State Rep. Cindy Noe.
Representative Noe is on the education committee in the House, for those who doubt the importance of keeping control of that body next year.
As if the website for this event wasn't enough, a quick look at some of the groups behind the operation reveal all you need to know about the scientific validity of these clowns. Take the Institute for Creation Research, which features a story at the moment entitled "Is there some truth to dragon myths?"
There are other reasons to doubt that dragon legends arose from fossil-based speculations. Tales of dragons are almost universal and were incorporated into the historical background of virtually every people group on every continent.3 How could so many different cultures conjure up such similar details in their dragon legends, unless their ancestors actually encountered them?
It would be easily explained if humans had actually seen living dinosaurs.
Uh...right.
In case you were wondering, another featured story is the incredibly relevant "Energy Bill Won't Solve Global Warming." All amidst a site that purports to fight against "bias" in the scientific process.
There is a huge community of Christian scientists who are more than able to fit their faith within the context of responsible scientific exploration, and then there are these folks.
Just like there is a huge community of politicians who are able to balance their personal beliefs with responsible representation, and then there is Marlin Stutzman.
I just wanted to pass along the newest addition to the central Indiana blogosphere: Envision Indy.
For those of you who have missed the void left behind by the now-defunct Taking Down Words and Accidental Mayor projects, you should find a nice, comfortable spot over at these new digs. Here's a taste:
The more I think about the fact that Greg Ballard fled our snow-covered city yesterday for a few days of partying in Tampa, the more I wonder who in God's name made that terrible decision.
I also wonder who's paying for his trip and whether his wife and kids are along for the ride.
But mostly, I wonder why a mayor who's on the ballot in 2011 would bail on local residents in their time of need to prep for a Super Bowl that won't take place here until...2012.
Send the committee? Send top public safety advisers? Event planners? Absolutely.
Send the guy who ought to be back here helping residents dig out and explaining to them how he's making our city "livable" by telling them to shovel their own streets ? Pretty damn boneheaded.
You can say a lot of things about Greg Ballard, but if he has one definitive strength, it is his uncanny ability to constantly create fodder for constituent dissatisfaction. This almost guarantees that there won't be a dull moment for those working to hold him accountable.
Oh, rumor mill -- you don't take the weekend off, do you?
Two stories caught my eye over the last day or so, both dealing with political battles looming on the horizon. The first took a look at the impressive accounting of Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, who appears to be raising money and spending money with more enthusiasm than most.
Year-end campaign finance reports released Wednesday indicate the committee paid for items as large as $110,672 to reimburse the Indiana Democratic Party for local party employees and their health care benefits and as small as $40 to engrave a ceremonial key to the city.
Weinzapfel declined to answer questions about his fundraising activities, referring all questions to Mark Owen, the committee's chairman.
"Weinzapfel for Mayor is run like a business," said Owen, who is also chairman of the local Democratic Party. "It's not necessarily just a re-election fund. He's spending it in his capacity as mayor but also as a political leader."
It also doesn't hurt that Weinzapfel's name has been a constant presence in the 2012 gubernatorial speculation since, well, he didn't run in 2008. But as impressive as the mayor's money is, it's worth noting that his current fundraising activities would need to be ten or twenty times greater to make waves in a statewide contest. Especially when the battle for name identification outside of the southwest will be an uphill fight for the gravely-voiced Democrat.
Elsewhere, my good friend Abdul alludes to one of the worst-kept secrets in Marion County: David Orentlicher wants to run for prosecutor. The former state representative is a nice guy and a brilliant scholar, but he'll have some ground to make up after spending the entirety of his political capital during last year's contentious primary battle in the 7th CD. I'll be taking a look at this race in the next week or so, because there are more than a few names being tossed around at this early point.
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We've been talking lately about the will-he-or-won't-he-speak controversy over Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett's involvement with the 
