The Iron Heel

Mitch's Man Dave

2005-08-08T17:13:00.000-05:00

Apparently I didn't post this, but only saved it as a draft... Here it is, better late than never.

From the Indianapolis Star, August 2:

State Inspector General David Thomas says a complaint by Democrats that Gov. Mitch Daniels violated ethics rules by taking RV1 to a political fundraiser is hogwash.

The Democrats call that a whitewash.

Here's the take from the Evansville Courier & Press:

Thomas interviewed Daniels' security escort, a team of Indiana State Police officers, who said no one except the governor's staff entered the RV. Eric Holcomb, an employee of the governor's office who attended the fundraiser, said the RV was parked 100 yards from the fish fry. Holcomb didn't see anyone enter the RV, but if someone did, "it probably would have been a spontaneous and unplanned occurrence as has happened in the past," Thomas wrote.

[...]

Thomas did not mention the family by name but said his office contacted a family "revealed in the article" who said Whitson's report was false. "With our focus on whether the RV was used to obtain political donations in alleged violation of an ethics rule, the evidence did not even show that members of the public entered the RV for any purpose," Thomas wrote.

So it wasn't used for political purposes, according to My Man Mitch's man. Anyone who says otherwise is lying, or worse, a Democrat. And even if it was used for political purposes, it's just a vehicle.

The Courier & Press also ran this AP piece, also August 2:

J. Bruce Baumann, executive editor of the Courier & Press, said the newspaper stands behind its reporter.

"She personally observed ordinary citizens entering and leaving RV1, and therefore, we stand behind her story," he said.

Parker, the state Democratic chairman, said he was disappointed but not surprised about the report.

"Mitch Daniels said this (RV) is an extension of his office, so I guess we can have fundraisers from the state office," he said.

As it happens, taking down words has the best post on this issue.

Bringing Accountability Back to Indiana

2005-08-01T23:05:00.000-05:00

I have been following the investigation into Governor Daniels' alleged misuse of state property (RV1) at a Republican fundraiser. Rather than try to add something new to the topic -- I think everything worth saying has been said already -- I'll give a quick rundown of the events.

My Man Mitch, honorable governor of our Hoosier state, pushed hard for the creation of the office of Inspector General. The AP put it this way in a March 21 report (no link):

Daniels created the post of inspector general by executive order, but legislation to give that official prosecutorial powers ran into serious trouble in the House. Democrats are outnumbered 52-48 in that chamber, but claimed the bill would allow a governor to conduct political witch hunts.

It was among several bills and actions House Democrats claimed were GOP-power grabs. They killed that and 131 other bills by boycotting the floor during a deadline day for legislation to clear its house of origin.

But House Republicans revived that legislation in a Senate bill, the parties worked out some compromises, and it passed the House unanimously last week.

Here's an excerpt from his April 13 press release (no link):

"[...]We are creating a culture that encourages state employees to seek advice and report wrongdoing, as well as an understanding that rules will be enforced and unethical behavior is unacceptable," said Daniels.

A seemingly inocuous article in the Courier & Press on July 20 led with this:

Gov. Mitch Daniels stopped by in his RV1 to stump for Rep. Troy Woodruff at a Vincennes fundraiser to cap off a day of events in Southwestern Indiana.

People who made the $25 per family donation to get into the Woodruff fish fry on Tuesday lined up to shake hands and get pictures with the governor, tour RV1 and even have him autograph a copy of "Notes from the Road," a collection of the writings Daniels posted on his campaign Web site while touring the state.

Democrats seized on the apparent use of RV1 -- which, according to My Man Mitch, is state property:

When questioned in April, Daniels said the RV, which is worth about $175,000, does not run afoul of his administration's ethics rules because it was not a personal gift to him but rather a gift to the state for his use.

Democrats filed an ethics complaint with Daniels' own inspector general's office. My Man Mitch, determined to restore honesty and accountability to Indiana politics, responded in a characteristically classy manner:

"Here's what I really find interesting ... that the once-proud Democratic Party has been reduced to this," Daniels said. "They only stand for what they say they're against and seem to exist only for the purpose of attacking me personally.

