A blog dedicated to carrying on the work of Gary Welsh's Advance Indiana by continuing the fight for the Republican Principles of limited government, free speech, advocate for good government, rule of law, civil liberties, and opposing cults. We oppose the Church of Scientology. Send any requests, news tips, or gossip. Email: 6vwts@notsharingmy.info. Use the Contact Form on the right side of the screen. Follow on Twitter: @IndyRepublicanX
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Monday, June 19, 2017
"Taxman" Governor Eric Holcomb AKA Mitch Daniels Lapdog!
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Did Mike Pence create a PAC simply to pay his lawyer?
Several INDY REPUBLICAN readers have contacted us and said they found it interesting that Pence's aide would emphasize that taxpayer money would not be paying Cullen's legal fees. In light of the fact according to Vice President Pence's financial disclosure here he filed last year it showed him as not having any money!
Now the cancelled interview was to take place on June 7th. The news of Pence's decision to hire Richard Cullen was reported on June 15th, this past Thursday, or 8 days after the cancelled interview. That would fall within the "several weeks" timeline mentioned by Pence's office. So if Pence had to interview potential lawyers during that timeframe that could very well account for his abrupt cancellation with PBS. Since even if he did not interview potential lawyers in person. Pence at the very least would have had to speak to them via phone or some other means.
The Post reports that Cullen is no stranger to representing high profile clients. Ashley Parker gives the following background information on Cullen:
“There’s no middle ground,” he added.
Allan Lichtman a history professor at American University in Washington, D.C. and the man most famous for correctly predicting the winner of every presidential election since 1984. Including being one of the only experts to correctly forecast that Donald Trump would win the 2016 election. Professor Lichtman has trained his sharp mind to trying to ascertain the Vice Presidents role in the Trump administration. The good professor is skeptical to say the least about old Mikey being a victim of those around him.
Lichtman writing in an op-ed piece on CNBC.COM on May 19th, 2017 had this to say:
According to a now standard account, Pence is the innocent victim of deceptions by others – former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and the president himself.
But this is supposition only, with no hard evidence behind it. It is equally plausible that Pence is complicit in the lies propagated by the Trump administration and perhaps even involved in a cover-up of potentially impeachable transgressions. That's why he must be investigated thoroughly by the Congress and the FBI along with the president and other members of the Trump campaign team and administration.
For a seasoned politician who served for 12 years in Congress and three years as governor of Indiana, Pence has seemed remarkably easy to fool. Supposedly, Mike Flynn fooled Pence into affirming that Flynn's conversations with Soviet Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were "strictly coincidental" and had nothing "to do with United States' decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia."
Pence was allegedly fooled again when he said that Trump fired FBI Director Comey because he accepted "the recommendation of the deputy attorney general and the attorney general." Trump later admitted that he had intended to sack Comey before he received any Justice Department recommendations and that "this Russia thing with Trump" was on his mind when he made the firing decision.
The theory of Pence as innocent victim lacks credibility.
As vice president on March 9, 2017, Pence said that regarding stories about Flynn's lobbying for Turkey, "Hearing that story today was the first I'd heard of it." Yet Pence was the head of the transition team that recommended Flynn for National Security Adviser and news reports in November 2016 had disclosed Flynn's lobbying for Turkey.
Beyond press reports, on November 18, 2016, Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings, the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to Pence warning: "Recent news reports have revealed that Lt. Gen. Flynn was receiving classified briefings during the presidential campaign while his consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, Inc., was being paid to lobby the U.S. Government on behalf of a foreign government's interests. … Lt. Gen. Flynn's General Counsel and Principal, Robert Kelley, confirmed that they were hired by a foreign company to lobby for Turkish interests"
Lies spoken softly by Mike Pence are no less insidious than lies bellowed and blustered by Donald Trump. Pence must be part of all investigations of the Trump administration. Under Article 2, Section 4 of the constitution, a vice president no less than a president is subject to impeachment.
Such damning statements made about a sitting Vice President of the United States by one of America's finest political experts and by a former fellow congressman are not to be dismissed lightly. If Michael Flynn's lawyers did indeed tell the Pence-led Trump transition team about Flynn's work being the subject of a federal investigation. In all likelihood Mike Pence was aware of this as well! Which would mean that even a dimwit like "Pampered" Mike Pence would know he was going to probably need a lawyer. And he would have known this before assuming office. Which would make the matter of him being able to pay what would undoubtedly be exorbitant legal fees an urgent one.
