I don't want to turn into the all-Mitch-all-the-time guy, but it certainly seems like he's almost in the presidential race. In an interview with POLITICO:
Daniels suggested three things could keep him from plunging in: his wife's concerns, the calculation that his party or the country aren't ready for his tough-love message or the emergence of another capable candidate.
[. . .]
My city councilman is quiting:
Tim Pape, a Democrat who has represented City Council's 5th District since January 2000, will not seek re-election this year.
In a statement released today, Pape alluded to the “great personal involvement” public service demands
Yeah, well, sure:
Mayoral candidate Paula Hughes continued her criticism of city budgeting by saying she'd cut the pay of the job she hopes to win in November.
Hughes, one of the Republicans competing for the chance to run for mayor this year, said the mayor of Fort Wayne shouldn't be paid more than the governor of Indiana. Democratic Mayor Tom Henry's salary is $124,665; Gov. Mitch Daniels earns $95,000.
Under the current child care system, churches don't have to meet all the health and safety requirements that home day cares, licensed centers and other facilities do. A proposal before the General Assembly would change that, and some people are upset with what they regard as a violation of the separation of church and state:
Eric Miller with Advance America said Wednesday the legislation could affect day camps, Christian schools, vacation bible schools and Sunday schools.
Stat Rep. Cindy Noe, R-Indianapolis, is pushing a bill that would require couples planning to marry to take "premarital classes" on such things as communication, conflict resolution and parenting or else pay four times the standard fee for marriage license and certificate. This is either, A) Government going where it shouldn't be going or, B) a symbolic gesture that will have no real effect (I tend to lean toward the latter).
Reaction to Joe Biden's "Hey, let's spend $53 billion on high-speed rail" contribution to the latest "boondoggle in the name of Progress":
Richard Lugar to Tea Party: I dare you to challenge me.
As the Washington Post notes, Lugar, who has amassed a $2.5 million war chest, is “effectively daring someone to beat him under the belief that the same coalition that has re-elected him time and time again will do so again in 2012.”
The city's difficulties with a certain mayor's name have gone national. Here's the Associated Press version of the story on the MSNBC site:
A former Indiana mayor who won four terms in the 1930s and 1950s is proving less popular with modern-day city leaders, who say they probably won't name a new government center for him because of the jokes his moniker could inspire.
Juxtaposition of the day. First, a report from Indianapolis:
More than 1,000 teachers, waving signs with slogans such as "Save Public Schools" and wearing "Respect Educators" stickers, packed the marble hallways of the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday.
This is pretty amazing
All counties could centralize their voting operations into fewer locations to save money and reduce the number of volunteers needed on Election Day under a bill the House passed and sent to Gov. Mitch Daniels on Monday.
