If the candidates are not Democrats, then I believe the Chair can remove them from the ballot.

Also, Williams maneuver in Decatur Township did result in a few precinct filings here. As a Ward Chair in Decatur, I'm extremely offended by this move. You can ask anyone, but we really expect our precinct committeepersons to work hard here and do more than just vote at slating for a candidate and pass the slate at the door on Election Day. Williams has brought us several people that none of us in the local Democratic organization know or have ever heard of before. I wish he would have had the courtesy to drop us an e-mail or give us a phone call specifically telling us who these people were and where they were running…even if it was a last-minute call.

While I applaud him for shaking out his supporters and exploiting the rules of slating to try to “frontstuff” the precincts, Decatur has always filled its own precincts, resisted the stuffing that happens countywide, and has never urged its precinct people to vote anything but their conscience. Williams could have made all the inroads he wanted by simply sitting down with the current structure of our precinct people and making his case without trying to launch a revolution for control of the party.

I don't know if Williams gamble will pay off, but I do know, that in all of this, we may lose some long time and very effective precinct people who don't deserve to be booted by newcomers that will now be, if elected, in office for four years and three years past next year's slating convention.

In my view, Williams has done an unforgivable thing here in Decatur. He should have left us alone and worked with us to get his message out rather than attempting to strong arm us.

If the precinct in Decatur are filled, why didn't they run? These positions are elected for a reason.

Jon, I think people all over the county share your feelings. Many people who Brian Williams will need if he were to receive the nomination for mayor have been highly offended. In addition, if
Williams efforts of filling the precincts are any indication of his organziational skills then he would be a horrible mayor. Some of his precinct filings are republicans, some are not registered to vote, some are filed in the wrong precincts and in some cases, he filed two or more of his people in the same precinct to run against each other!! I think when this is all said and done that Williams and his campaign manager will have alienated a large portion of the local party and will be dead in the water for 2011.

Why shouldn't voters decide who their PC is? I find all anger at Williams for getting people involved very telling. It is hard to reconcile an honest belief in democracy and a belief that those in positions of power should be left alone. If you are a hard-working PC and you have an opponent, beat your opponent. It is that simple. Complacency is no way to run a party.

I'm always curious about the difference between being offended and being highly offended.

OK, which one of you is Greg Bowes? Pass the ketchup please.

Tamara can pay her $25 to become a party member and can show up at the convention and vie for the nomination; but, in the face of a true pro-liberty, pro-Constitution, pro-natural rights crowd and at least one other candidate who would be participating in the floor debate prior to the vote … well, there is always that snowball's chance.

Pascal, highly-offended is Offended with extra cheese, hold the sauce.

Longtime PC here. Former ward chair…going back 30 years. When I was a ward chair, if a PC filed in one of my ward's precincts, and I didn't know the person, I'd make it my business to know the person instantly. If the precinct were unfilled, and the newbie was willing to do the work, so be it. If not, we had a problem. If (s)he was a schill, big problem.

Jon, I get your point. But frankly, it sounds just a little too elitist. People have the right to file. If they're known Republicans, I believe the law allows for a challenge to their candidacy. I am unsure how that challenge, and the PC's defense of his/her filing, would progress.

But here's a news flash for you and Hector: the county party is not in a position to turn away anyone who wants to help. If Williams got folks to file against established PCs, where there was no vacancy, I completely appreciate your point. Let the best candidate win.

In short: come off your high horse. You are not the Lord and King of All Things Democratic in your township. In fact, using 2006-08 vote totals, there aren't that many of you in the whole township anyway. If I were you, I don't think I'd be throwing my weight around. Big fish, little pond, ya know? Your job is to get your vote out: if your precinct is 19% Democratic, and you get out all that 19%, you've done a better job than many in Center, although they have more numbers. That concept has never been fully appreciated down at party HQ.

A rising tide lifts all boats, and every single county-wide D victory in recent years has re-proven that time-honored point.

I respect your work. I just hope you soft-peddle the message, because, well…it sounds a little too top-down.

I commend Brian Williams and his camp for challenging the establishment. Based on the comments on this blog and with my friends, we are in store for some major changes within the Democratic Party.

I just see this move of Brian Williams as one to disrupt the Dem party organization in order that the GOP can hold on to some offices. He appears very cozy with many of the republican power people. If he really wanted to help the Dem party, he could have gone to the County Committee or the Ward Chairs and found out where the weaknesses and/or vacancies were and helped plugged those holes. This would have made the party stronger and helped in the defeat of republican candidates. Ironically, the party may become stronger in spite of Williams inept attempts of some kind of coup. Not only will the party become stronger but his quest to hold elective office will disappear in the process. That would be a double victory for the party.

