Mayor Tom Henry is batting .500 this week. His hit: Originating the bid proposal that landed the 2012 Democratic State Convention for downtown Fort Wayne, marking the first time for the convention to be held outside Indianapolis:
It is expected to bring in 2,000-2,500 conventioneers and their families and friends. At the convention, the Democratic Party will elect its national delegates for the 2012 general election.
What would poor, simple Hoosiers do without wise editorial writers to advise them on winter driving?
It may seem obvious that motorists adjust normal driving habits during these periods of potential peril, but too many drivers still fail to take unforgiving conditions into consideration as they travel on roadways. In doing so, they needlessly put themselves and others at serious risk.
Chad Modesitt of Greenwood has a serious texting issue. Indianapolis police officer William Bueckers gave chase when he observed Modesitt's car speeding at double the limit:
As Bueckers approached Modesitt's car with his gun drawn, Modesitt began arguing with the officer, explaining that he was interrupting a cell phone discussion with his girlfriend, according to a police report.
They're still trying to fool all the people all the time:
The spending barons on Capitol Hill, long used to muscling past opponents of bills larded with pet projects, are seeking one last victory before tea party-backed GOP insurgents storm Congress intent on ending the good old days of pork-barrel politics.
You might call it the last running of the old bulls in Congress.
Courts have already stretched the Commerce Clause beyond all reason. In a 1942 case, the Supreme Court ruled that growing wheat for personal consumption affected interstate commerce because, you see, withholding it from the market created a ripple effect. In a more recent case, it said growing maijuana on personal property for personal use could be regulated under the clause even if it was never sold or moved across state lines.
Is there a Mike Pence-Mitch Daniels slugfest in the future?
Rep. Mike Pence (R., Indiana), who appears to be considering a 2012 presidential run, made it clear in a recent interview that he won't be calling for a “truce” on social issues, like fellow Hoosier (and possible 2012 contender) Gov. Mitch Daniels has advocated.
It figures. Evan Bayh, who wears the moderation tag like a shiny lapel flag pin, is a part of the No Labels movement:
Elected officials and activists from around the country gathered Monday to bemoan the excesses of political partisanship and seek ways to restore civility and practical solutions to government.
I always worry about people who cry too easily over the smallest thing. What will they have left when something really awful happens?
John Boehner, the incoming Speaker of the House, the most powerful Republican in Washington, and a man who in a matter of days will be second in line for the presidency, has twice had an opportunity to introduce himself to the American people.
And on both occasions, he cried
Local advocates for high-speed rail want state legislators and other state officials to press ahead with the resurrection of passenger rail service here.
[. . .]
The rail group emphasizes it's not asking for new money to be raised; it wants 2 percent of the state's transportation budget to be spent on rail planning.
Emma Downs has a fascinating feature in the Sunday Journal Gazette profiling IPFW theater chair John O'Connell. He is a self-described "loud, flamboyant gay," and he thrived in Manhattan with its energy and tempo and the opportunities it provided. He liked finding bohemian ethnic restaurants and taking terrified relatives on city tours on the back of his motorcycle. And yet:
Evan Bayh just broke a lot of Democratic hearts:
Hand over that sippy cup, you thieving scoundrel!
The owner of a northern Indiana movie theater says an attendant who confiscated a toddler's sippy cup was protecting the theater's profits.
If you have lots of poor people in search of cheap food and lots of unemployed people who'd like to work, what's the solution? Ban fast-food restaurants, naturally:
EXPOSITION PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- New stand-alone fast food restaurants have been banned from setting up shop in South Los Angeles, due to rising health concerns by the city council.
The governor is apparently retreating from his "legislators can't walk and chew gum at the same time" argument:
Gov. Mitch Daniels has backed down on his request for a moratorium on social issues in the upcoming legislative session.
He told 6News' Norman Cox on Thursday that social conservatives in the Legislature can go ahead with bills important to them, as long as they don't sidetrack important measures like the budget and reforming schools and local government.
President Obama challenged the "Mythbusters" people to examine the ancient legend of Archimedes' solar death ray -- the supposed use of giant mirrors to reflect sunlight toward attacking Roman ships around 212 BC, setting them aflame:
We already know who Julian Asaange considers enemies, so it's no big surprise who considers him a friend:
George Will on why conservatives like Mike Pence:
If Sen. Tom Wyss decides to submit a texting-while-driving ban in the upcoming General Assembly session, maybe he should throw this in there, too:
Indianapolis police say they arrested a drunken man who was watching a pornographic video while driving his car.
Police tell The Indianapolis Star that an officer saw a car "drifting left of center" about 12:20 a.m. Wednesday and pulled it over.
When he said he was planning to push for major education reform, Gov. Daniels wasn't fooling around -- college scholarships for students who graduate a year early, teacher pay linked to student performance, and the really big one, using state money to help students attend private schools:
In the preposterous analogy of the day, Aaron Sorkin notes Sarah Palin's killing of a caribou on her TLC travelouge and goes ballistic. Sorkin admits to enjoying meat but thinks it unseemly that Palin seems to enjoy the hunt:
