Costas on the Road - Whitley, Allen Counties

From Talk of the Town in Whitley County -

Valparaiso mayor and Republican attorney general candidate Jon Costas visited
Whitley County yesterday morning, talking with local residents at the CC Deli in
Columbia City. Costas is one of what is expected to be several candidates
vying for the attorney general’s position. Republican delegates will be
selecting a candidate during this summer’s Republican State Convention.
The visit to Whitley County to meet constituents was coordinated by the Whitley
County Republican Party.

From John Costas to address CBC April 27th which was actually Monday in Allen County Fort Wayne.

Indiana Operation Chaos - Hold NW Indiana

If you are really committed to Operation Chaos - and forcing the Democrats to go to the convention to choose their nominee - then the following post is worth a full read.

Delegate Math, Vol 1-Guam & Indiana Edition

It's long and the first part deals with Guam, which of course we don't care much about. But the delegate math portion about Indiana is telling and well worth the read. This is a strongly liberal democrat blog, so they won't appreciate any of us using the data to help work against their choice of Obama.

The author takes his time to review the delegate math for each congressional district, and we here in NW Indiana care most about Disctrict One. See map above.

This is the district most targetted by Obama for a delegate pick-up. Most of the rest of the state looks to be an even split. So there is a definite chance that Hillary would win the popular vote by 30-40,000 votes and lose a few delegates mainly due to our district here.

So the goal would be to hold Barack under 58% in NW Indiana, Hillary needs to hold it close so she can possibly pick up 8 delegates and a popular vote win and push this thing on to Denver.

Porter County Dems - State House Seat

There is a rematch in the Democrat primary, for those of you crossing the line in Operation Chaos this may appeal to you too, for state rep. district 10. Please don't just vote Hillary and then walk back out, there are other races that you could affect.

From the Times:

Candidates in the Democratic primary for the 10th District House seat held
by Greg Simms are touting their experience, accessibility and ability to
cooperate to get the attention of voters. Simms, Robert Poparad and Chuck
Moseley are vying for the nomination in a repeat of the matchup in the October
2007 Democratic caucus in which political newcomer Simms was picked to fill the
seat left vacant by the death of Jack Clem. Clem had replaced longtime Rep.
Duane Cheney, of Portage, who stepped down last summer to move to Southern
Indiana.In his short tenure in the state Legislature, Simms successfully passed
legislation that will establish a summer study committee to look at adult
education funding across the state.The key, he said, to being successful was
being able to cross party lines."The adult education study committee, that was
tremendous. I got Republicans and Democrats to think on the issue of how can we
help the people of Indiana," said Simms.

Simms, who served on the Labor Committee, said he believes he is the most
well-rounded candidate."I know what it is like to work hard. I know what it is
like to work hard for kids," said Simms. The more you can understand what the
problems are, the better you can help."Simms also points to the property tax
debate as an issue that will continue in the Legislature. There are concerns
with the effects on education and fire and police departments that must be
addressed, he said, as well as economic development issues to bring more jobs
into the state.

Moseley believes his communication skills will benefit the district if he's
elected."I have the ability to work with everybody, particularly the Northwest
Indiana delegation," he said, adding he has always felt the region has not been
paid enough attention to by the rest of the state and he wants to "stand up and
do something about it."Property taxes lead Moseley's concerns, especially, he
said, the idea that the legislation passed in the last session is considered a
"work in progress." He believes those who approved the bill still don't know its
full ramifications, particularly for public safety."I want to assure that the
plan passed hastily in the last session be fair to everyone in Indiana,
especially in the 10th District," he said.On health care, Moseley criticized the
Healthy Indiana Plan as not going far enough, due to its cap on the number who
are eligible and its out-of-pocket expenses."The state of Indiana should be
ashamed of themselves for the state of health care. We're in a health care
crisis," said Moseley.Moseley said he wants to make himself accessible to 10th
District residents to "hear their fears and hopes and carry that message back to
Indianapolis."

Poparad believes his experience in local government can give him the
advantage in the Statehouse. Spending three terms on the Burns Harbor Town
Council and in his second term on the Porter County Council, Poparad said he
knows how the state can affect local government and the people it represents."I
understand the local level, because I was there. I know when the state passes a
law, I had to figure out a way to pay for it," said Poparad.He is also very
critical of the recently passed property tax relief legislation. While he
supports the 1 percent tax cap, he called the legislation a "gimmick" that will
allow the state keep more of the residents' money while strangling local
government."The district needs people with experience. I've held office. I
understand at the local level because I was there. That has to count for
something. I'm not politically correct, I'm not polished, I'm just a regular
guy. I think I could bring some common sense and a voice from the district to
the state," Poparad added.

