Indiana Early Voting Hijinx: Lake County Edition

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday October 15, 2008 · 6:51 AM PDT

2008/10/15 · 06:51

The GOP continues its proud tradition of attempting to limit citizens' ability to vote where possible. In Lake County, Indiana (the northwest corner near Chicago) made up of cities including Gary, East Chicago, Hammond, and Crown Point, the county election board voted along party lines to open up satellite offices for early voting in Gary, East Chicago, and Hammond. The default, under Indiana law, is for in-person early voting to be available at the site of the county election board (in Lake County -- for other counties, it's the site of the clerk of the circuit court.) That happens to be in Crown Point, Indiana; a Republican friendly area of Lake County. The election board is permitted to open up satellite offices. When it voted to open such sites along a 3-2 party line vote, the fate of the satellite offices began a legal odyssey that has gone through 4 courts so far. More after the jump.

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday September 16, 2008 · 7:30 AM PDT

2008/09/16 · 07:30

Richard Cohen, a columnist formerly in the tank for McCain, has a column on how McCain has soiled himself with dishonor. The stain has been growing since 2000, Cohen says, when McCain lied for political gain by concealing that he abhorred the Confederate Flag during his campaign against George W. Bush. According to Cohen, the stain became permanent this past week on The View when McCain lied about lying in his campaign commercials.

For Cohen, in other words, John McCain officially jumped the shark when he went on The View. For others, it occurred much earlier. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, "jumping the shark" refers to the moment a television show goes too far and begins an irreversible decline. For Happy Days, that moment was when Fonzie jumped the shark on water skis. However, jumping the shark analysis and the common categories for television shows are surprisingly applicable to John McCain.

Poll

103 votes Show Results

When Did McCain Jump the Shark?

103 votes Vote Now!

When Did McCain Jump the Shark?

A Very Special Episode - The Keating 5

6 votes

Wedding - Cindy McCain

8 votes

Same Character, Different Actor - McCain 2.0

33 votes

New Kid in Town - Sarah Palin

40 votes

Ted McGinley

6 votes

Other

10 votes

IN-04: Ackerson running strong against Buyer

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday September 14, 2008 · 6:24 AM PDT

2008/09/14 · 06:24

In Indiana's Fourth Congressional District, there is evidence that Nels Ackerson is running strong against incumbent Republican, Steve Buyer; with a survey showing Ackerson at 36% to Buyer's 38% and 26% undecided. The very first thing to note is that the Lafayette Journal & Courier poll was not scientific. Normally, I would not bother mentioning such a thing -- if Candidate X does well in an online Internet poll, for example, that is evidence of exactly nothing. However, the other results for candidates in the Journal & Courier's survey appear consistent with what I have seen in scientific polls. The survey has Gov. Daniels at 49% to Jill Long Thompson's 30% and McCain up over Obama 51% to 45%. So, it seems reasonable to conclude that the Ackerson/Buyer responses are within shouting distance of what a scientific poll would reveal.

For some background on the campaign to date, I have been following it off and on since July 2007.

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday July 27, 2008 · 4:01 PM PDT

2008/07/27 · 16:01

From the Courier Press Letters to the Editor page, I learned of the perils of liberal elitists. Among other things, without George Bush standing athwart the Democrat peril, the economy could take a turn for the worse. Our taxes will presumably also be raised to give illegal immigrants social security benefits. Can mass dissolution of heterosexual marriages and forced gay marriage be far behind?

Poll

174 votes Show Results

What kind of liberal elitist are you?

174 votes Vote Now!

What kind of liberal elitist are you?

Tree hugger

28 votes

Hippy

21 votes

America-hater

17 votes

Man-hater

2 votes

Brown Person

7 votes

algore minion

13 votes

Commie

24 votes

Lazy union member

6 votes

San Franciscan

7 votes

God-hater

28 votes

Fetus-hater

8 votes

Gay Person

13 votes

The Indiana Primary

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday May 06, 2008 · 6:39 AM PDT

2008/05/06 · 06:39

It's primary day in Indiana, and there is almost a carnival atmosphere in the air.

I'm 5th generation Hoosier and a Hoosier blogger, so I deeply love the state. But, I'm under no illusions about our political significance. Normally we are a political backwater - generally being declared Republican within 60 seconds of the polls closing in any Presidential race. 1964 was the last time the state went to the Democratic presidential candidate. 1968 was the last election anyone campaigned for the Presidency in Indiana. So, I'm going to take a moment to bask in the momentary spotlight.

Below the fold, I'll try to provide a round up of the word from the Hoosier blogosphere.

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday May 05, 2008 · 12:56 PM PDT

2008/05/05 · 12:56

A running gag I had with my buddy last night at the Indiana J&J dinner was to, every so often, do my best Homer Simpson angry voice and say, "Ooooh. I hate oil companies so much!" when someone was bagging on the evil oil companies. If it had been a drinking game to drink a beer and a shot, Clinton style, every time someone ragged on the oil companies, I'd probably still be in the hospital right now.