Hector, you may be right, But consider this:

The county party establishment is viewed as “in bed” with Melina Kennedy. Just like they were with Jim Schellinger, and that worked out soooo well. If you're not Jim or Melina, and you want to run, why would you spend too much time on that endeavor, if you think your efforts may be worthless if directed by the folks who oppose you?

Brian's approach is novel. I haven't decided whom I'm supporting yet, but I like his pluck. In bed with Republicans, huh? Is that what we call any Democrat who makes some private-sector money? Good God we need more of his kind, not less. Public-sector employees already are over-represented on our council. Have we come that far, that we only trust what the powers-that-be tell us to think? Use your own mind, Hector.

I've seen several of these slatings and elections. 2011 is already interesting. And unless the Dems shoot themselves in the foot big-time, Ballard hasn't got a bat's chance in hell. Not even close.

This is a 57% baseline Dem county. If you doubt that, think Mary Catherine Barton, and then stop right there. Unless Dems sit on their hands, or unless they nominate a goof, they will likely win. The only way you can undo that advantage, is to take it for granted and fail to work your base, ala Petrerson 2007.

Melina or Brian will easily beat Ballard if they work hard. Both have already demonstrated the ability to work hard.

Cut the guy some slack. He's on the outside looking in. It's not a coup–it's coalition-building. It will probably stumble a few times and succeed some, too. Lighten up. We have 2010 to get through, first.

I still don't see how you expect suppport from the very people you have alienated. Many of the PCs who did not get a Williams person filed against them have friends and family who did. Not a way to win friends and elections. Ward chairs have PCs who do the hard grunt work election after election with no expectation other than good government and suddenly Williams decides that they need to be replaced by someone who will vote for him slating. I suspect many of the Williams candidates for PC would never do the work of PC including finding people to work the polls and get the polls open on time and running all day and then get the vote counted accurately in an expeditious manner.

Here's what happens. If Williams gets his people in, then they will be anxious to vote for him at slating.

That's not where a PC's job ends. This isn't challenging the establishment. It's kicking the establishment. Williams must have little faith in his ability to persuade the masses if he feels it's necessary to “frontstuff” the ballot box.

He would have had EVERY opportunity to speak to our existing PCs, but it's like someone coming in your house and claiming their own bedroom and you can't do anything about it. Ward Chairs and PCs have to have some sort of working relationship. When they don't, it's a mess!

If all this makes me an elitist…well…I guess I am…a paycheck-to-paycheck living elitist.

Jon, are you saying you won't work with democratically elected PCs? I really think you need to step back and look at what you're saying. You contend that these new PCs can't possibly hard working because you don't know them, which by itself is somewhat incendiary. You further state that Brian has “frontstuffed” slating by running candidates for PC. Have you looked at a precinct list recently? Franklin township has a 10 to 1 ratio of Treacy appointed stiffs to residents. And that's a normal, not before a caucus, list. You're delusional if you think Brian had a chance in hell of getting through slating without some sort of bold move. This isn't a knock against Melina, but she's a creature of that establishment you're defending. Brian isn't. We as a party have to make a choice between continuing to choice the same candidates over and over again and bringing in new talent. One path leads to the nasty corrupt inside dealing we're seeing with Brizzi and the other leads to good governance.

Oh isn't that sweet. Vote for Melina and you'll get Brizzi? I smell desperation. And some old pickles, and they are not sweet.

I must admit that I am shocked by Brian Williams and his supporters. Their actions and ideas is exactly what the democratic party needed. I wish Brian and his supporters the best.

Cracking up over this whole mess. Wonder if Jon Easter will suddenly not respect the corrupt mess that is slating so much anymore.

You mean the slating process that produced a small claims court candidate that forgot to file?

It's so simple. Brian just showed Indianapolis that he wants more.

Sorry about that, it's so simple. Brian just showed not only demos but also everyone in Indianapolis that he wants to be the Mayor a heck of a lot more than Melina.

Party leadership on both sides in Marion County are scum.

That is right. I forgot about the dynamic successful campaign of Jill Long!!!

JohnEaster, You have so much to say about Brian Williams,but you're yet to give your opinion about Terry Burns sweetheart slating deal. I can tell you that people are wondering when he'll get stop eating out of the party troff.

Yes, yes Brian wants to be mayor sooo much that he's got 4 people running against each other in the same precinct. Guess that means he wants to be mayor four times as much as Melina.

Please, let's drop this notion that Brian Williams is some novice political outsider. Dude grew up in a political house and is banking on his family's political name.