House District 10 consists of portions of Portage, Union, Westchester and
Center townships, including portions of Portage, South Haven, Burns Harbor,
Porter, Chesterton, Valparaiso and Salt Creek Commons.

Obviously we don't have many Democrat readers here at Porter County Politics, and most of our endorsements are Republican. But in this race we firmly endorse Bob Poporad for this house district. His ability to fight the status quo, his strong support of taxpayer rights, exhibit the most conservative positions that we've seen of the three in this race.

Simms' teacher experience and strong Valpo connections make him the logical choice for normal Democrats. But, we're also concerned that Porter County is more than just Valpo, and Chesterton and Portage need to start flexing their muscles a bit.

Boomlet in Portage for Republicans

From the Times:

Republican candidates gathered Thursday night for chance to discuss what they'd do if elected in November.It was the first time in a long time the Portage Township Republican Party held a candidates night, but with a changing political tide, it likely won't be the last, Chairman James Snyder said. In November, the party had 1,700 straight-ticket votes in the city historically dominated by Democratic Party voters."That's the most we've ever had," Snyder said. "I think we had a good year."

County Councilman Jim Burge, running for re-election to his at-large seat, said despite its history, Portage will play an important role in both the primary and general elections for both parties."Portage is the epicenter of what's going to happen in this election," Burge said. "It's going to be a street fight, block by block in Portage."Burge was one of more than a dozen candidates who spoke during the event at Portage High School.

(Porter County Council Candidates endorsed by this site. )

Taxes, fuel costs, immigration and jobs were the hot-button issues.County Councilman Bill Carmichael, who like Burge is again seeking an at-large seat, said legislation passed by the General Assembly leaves a lot in the air in terms of how government will operate in the future."There's going to be a lot of different ways we're going to have to change government," he said. "I hope Porter County is up to the task."

Bob Wichlinski, running for Porter County treasurer, said one way he sees government being reorganized is a possible merger of the treasurer's and auditor's positions. But incumbent Treasurer Dale Brewer said now might not be the right time to eliminate an office the party holds."We've got to bring back experience. If we don't, we're going to go more downhill than we are now," she said. "We need to go back to what works."

Best Choice for Porter County - Wichlinski our endorsement for County Treasurer. This bunk that we need to wait around to change government is just old politics all over again. We need new people, less people, and less government ... now.


The forum was part of an effort to help the Portage Township party solidify the ground it made in November, Snyder said, when he ran a close race with then-City Councilwoman Olga Velazquez for the mayor's office."We decided we're going to rebuild from the ground up," Snyder said.Part of that rebuilding means getting people to see beyond party affiliation and looking at the issues, Andy Vasquez said. Vasquez, a former Democrat running for county commissioner, said hitting the streets and explaining positions is key in helping the party grow."I think it's our responsibility to get out and talk to them," he said.

Jon Costas creates Attorney General campaign team

Costas creates campaign committee
April 25, 2008

Post-Tribune staff reportValparaiso Mayor Jon Costas has taken another step toward entering the race for state attorney general, filing papers to create a campaign committee, which allows him to accept donations and spend money in the service of his candidacy.
Costas has not announced his candidacy to replace Steve Carter, who is stepping down rather than seek re-election.

The mayor said he has been laying the groundwork by meeting with county Republican organizations, whose members will select a general election candidate at the state convention in early June.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Greg Zoeller has also said he will seek the nomination.

Possibilities - Congress chooses the President

While thinking through the deeper issues of our local elections, like how to install signs in a community with a sign ordinance that's been struck down by the supreme court for violating free speech, a few friends and I wandered into the following remote possibility.

First a bit of a civics class review:

• Who actually elects the President?


• How many votes does the President need to garner from this group to win outright?


• What happens if no candidate reaches this level?

Now for the possibilities part, follow the bouncing ball of logic:

• After the 10 point win by Hillary Clinton, it becomes increasingly possible that she will be able to force the Democratic committee to solve the Michigan and Florida delegates problem. The best guess would be a re-vote in both states sometime in July, with the cost split between the two candidates and the states.


• This could put just enough candidates in the Clinton camp to guarantee a brokered convention, and super delegates split right down the middle. Possible multiple ballots and deals with Vice President candidates to gain delegates resulting eventually in a major media event. Clinton could indeed walk out of the convention with $20 million in debt and the nomination.