The inspector appointed in this case, "Bud" Allcron, is wrapping up the investigation. [Late addition: Allcron is a retired State Police detective who was worked a number of high profile cases, including the "Angel of Death" Orville Lynn Majors case and the 1968 murder of Carol Jenkins in Martinsville (as a cold case).]

This great editorial in the Courier & Press from July 31 hits the nail on the head (well worth the free registration):

The irony may not be appreciated in the governor's office, but who would have thought that an early target of the state's new inspector general would be the very person who pushed so hard to create the post?

[...] But no matter how the case turns out, it's likely to leave the perception that a governor who showed great concern for the ethics of the previous administration has a blind spot when it comes to his own.

Other Indiana blogs have done a great job on this story (and others). The highlights:

taking down words uses Daniels' own words to hang him.
taking down words on the potential conflict of interest in following up the investigation.
Liberal Indiana shows how Daniels brought his White House-style financial honesty to the Hoosier State.

More CAFTA Kickback for IN-9?

2005-07-30T08:50:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned Vice President Cheney's role in all of this CAFTA news?

Several people, including my friends over at TPMCafe, have pointed out Cheney's last minute fund-raising appearances for Republican House members in Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Both of those representatives voted for CAFTA.

A few months ago, Cheney was in Jeffersonville, IN, to speak at a fundraiser for Mike Sodrel -- and he received some good Southern Indiana hospitality. In May, Sodrel released a statement that revealed some other benefits of Cheney's appearance:

But in March, after Vice President Dick Cheney spoke at a Sodrel fund-raiser in Jeffersonville, Sodrel said it was "very probable" that federal money would be found for the project.

This was followed by this tidbit from the Washington Post coverage (7/28):

GOP leaders told their rank and file that if they wanted anything, now was the time to ask, lawmakers said, and members took advantage of the opportunity by requesting such things as fundraising appearances by Cheney and the restoration of money the White House has tried to cut from agriculture programs. Lawmakers also said many of the favors bestowed in exchange for votes will be tucked into the huge energy and highway bills that Congress is scheduled to pass this week before leaving for the August recess.

So it might be that Sodrel just deserves credit for thinking to ask for a favor in advance.

I've also managed to find more references to the link between HR 3283 -- aka the "Talk Tough to China Bill" -- and CAFTA. The most blunt, courtesy the AP and Evansville Business Journal:

"This bill has nothing to do with China. It has everything to do with getting votes for DR-CAFTA," Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, said in reference to the trade deal with the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Sodrel Trades Vote for CAFTA

2005-07-28T17:28:00.000-05:00

From the WSJ 7/28/05:

Republican leaders secured at least five votes for CAFTA by agreeing to bring separate legislation to the floor that would allow the U.S. to impose duties on exports from China and others designated as nonmarket economies by the Commerce Department. The measure, approved yesterday in the House by a 255-168 vote, was castigated as "a sham" by Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and faces uncertain prospects in the Senate.

The Journal requires a subscription, but you can see this article here.

Mike Sodrel (IN-9) was a co-sponsor of HR 3283, the bill referred to in the above graf. He had been consistently labeled as undecided on CAFTA until the vote. In fact, Sodrel defended his vote of CAFTA by referencing China:

“It is in the best interests of our national security to maintain strong relationships with these countries, especially at a time when China is very interested in investing in and exporting to these countries.” Sodrel said.

I called Sodrel's local office today to ask whether he was one of those five referred to in the Journal piece, but did not receive a reply.

During his 2004 campaign, Sodrel criticized incumbent Baron Hill for supporting trade normalization with China, because it cost Indiana manufacturing jobs. But according to this Economic Policy Institute report, it's free trade agreements that have caused job loss in Indiana. If you look at Appendix A-1, Indiana is among the top ten states in terms of net job loss due to NAFTA.

Indiana and National Issues Update

2005-07-25T17:18:00.000-05:00

From the Bloomington Herald-Times, July 15 (no link, subscription required):

Monroe County Democrats want an investigation into U.S. Rep. Mike Sodrel’s allegations of vote fraud during last year’s election.

The request for an investigation comes eight months after a heated and prolonged congressional race between Republican Sodrel and Democratic incumbent Baron Hill.

[...]