I would like to endorse this statement TA makes:

“I've seen several of these slatings and elections. 2011 is already interesting. And unless the Dems shoot themselves in the foot big-time, Ballard hasn't got a bat's chance in hell. Not even close.

This is a 57% baseline Dem county. (A couple points too high in a nonpresidential election year.) If you doubt that, think Mary Catherine Barton, and then stop right there. Unless Dems sit on their hands, or unless they nominate a goof, they will likely win. The only way you can undo that advantage, is to take it for granted and fail to work your base, ala Petrerson 2007.”

He's exactly right. Ballard has no chance of winning re-election. It doesn't matter if he has $10 milllion dollars. He's damaged goods. Assuming Ballard is nominated, the Ds should win unless their candidate commits a major felony before the election.

Jon, Brian Williams in recruiting PCs to vote at slating is only do what leadership in the party does. At least on the Republican side that's the game – appointing enough mummy-dummy PCs to offset the regular PCs who do the grunt work in the party.

TA I'm not sure what drugs you’re on but there is NO WAY Ballard is losing with his current track record.
I'm in a position to ask folks outside of the political spree how they feel about the current administration. Hands down Ballard is doing a better job than Peterson, most who I ask feel that Ballard is doing a GREAT JOB.
Melinda hasn't a chance. Outside of the democrat party Melinda will fall flat on her face. Melinda is Peterson lite, I know several D's who are voting for Ballard again.
So you keep on popping whatever drug that makes your day a little brighter, in the end we will have Ballard for at least another term.

Paul you’re insulting.
I know PC's from across the county who are appointed and they all work hard and consider the candidates before voting.
If you believe that you can do a better job than our current Chairman run for the position, otherwise quit with the bull shit. You’re insulting our party nucleus.
I recall when Tom John was re-elected you stood back with your thumb up your ass when nominations where called for from the floor.
Step up or back off, your insults are getting old FAST.

Paul you’re insulting.
I know PC's from across the county who are appointed and they all work hard and consider the candidates before voting.
If you believe that you can do a better job than our current Chairman run for the position, otherwise quit with the bull shit. You’re insulting our party nucleus.
I recall when Tom John was re-elected you stood back with your thumb up your ass when nominations where called for from the floor.
Step up or back off, your insults are getting old FAST.

Paul Ogden,
Yes…I'm aware, but it doesn't happen that way in Decatur.

trough…not troff…..

Thanks for telling me what I was saying.

This isn't the first time a deal like this has been struck.

He wants to be mayor so badly that he filed people who were republicans, people who were not registered to vote and filed people in the wrong precincts. If that is an indication of the skills he would use as mayor then we are not better off than we are with Ballard.

My argument isn't about slating…it's about a local community here. Please re-read what I posted. This is not about slating.

Well…slating is a part of the argument, but it's not the center of the argument I'm making.

If Melina's camp is so confident, why is everyone so mad about Brian having over 200 people file for PC? Is is that we are finding out that a majority of Indianapolis does not want to deal with a person who lost to Brizzi, played a major role in the CIB mess, and was a key reason why Peterson lost? Face it people, Melina is not the chosen one!!

How many PC's did team Melina file? I've yet to hear a number.

Oh, BT, you are so uninformed and simply do not understand the process of a political party. People who file for PC are people who are willing to put in untold unpaid hours of work because they believe in the party. It is not about a specific candidate. When this happens, those people disappear when the work is to be done. I have seen it before. People like the Williams file candidates for PC to vote in slating and then the hard work is to be done and they are nowhere to be found. Melina is not building her own organization. She is offering herself to the Democratic party as a candidate as an option for mayor. Williams alienated a lot of the party PCs by filing people against PCs who are hard working PCs and have done so for a few elections. In addition, it was the manner in which he did it that showed no respect for the party and Williams knows that or he would not have waited until the last minute to do it. The bottom line is that his numbers are highly inflated and included many republicans, unregistered voters and sloppy paperwork. We will see when the dust settles just how many he has but it will just a small number of the total number of PCs in the county.

If I were running for countywide office, I'd try to get as much PC support as I could, so I could do well in slating.

If I could recruit former Republicans, I'd do it in a heartbeat. The standard for Dem PC filing, should be the same as crossover primary voters: if you're willing to sign an affidavit to support the party's nominees, you're in.

Jon and Hector, put on your big-boy ward chair shoes, and work your butts off for your choices. If you're mad about “stiffs” who don't do the PC job except at slating…look around. County chairs have been doing that for years. If you, as a ward chair, have a chair-appointed PC stiff, you just became the PC for that precinct. You fill the board.