• But, what would become of Barack Obama? He would probably have $50 million in cash by this time, a "stolen" election philosophy, and an army of followers. This is the point of turning ... It is not inconceivable to ponder a possible Obama third party run ... 90 days of the craziest election ever! It would be interesting to find out which parties have access to the ballot in all 50 states, would any of them wait until after the Democrat convention to choose their nominee? Just in case.

Ok, so at this point you're thinking my politico pals and I had too much time on our hands this week right? But if for no other reason beside the civics lesson, follow a little longer.

• If Barack Obama ran as a third party candidate - the metropolitan and youth candidate


• And Hillary Clinton as Democrat - the rural and union candidate


• And John McCain as Republican - the suburban and military candidate

Who wins? Can any of the three gain enough votes in November to win outright? If not, then what?

I'll post again later today my thoughts as I continued down this road.

Porter County Council Candidates

On the Republican side there are five candidates:

Jim Burge and Bill Carmichael are both incumbents
And Donna Larsen Levi of Westchester Township, George Mrak of Porter, and former Porter Town Council member Sandra Snyder.

A heavy slant toward Duneland from the candidates from the Republican side.

Three of these candidates will move on to November to face the three top vote getters on the Democrat side.

Porter County Politics is endorsing Jim Burge, Sandra Snyder and Bill Carmichael.
Although we would prefer to see even more change, since the county council really hasn't done a great job under Democrat leadership, we also believe that some experience may be needed to truly reform and rightsize government. We are supporting Jim Burge and Bill Carmichael for experience. We then choose former Porter Town Council member Sandra Snyder for fresh ideas and new energy.

The Chesterton Tribune asked each candidate a series of questions, only one of which is below:

What are your qualifications to serve on the Porter County Council?

Burge: “I have served the last four years as your Porter County Councilman--At Large. I served as Vice-President of the council in 2005 and 2006. I also served as the council liaison to the Porter County Planning Commission in 2006. Additionally, I have served as a council liaison to numerous county departments during the last four years.”

Carmichael: “I am an experienced Porer County Council member seeking re-election. I stand firm for good government and for fair play. I owned my own business for 40 years in Porter County until my retirement -- and our children and grandchildren live here. My roots are deep.”

Levi: “I have a bachelor degree in business with classes in accounting and an emphasis in human resource management. I am currently enrolled in graduate studies to further my education. I also have 23 years of small business experience dealing with customers in Porter County.”

Mrak: “I am an ordinary, taxpaying citizen who believes in representing taxpayers and their interests, rather than those of the established political hierarchy, special influence groups, and connected insiders. Because I owe no favors to anyone, I would be able to act in the taxpayers' best interests, as a true servant of the public.”

Snyder: “I have been a past member of the Porter Town Council and served on the Town Plan Commission for 4 years.”

Go to the full article on the Chesterton Tribune for answers to other questions.

Other endorsements in this season:
Best Choice for Porter County - Wichlinski
Jon Costas is the right choice for Attorney General
Possible VP Sarah Palin Book
John McCain our next President

Best Choice for Porter County - Wichlinski

It is no secret that Porter County Politics has endorsed wholeheartedly Bob Wichlinski for Porter County Treasurer. We have been very engaged as Bob challenged us with his series of essays last year on reorganizing county government (see list at bottom of this post). Robert Wichlinski's Bio

Campaign website and announcement letter: Bob Wichlinski for Porter County Indiana Treasurer

Now he asks that we vote for "our last Treasurer" ... meaning he intends to push the county to eliminate the job of Treasurer. An actual cost cut, and and actual right-sizing of government.

Essays (Click on title to access the essay)

Government Of, By and For the People - Essay #1

Retooling Tax Bills - Essay#2

Our Taxing Situation - Essay#3

A Plan for Local Government - Essay #4

Stepping Up to the Plate - Essay #5

School's Only Half of it - Essay#6
Roadmap to Reconstruction - Essay #7
Don't Blame the Zebras - Essay #8
Restoring Faith & Integrity - Essay #9
51-26-1 - Essay #10

Also: the campaign is hosting a Facebook page for supporters. Wichlinski Facebook Page

Indiana is on the Presidential map

There is no doubt, both Hillary and Barack referred to Indiana last nite, we are a big deal now.

Hillary notches a 10 point win, twice the whisper number on the street and the 4 point win that the fallible exit polls predicted. Now she lays claim to "best chance to win in November."

I just asked @chacha what the current total popular vote totals are. I know there's even disagreement there since the caucus states are so woefully underrepresented with low turnout at actual caucuses. I'll post as soon as they get me an answer.