“If an ineligible person voted, the Democrats want to know,” said Matt Weber, secretary of the Monroe County Democratic Party.

Weber delivered a request for an investigation Wednesday to Jack Davis, president of the county election board, and Monroe County Clerk Jim Fielder, board secretary. Both said that the allegations will be looked at.

Representative Mike Sodrel (IN-9, millionaire) has yet to comment, although his spokesman "said that Sodrel welcomes any effort to encourage open, fair and accurate elections."

In Terre Haute, reaction to the Ellsworth fundraising numbers continues.

From the Terre Haute Tribune-Star, July 18:

Having said all that, however, this is the biggest number a prospective opponent to Hostettler has raised in years, which is an indication that either his opposition is galvanized for a run against him, or there's more money around to finance a campaign.

Pete Ciancone, "The Spectator", is a columnist for the paper. He's known to be a fairly astute observer of state and local politics, so hopefully he's right on.

Here is a letter I sent today to my Senator, Evan Bayh:

Senator Bayh,

I am writing to encourage you, in your role on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to remind your colleague Senator Roberts of his promise to further investigate the intelligence on Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction.

It is imperative that there be an investigative record of the political influence, if any, on the gathering and use of intelligence used to convince the country to go to war. If any member of any party influenced the process, it should become a part of the public record. As Americans, we believe -- red state or blue, conservative or liberal -- that war should be waged on legitimate grounds as a last resort. America needs to know that the intelligence on Iraqi WMDs was not fixed around pre-existing policy, and that our leaders genuinely believed there was a threat from the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. This is not a matter of partisanship or politics, or even the past; this is about honesty and the future of our country and its people.

I would like to ask you to further encourage the honorable Mr. Roberts to stop recklessly spreading demonstrable falsehoods in the media. He has been repeating Ken Mehlman's talking point that Ambassador Wilson's wife, Valerie Wilson (Plame), was not actually a covert agent. However, it seems clear that her superiors at the CIA thought she was, otherwise they would never have referred it to the Justice Department. It seems clear that former Attorney General Ashcroft's office thought she was, otherwise it would never have been referred to the special prosecutor. It seems clear that the special prosecutor, Mr. Fitzgerald, thinks that she was indeed a covert agent; otherwise he would not have continued with the investigation. Unless Senator Roberts has some evidence that Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Ashcroft’s office, and CIA leadership have engaged in a conspiracy to smear a few Republican aides, please ask him to stop trying to confuse the American people. I don't have any degree of high-level clearance, and I don't know all the facts in this case. What is clear, though, is that this investigation is about the rule of law and national security, and not about politics and public relations.

Senator Bayh, I do not believe that "the truth will out" of its own accord. It requires the assistance of honorable men and women who put honesty above ideology and politics. I encourage you to speak for the citizens of Indiana, and to choose to act in the name of truth and posterity. While I have many specific policy disagreements with both you and Senator Lugar, I have always been proud of Indiana’s Senate delegation and the way they represent the state to the country and the world. I can’t think of another state in the country that has two leaders with a higher caliber of intelligence, honesty, and honor than our Hoosier state.

I wish you and your family good luck and health in your future political endeavors, and encourage you to continue to act in the good name of the people of Indiana.

I'm still working on following up on the Ellsworth campaign. I've also been doggedly pursuing interviews for an article for Bloomington CultureWeek (website soon to come) about the reaction to the arson at the Islamic Center here in Bloomington. I will post the text of the article when it is published. I am also developing a new feature for the paper about political involvement -- I did my first interviews for the feature with representatives of the Emily's List Political Opportunity Program (and some of their local trainees).

As Drudge would say, "developing..."

Ellsworth's Fundraising Jumpstart

2005-07-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

Good news today:

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth has raised nearly $140,000 in the month since he announced he will challenge Republican U.S. Rep. John Hostettler next year.

This puts Ellsworth in a very strong position, well ahead of Hostettler's last 5 challengers at this point.

Meanwhile, Ellsworth met with Knox County Democrats in Vincennes.

"I'm pretty well known in Evansville, and people there are pretty satisfied with the job I've done," said Ellsworth, who has been sheriff since 1998. "But my goal tonight is to take my message further."