God what kind of cheese are you serving with your whine?

Apparently neither of you has been around very long. This is typical practice. A candidate files PCs who may not work hard! Horrors! Stop the presses!

Now that you've whined loudly, I bet Mr. Williams pushes his chosen PCs to work hard and offer their services to the party.

But then again, you seem intent on poisoning the well beforehand. A sure way to allow the GOP to win.

By the way, if either of you is really a ward chair–how much did you beat your avg. D turnout in 2008? 2006?

Thanks for the lecture “Think Again.” I truly appreciate your views and honor your wisdom. I also really appreciate you reading in so much to what I was saying. You have a talent and a skill for telepathy.

The record in Decatur speaks for itself. If you throw out the 2007 election where few Democrats did well, look up the results in Decatur and that will tell you everything you need to know. Sure…we aren't winning yet, but we have a vibrant local scene here. We are getting candidates to run, and we're pushing forward.

If you weren't so flipping telepathic, it would be hard for me to expect you to know what's going on here.

Williams would have been wise to keep his mouth shut and not brag about stuffing the PC election process. By publicly stating they were trying to overwhelm the process, it has to make the existing PCs upset.

On the other hand, this is probably better than party leaders stuffing all of the empty seats with appointments who will just do the bidding of party leaders.

AND, in Republican circles there is always talk about “taking the party back” to get back to, presumably, Reagan (tripled the debt) vs. Bush (doubled the debt) ;-) [unfortunately true despite a fondness for Reagan]. Is that not the process they would use at the local level to “fix” it?

The opposition to this definitely has a top-down feel to it (as somebody else noted). Is it about the people and the rules or is it about the party and it's leaders? Something to think about I guess?

Both parties are suffering the structural defects, of a die, cast long ago; principles of general welfare suffering self serving principals. Any hope of change begins with their principled reconstruction.

Signing on with Ahab & fighting for control of the Pequod has diminishing membership benefits; as a tea party carefully reviews charters & is working the docks…

joneaster said, “has never urged its precinct people to vote anything but their conscience.”

If that were really true, then I would suggest you quit calling people DINOs and Blue Dogs. It's their consicience, not yours. Last time I heard, you sounded as much a purist as say, Jim Bopp.

Jon, I did look. You've got lots of work to do. We all do. In Decatur, you've got a structural deficit that is daunting. It's heavy lifting…no one said it would be easy.

When you recruit a committeeman for a 70% GOP precinct, that PC's job is to cut the margin. It's tough work, recruiting, and then tougher work cutting the margin. A 10% cut in my example, would be still be around a 63% GOP victory. It takes a special person to consider that a victory.

Sorry you thought I was telepathic. I'm not. I've just seen and heard all this before. Many times. We Dems cannot afford to turn away **anyone** who wants to help a candidate or our party. If Mr. Williams, whom I do not know, brings ten good new PCs to the process, he's done more than most (but not ALL) ward chairs have done in years.

You and Hector seem to think a PC's job is to do the party's bidding. Statutorily, anyone can run for PC, and once elected or selected via stiffing, I'm pretty sure the PC has no statutory duties. It's a difficult task to remove a PC–look it up.

My next-door neighbor was a rock-ribbed Reagan Republican who worked his ass off for Obama in 2008. Spring and fall. If he has become a convert to the party, and wants to run for PC, he'd be a damned sight better than the one we have, who has been in office for years and hasn't, to my knowledge, filled an election board in five or six elections. But he struts his stuff at every slating convention. Instead of whining so much about new PCs, why don't you apply some sort of performance standard to the existing ones? I'm pretty sure you'd be reduced to no more than 100 or so hard-working committeepersons.

If you guys want a lifelong purity test, you'd better lace up your lawyer boots, because I'm pretty sure you can't do that legally.

No telepathy needed for that prediction.

How's that hopey changy feelie thing working out for the rock ribbed Reaganite? Better than hemlock?

TA, you are incorrect. Statutes do not allow anyone to run for committeeperson. You must live in the precinct and you must have voted in the Dem primary in the latest primary that was conducted. If you meet those qualifications then you are eligible and I have no problem with that. In fact, I have found 2 new committeepersons for my ward by looking at the filings and contacting the people. Two were honest hardworking people who are young and want to be involved. Our party needs that. I also found a person who filed who was willing to be the vice precinct person and he will be withdrawing his filing Monday. What I am not interested in is allowing republicans to become committeepersons or someone who only wants to vote in slating for a particular candidate. As ward chair, if I have a precinct committeeperson who does not do his/her work then that works falls on me. A good committeeperson has to find people willing to serve on precinct boards and be willing to be trained for those positions. It is imperative that the polling places open on time and remain functional throughout the day. This is no easy task. Then a mountain of paperwork must be signed and votes tabulated. A typical day would involve getting up at 4 or 4:30 and working without relief or leaving the precinct until 8 or 8 p.m.

