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Monday, February 26, 2018

California Democrats decline to endorse Senator Dianne Feinstein for Re-Election


Senator Diane Feinstein 

IR has learned that longtime political retread Senator Diane Feinstein has failed to secure enough votes from the California Democratic Party to get their endorsement to run for a sixth term to the U.S. Senate. Which has all of IR scratching our heads wondering: “Considering that California Democrat’s have endorsed Jerry Brown for California Governor several times. Just how bad is Senator Feinstein that they won’t endorse her?” Click here to read more about Feinstein’s issues.

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Fox’s Steve Hilton Explains why State Government Corruption is such a threat

Yesterday Steve Hilton the host of Fox News’s “The Revolution” gave a monologue on why we need to drain the swamp at the state level. We found this video to be very well done and informative. IR used to love much of the Fox News Channels programming. But have grown fed up with its transformation into a propaganda arm for Donald Trump. We still like Shepherd Smith, Brit Hume, Brett Baier, Chris Wallace and Juan Williams. But they are now minority voices at FNC. Seeing Hilton’s monologue gives us hope. 

Here is Hilton’s piece:



Thursday, February 22, 2018

Christine Scales tells Fake Republican Jim Merritt why Indianapolis Roads are so bad

Many times on this blog we have praised Indianapolis City-County Councilor Christine Scales and criticized Marion County Democratic Republican Party Chairman and State Senator Jim Merritt for his nonsense. Links to our past posts on Christine Scales and Jim Merritt can be found here, and here. Merritt issued this statement earlier this week about the current state of Indianapolis's roads:

Chairman Jim Merritt Comments on Road Conditions

INDIANAPOLIS – Today Marion County Republican Party Chairman Jim Merritt spoke out in frustration on the shameful conditions of our roads.


“It’s been less than a month since I first spoke out about the deplorable conditions of our roads and they’ve only gotten worse. When I first challenged the administration on their lack of action to repair the crumbling roads in Indianapolis, there were about 1,700 open cases of potholes. Only three weeks later, we have nearly 5,000 reported cases of potholes,” said Merritt.

“Why isn’t the Mayor using all of the $50 million dollars given to the City from the State for road and infrastructure projects now? Perhaps he doesn’t think we need it. Or is he waiting until next year when he’s up for re-election to spend it in order to score some cheap political points? Our roads aren’t just degrading at an alarming rate, they’re becoming a danger to the citizens of Marion County. There is no question the Mayor of Indianapolis has countless responsibilities. We expect our Mayor to pick up the trash, plow the snow, fill our potholes and keep us safe. Right now this Mayor is not making the grade.”

“Pothole Joe can put on a reflector vest for the cameras and act like he has a solution to our pothole and infrastructure problems, but the media sees through that and more importantly, the residents of Marion County see through it. It’s time for Pothole Joe to stop playing games and actually get serious about fixing our streets.”


To this Christine Scales torched Merritt with this reply on her Facebook page:





Fact Check GOP County Chair Merritt's Road Condition Blame Game:
IF.... the $400 million in ReBuild Indy dollars received from the water rights sale hadn't turned into a slush fund, we wouldn't be where we are today.
IF:...millions in ReBuild Indy funds-ordained to fund only roads, sidewalks, bridges, and some drainage projects hadn't been used to remodel a wing of the City Market, spent on a Cricket Field, spent to shore up Blue Indy, and other non-priority projects....
IF....Asphalt contractor's work had been held to industry standards the newly resurfaced roads under Ballard wouldn't be in the deteriorated condition they are in today.
IF...Sen. Merritt wouldn't burden Marion County with unfunded mandates in the Statehouse that overburden our City budget, we would have more money to dedicate to infrastructure.
"Chairman Jim Merritt Comments on Road Conditions
INDIANAPOLIS – Today Marion County Republican Party Chairman Jim Merritt spoke out in frustration on the shameful conditions of our roads."

Councilwoman Scales is of course calling Merritt out on former Republicrat Mayor Greg Ballard's asinine Blue Indy, a Cricket Field, and scores of other useless projects which have only served to drain the life blood our of Indianapolis. We are not aware of any replies yet by Merritt to Scales statement. We would be greatly surprised if Merritt even attempts a reply. The man is a useless fool who the Marion County GOP should kick to the curb. As long as Merritt or another toady like him is in charge of the Marion County GOP the party is assured of nothing but continued disaster.