But how to pay a high powered lawyer if he reported having no money on his disclosure form?
Well the Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Ballhaus may have an answer in her article "Here's How Pence Could Pay for a Personal Lawyer".
Ms. Ballhaus writes:
How does the former governor, whose financial disclosure last year appeared to show a negative net worth, plan to pay him?
The likely solution: an independent political group launched by Pence allies last month that can raise up to $5,000 per donor and has no restrictions on the personal use of funds.
Mr. Pence on Friday is set to attend a fundraiser for the group, Great America Committee, in Indianapolis, a day after his office said the vice president had retained Richard Cullen, chairman of the prominent law firm McGuireWoods, to represent him in the special counsel probe of Trump associates’ ties to Russia. Premier tickets to the event cost $5,000, while donors who pay $2,500 gain access to a reception at the hotel where the event is hosted.
Mr. Pence will most likely use funds raised through that group to pay for his legal bills, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Mr. Cullen said Mr. Pence’s office had directed him to “make certain that whatever method [of payment] is used is compliant with all federal law and regulation.”
There are no rules barring Mr. Pence from using the group’s funds to pay for his private attorney, said Kenneth Gross, former head of enforcement at the Federal Election Commission.
“There is no personal use restriction on a leadership PAC,” he said.
Using leadership PAC funds to pay for a private attorney would allow top donors to Mr. Pence to bankroll his legal defense as the special counsel’s probe heats up.
Ms. Ballhaus mentions that the creation of this PAC was most curious because:
The creation of one (a PAC) on Mr. Pence’s behalf earlier this year raised eyebrows, as vice presidents—particularly those in their first terms—rarely have their own political committees separate from the president.
Another weird twist is that Mike Pence is the honorary chairman of the PAC. And his aide Marty Obst is on the staff of the Great America Committee. Readers of this blog and Gary Welsh's Advance Indiana blog may remember that Obst was associated with the shady real estate agent John Bales and also unsuccessfully tried to save Senator Richard Lugar from losing the 2012 Republican Senatorial Primary. The inclusion of Obst on the Great America Committee and the fact that Pence came down to Indianapolis to fundraise for his pack one day after hiring Richard Cullen as his attorney does not pass the smell test.
So what are we to make of the increasingly boneheaded and paranoid actions of Mike Pence?
Bill Kristol the founder of conservative magazine The Weekly Standard had this to say about an unusual tweet the VP made:
Monday, June 12, 2017
Congressman Jim Banks picks Bobby Knight over Mike Pence!
When Indiana Rep. Jim Banks had his first Oval Office meeting with the president his year, Trump had a difficult question for him.
“The president asked me, `Did Bobby Knight or Mike Pence do more good in Indiana?’” Banks recently recounted to The Atlantic in a feature on the Indiana freshman.
Banks chose Knight, the former Indiana University basketball coach, despite the fact that the vice president was standing right there.
“I don’t know if Pence appreciated that,” Banks told The Atlantic. “But the president looked at him and said, `See, I knew it!’”
A spokesman for Banks said the exchange was in jest and a lighthearted moment during a conversation about the president’s affection for the Hoosier state.
When Knight announced his support for Trump shortly before Indiana's primary last year,Trump called it “the greatest endorsement in the history of Indiana.”
Cruz’ inability to beat Trump in Indiana despite the backing of Pence – the sitting governor – effectively ended the GOP nominating contest.
last blog post spoke about Pence's half hearted endorsement of Senator Ted Cruz wrote:
Friday, June 9, 2017
Keeping it in the family! Mike Pence's brother may run for Pence's former congress seat!
Greg Pence, who once ran the family's Kiel Bros. Oil Co. gas station and convenience store business, has been a close confidant to the vice president, frequently traveling with him during last year's presidential campaign.
Greg Pence took his first formal step into the political arena earlier this year when he became statewide finance chairman for U.S. Rep. Luke Messer, who is expected to run for Indiana's U.S. Senate seat in 2018.
That would leave Indiana's predominately Republican 6th District House seat vacant. Stretching from Muncie to Madison, it's the same district Mike Pence represented for 12 years and one where he continues to enjoy wide support.
In an interview with IndyStar, Greg Pence acknowledged regular overtures encouraging a congressional run but said he's focused on Messer's campaign right now.
"The funny thing is I’m getting asked that a lot," he said. "And right now the only thing I’m focused on is helping Luke and Jennifer (Messer) make a big decision on whether or not they should run (for Senate)."
