Loading ...GOOD GOSSIP
I’ve picked up some good gossip lately. Here it is. Take it for what it’s worth.
Is former Deputy Mayor and Marion County Prosecutor candidate Melina Kennedy gearing up for a Mayoral run in 2011? Maybe. Her old boss, Bart Peterson is having a party at the Broadmoor Country club and invited all of his old staff, except the ones who still work for city hall. Some say it’s more than a friendly get together.
Joanne Sanders, the Democratic Leader on the City-County Council may want to watch her back. Rumor has it that she supported David Orenlichter in the primary and now some of the Black Democrats on the Council think she should step down as leader because she did not support Andre Carson.
And speaking of Councils and Mayors, word is Council member Bill Oliver tried to “punk out” the Mayor at a recent meeting of the concerned clergy, calling Ballard everything but a flat out racist. Ballard apparently had enough and gave Oliver a verbal “pimp slapping” at that gathering. I wish someone had been rolling tape on that one.
FYI, the city should know Tuesday if it’s getting the 2012 Super Bowl.
The controversy between the Jill Long Thompson campaign and the UAW may not be over quite yet. The UAW filed a complaint against Thompson’s campaign over money spent on television advertising. The Election Commission says it can’t look at the complaint until the end of the reporting period which is July 15.
By the way, JLT has a new friend in former Congressional candidate Dr. Woody Myers. He recently wrote her a check for $20,000.
And for those of you who thought all the action was in Democratic circles these days, the Republican race for Attorney General Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas and challenger AG Chief of Staff Greg Zoeller is stepping up. I’m hearing that while Costas is the Governor’s choice, Zoeller has been working hard to get the votes of the delegates to be the nominee. I think this race will eventually got to Costas, but it will be closer than anyone thinks.
And someone needs to tell Marion County Sheriff candidate Kerry Forestall that the next time you have a political fund raiser at Bubba’s on East Washington that officers should leave their squad cars at home. It’s never nice to mix government and politics, especially where they can be easily seen from the parking lot.
And congratulations to my good friend Leslie Hiner. She is leaving her position as Chief of Staff for House Republicans to take a position with the Friedman Foundation; the school choice people.
That’s all folks.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:28 am
I’m hoping that your post on Council Democrats is incorrect.
Because Joanne Sanders is a much better Council Dem leader than anyone in years. Including Rozelle (as minority leader and as president), Talley and that miserable failure Monroe Gray (aka Ballard’s Best Friend).
Council Democrats need to propose alternatives to Mayor Ballard’s policies when appropriate. They need to support them when appropriate.
And they need to end this incomprehensible racial divide that only serves to split us up.
I heard the Bill Oliver story, too. He may be this year’s Monroe Gray (as in A.E. Newman’s “What, Me Worry?”). Aimlessly wandering through the political landscape, dropping verbal stink bombs in the form of racial demands and incoherent observations.
I hope he just had a bad day.
Joanne supported a longtime friend. Her candidate lost. I never heard her utter a negative word about any of the other candidates. Is this Carson litmus test going to be the barometer on which all current and future party questions are answered?
God, I hope not. Because that is a losing hand.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:44 am
TA - Thanks for your information, experience, perspective, and particularly writing skills you bring to this blog.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:54 am
“And someone needs to tell Marion County Sheriff candidate Kerry Forestall that the next time you have a political fund raiser at Bubba’s on East Washington that officers should leave their squad cars at home. It’s never nice to mix government and politics, especially where they can be easily seen from the parking lot.”
Oh…I’m sorry Abdul…I thought you knew Forestall is a democrat.
The rules don’t apply to them, you know.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Another random thought:
Did Bill Oliver attend the Concerned Clergy Meeting whilst on duty for IFD?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Duke Oliver is an UAW retiree. Why the ignorant IFD comment?
May 16th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Abdul wrote, “Joanne Sanders…may want to watch her back. Rumor has it that she supported David Orenlichter in the primary and now some of the Black Democrats on the Council think she should step down as leader because she did not support Andre Carson.”
Do I detect some racism in the Council?
May 16th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Marion County Democrat Chairman O’Connor said there would be repercussions against those who did not support the slated candidates (Carson). Well, it’s a two way street Mike.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
So what is Chairman O’Connor doing, bulling people in a democratic society? I guess it’s politics as usual in the local Democrat party.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
If Carl Brizzi had vigorously supported Cat Ping in the 7th CD GOP primary over slated candidate Jon Elrod, some Republicans would rightly be ticked off at one of their elected officials bucking the GOP slate. Same with Sanders in the Democratic Party…
May 16th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
So, is what you are saying is people aren’t free to think for themselves?