We Need More Gadflies Not Less

Gadfly
noun, plural gadflies 
1. any of various flies (such as a horsefly, botfly, or warble fly) that bite or annoy livestock
2. a person who stimulates or annoys other people especially by persistent criticism  
  • a political gadfly


IR, Paul Ogden, Charlie White have all been accused of being gadflies. Usually meant to convey the impression that people like us exist only to irritate or annoy others with our blogging and activism. We will not speak for Misters Ogden and White. Speaking for ourselves we choose to hold public officials and others accountable when they act contrary to the values they are supposed to uphold. If by speaking truth to power we irritate some people we say GOOD! If it was not for gadflies like Paul Ogden and the late great Gary Welsh. Dick Lugar would still be decomposing in his Senate seat from a state in which he has not resided since 1977. A more recent example of the need for gadflies is provided in Paul Ogden's most recent post Indianapolis Terminates Ballard-Era Electric/Hybrid Car Contract; Will Blue Indy Be Next? Paul discusses how after several years of him and the late great Gary Welsh banging the drum against former Indianapolis Greg Ballard's Indy-Vision boondoggle. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett has decided to cancel this ill advised deal. Yes it took many years. But the point is that the contract was eventually cancelled. Not all of our heroes share our enthusiasm for being the monkey in the wrench of our political parties. Jonah Goldberg of National Review and host of the outstanding "The Remnant" podcast voiced his opinion of how he feels having to be the political odd man out:



Although we can understand Jonah's frustration we cannot share it to any significant degree. We tend to share the view of The Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol in this matter:




On that note we would also say that if we are going to be the skunk's on the Republican Parties lawn we might as all stink together!


Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Checkout Jon Michael Vore's Infomatics411 Blog

Longtime readers of Advance Indiana will remember Jon Michael Vore the author of the Hoosier Hysterias blog. Well Mr. Vore has a new blog called Infomatics411. The IR gang highly recommends that you take a look at Jon's new blog and also checkout his brilliant blog Hoosier Hysterias. Keep up the good work Jon!


Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek to Moderate Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Debate


Alex Trebek

Continuing with the trend of the intertwining of celebrity and politics. CNN’s Maegen Vazquez reports on Alex Trebek’s being chosen to host Pennsylvania’s upcoming Gubernatorial Debate:

The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry announced on Tuesday that it has extended an invitation to the 2018 gubernatorial candidates for a 45-minute debate at their 34th annual Chamber Dinner this October. Trebek will also serve as the dinner's keynote speaker.

Chamber President and CEO Gene Barr said in a statement that Trebek's "background hosting one of America's most beloved television quiz shows make him uniquely qualified to moderate what is sure to be a lively and informative gubernatorial debate." 

The host also told the Hill that he'd "love" to moderate a presidential debate. 

"Unlike some of the other moderators -- I'm not going to disparage them -- but I have a different approach," he said in 2013. "I would not let the politicians get away with standard responses. I would try to pin them down, even though I might look bad doing it."

IR thinks that Mr. Trebek will make a good moderator and would love to see him moderate a presidential debate. Go get em Alex!



Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Indy Republican’s View of last nights GOP Senate Primary Debate

After all the coverage we have devoted to the GOP Senate Primary. We all tuned into the Primary Debate between Congressmen Luke Messer, Todd Rokita and State Representative Mike Braun.

After the Moderator WIBC’s Tony Katz’s opening of the debate. The candidates proceeded with their opening remarks. Todd Rokita started out by welcoming Mike Braun to the Republican Party, and snidely saying welcome back to Indiana to Congressman Luke Messer. Rokita is referring to State Representative Braun’s past history of voting in the Democratic primaries reported on by fellow blogger Paul Ogden click here to read Paul’s post on Braun. As to his saying “Welcome Back to Indiana” to Luke Messer he is recycling the nonsense line that Messer is not an inhabitant of Indiana. Messer owns a house with his mother in Greensburg that he and his family stay at when he returns to Indiana from Washington, D.C. Unlike Senator Dick Lugar who sold his property in Indiana in 1977 and preceding to put the address of the house he sold on his tax returns, voter registration, and even his campaign paperwork he filed for his abortive 1996 Presidential Campaign. Click here and here to read Gary Welsh and Paul Ogden’s posts on Dick Lugar. 