[...]

Ellsworth said he would be putting a lot of miles on his truck in order to bring his message of listening to and representing the interests of his constituents in the 18 counties that make up the sprawling district.

[Update, 7/12 9:32am:]
The Evansville Courier & Press had this to add today:

[Ellsworth's] campaign says it will list 170 individual contributions, with an average donation of nearly $675. He also has accepted $14,000 in Political Action Committee funds, as well as $9,700 from the Democratic Party, other candidates' funds and other local committees.

This doesn't mean anything yet, since Hostettler never seems to raise much in the way of funds -- but as of his last filing with the FEC (through 6/30), Hostettler had raised only $11,000 and had only $994 cash on hand.

Mosque Arson in Indiana

2005-07-09T20:22:00.000-05:00

From the Indianapolis Star online:

FBI agents and members of its Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating a fire early today at a Bloomington mosque.

Officials at the Islamic Center of Bloomington said a window was broken at the center and a liquid accelerant was poured through the window to start the fire. Damage was minor.

The Guardian had this:

Someone threw a rock through a window, then poured a flammable liquid into the building and ignited it, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations said.

The timing of the fire, so soon after Thursday's bombings in London that killed at least 49 people, was suspicious, said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the council. Hooper said his group had been receiving hate e-mail and phone calls since Thursday.

This is not, of course, the first such event Indiana has seen in recent years. There was the much-reported case of the Evansville man who decided to ram his car into a mosque, among others. (There is a list of somewhat questionable attribution here, but I haven't been able to find copies of the original news reports except on subscription sites.)

The question is, how do we respond? In 1998 and 1999, Benjamin Smith's activities (and crimes) in Bloomington prompted public displays against this kind of hate. Since then, they have only managed to muster half-hearted efforts and letters to the editor. This is the kind of event that requires a response.

Nathan Ainslie, President of the Islamic Center of Bloomington, has said that the mosque will likely have an open house in the next two weeks. This, I think, is an excellent opportunity for an event.

In a related story, I may be covering this story for the fledgling Bloomington indie CultureWeek -- so there may be more to come. (I also posted this material on my DailyKos Diary)

DCCC Ads Target Hostettler, Sodrel

2005-06-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

From US Newswire, 5/27:

Last night, the House rejected a motion by Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi that would have expanded health care for our National Guard and Reservists and their families. Today, Republicans in the House blocked consideration of an amendment by Congressman David Obey of Wisconsin that would have provided an additional $2.6 billion for veterans' health care, and voted against a separate amendment by Congressman Charlie Melancon of Louisiana that would have provided an additional $53 million for veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The amendment offered by Rep. Gene Taylor, D-MS, would have allowed members of the Guard and Reserve to buy into TRICARE. They are currently covered only while mobilized for active duty.

In response, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched radio ads over the Memorial Day Weekend targeting 12 House Republicans who opposed the measure, including Indiana's own John Hostettler(8) and Mike Sodrel(9). You can hear the ads here.

In other 8th District News, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth has moved one step closer to becoming the next next Democrat to face off against John Hostettler. From the Evansville Courier & Press:

Ellsworth said he will make an official announcement of his candidacy "in the months ahead," but his decision to license a campaign organization with the Federal Election Commission is the first step toward a campaign.

[...]

"He's bright, well-educated, local and he's extremely popular in Vanderburgh County, which is an essential element for us to win this race," [8th District Democratic Chair Anthony] Long said of Ellsworth. Ellsworth declined Tuesday to make any comments about Hostettler or his record in Congress or discuss his own issue views, but he described himself as "independent-minded."

Oh yeah, did I mention that Ellsworth was unopposed in his 2002 reelection campaign?

Jennings will not seek 8th District Seat in 2006

2005-05-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

Jon Jennings will not challenge John Hostettler for the 8th District seat in 2006. The new Democratic front-runner seems to be Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth. From today's Courier & Press:

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth, meanwhile, said he is continuing to give serious thought to challenging Hostettler. "I am really close to making a decision," he said.
[...]

Ellsworth, whose second and final term as sheriff ends next year, said he's been encouraged by several Democrats to run and is speaking to party officials throughout the 8th District.