Sure, we have an energy problem and, sure, the oil companies are making money hand over fist right now, but it's like the deal with the scorpion and the turtle. An oil company, like a scorpion, is what it is. You don't especially blame the scorpion for stinging and you don't especially blame the oil companies for trying to make big profits selling oil. With scorpions, you don't blame them, but you do try to avoid them if you can and kill them if you can't. I recommend a similar approach with oil companies.

Still, it was great to see Obama, Dean, Clinton, Bayh, Hamilton, and gubernatorial candidates Schellinger and Long Thompson all speak in one place. Lots of energy among Indiana Democrats.

Julia Carson (D IN-07) Dead at 69

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday December 15, 2007 · 7:53 AM PST

2007/12/15 · 07:53

Julia Carson, the Democratic Representative for Indiana's 7th Congressional District has passed away at the age of 69. Her death comes just weeks after she announced she was suffering from lung cancer and would not be running for reelection. Indiana law provides for a special election to be held to choose her replacement. Her district is primarily located in the Indianapolis area.

Intemperate Language & Journalistic "Balance"

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 22, 2007 · 5:03 AM PDT

2007/10/22 · 05:03

The Evansville Courier Press sees the need to provide health insurance to children. That's good. The Evansville Courier Press seems to be holding both the Democrats and the Republicans equally to blame for failure of the SCHIP bill that would have accomplished this goal. That's stupid. First of all, it needs to be made abundantly clear this wasn't a Republican and Democratic schism. Plenty of Republicans were in support of this version of the SCHIP bill. The Evansville Courier Press says that the Democrats need to go back to work and prepare a compromise bill. They fail to mention that this was a compromise bill.

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday October 18, 2007 · 5:52 AM PDT

2007/10/18 · 05:52

Last night I watched the Frontline story entitled Cheney's Law. If half of that is true, any real patriot would be pissed off at the monstrous power grab Dick Cheney, David Addington, and John Yoo have tried to execute on behalf of the executive. I paraphrase, but essentially what these chowderheads are arguing is that the President gets to be a king and there's not a damn thing Congress can do about it so long as the President mutters the terms "commander-in-chief" or "war" every so often. It's been dressed up under the moniker "unitary executive theory" but I don't see any practical limitations that distinguish it from monarchy.

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday October 09, 2007 · 5:02 PM PDT

2007/10/09 · 17:02

In 2006, Indiana contributed substantially to the new Democratic majority in the House. Specifically, Indiana's 2nd, 8th, and 9th Districts turned from R to D. This year, a new district might be in play. In Indiana's 4th District, Democratic candidate Nels Ackerson has raised $134,000 for his first quarter, this is a new Indiana record for Congressional challengers.

This is probably the most significant challenge faced by incumbent Republican Steve Buyer since his election in 1993.

As a voter in the 4th District, my impression is that nobody is wild about Buyer. There is a fair amount of Republican brand-loyalty, but that is fading here as it is everywhere else. There simply has not been an adequately funded Democratic challenger in quite some time. Apparently that is going to change this cycle.

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday November 07, 2006 · 7:28 PM PST

2006/11/07 · 19:28

Just thought I'd throw in a nothing little post congratulating my home state of Indiana for doing it's part in turning over 3 Republican seats to the Democrats. We took care of 20% of the need. Hopefully the other 49 states can take care of the other 80%.

Congratulations to Brad Ellsworth, Joe Donnelly, and Baron Hill for strong campaigns and their apparent victories.

IN-09: Pro-Sodrel, anti-Hill robocalling litigation

mhojo

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday September 28, 2006 · 9:14 AM PDT

2006/09/28 · 09:14

As readers, and particularly readers of TPM Muckraker, will no doubt be aware, Swiftboat mastermind Bob Perry funded the "Economic Freedom Fund." In an effort to aid Mike Sodrel's campaign in Indiana's 9th District, that organization went out and hired a company by the name of FreeEats.com Inc. to have its computers make robocalls playing pre-recorded messages attacking Sodrel's challenger, Baron Hill.

Trouble is, this violates Indiana law.

Below the fold, elaboration on the ensuing litigation -- both by the Republican AG to stop the practice and by the robodialer to protect the hallowed First Amendment right to have computers call people and play them messages. Read More

Newer
Older

RSS

Indiana Early Voting Hijinx: Lake County Edition

When did McCain jump the shark? (w/ poll)

IN-04: Ackerson running strong against Buyer

I hate liberal elitists so much!

The Indiana Primary

Indiana J&J: I hate oil companies so much!

Julia Carson (D IN-07) Dead at 69

Intemperate Language & Journalistic "Balance"

Cheney's Law

IN-04: Buyer beware - Nels Ackerson posts serious cash

Indiana in the House!

IN-09: Pro-Sodrel, anti-Hill robocalling litigation