In contrast Braun and Messer refrained from making condescending remarks about Rokita or each other. The two men also didn’t behave in a self righteous manner as Rokita did by bragging about how great he was and we should vote for him because he claims to sleep in his Washington office. Rokita may have opened himself up to attacks by bragging about his service as Indiana Secretary of State. As we have documented on this blog Rokita’s questionable past as Secretary of State here

On healthcare the candidates largely argued that Congress has done nothing to make healthcare better. Unlike some of our fellow conservatives and Luke Messer we are not in favor of eliminating the filibuster in the Senate. In fact we say extend the filibuster to the House to guard against majoritarian rule. 

Messer and Rokita both tried to tap dance around whether they would support President Trump’s Parental Leave proposal. State Rep. Braun was the only one of the candidates to say they did not support the Parental Leave program. Tony Katz did a good job as a moderator although he understandably seemed to get irritated at times with Todd Rokita. Totally understandable Todd is an extremely annoying person. Probably his being a control freak doesn’t help his case much

After watching the debate we would have to say it was a net loss for Rokita. His manner made him come off as just a self serving office seeker with an inflated ego. We rate the debate a draw between Mike Braun and Luke Messer if for no other reason than both men actually behaved as men and did not sink to Todd Rokita’s level.

If anyone wants to watch the debate. Click the video below:









Monday, February 12, 2018

Christine Scales Calls Out Indianapolis GOP Councilors for backing Stephen Clay


City-County Councilor Christine Scales 


Earlier today Indianapolis City-County Councilor and friend of the blog Christine Scales wrote a letter to the editor of the Indianapolis Star in which she criticized the move by Council Republicans to vote Democrat Stephen Clay in as Council President.

Here is the text of Councilor Scales Letter to the Editor:

“Politics makes strange bedfellows.”  That quote aptly describes the recent forged alliance between City-County Council Republicans and Democrat Council President Stephen Clay. The public remains puzzled by this odd coupling, even as their union appears misbegotten and doomed.

In his Jan. 12 Letter to the Editor, Republican Councillor Scott Kreider attempted to rationalize why all but one member of their caucus would vote for Clay as council president. Kreider’s reconstruction of his caucus’s mindset and events that led to Republican votes securing Clay’s presidency contradicts the reality of what transpired and why.

Clay is someone with whom Republican councillors have ideologically zero commonality. In 2012, every Republican councillor voted against Clay’s appointment to the Police Merit Board. Council meeting minutes give evidence to Republican statements about Clay’s political partisanship. Now, once numerous complaints about Clay's divisive partisanship have been replaced with Kreider’s claims of Republican’s newly found faith in Clay’s bipartisan leadership abilities.

Kreider’s laundry list of complaints against the Democrat majority included accusations of stalled or killed Republican proposals due to partisan gamesmanship. It’s a matter of public record however, that more Republican proposals move smoothly through the Council process to successful passage, than not. It was Kreider and his Republican caucus who authored Proposal #6. This controversial proposal created a new crime prevention grant funded with nearly half a million dollars. It passed 24-1. A search of other successfully passed council proposals will prove that this Indianapolis City Council enjoys greater bipartisanship than any led by the Republicans.

In his letter, Kreider also bemoaned the fractures within the Democratic caucus over Council leadership--  as if this has caused them anything other than delight. He failed to mention that behind the scenes, he and fellow Republican councillors continually fed the conflict, playing both sides, wheeling and dealing their votes in exchange for committee chairmanships. When then-Council President Maggie Lewis refused the use of council committee chairmanships as bargaining chips, the Republicans found Clay willing to do their bidding.

The slights Kreider magnifies into justification for handing Clay the council presidency pale in comparison to political shenanigans historically engaged in by the Republican Council Caucus. After the November 2011 elections, in their last months as the Republican majority and without a Council vote to approve the funds, well over $200,000 was paid to a GOP political operative to redraw the council district boundaries. In order for their 11th hour gerrymandering to work, Republican councillors and Mayor Greg Ballard also sought to eliminate the four at-large seats, all held by Democrats at that time. The Republican dominated Indiana Legislature granted their request. 