That would leave Indiana's predominately Republican 6th District House seat vacant. Stretching from Muncie to Madison, it's the same district Mike Pence represented for 12 years and one where he continues to enjoy wide support.
In an interview with IndyStar, Greg Pence acknowledged regular overtures encouraging a congressional run but said he's focused on Messer's campaign right now.
"The funny thing is I’m getting asked that a lot," he said. "And right now the only thing I’m focused on is helping Luke and Jennifer (Messer) make a big decision on whether or not they should run (for Senate)."
The eldest of six siblings, Greg Pence and his wife, Denise, now own antique malls in Edinburgh and Bloomington. Denise was also a delegate to the Republican National Convention last summer, where she saw her brother-in-law's formal nomination as the party's vice presidential candidate.
Greg Pence also served a brief and controversial stint as the top deputy at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. He was hired in 2005 to streamline the agency under Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, but the appointment raised eyebrows because he had no environmental credentials and his former company, Kiel Oil, had been cited by the agency for environmental violations in the past.
He left the post after just 2½ months.
Greg Pence's latest role as chairman of Messer's finance committee could help the political novice establish relationships with key donors for a potential run of his own, while also lending Messer a prominent last name to help with fundraising.
One major GOP fundraiser, Bob Grand, said Greg Pence "would be a great choice" to fill Messer's seat. But such decisions are premature given that Messer hasn't even officially declared a Senate run.
"I just think it’s too early to speculate," Grand said. "You can’t start running for a seat that isn’t vacant yet."
If he does decide to run, Greg Pence would almost certainly enter the race as a heavy Republican favorite, preventing what might otherwise be a competitive and potentially contentious GOP primary.
"When you're looking for a candidate to recruit, you want somebody with an ability to raise money, somebody who has name recognition, somebody who fits well with the district and those things would seem to characterize Greg Pence if he were to choose to run," said Robert Dion, a political scientist at the University of Evansville.
It also doesn't hurt to be the vice president's brother. Mike Pence plays a key role in Indiana politics, most recently aiding in Gov. Eric Holcomb's rise to power after Pence dropped out of the gubernatorial race to join Trump on the national ballot.
IR's belief is that if Luke Messer does run for the Senate, as we believe he will. Greg Pence will run for his brothers former congress seat. His brief service at IDEM under "Godfather" Mitch Daniels doesn't inspire confidence. Our advice to Mikey's older brother is: "Greg, if you do wind up getting elected to congress don't ever run for another office and become a national joke like your brother. "
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Wanna Chat with Governor Eric Holcomb? Just Bring $10,000 and you can talk to them!
Monday, June 5, 2017
I-69 Extension Delayed Again! Let's See If The Fourth Time is the Charm! w/update
Bond analysts told IndyStar that terminating the deal could drive up project costs, but it is uncertain how much.
State officials confirmed Monday that the project's new completion date would be pushed back from May 2018 to August 31, 2018.
That's the fourth time the opening has been pushed back as the state's design-build contractor struggles to pay subcontractors and meet deadlines. The original completion date was October 2016.
I-69 Development Partners originally bid $325 million to win the project, which started in 2014.
With the project about half finished, the state notified bondholders on Friday of its intention to take over.
The statement said it would take nearly $237 million to complete the project, and that $72 million was available. That means $164 million is needed to "complete construction and resolve claims."
But the extra cost to taxpayers is unclear.
Understandably the Star wanted to find out what additional costs will be burdening us taxpayers but was unable to find out because as the article reports:
State officials declined to tell IndyStar whether taxpayers would have to foot the bill for the $164 million that is needed. Stephanie McFarland, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Finance Authority, said the "official authority" who could answer IndyStar's question is off until Wednesday.
Translation we need to buy ourselves time until we can come up with some bullshit reason to give to you rubes as to why you all should pay for the state's screw ups!
It doesn't appear much of anyone else connected to this "road to nowhere" was eager to talk either.
As reported:
The IFA issued a statement from Director Dan Huge on Monday, but it also did not address the issue of cost and where the money will come from. Huge has declined numerous interview requests.
Cherian George, managing director of the Fitch ratings agency, earlier told IndyStar that if a project is terminated for cause, the cost of completion typically would rise.
"As a result, there will be additional cost, because now the state has to take it back and actually deliver the project and fill in the gaps," George said. "It may be more than they thought they were going to pay, but it may not be an exorbitantly higher amount."
