Premature Adulation?
Terry Burns at Indianapolis Times says that former Indy Mayor Bart Peterson is expected to endorse Melina Kennedy for Mayor. That confirms something my sources told me that Peterson alluded to endorsing Melina at a fundraiser last night at Highland Country Club.
I doubt if I’ll get a media advisory for the press event when it happens, but I’m hearing through the political grapevine that may not be happening anytime soon.
Word on the street is that Peterson’s bosses at Eli Lily aren’t crazy about him interjecting himself into the 2011 Mayor’s race right now. Especially since Lily is potentially on the hook to give back possibly millions of dollars in tax incentives to the city for jobs that were supposed to be created but never were.
If I were trying to work out a deal with the city, the last thing I would want is one of my top executives (who lost to the current officeholder by the way) running around publicly endorsing his possible opponent (who also lost the one and only time she ran). Word also is that Peterson’s name was not supposed to appear on the stationary for Wednesday night’s fundraiser but somebody didn’t get the memo.
My sources also tell me that Peterson recently told a gathering of high-dollar Democratic contributors that he has several friends who are running for Mayor in 2011 and has no intention of backing any one candidate until after slating.
Ah, the things that make life interesting.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
If high powered folks like Lilly cannot create jobs why would any sentient person think politicians could? Lilly did what it could do and made the investments that will eventually show up on the property tax rolls. The public should be satisfied with that alone.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Meanwhile, Carl Brizzi is enjoying a martini @ harry & Izzy's whilst pondering the DOJ's next moves…..
December 10th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Come on…He has every right to be involved as a former Mayor. Lilly knew what they were getting when they hired him.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
I voted for Ballard, but now I realize what a mistake I made. I agree that Lilly new he would be involved in politics. I expect he will make an endorsement soon.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
A Peterson endorsement will only matter to the democrat party faithful. After the primary the citizens of Indy will quickly kick the Peterson protégé to the curb. I have it on good authority that the “BART LIES” guys have a plan for any candidate who has any connection with the former administration. I hope Peterson endorses every democrat candidate who gets past slating….if he does the GOP will retake the city by a landslide.
December 10th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Ernie, if only you actually knew what you were talking about.
You just don't get it, do you? Peterson hating is so 2007.
For that matter, Ballard adulation is passe, too. I know a whole boatload of GOP activists who are quietly wishing Ballard had never come around. To them, Peterson isn't looking so bad right about now.
I'm not sure who I'll support in 2011. Most working Democratic activists are similarly unattached at this point. We have an election next year to survive.
But Melina Kennedy would be a better mayor asleep than Ballard is awake.
At least I think so. Hell she damned near beat Brizzi, and she had zippo courtroom experience.
December 10th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Think Again,
I haven't posted in awhile, but I know a bigger boatload of Ballard volunteers who will jump into the campaign when necessary including myself. If this city goes democrat SweetPea and his thugs will rule again.
flipper
December 11th, 2009 at 4:34 am
Flipper…bring it on. You evidently don't understand basic political divisions and the makeup of our voter registration rolls. Ballard has ruined his chances of re-election. And believe it or not, this Democrat isn't entirely happy about that.
He came into office owing no one. The first mayor ever in that position. He had a chance to rule for the taxpayers.
He has not. He will not. He is ruled by a small group of hangers-on, mostly lawyers and well-heeled folk.
We've learned our lesson, Tim. Your fears about the SweetPea potential are noted, correct and heeded. It won't happen again.
December 11th, 2009 at 8:58 am
TA if you knew what you were talking about, you wouldn't continue making the ignorant condescending comments that seem to spill from your fingertips daily.
Kennedy although a pleasant and pretty lady isn't ready for primetime. It takes more than a pretty smile to govern a city…and a Peterson endorsement will be the kiss of death to any candidate. Peterson is politically bankrupt, accept it TA and move on you will feel better for it.
Oh by the way,…while you are playing around with boats the Ballard supporters will be underway in a Battleship…compare the two, maybe then you will understand what any democrat will be up against.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
The “Bart Lies” folks have turned on Ballard already. Had enough?
December 11th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Jon on the subject of the “BART LIES” guys… I can honestly state that you don’t know what you are talking about.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Ernie, have you visited his web site? He is no fan of Ballard.
Our reply:
From an entry entitled “of all the nerve” (http://wayback.bartlies.com/)
“Mayor Ballard has not lived up to his campaign promises and has instead followed the same path as Bart Peterson. I cannot assist him in any way as long as he maintains his current policies.”
Looks like a re-election campaign is under way. How can that be, given Candidate Ballard's original promise regarding running for a 2nd term.
Or a few entries down in the same link:
Mayor Ballard is NOT the small-government, taxpayer's friend that he pretended to be while he campaigned. In fact, it seems as if his appearance from out of nowhere may have been a sly and calculated put-up job by the now-president of the CIB, Mr Bob Grand. What else could it be? He and the mayor go back a number of years as acquaintances, reportedly thanks their children being schooled together. Was the campaign just a scheme hatched during a series of parent's night meetings at school?
We wonder.
December 11th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
http://wayback.bartlies.com/…
Scroll down to “Of All Nerve”
December 12th, 2009 at 4:58 am
“At least I think so. Hell she damned near beat Brizzi, and she had zippo courtroom experience.”
Which says a lot about the voters in Marion County. And we wonder why we have PARTY 1ST!! communist wanting to vote themselves more money over in Wayne Township.
December 12th, 2009 at 7:03 am
John, the Republicans did this to Marion County for 30 years when they were in power. Sweetheart deals all over the place.
It all needs to stop. I thought Ballard was the end of this crap. I thought wrong.
December 12th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Ernie, the silence is deafening.
December 12th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Remove your head from the sand and you will hear the choirs.
December 12th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I'm thinking that you're the one not listening Ernie. You blindly continue to believe that Greg Ballard is the benevolent and beloved Mayor that unites Republicans. He isn't. He ran away from his own base.
December 13th, 2009 at 5:02 am
Hey TA, is that the same words you used last election. Wasn't the democrats laughing all the way to the polls at Ballard and his supporters? The Marines have landed and he will be staying for another term.
December 13th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Matt don't confuse the bartlies site with the BART LIES guys.
The “guys” were the ones who distributed the BART LIES yard signs, T Shirts and bumper stickers. Two days before the election 300 BART LIES T shirts were passed out to the homeless and were seen downtown for days. Over 2000 yard signs were displayed around Indy and 3000 bumper stickers were printed and passed out.
The “guys” weren't involved in the website.
December 14th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Looks like the DemDar was wrong again today Abdul. Terry was right. Peterson has officially endorsed Melina.
December 14th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Looks like the DemDar was wrong again today Abdul. Terry was right. Peterson has officially endorsed Melina.