Answer :The actual reported popular vote is Obama 14,397,506; Clinton 13,896,368. IA, NV, ME & WA haven't released their numbers yet. (made up 200,000 vote deficit last nite)
Visit Source Website

So, Hillary is behind by 500,000 votes going into the last 9 primaries? In rough math she's down by about 1.75% in popular vote with about 8% of the primaries still left to vote. Very doable that she'd end up with more popular vote, less delagates, and neither of them would have the requisite majority.

Dick Morris says this morning, "this does not matter" .... he thinks Pennsylvania's rules allowing only registered Dems is an aberration. I don't think I agree, he's letting his hatred of Hillary show through. She's Back!

Steelworkers urged to vote for ...

... a Presidential candidate based on the responses to a survey sent to them.

"The International President of the United Steelworkers (USW) is urging members to make their choice for president based on the responses provided by Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to a letter on crucial trade issues sent to them." From Chesterton Tribune

Here is Hillary Clinton's Letter of Response

Let's get this straight, I want John McCain to be President. But I also want this Democratic primary to go all the way to the convention, I want them to keep wasting $20 million a month on marketing and advertising. But she is good ... pandering to unions is right up her experience aisle.

Live blogging the Penn results

Hillary wins by at least 10%!!!
Senator Bob Casey gets his reputation handed to him.
Barack Obama sneaks out of Pennsylvania and speaks in Evansville tonite. He says it straight. He needs Indiana bad! Without Indiana he probably has to go to a brokered convention. IMHO


Live Blogged for the first couple hours:
7:37 p.m. with less than 1 percent reported Hillary leads 67-33 ... now wouldn't that be amazing?

7:44 can anyone say Operation Chaos? Still very low return returns, but Hillary holding with less than 1% at 65-35

7:46 Fox announces Hillary as winner. So, what's the margin, that's the real question

7:47 1% in and Hillary leads 60-40

Exit poll demographics are strongly Hillary for seniors and unions. Unions make up 1/3 of the voters.

7:51 3% in and Hillary leads 55-45, uh oh looks like thing are tightening fast

Lead is down to 6% with 14% in

18% in and it's holding at 6 points to Hillary's favor. Will this firm up? Is 6% a solid enough win to gain her more super delegates? What happens in Indiana?

Ran across this while waiting for more returns:

The Weakest Link
from The Foundry by Conn Carroll
Earlier this month the New York Times reported: “It is not easy to draw a straight line from the slumping economy to the war in Iraq and a trade deal with Colombia, but Democrats are trying to connect those dots.” The Democrats star witness in linking the economy to Iraq is economist Joseph Stiglitz, who has a new book out titled “The Three Trillion Dollar War” (never mind that Stiglitz has already upped his claim to $5 trillion). While liberals have poll numbers that show some voters are buying his claims, Stieglitz’s economist colleagues are not.

So the democrats think they can win by calling small town residents bitter gun toating church goers, and then lie to them and tell them that Columbian outsourcing, Al Queda, and sub-prime mortgages were all the Republicans fault. I for one don't think there are that many stupid people in the US.

22% in and she's holding at 6%. I saw a minute ago on friend feed that exit polls projected it at 4% but we all know that for some reason people say they voted for Barack and some really dont. Can't quite figure that one out.

33% in and it swells to 8 points. Not bad Hillary

Approaching 50% and 8 points solid, will post final numbers in a while. Now for the analyzing

Costas V. Zoeller in Attorney General Race

This was news last week, but I didn't get a chance to post:

Hupfer Drops Out, Will Back Costas so H/T to Hoosier Access. They also recorded two conference calls, one with each remaining candidate.

It looks like Northern Indiana goes to Costas and Southern Indiana to Zoeller so far.

Where exactly will the Governor and Central Indiana fall? Do we dare have a fun convention, with a contested nomination?

Possible VP Palin delivers baby

Trig Paxson Van Palin
Born 6:30 AM, April 18th, 2008
6 pounds, 2 ounces
Trig was not slated to arrive until May 18th, which makes him exactly one month early. Gov. Palin actually went into labor while in Texas for yesterdays Governors Forum, but flew back to Alaksa to give birth at the Mat-Su Valley Regional Medical Center. The Palin family issued the following statement:

"Trig is beautiful and already adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives.