There will also be money available from the project's performance bond — insurance that it will be completed. But the state only required a bond covering 25 percent of the project's value,which bond analysts said was on the low end of what would typically be required. And getting money from that bond could also be held up by litigation.
As if possible lawsuits weren't enough to drive up the costs to Hoosiers. The Star also reports that other contractors will probably be more expensive:
What's more, the winning bid was $73 million lower than the next lowest bid, suggesting other contractors might demand more.
The project was originally touted by the state as an innovative public-private partnership that would take advantage of private sector expertise, innovation and efficiency to save taxpayers money.
I-69 Development Partners won a bid to design, construct and maintain the highway for decades after completion. But in March the Spanish company Isolux Corsan — which initially comprised more than 80 percent of I-69 Development Partners — entered insolvency proceedings in Spain.
It had four months to reach an agreement with creditors and avoid potential bankruptcy.
The state's negotiations to buy out the bonds for the project have been unsuccessful so far, but Huge's statement said "the state is moving forward with the goal of assuming control." The state has not, however, declared the developer to be in default.
When asked about the deal, I-69 Development Partners issued the following statement: "I-69 Development Partners and the IFA continue to participate in confidential discussions with the aim of ensuring the successful completion of the project. We are confident that we can reach an agreement with the IFA."
Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, said the protracted construction has not only frustrated people but also created safety issues.
"I think they should have been willing to declare the company in default a long time ago," he said.
What is so idiotic about this whole I-69 Development problem. Is that way back in 2014 the late great Gary Welsh reported concerns about I-69 Development Partners over at Advance Indiana.
Gary Welsh writing in 2014 said:
In a separate report this past weekend by the Evansville Courier & Press, questions were raised about the wisdom of Gov. Pence's plan to build the I-69 extension from Bloomington to Martinsville through the use of a public-private agreement. The Pence administration has awarded the project to a Netherlands-based company, Isolux Infrastructure, to upgrade the 21-mile stretch of State Road 37 as another connecting link for I-69. The state will kick in $80 million upfront, while the private contractor will provide $325 million in funding for the extension. In addition, Indiana will make annual payments of $21.8 million to the private consortium over the next 35 years, or a total of $763 million, in exchange for the private consortium agreeing to maintain the highway.
By comparison, $700 million in Major Moves funding was provided for construction of the the nearly 100-mile stretch of new highway from Evansville to Bloomington. State Road 37 between Martinsville and Bloomington is already a 4-lane interstate quality highway absent the interchanges. It looks like Pence is just relying on a public-private agreement for the sake of privatization without any regard to the the extra cost future generations of taxpayers will bear to pay for this small stretch of highway. I hate to see the tab for the final leg between Martinsville and Indianapolis.
Even in death Gary Welsh is still looking out for the taxpayers. Gary was more right than he knew in his concerns about what the tab will wind up being for this section of I-69.
Democrats and republican rivals of Mike Pence have no doubt long ago gathered this and other such stories on Pence to cause him trouble if he decides to ever run for the White House. Buckle up folks it's going to take awhile until Mike Pence is out of elected office. We are all looking forward to sending old Mikey Pence out to pasture! Let's do this people!
UPDATE: As if wasting taxpayers money and patience wasn't bad enough. Now CBS 4 is reporting that the continued delay of the I-69 extension is a safety concern in Bloomington:
BLOOMINGTON, Ind-- Safety concerns over an I-69 roadway project are growing in Monroe County.
Residents and officials are expressing the concern after it was announced the project on the new section of interstate between Martinsville and Bloomington will not be finished until August of 2018.
While the delay is certainly cause for annoyance for people who live in the area, residents say they’re equally fed up with accidents and close calls along the stretch of highway.
“Just pulling out onto here, there have been a few accidents already,” said Julie Aubin.
City officials in Bloomington have also called the project a “safety concern,” citing numerous accidents and injuries amassed on the stretch over the years.
“There are often lane realignments that happen day to day. Even if you drive the road frequently, you can be surprised from one day to the next. We’ve had some real tragedies in the area and are very saddened by that,” said director of communications for the City of Bloomington Mary Catherine Carmichael.
A recent study by the Federal Highway Administration stated that most fatal crashes and injuries in work zones most often occur in the summer and fall months.
Bloomington officials like Carmichael say those are the exact issues they’re hoping to avoid for the remainder of the project’s construction.
Now IR understands that there are difficulties and dangers involved in any road project. But we don't think that it is to much to ask that traffic lanes not be completely realigned on a daily basis! The state must be stopped before it causes more damage!