I will do some follow-up on this as the summer unfolds. A popular sheriff could be a formidable opponent for Hostettler in the Bloody Eighth.

[Also posted at ourcongress.org]

Week in Review: The Bloody 8th

2004-10-23T16:43:00.000-05:00

While the Indianapolis Star endorsed a Republican in 8 of the 9 districts (Julia Carson doesn’t have serious opposition this year), the largest paper in the 8th District, the Evansville Courier & Press, issued an endorsement of Jennings.

The personable Jennings strikes us as someone with the skills and the ability necessary to work with others, both in Washington and in the district. His most high-profile position has been as a professional basketball scout (unless you count his being manager of the Indiana University basketball team under Bobby Knight). But it is noteworthy that he worked in the Clinton White House with a fellowship awarded while he was attending Harvard University. And after the fellowship ended, he worked at the Justice Department as a liaison to Congress. From that experience in Washington, he probably knows more now about how the nation's capital works than Hostettler did when he first went to Washington 10 years ago.

We don't agree with every position taken by Jennings, but we do recognize in him an individual with the ability to work with others and the intelligence to confront complex issues.

This endorsement should not come as a surprise, given the history between the paper and Hostettler.

Jennings also picked up a key endorsement from the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police, as I reported earlier. He earns the distinction of being the only challenger to receive an endorsement from the Indiana State FOP.

Tuesday, October 19, Jennings held a press conference in Terre Haute - a traditionally Democratic city that could decide this election. He hammered Hosttetler on student aid funding in the wake of numerous articles reporting tuition hikes throughout the state.

Despite using Pell grants and federal financial aid to attend college himself, John Hostettler has spent ten years in Congress consistently voting against funding financial aid programs that help thousands of young Hoosiers attend college or technical school.

Because the 8th District includes Indiana State University, University of Evansville, and the ever-growing University of Southern Indiana, this is a major issue. You can view the Jennings press release here, though I haven't seen it picked up anywhere.

WFIE, the Evansville NBC affiliate, has been running a series called “Hometown Memories,” which focuses on the background of each candidate. The opening of their soft piece on Jennings’ background sets the tone:

He worked in the White House under President Clinton, befriended the son of Nelson Mandela, and sat on the bench along side basketball legend Larry Bird. Now Jon Jennings wants to add Congress to his resume.

WFIE is also sponsoring a series featuring a local family dining with the Congressional candidates. Both Jennings and Libertarian Mark Garvin have partcipated, while Hostettler has refused to do so. The Jennings piece was quite flattering. You can read the article or watch the report here.

(Note: One of several drawbacks to WFIE’s website is that their stories don’t include air dates. I have contacted their political reporter to try to get the dates, and will update if possible.)

Jennings also spoke to a town hall meeting in Linton, Indiana on Tuesday, October 19. From the Daily Citizen:

"We've got to focus on the core issues that matter to our lives," Jennings said. "My campaign has been about promoting a positive agenda.

"I came here tonight to ask you for your vote. I came here to let you know who Jon Jennings really is, not what you see on negative television ads."

[As usual, I also posted this to ourcongress.org; you can see this and my other entries on my page there]

IN-8 Debate Postponed

2004-10-12T04:46:00.000-05:00

A flurry of articles the last couple of days.

Most importantly, the debate scheduled between Hostettler and Jennings for Monday morning was postponed due to Jennings' illness (flu-like symptoms). From the Evansville Courier & Press, 12 October:

Both campaigns are working with "A.M. Magazine" host Warren Korff to reschedule the debate. They hope to announce the new date today. The format for the rescheduled debate will be the same. There will be no commercials during the broadcast and listeners will be able to call in with questions. Hostettler, Jennings and Libertarian candidate Mark Garvin participated in a tape-delayed televised debate last month on WAZE-WB19. But efforts by other television stations to organize a second televised debate between the congressional candidates haven't materialized.

The Courier & Press also ran an AP article about the national attention given to multiple Indiana races, including the Bloody 8th and Blue Dog Baron Hill's surprisingly close race in the 9th District.

