The jobs bill of a generation? Nope.

Just another Mitch Daniels fabrication:

“The $3.8 billion that Indiana netted in 2006 from leasing the Indiana Toll Road to a foreign consortium will be mostly spent or allocated by the time the state’s next governor takes office in January.”

It’s time to elect leaders in Indiana who won’t sell off our critical assets for short-term gain.

Support the Indiana Democratic Party today so we can make sure Hoosiers understand there’s a clear choice this year between honest leadership and four more years of GOP deceit.

Tomorrow is primary Election Day in Indiana.

It seems like all the fireworks have been on the GOP side these past few months, but make no mistake: This election matters for Democrats.

If you haven’t already voted, we need you to go to the polls tomorrow and cast your ballot for President Obama, Joe Donnelly for U.S. Senate, John Gregg for Governor and the rest of our Democratic ticket on the ballot.

If you’re not sure where you’re supposed to vote, you can locate your polling place here:

https://indianavoters.in.gov/PublicSite/Public/FT1/PublicLookupMain.aspx?Link=Polling

We’ve got great Democratic candidates running in every district, and they need your vote to send a strong message to Republicans that we’re not going to accept their obstructionist, extremist agenda in Washington or at the Statehouse.

We want elected officials who will fight for good-paying jobs, stand up for workers and make sure our economy gets back on track.

Please join me in voting Democratic tomorrow so we can kick off the race for November on Wednesday!

Democratically yours,
Dan Parker

This is the tentative schedule of events for this year's Indiana Democratic Party State Convention in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Friday, June 15th

4:00pm – 9:00pm Delegate Registration

5:00pm – 7:00pm State Committee Meeting

7:00pm – 9:00pm Convention of County Party Officers

8:00pm – 11:00pm Credentials Committee Meeting

Saturday, June 16th

7:00am – 10:00am Delegate Registration

10:00am – 12:00 pm District Caucus Meetings

12:00pm – 1:00 pm Break for Lunch

1:00pm – 2:30pm Special Caucus Meetings

2:00pm – 3:00 pm Convention Committee Meetings

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm General Session

6:30pm – 7:30 pm National Delegation Meeting & Registration

If you have questions about attending State Convention, please contact phanscom@indems.org or jsmeltzer@indems.org or call 317-231-7100. Hope to see you there!

We are asking all of our friends and supporters today to make a contribution to help those in Southern Indiana and surrounding states recover and rebuild in the wake of Friday's deadly tornadoes and storms.

You may contribute to the Red Cross online, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

You don’t need a major Indiana television station to tell you that the Governor hasn’t been honest with Hoosiers about jobs coming to our state, but you won’t want to miss this WTHR story on three high-profile promises that have failed to materialize:

“Company executives are quiet. State officials are backpedaling. Unemployed Hoosiers are waiting. Three big economic development projects that promised to bring more than 3,000 Indiana jobs remain shrouded in uncertainty months and, in some cases, even years after they were announced. Despite great fanfare and high expectations, 13 Investigates has learned the highly-publicized jobs will not come soon – and might never come at all.”

We have to do better.

You and I both know hard-working Hoosiers can’t afford broken promises. We need good-paying jobs, and we need a Governor who’s honest about creating them.

Mitch Daniels wants us to believe our economy is strong, but you need only look at our unemployment rate and per capita income to realize he’s been fibbing.

First and foremost, leadership is about trust, and we simply can’t trust Daniels and his friends to tell us the truth.

That’s why we need your help to elect Democrats to office this year who will renew an open conversation with Hoosiers, develop our workforce and bring companies and jobs here that will create opportunity, not false hope.

November is just eight months away. We’ve got to work together if we’re going to get our state back on track, and we need your help to make sure Democrats are victorious in November so we can start rebuilding Indiana’s economy as soon as possible.

These are difficult times, but we can get things turned around with your support.

Democratically yours,

Daniel J. Parker
Chair

Planning to attend this year's Indiana Democratic State Convention in Fort Wayne on June 15-17? Our room blocks are officially open, and you can book your hotel today!

2012 State Convention Hotel Information

Rooms are available Thursday, June 14th, through Saturday, June 16th, at both the Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center and the Courtyard Fort Wayne Downtown at the Grand Wayne Convention Center. Room rates are $119.00 per night.

Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center

To make a reservation:

• Call 1.800.HILTONS and use the group name: Indiana Democratic Party Convention or IDP.
• Visit: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/F/FWAFHHF-IDP-20120614/index.jhtml

Courtyard Fort Wayne Downtown at Grand Wayne Convention Center

To make a reservation:

• Call1-866-704-6163 and use the group name: Indiana Democratic
• Visit: http://cwp.marriott.com/fwadt/indianademocratic/

If you have questions about booking your room or attending State Convention, please contact Jordan Smeltzer at jsmeltzer@indems.org or 317-231-7100. Hope to see you there!

Be prepared.

That’s the Scout motto, and it rang true this week at the Indiana Statehouse when one of the nation’s most respected youth organizations found itself caught up in a bizarre one-man firestorm.

Republican State Rep. Bob Morris admitted he only conducted a “small amount of Web-based research” before blasting the Girl Scouts of America as a “radicalized organization” that promotes sexual activity, funnels money from Planned Parenthood and embraces lesbian, communist and feminist agendas.

None of these things are true.

Yet despite nationwide media coverage and ridicule from within his own party, Morris is standing by his “small amount of Web-based research.”

Good thing we’re prepared.

We’re prepared to push back against false statements and hold public servants accountable, but more than that, we’re prepared to make sure the conversation at the Statehouse stays focused on issues that will get Indiana back on track.

Here’s a fact: Attacking the Girl Scouts won’t create a single job for Hoosiers.

It would be easy to dismiss Morris with a laugh, but he isn’t the only elected official with misguided priorities.

This session alone, we’ve spent time discussing teaching creation theory in our schools, policing the way our national anthem is sung, attacking specialty license plates and deregulating the cosmetology industry. Along the way, the GOP rammed through a divisive “right to work” proposal that will decrease Hoosier wages and reduce worker safety.

Enough, already.

We need to talk about real ways to create jobs and stimulate our economy.

Fortunately, we’re prepared for that, too.

With the filing deadline behind us, I’m pleased to announce that we’ve recruited a great field of Statehouse candidates who will put working Hoosiers – not distractions and attacks – first.

I’m confident that with your support, we can win back seats in the Indiana House and put the Indiana Senate on a path to regain a majority within the next two cycles.

But we do need your help.

Can you contribute $10, $20 or $30 to make sure we have the resources we need to elect Democrats who will focus on kitchen table issues?

We’ve got to reduce our unemployment rate, raise our wages and start competing for good-paying jobs, and Republicans at the Statehouse just aren’t interested in that agenda.

Please consider a contribution today that will put our priorities – your priorities – on the front burner next session.

We’re prepared to take action, but we can’t do it without you.

Democratically yours,
Senate Democratic Leader Vi Simpson

I want to share with you some great news from our State Central Committee meeting this past weekend.

First, I am pleased to announce that committee members officially endorsed Scott Reske as the Democratic candidate in the Fifth Congressional District.

Scott is a strong advocate who fights for working Hoosiers, and Democrats have an even better chance of winning back this seat now that longtime Congressman Dan Burton is retiring at the end of this term. Please join me in wishing Scott the best – and learn more about his campaign at www.reskeforcongress.com!

In other news, Second District Vice Chair Zanzer Anderson was elected as IDP Secretary, and the committee elected Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry as the official chair of the 2012 Democratic State Convention in Fort Wayne, the first time the event has been held outside of Indianapolis.

Committee members also heard from Dr. Woody Myers, the new Indiana authorized representative for Obama for America, representatives from the House and Senate Democratic caucuses and City-County Council member – and rightful Secretary of State! – Vop Osili.

It was an invigorating meeting, and it was wonderful, as always, to see so many great Democrats in one room working united toward victory in November.

Congressman Mike Pence is part of the problem in a Washington bitterly divided by partisanship and outrageous talking points.

The campaign to become Indiana's next Governor is about values, and we know that Hoosiers -- above all else -- value hard work.

That's why we’ve launched a new website – www.TheMikePenceShow.com -- to make sure you know the real Mike Pence and what he's been doing with his time in Washington.

The first episode of The Mike Pence Show focuses on the Congressman’s strident partisan stances on critical issues and his lack of experience as an executive.

We're committed to making sure our next Governor shows up and works hard for Hoosiers.

We don't need Mike Pence's brand of highly partisan Washington-style politics, but we do need your help to make sure he's not successful in November. Join us today in our fight for good-paying jobs, quality education and a state that works for working Hoosiers.

Early this morning, more than a year after his invalid election as Secretary of State, a Hamilton County jury found Charlie White guilty of vote fraud.

In a just world, this would finally be vindication for Democrat Vop Osili, who’s been rightfully named as Secretary of State pending Charlie’s conviction.