"We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed"

From VP Watch: Palin is considered by many to be a rising star in the conservative movement. When asked by Chris Cillizza if she would be interested in the VP job two months ago, she was more forthcoming than most potential VPs: "That's a good way to put it. Is it generally something that I would want to consider, and yes, I would. Somehow, being able to be in a position to help our nation--how absolutely amazing an opportunity would that be."

Jon Costas is the right choice for Attorney General

April 17, 2008

Porter County Politics has announced its endorsement of Jon Costas for Attorney General of the State of Indiana.

Jon Costas, current mayor of Valparaiso and Northwest Indiana regional leader announced his intention to run for attorney general on April 8, 2008 to his staff. He has led effectively here in Porter County and is widely seen as a very strong proponent of Northwest Indiana downstate.

He is a member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, elder law attorney, small business owner, and father of four. He was elected mayor as a Republican in 2003 after a high-profile campaign that defeated 20-year incumbent Democrat
David A. Butterfield. Costas set a goal of making Valparaiso “one of the most progressive and vibrant cities in the entire midwest.” In his first term as mayor, Costas' accomplishments include obtaining $20M of state and federal grants for infrastructure improvements, passing a restaurant smoking ban, the redevelopment of County Seat Plaza and the city's "Eastgate" area, creation of a public transportation system, and expansion of the city by 25% through annexation[1].

Costas is lead singer for the band The ConservaDellics and is known for singing[2] and playing guitar, which he did at a city meeting and atop a giant cow[3]. He is an Ironman Triathlete. (Source: Wikipedia on Jon Costas)

Jon's vision and energy have been a beacon for all of us and we look forward to that same level of performance downstate.

For those wanting to get more involved there is already a Facebook page for Jon Costas for Attorney General. Join the team and join with us in endorsing Jon Costas for Atorney General of Indiana.

Pro-choice VP not probable

McCain Rules Out Pro-Choice VP
from VP Watch by Nachama Soloveichik

Note: This isn't official McCain position, but an interview that may show where he's leaning

According to Jonathan Martin at Politico, McCain told Chris Matthews that it "would be difficult" to have a pro-choice running mate. This would rule out Florida Governor Charlie Crist, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, Senator Joe Lieberman, and Secretary of State Condi Rice (who describes herself as "mildly pro-choice").

UPDATE: The Brody File has the video clip and the transcript is below.

Chris Matthews: Would you put a person on the ticket with you like the former governor of this state who is very popular Tom Ridge even though he may disagree with you on the issue of Roe v. Wade and abortion rights? Would you put somebody on the ticket like that on that one issue. Would that stop him?

John McCain: I don't know if it would stop him but it would be difficult.

Chris Matthews: But why that one issue? Why is there that one litmus test?

John McCain: I'm not saying that would be necessarily, but I am saying it's basically the respect and cherishing of the right of the unborn is one of the fundamental principles of my party and it's a deeply held belief of mine.

Polls shows McCain wins election

Contrary to major media reports, McCain is winning in the general election polls

clipped from americasbestchoice.blogspot.com H/T ARRA News Service - Rasmussen Reports, Presidential Tracking Poll (4/13/07): Sen. John McCain leads both Democratic presidential contenders in the latest daily tracking poll compiled by Rasmussen Reports. McCain, R-AZ., the presumptive Republican nominee, outpolls both Sen. Barack Obama, D-IL, by 50% to 42%, and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, by 49% to 41%. McCain now leads both Democrats among unaffiliated voters. . . . Rasmussen Reports is surveying voters this weekend for reaction to Obama’s remarks. Preliminary indications from interviews with 400 Likely Voters suggest that the comments are troublesome for Republicans and unaffiliated voters. However, there is less of an impact among Democrats. That tends to confirm the growing consensus that the comments may have more impact on the General Election than the Primaries.

Watch Out Lake County - Dems coming with taxes

Hat tip to Director of Finance for Lake County Auditor drops income tax bomb
from Blue County in a Red State by buzzcut

But [Director of finance for the Lake County auditor, Mike] Wieser warned
shortfalls caused by the property tax caps will be made up another way. "I can
almost guarantee there will be a (county) income tax, and it's not going to be 1
percent," he said. "It's going to have to be more like 2 to 2 1/2 percent to
fill the gaps."

John McCain on American Idol

Strong Reformers move to McCain

Although the message is strong, and perhaps more sonservative than John McCain, Ron Paul's followers have moved over to support fully John McCain and his straight talk.

clipped from joinordie08.com Reform ‘08 for the freedom and choice in healthcare for state rights for closing Guantanamo Bay for capitalism against new taxes against new subsidies, new programs, new pork spending against government forced moral revision to the institution of the family against the punishing of profit and private innovation   Yes, We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For, Not The Government. I’m Voting Republican!