In his Letter to the Editor, Kreider apparently hoped all his reasons for finding promise in a Clay presidency might be found plausible to IndyStar readers. What he seemed to have forgotten was that I was a member of the Republican Caucus in January of 2017.  At that time, Republican Caucus Leader Mike McQuillen suggested we Republican councillors have some "fun" with the council presidency election. Instead of voting for Lewis, who enjoyed her Democrat Caucus's support at the time, McQuillen encouraged us to vote for Clay. His motivation was that Clay would be so ill equipped to serve in that role, and make so many mistakes that Clay's actions would raise the public's ire against all Democrat councillors, not just Clay. Republicans would then enjoy the public's support in votes during the next municipal election cycle to reassume the majority on Council. I, and a handful of other Republicans opposed playing partisan games with such an important matter. With the 2019 council elections looming, and without me to rain on his political parade, it appears that Minority Leader McQuillen found a caucus more receptive to carrying out his plot.

Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows. The Clay coup orchestrated by McQuillen and his caucus affirms the truth of that quote. While explanations to account for the whys and wherefores of votes donated to Clay abound, Republican Caucus members only dig themselves in deeper to their deception to avoid accountability for their destructive partisan gamesmanship. We elected councillors can do better and we will -- if those among us will abandon selfish, desperate desires for greater power and work as humble servants in unity of purpose that will ensure the well being of our community. 

Christine Scales
Indianapolis City-County Councillor


Is Blogging Worth It? Yes it is!

It has been almost two years since IR started to opine on the Central Indiana Blogsphere. We started writing a short time before our good friend Gary Welsh passed away. At first we thought we had to write as often as Gary did in order to be a good blogger. But as we have continued to speak our minds on the things that matter most to us. We have experienced great joy. We have managed to increase our output greatly since we began. But we no longer feel a need to compete against our friends Gary Welsh, Paul Ogden or Jon Easter. Don’t get us wrong we look up to all of these men and strive to have the same good qualities they do. But we must be ourselves above all. We miss Gary Welsh to this day and we feel his loss now as much as we did when he died. But we also feel as much gratitude and brotherly affection for him and his work as we ever did. All of our lives are better off that he lived. IR has gained to our great satisfaction an excellent readership. We only have hundreds not the thousands of daily readers that Advance Indiana had and our readership is still far below that of our friend Paul Ogden’s Ogden on Politics blog. But we have never been happier. Pliny the Elder said: 
“True glory consists in doing what deserves to be written; in writing what deserves to be read; and in so living as to make the world happier for our living in it.”

Gary Welsh, Paul Ogden, Jon Easter and ourselves have made the world around us happier for having lived in it. So we will keep firing away as we deem necessary at the villains of the world. We must do so on our own terms and no one else’s. We would encourage anyone who wants to blog to do so. But always remember that your blog should help lift you up not wear you down. If it starts to wear you down take a break. The world will not stop nor will the sun stop shining if you take time away from blogging.

For a thoughtful treatise on being yourself click here to read this piece by Joyce Meyer. 

Friday, February 9, 2018

Indy Democrat’s Jon Easter’s Excellent Coverage of The Stephen Clay Drama


Pastor Stephen Clay 

While IR continues to take a little breather from our regular blogging. We want to refer you our readers to Indy Democrat’s Jon Easter’s posts about the embattled President of the Indianapolis City County Council Stephen Clay. We were going to write about this ourselves. But when we read Jon’s articles we knew we couldn’t top them so we are sharing links to his fine work. Please take the time to read the following posts and give a little shout out to Jon Easter and let him know his work is much appreciated.

Here are the posts for your reading pleasure:







Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Indy Republican presents our readers with Mozart and Neil Diamond for your listening pleasure

We are working on several blog posts right now as well as working at our full time job. So we thought all of you out there could use some good music to unwind with. So we present the following Mozart’s “Eine Kline Nacht Musick:




Neil Diamond’s indelible ditty “Sweet Caroline”:




Enjoy! And we will get back to you as our schedules permit. Thank you all for your continued support!