Finally, some good news. Saturday, Jennings appeared with fellow Hoosier Democrats - including Gov. Joe Kernan and Sen. Evan Bayh - for a series of speeches attended by "several hundred people", according to the Courier & Press:

"I've met men who have worked 30 to 40 years (in coal mines)," Jennings said. "They got up every day to go to work, they paid their taxes - they did everything they were supposed to do, only to find out in a letter that they were no longer going to have health care or prescription drugs.

"My friends, I'm going to say it like it is: That's the most un-American thing that's going on in this country today."

Cries of "That's right!" and "Those are OUR benefits!" echoed agreement with Jennings' statements, and later with those of Kernan.

Not many other news outlets in the state picked up on this rally. Please post other news stories/polls on this race!

[also posted to ourcongress.org; link updated 13 October]

Just Another Flop

2004-10-09T19:02:00.000-05:00

From the Associated Press, courtesy the Evansville Courier & Press, October 8:

Yet Bush and Cheney acknowledged more definitively than before that Saddam did not have the banned weapons that both men had asserted he did - and had cited as the major justification before attacking Iraq in March 2003.

Bush recently has left the question open. For example, when asked in June whether he thought such weapons had existed in Iraq, Bush said he would "wait until Charlie (Duelfer) gets back with the final report."

In July, Bush said, "We have not found stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction," a sentence construction that kept alive the possibility the weapons might yet be discovered.

On Thursday, the president used the clearest language to date nailing the question shut:

"Iraq did not have the weapons that our intelligence believed were there," Bush said. His words placed the blame on U.S. intelligence agencies.

But that's okay, because we went to war over corruption in the Oil-For-Food program. What about going to war over corruption in Halliburton? Carlyle? Adeplhia? Enron? I'd even settle for a slap on the wrise, sans the Shock-N-Awe.

[Edit] Need proof this is going on? Check out this article in The Nation. Not exactly the first place to look for investigative journalism these days, but where is? [Added 13 October]

RNCC Attacks Jennings

2004-10-09T18:58:00.000-05:00

New TV Commercial Attacks Jennings as "Not a Real Hoosier."

From the Evansville Courier & Press, October 9:

The commercial, produced and paid for by the National Republican Congressional Committee, repeats many of the claims leveled against Jennings since he declared his candidacy. That is, that the Indiana native lost his right to call himself a Hoosier after he left the state and spent a decade working and living in Boston. For much of that time, Jennings worked as an assistant coach and scout for the Boston Celtics. His relatively recent return to Indiana has been a focal point of Hostettler campaign ads. Hostettler supporters point out that Jennings didn't move back to Indiana until early 2003. The National Republican Congressional Campaign commercial opens with a cartoon image of a basketball-dribbling leprechaun, with Jennings' face pasted on top of the leprechaun's body. "The first Hoosier value is honesty," a voice in the commercial says. "Apparently it's not one he learned in Boston."

The article gives plenty of response to the Jennings campaign and 8th Distric Democratic Party chairman Anthony Long.

Most interesting, though, are the comments by Brian Vargas of the Indiana University Public Opinion Laboratory. Among his comments:

"You don't have the national party coming in and spending money on commercials for a congressional candidate unless they're concerned," said Vargas. "(Hostettler's) lead must be getting soft."

The article mentions the 30-point lead the Hostettler campaign claimed back in July (in their own survey), but cites Vargas as saying those numbers are "no longer accurate". Does this mean new polling data are coming soon?

Regardless, let's get this thing going. Drop a letter to your friendly 8th District newspaper here, and let them know that it's John Hostettler who doesn't represent Indiana values.

[Also posted to ourcongress.org; link updated 12 October 04]

Tricky Dick

2004-10-07T13:08:00.000-05:00

An actual quote from the honorable Richard Cheney, Vice President of these United States, 7 October 2004:

"The headlines all say no weapons of mass destruction stockpiled in Baghdad. We already knew that," Cheney said.

Some of you, especially you stoned slackers out there, may remember this part of the honorable President Bush's State of the Union speech in 2003:

The United Nations concluded in 1999 that Saddam Hussein had biological weapons sufficient to produce over 25,000 liters of anthrax -- enough doses to kill several million people. He hasn't accounted for that material. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed it.