Letter to Barack Obama from Pennsylvania

Thanks to Obama: Bitter Small Town Pennsylvanians Response


Dear Mr. Obama:

I listened very carefully this morning to your response to all the flack you have been receiving regarding ’bitter small town Pennsylvanians.’ Nice try. But man, you’re wearing me out! How encouraging for Pennsylvania residents that you expanded your remarks to all small towns across America. I must say, however, that the nation’s small towns will not receive your remarks any less provocative.

You mentioned that the remark could have been made more eloquently the first time. But your second attempt didn’t cut the mustard at eloquence either. What we seem to have here is a strong misinterpretation on your part of why small town Pennsylvanians [and the rest of the nation's small towns] stand behind religion, guns, and illegal immigration.

So let me enlighten you. Let’s start with Pennsylvania since this is where your infamous and callous remark was made. Small town residents stood behind their faith and guns long before they were severely hit with hard economic times and massive job loss. They were not bitter then, and when they attend religious services today, bitterness is not a part of their church service.

I am at a loss as to where and how you arrived at this belief. I have been in many small town churches in Pennsylvania and I didn’t see bitterness. I saw these residents revering, praying and worshipping a God they believe is good. You haven’t been in small town Pennsylvanian churches to conclude this. But you did spend twenty (20) years in a church with bitterness and hate with Mr. Wright which you simply assume includes small town Pennsylvaians. And might I add that many small town Pennsylvanians would not last half a service in a church where bitterness and hate prevail.

Hillary may take Pennsylvania from you, but that does NOT give you the right to attack good Christians or any other faith in this state because you do not have the support there that fuels your followers.

Same thing with guns. Many in Pennsylvania and in small towns across the nation clung to their second amendment rights when economic times were good. Bitterness played absolutely no part then in their beliefs, nor does it now.

Yes, illegal immigration and the in-sourcing and outsourcing of cheap labor has hit a once industrial Pennsylvania hard, as it has the rest of the nation. And yes, its not rocket science that one’s loss of a job and the ability to put food on the table would cause extreme anxiety and frustration.

Your remarks were nothing but a cheap shot at Pennsylvanians, and now expanded small town residents across the nation.

And DO NOT think that this one will be swept under the rug as some of the more questionable aspects of your life and thought processes. Little by little, the puzzle pieces are coming together. Little by little, the true Barack Obama is sneaking through.

Related Feature

The above featured article features related content

Mayor Costas - Blogger Call Today Live!

On Tuesday Mayor Jon Costas of Valparaiso has announced his intentions to run for Attorney General for the State of Indiana. (Official City of Valparaiso site for Mayor Jon Costas)

4:30 CST today one hour conference call, an attempt to live blog some of the Q and A time. Hosted by Hoosier Access and attended by some statewide political bloggers. Note: I will try to get all the other bloggers links, from their posts tonite, and put on here as well when I revise later.

Introduction by Jon Costas:

(all comments summarized and paraphrased, quoted only when noted)

Thanks. I'm a relative unknown, so I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and my background. I'm 50 years old and married for 28 years with 4 children. Our family had three supermarkets in Porter County. I attended St. Joe County.

My dad served from 1980-88 in the state senate.

I was with Barnes and Thornburg in Indianapolis prior to moving back to Valpo, 17 years ago.

In my law practice I specialize in elder law, with board certification, one of very few such in the State of Indiana.

In 1999 we ran against Mayor Butterfield and lost the first time by 197 votes. 4 years later we won convincingly and swept the council all Republican. Please check out Post article for more.

I think the Governor has noticed what we've done. When Steve Carter decided he wasn't going to run for AG, I began getting calls. I thought perhaps it was a longshot, but I get the strong feeling that the Governor is very excited about my candidacy. I understand that he's going to have the choice. Todd Rokita very graciously endorsed me, I am very grateful. In a sense it has taken me by storm.

Listen to podcast for Jon's further comments: Link to audio feed

Kurt Luidhardt - what would motivate an individual to take a low paying nasty job over something else?

Costas - Paraphrase - I already have a job like that. "Life is short it's about trying to make a difference."

Mitch Daniels, call him what you will, is a great leader and I get energized working with and around great leaders.

Josh Gillespie - the attorney general stepped down around Easter, what make you decide to jump into the AG race? We heard a lot of names, and now it's been whittled down to just three.