I've been an inspector and pollworker more times than you've probably voted, Hector. I'm well aware of the work. And I've probably over a hundred boards over the years, for my precinct and for others when I was a ward chair.

You'd best check the statutes. Of course the residency thing is valid, but everything else you posted….well….good luck with that. Because it avoids one basic premise: voters are allowed to change their minds, and their political allegiance. If it's false, for sneaky pretense, then it will ultimately show.

Pascal, you're hilarious. It's working out OK, thanks for asking. I can't believe you've managed to repeat one of the only smart lines ex-Gov Palin mouthed–or did she have that written on her hand? What you got written on your hand, nasty boy, huh?

Keep in mind: folks are allowed to change their minds. I was a ward chair in 1990, right after Evan got elected governor. We had an influx of new PCs. Many were formerly Republicans or independents–at least not Democrats.

You seem to be spending a lot of time checking on the status of certain filers. Why don't you redirect that time toward canvassing your precinct)s)? Trust me, those above you will take care of this one way or another. The scenery only changes for the lead dog.

I do understand your frustration with hard-nosed GOPers filing for Dem PC under false pretense. I don't think there's a legal way to stop it if they agree to sign the same declaration/affidavit that anyone who's challenged at the polls would be required to sign. Because the first threshold for PC is registered voter in that precinct.

You've opened up a can of worms, and I doubt the other 91 county chairs, of either party, would lobby their legislators very hard, to take up this issue. They'd say: leave it alone. Overwhelmingly.

The county party establishment is viewed as “in bed” with Melina Kennedy. Just like they were with Jim Schellinger, and that worked out soooo well. If you're not Jim or Melina, and you want to run, why would you spend too much time on that endeavor, if you think your efforts may be worthless if directed by the folks who oppose you?i like nike air max very much

How many names can one poster post under? “Gotcha”!

All I will say is read the statute. A person seeking to be a PC is required by statute and party rules to have voted D in the last primary. What you are confusing is the law for voters. As you and I know, a primary voter may switch from party to party at every primary. I think you are confusing that law which is different from the law to run for PC. There are laws that we do not like but we still must follow them. You do not need to worry about my precinct as I am not involved in a contested race. I agree with you that the lead dogs will take care of this and I am confident that I will be comfortable with the result.

Hector, I've searched the statues. Unless there are other statutes elsewhere, which I doubt, your point is just not valid:

IC 3-10-1-4.5
Election of precinct committeemen; exception
Sec. 4.5. (a) Except as provided in section 4.6 of this chapter, precinct committeemen shall be elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May 2006 and every four (4) years thereafter.
(b) The rules of a political party may specify whether a precinct committeeman elected under subsection (a) continues to serve as a precinct committeeman after the boundaries of the precinct are changed by a precinct establishment order issued under IC 3-11-1.5.
As added by P.L.5-1989, SEC.34 and P.L.9-1989, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.4-1996, SEC.36; P.L.122-2000, SEC.6; P.L.230-2005, SEC.33; P.L.164-2006, SEC.64.

IC 3-10-1-4.6
Election of precinct committeemen of Indiana Republican Party
Sec. 4.6. (a) This section applies to precinct committeemen elected by the Indiana Republican Party.
(b) Precinct committeemen shall be elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May 2008 and every four (4) years thereafter.
(c) The rules of the Indiana Republican Party may specify whether a precinct committeeman elected under subsection (a) continues to serve as a precinct committeeman after the boundaries of the precinct are changed by a precinct establishment order issued under IC 3-11-1.5.
As added by P.L.164-2006, SEC.65.

If Mr. Treacy decides go challenge a PC on the ballot, who was, until this year, a Republican…and if I were that PC candidate, I'd run to a lawyer, not walk. And I think I'd havhe a good case.

The main criteria for being a PC, in either party, is being a registered voter in the proper area.

Are you aware of other statutes? If so, please cite.

Hector, our party has always been the party of open voting procedures in Indiana. Going back to the 60s, the opposite party has tried to shut things down. Why would we start that ridiculous process now? Let the legit voters decide! I'm confident you and others can get out your message and likely prevail.

Who is he/she who calls self “Think Again”, still taking smacks at me when blogging? Sincerely, Marycatherine Barton

And is pogden 267, Paul Ogden. Et tu, brute?

And is pogden267, Paul Ogden? Et tu, Brute?