The United Nations concluded that Saddam Hussein had materials sufficient to produce more than 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin -- enough to subject millions of people to death by respiratory failure. He hadn't accounted for that material. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed it.

Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent. In such quantities, these chemical agents could also kill untold thousands. He's not accounted for these materials. He has given no evidence that he has destroyed them.

U.S. intelligence indicates that Saddam Hussein had upwards of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents. Inspectors recently turned up 16 of them -- despite Iraq's recent declaration denying their existence. Saddam Hussein has not accounted for the remaining 29,984 of these prohibited munitions. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed them.

Some people may vaguely recall the honorable Colin Powell's presentation before the United Nations in February 2003:

Our conservative estimate is that Iraq today has a stockpile of between 100 and 500 tons of chemical weapons agent. That is enough agent to fill 16,000 battlefield rockets. Even the low end of 100 tons of agent would enable Saddam Hussein to cause mass casualties across more than 100 square miles of territory, an area nearly five times the size of Manhattan

My personal favorite, though, is the honorable VP himself, in an August 2002 speech to the VFW:

Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.

So are they all, all honorable men.

[Also posted to my diary at DailyKos]

Poll Shows Kernan Momentum

2004-10-05T15:58:00.000-05:00

From today's Indianapolis Star:

Kernan, Daniels' race tightens
GOP candidate's lead shrinks

...Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, Iowa, conducted the poll of 957 Hoosier voters from last Wednesday to Sunday night. Pollster J. Ann Selzer said the race remained hard to predict but that Kernan appeared to be gaining momentum.

Throw Joe a coupla bucks here, and keep the Governor's Mansion inhabited by Democrats.

Hostettler Attack Ads Draw Criticism

2004-10-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

From the Evansville Courier & Press, October 1:

A new campaign commercial that accuses 8th District Congressional candidate Jon Jennings of fabricating information about his past has drawn countercharges that the ad is false and misleading. In a radio ad that began airing Tuesday, Rep. John Hostettler's campaign staff accuses Jennings of lying to voters about his residency, his education, his employment and his former political experience.

The ad cites newspapers and television reports as sources for the information, but at least one of those sources has contacted Hostettler campaign staff to inform them that the information cited in the ad is incorrect.

The article goes on to evaluate the individual charges it makes against Jennings. Most of the claims are "true", because the commercial only cites sources. However, the sources use incorrect information, most of which has already been challenged or corrected.

Write a letter to an 8th district paper - the Jennings website has a list of papers and contacts - and encourage all the papers in the area to run critiques of the misleading "facts" in the ad. Frankly, the Courier & Press piece does a pretty good job, so citing the article might not be a bad thing.

Media reports on this campaign have been few and far between. Anyone who can follow up on this or find some polling data, please post it!

[also posted to ourcongress.org; link updated 5 October 04]

Mitch Daniels - on the record

2004-09-30T15:20:00.000-05:00

"If this is a good record, what would a bad one look like?" gubernatorial candidate Mitch Daniels asked during his debate with Governor Joe Kernan.

Funny he should ask.

While Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, My Man Mitch designed budgets that took us from a projected 10-year surplus of $5.6 trillion to a projected 10-year deficit of $4.4 trillion. As journalist David Sirota pointed out, that $10 trillion deterioration amounts to $12 million a day, 7 days a week over My Man Mitch’s 29-month tenure.

After spending most of his three years cutting federal grant programs to states, My Man Mitch faults the incumbent state leadership for being last in federal grants, as reported in the Indianapolis Star on August 24. And despite not finding room in his budgets for promised increases for cops, firefighters, and homeland security, My Man Mitch did see fit to push for a budget increase for his own office.

My Man Mitch promised the federal budget deficit in 2003 would be only $80 billion, but the price tag passed along to future generations was for $374 billion – a difference of $294 billion.

I agree with My Man Mitch. Let’s have a vote on the record.

Brian Williams on CSPAN

2004-09-22T13:37:00.000-05:00

...Never have I ever felt commercial pressure; they know we’d howl from the mountaintops at our company if anyone ever interceded. I’ve never seen a story spiked because they’re a big advertiser.
--Brian Williams, 10 September 2004

Did NBC's Brian Williams actually say this? Yes - at the national convention of the Society of Professional Journalists. I've transcribed the relevant portion of the panel below. The transcript is my own, so any errors are entirely my fault.