May 16th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Some slates are better than others.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I think it’s just a cocktail thing, Abdul.
Please, spare us another bad Democratic campaign.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Agreed, but we ALL should be able to vote for who we want. But I guess ‘their’ way is the only way a person like Andre Carson, who has no business being in office, gets votes.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Bob Miller said: “Do I detect some racism in the Council?”
What was your first clue?
May 16th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Being a democrat is attractive for several reasons, here are a few feel free to add to,
Support the least qualified candidate and be confidante that you are just as smart as your congressperson or in our case smarter.
Vote as you are told and life is so much easier…you don’t have to think for yourself and you will never have to waste time doing research on candidates.
Does it really matter anyway? Who really cares, one democrat office holder is just as bad as the next and none are smart enough to change a light bulb without first forming a committee.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Oh, Ernie, whatever makes you think you now what the eff you’re talking about?
And I’m hoping Wilson’s comment wasn’t a veiled threat. Joanne Sanders is a bright star in the party. She made her Congressional commitment and now, like many of us, she’ll back Andre in the fall. Cat Ping is not the political equivalent of the council minority leader. Not even close.
And the fact that she’s leading the party better than any of its caucus/majority/prez leaders in years, is no small feat. She won’t embarass us like Monroe Gray did. That’s for certain.
Failing to back the Center candidate in a contested primary is not a crime. Let the chairman come knocking on the door. No one will answer.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
*know not now
May 16th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
The party would be well served if Joanne were the party chair.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
“whatever makes you think you now what the eff”
I guess one democrat isn’t smarter than the congressman.
May 17th, 2008 at 2:51 am
Hmmm…the same Joanne Sanders that denigrated property tax protesters? Yeah, she’s a queen all right.
May 17th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I was at that meeting Robert. She did not denigrate property tax protestors. In fact, she told the mayor’s lame staff people to let them back in the room.
That council is a dumping ground for slow thinkers. She and a few others are bright lights in that department. And she knows the nitty-gritty of city budgets. She and Jackie Nytes started three years ago holding budget cut hearings, trying to get folks to realize there was a crisis coming.
Yeah, THAT same Joanne Sanders.
May 17th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Joanne Sanders is a very bright woman. She may know the Nitty-gritty of city budgets but her alignment with the far left negates the little progress she has enacted this term. She does appear to have Gray and Co. goose stepping behind her and anyone who can control them has talent, but her time has come and gone. Baby sitting Monroe isn’t enough it’s time for her to move on if she can’t work with the majority. So far she has shown her inability to do so.
May 17th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Really, Ernie? Ya think so?
What council meetings have you been watching?
Step bakc from your bad old self and watch with an objective eye. The Democratic caucus has never been better-spoken that it is now. Rozelle Boyd was ineffective as minority leader, and a disaster as president. Talley tried, but he was a joke. And Monroe, well…we all know what happened there.
Just because she can’t control a couple o f those fellas, doesn’t mean she’s an ineffective spoklesperson for the party. She’s damned good at it.
And as long as she’s compared to the likes of Susie Day, Bob Cockrum and Marilyn Pfiesterer and that paragon of mental hugeness–Lincoln Plowman–on the other side, things will be just fine.
May 18th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Don’t look for Dr. Myers to quietly fade away. He is a new Democrat who can finally bring life to this sorry political party.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:48 am
JoAnne Sanders is the best that they have had in Dem leadership on the council.
Correct me if I’m wrong but she was the only council at large Dem that kept their seat.
Black Dems on the council need to back off if they don’t want to lose more council seats.
I voted at the precinct that Sanders was working on election day. She was there pushing that crappy slate.
She does her job well which is more than I can say for most of the council.
If they vote for her to step down as leader, they are complete fools.
May 18th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Yeah, but does anyone have anything to say about JoAnne Sanders ties with the teamsters and the obvious mob ties?
May 19th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Hi Think Again,
-
I guess I’ll need to discard the video of her making her snide comments against the property tax protesters, huh?
-
Heck, even Abdul’s show highlighted her attitude.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Look for Woody Myers as a potential running mate with JLT.