Costas - "Those cardinals who seek to be pope, end up being cardinals." I didn't go seeking this position. The organization should not be dependant on the leader, a key principal of leadership. I have a really strong second (city admin) in Bill Hanna because I've made developing leaders at all levels of the city a priority. Obviously Todd Rokita's endorsement is an event that suggests where this is going. We are waiting for the Governor to show his hand.

Brian Sikma - an issue, the subject of hate crimes. If you were asked about the subject of hate crimes what would be your answer.

Costas - 12 days ago this wasn't on my radar. If you read the Times today, I said "leadership begins with listening." I am also very concerned about balance, a delicate balance. I'm about fairness and opportunity, realizing that we don't sacrifice quality.

Steve Dalton - Please speak to both ethics and bi-partisanship

Costas - On bridge building, I tend to respect others. Who do you bond with, R's ... D's? Or people that you respect? People like Chet Dobis who worked on extending the South Shore Rail. I'm the only Republican mayor in the three counties here. You've got to look for ways to agree and to work together.

On ethics, I was one of the leaders that called for a comprehensive ethics ordinance 15 years ago, and when we were elected we revised that ordinance to make it better. I believe that even good people can do bad things, without a framework and accountability.

Scott - Steve Carter kinda staked his reputation on keeping people from calling you on the phone. Thoughts on "no call" policy and how it applies to political calls. The AG applied the principal to robo-calling for political issues. A lot of people were making calls, both sides were doing it, the only people that got bad press were Republicans in our district.

Costas - We used those before he made that decision. A democrat up here filed a complaint against us, and it was dismissed. Governor Obannon used them against me as well. In some cases people like to get them, or you can hang up, instead of getting manipulated by a person. I can't say at this point I have a position on it. Error on the side of the First Ammendment.

Josh Gillespie - what issues will you be staking your work on?

Costas - Life is short. We're not here to find ways to stop things, so I'm going to be practical. I can say some gut feelings, like consumer protection with regards to our senior population. It is a dramatic shift in population. That is going to present more concerns. My wife's grandfather was sold a lightning rod for $10,000, with fear of course. I understand that, because that's where I focus my law practice.

Kurt - Same question I asked Todd Rokita in 2002. About people wanting to move to other things. Would you commit to filling a full term? Would you commit to running your budget fiscally sound?

Costas - that's certainly a fair question. I've been acused of running for local office as a stepping stone. I've been here for 13 years, and yes now I'm looking for the first time at a state wide opportunity. Would I finish the term? Absolutely unless I'm physically unable to do so. I see signifigance here.

I enjoy making policy decision in regards to the application of law. Being part of a team and ticket that is leading the state in such a bold way, is signifigant and a great opportunity. You can't have anything too bad that you sacrifice your values.

Thanks by all.

Note: Once everyone posts their write-ups I'll post them here with links so all our readers can see how bloggers in the rest of the state responds to our Mayor.

Why does GOP get less youth vote?

Why do you think? The delivery? The method? The message?

clipped from techrepublican.com Why the GOP Lost the Youth Vote I came across an article by David Frum in this morning's USA Today, entitled Why the GOP Lost the Youth Vote. Don't get me wrong, I think David Frum is one smart political strategist, but I figure I'll insert my two cents on this one. Frum argues that the GOP is losing the youth vote for several reasons, which you can read in his article, but they all have to do with current environmental & political conditions and little to do with the way the party is communicating with this changing generation of voters. I'm interested to hear more about how Frum views the role of the Internet as a means to communicate with youth voters. Is it really that the GOP's issues don't align with youth priorities, or is it more a failure to communicate effectively? What do you think?

Reminder - Character Matters

John Mccain shows once again that character, sadly lacking in candidates nationwide, still matters.

clipped from mccain08olc.blogspot.com In a great piece from Slate.com, Michael Lewis reminds us of why so many people admire and support John McCain. And then, for maybe the third time that morning, McCain spoke of how it affected him when Udall took him in hand. It was a simple act of affection and admiration, and or that reason it meant all the more to McCain. It was one man saying to another, We disagree in politics but not in life. It was one man saying to another, party political differences cut only so deep. Having made that step, they found much to agree upon and many useful ways to work together. This is the reason McCain keeps coming to see Udall even after Udall has lost his last shred of political influence. The politics were never all that important. Read the rest of this great piece HERE.

Costas update

Well what an interesting first day since the announcement by current Valparaiso mayor Jon Costas that he will seek the convention nomination for attorney general.

Interesting you ask?