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Society of Professional Journalists
2004 National Convention
New York City
10 September 2004

Video available at:
http://www.c-span.org
Click on “American Perspectives”

Raising the Torch (SPJ Program Title)
The Past, Present, and Future of Television News (CSPAN Program Title)

Betsy Ashton, moderator
Walter Cronkite, CBS News
Brian Williams, NBC News

(At about 1:03:36)

Question:
I’m Ryan Sullivan, I’m from Wheeling, West Virginia, I’m a student at Bethany College. My question is, in countries like England, where there’s a television tax, and they’re not so much worried about advertising – I mean, obviously that’s a reason for how these things work together, everyone’s talking about that – my question is, do you think eventually not just the big three networks, but all television news would eventually listen to the nation if they no longer wanted non-entertainment news, because that’s what I’m afraid might happen. So my question is, because what the viewers are watching is what the advertisers are more worried about putting on.”

Betsy Ashton, moderator
Who’s your question for?

(Crosstalk)

Walter Cronkite:
That’s not a new problem. Ever since the first newspaper was published with advertising, this has been a question, of course, of the balance between the income source - the principal source of income - and editorial judgment. And that depends entirely on the individual operation; a good newspaper, a good broadcasting operation, clearly permits the news department to make the decisions that need to be made as we defend the principles as exemplified by everything we do here in – if you don’t mind my showing how old I am – our fraternity of Sigma Delta Chi.

(Laughter)

That’s what we’re about, is perpetuating and trying to ensure that we as journalists live up to the principles of good journalism. And it is necessary, if we’re going to do that, that we have strength within the editorial department, to be sure that despite any pressure from the publisher, or the owner of the broadcasting operation, we can hold our own in demanding, if you please, demanding that the news department is permitted to do its job according to our principles. And I maintain that this is what a real journalist will do, male or female, 18 years old or 85 years old, living up to the principles of good journalism that we’ve learned. If we stick together, we can enforce, in most newsrooms, we can enforce our principles by simply staying together, standing together. Not one person being fired, but the entire newsroom walking out, if you please. It takes courage, it takes a lot of courage; it takes a lot of guts to do that when you’re talking about your income. When you’re talking about an industry where the number of available jobs is not that great, it takes a lot of guts. But that’s what we news people are about, for heaven’s sakes, is the guts we’ve got to do our jobs.

(Applause)

Brian Williams
I’d like a piece of that answer, too. I couldn’t agree more, you’ve got to walk into work every day willing to walk out. There are companies I won’t enumerate today that I wouldn’t work for if they were the last employers left in what is alleged to be our business. I would do something else for a living – while I can’t imagine that prospect, but…

Walter Cronkite
We can be mining engineers!

Brian Williams
That’s right. (Laughter)

I tell journalism students two things: it matters who you work for – don’t take that first job if it means compromising your core and your ethics, and they do matter; and number two, I tell them, because I’ve seen the contrary, if you felt your pulse accelerate when you walked into your first newsroom, then welcome. If you can’t imagine doing anything else for a living, that’s who we want in this business. Two other points: never have I ever felt commercial pressure; they know we’d howl from the mountaintops at our company if anyone ever interceded. I’ve never seen a story spiked because they’re a big advertiser. And finally, there’s no commercial pressure in this vast universe we keep talking about, I think not enough is said about a guy who never makes the list of great journalists in America, but should, Brian Lamb. What C-SPAN has done is nothing short of revolutionary in the information business. One of the great tragedies is he’s not going to do Booknotes any more, which is a living guide to young journalists in how to conduct an interview. He is in every respect, I believe, a journalist, because he is a pure gatherer of fact. And I just hope he gets his due when we sit back and count up the great visionary achievements in the – especially in the – over-the-air visual media of the past several years.

[Emphasis added]

Betsy Ashton, moderator
One note: C-SPAN is taping this program today, and I am told the tape is being shipped back; they will receive it on Monday. It is for a program called American Perspectives…

Brian Williams
Then I’m very happy I said that.

(Laughter)

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