Sure, at least to those of us who are extremely excited to see one of our own reach the statehouse and represent us there. This is a testimony to NW Indiana, to Valparaiso, and most of all to the Costas movement that began in 1999 as a challenge to rise above mediocrity and become something greater than we were. Status quo had set in, and Jon with his leadership and his actions, showed us how to change .. far before Barack Obama.

Costas to run for attorney general

Another step in the NW Indiana's move to renew, led by Jon Costas

clipped from www.thetimesonline.com Costas enters GOP attorney general field Mayor Jon Costas hopes to appear on the Republican ticket in November as the party's nominee for Indiana attorney general, the two-term city leader announced Tuesday. Costas said he began considering the statewide post three weeks ago, after Republican Attorney General Steve Carter announced he would forgo a third term Four other prominent Republican lawyers have expressed interest in the nomination. But one of them, Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita, on Tuesday said he'd step aside for Costas

Costas to run for statewide office

Late breaking and sketchy news this afternoon that Valparaiso mayor Jon Costas will announce his intentions to run for statewide office.

Rumors, though at this time I have no validation from the mayor, suggest a run for attorney general.

More as I obtain first hand information tonite.

Obama Mania comes to Indiana

Will we be bitten by the bug? Will we fall in love with the guy who has yet to say what it is he would actually do?

Obama Plans 3 Day Indiana Trip April 9
from Christopher Hedges by Chris

Barack Obama is planning a three day bus trip around
Indiana beginning April 9 but an official list of campaign stops hasn’t been
announced by Obama’s campaign, reports WNDU.
In a release on Saturday,
Obama’s campaign announced the “Road to Change” trip will visit communities
“large and small.” The campaign expects to release the stops in the coming
days.
Post from: Christopher Hedges

Indiana Primary getting national attention

From Wall Street Journal today:

Sen. Hillary Clinton needs to show strong support among white,
working-class voters in coming primaries to mollify those in the party who say
she should pull out of the race. While the most prominent test comes April 22 in
Pennsylvania, her bigger challenge may be two weeks later, in Indiana.

Indiana offers 72 delegates and would give Sen. Clinton a chance to
narrow the gap with Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. Obama leads in the race for
delegates with 1,632, including superdelegates, to 1,500 for Sen. Clinton,
according to the Associated Press; 2,025 are needed to secure the
nomination.

So, finally Indiana matters a ton in an election? With the possibility of moderate Republicans crossing over to vote for Hillary, as a vote against the liberalism of Obama, she could win bigger than expected.

The Indiana Democratic Party expects between 700,000 and 950,000 voters to
participate in the primary, more than double the last record turnout, set in
1992. The last time the Indiana Democratic primary held such importance was
1968, when the state chose Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

"This is definitely a first for us," said Marjorie Hershey, a
political-science professor at Indiana University. "I'm not sure anyone has ever
cared about the Indiana primary before."

Possible VP Sarah Palin Book

From: Order your copy of "Sarah" today!

Other posts: Sarah Palin Biography Coming in May, Could It Arrive with a VP nod?




We have some GREAT news! Epicenter Press (an Alaskan publishing house) is rolling out an authorized biography of Governor Palin in May! This could be just the boost we need to gain some momentum as the veepstakes heats up.


The book is titled "Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down" , and is written by award-winning Alaskan writer Kaylene Johnson. You can pre-order your hardcover copy ($19.95) at the Epicenter Press website, where you can also read the first chapter.


If you are a blogger, please post about this book. It's a great way to get the governor's name out. If you are not a blogger, please recommend the book to all of your friends.

Lake County Government will have to be cut

Finally, and I found it interesting that liberal financial planners from Umbaugh were all glum, I guess this is the end of telling government they can grow as quickly as they want. Tell you what, try hiring a local financial consultant that knows how to help municipalities balance their budgets by cutting, not by taxing their consituents into oblivion.

Yet MORE evidence of insane taxes

In Lake County, however, nearly 52 percent of the revenue loss will be borne by local municipalities, according the legislative agency. Hobart, for example, could see its general operating fund cut by $331,582 due to the 1 percent tax cap on residential properties, said John Julien, an Umbaugh partner.Lake Station stands to lose $484,618, Crown Point will lose an estimated $48,853. The biggest financial pinch will be felt in East Chicago, Gary and Hammond where the Umbaugh represtatives said the property tax cap will cost Gary an estimated $45.5 million; Hammond, $8.9 million, and East Chicago, $23.1 million.

Buzz was quoting the Post-Trib ... but I have to agree with his contention that this isnt all a huge sob story, this is good news for the taxpayers of Lake County. Finally some relief.