But Mitch Daniels has never been one for justice – or bipartisanship.

So early this morning, instead of doing the right thing, Daniels temporarily appointed White’s chief deputy to the job and said he’d reinstate White if his vote fraud convictions are reduced to misdemeanors.

It’s obvious that Daniels and the GOP will try anything to take back this election, but there’s only one thing that should happen now: Vop Osili should become Secretary of State, and we should all put the embarrassment that is Charlie White behind us.

This conviction is liberating for Hoosiers who’ve known since 2010 that White should never have been elected, but Indiana Democrats will not rest until we win the fight against Republican hypocrisy on voter fraud and Vop is lawfully seated as Secretary of State.

The setup: A disgraced Secretary of State is on criminal trial for voter fraud.

The prosecution lays out a carefully crafted case that clearly shows the state’s chief elections officer lived one place but voted in another, collecting a public salary while he perpetuated the lie.

It comes time for said Secretary of State to mount his criminal defense.

What does he have to say for his actions? How does he explain what happened and why he believes he didn’t violate state law?

The response: Silence.

This is no legal drama on the big screen. It’s happening right now in a Hamilton County courtroom with Indiana’s own embattled Secretary of State Charlie White.

Not only has Charlie disgraced the office he’s held for more than a year, but he’s got absolutely nothing to say for his actions.

A jury will begin deciding Charlie’s fate tomorrow, but this further validates what we’ve known all along: He’s an embarrassment to public service and our state, and it’s past time for Democrat Vop Osili, a respected business leader who’s committed to the office, to take over.

Vop has been rightfully declared the winner of the 2010 election. We need him in that job as soon as possible to make up for lost time, bring back a level of respect and dignity to an office sullied by Charlie’s recklessness.

Our message to Gov. Mitch Daniels and the GOP on their divisive push for "right to work" legislation that means lower pay for hard-working Hoosiers: "We were ignored in January...but we will remember in November!"

Congratulations to Brendan Mullen, our Second District Congressional candidate, for making the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” target list today!

The “Red to Blue” program highlights top Democratic campaigns across the country, and offers them financial, communications, grassroots, and strategic support.

We also want to congratulate former State Rep. Dave Crooks, who’s running in the Eighth District. The DCCC placed Dave on its “Emerging Races” list of candidates to watch as this campaign cycle heats up.

This is HUGE news for Indiana Democrats because it validates what we already knew: We’ve got great candidates who are ready to take on Republicans and win back control of the U.S. House this year!

If you’re tired of the GOP playing games with your bottom line while playing politics with our nation’s economy, please join me in supporting these two Congressional candidates – and all of our Democrats running for office this year.

This is only the beginning, but we’re off to a great start, and we’re ready to fight.

Thank you for your help!

Some politicians will say anything to get elected, but the true test of a public servant is whether he keeps his promises.

Mitch Daniels 2012, meet Mitch Daniels 2004:

With sky-high unemployment and a lack of good-paying jobs, you’d think the GOP majority at the Statehouse would focus on putting together a plan to get our economy back on track.

Instead, they want to pass a law that would make it even harder for our seniors and other absentee voters to cast ballots each election.

Senate Bill 175 would require voters to fill in their voter identification number on any application by mail for an absentee ballot. Without the number, the legislation requires that the county election board deny the application and send written notice to the voter stating the reason for denial.

County clerks across Indiana are concerned about this legislation and the increased burden it would place on their offices.

Moreover, it places a huge burden on the voters least able to cast ballots any other way.

Do you know your voter identification number?

Do you know where to find it?

If you don’t have it at home, who do you call to get it?

REALITY: Absentee applications already go through a bipartisan review at the county level, and local election officials and parties are quick to catch irregularities in absentee voting.

REALITY: Voters also provide, under penalty of perjury, unique information on the application such as their name and address. A voter identification number, on the other hand, is a largely unknown and redundant piece of data.

For the Republicans who live to restrict voting access, this is just another way to keep Hoosiers from exercising their constitutional rights.

Along the way, it makes it much harder for county clerks to do their jobs

We need to send a clear message to the Indiana General Assembly that Hoosiers – especially our seniors and others who rely on absentee voting by mail – don’t need any more roadblocks to voting.

Call or e-mail your legislators today and let them know that we want them to focus on solving our economic roadblocks, not creating new ones on the way to the ballot box.

Gov. Mitch Daniels will give his final “State of the State” address tonight.

There will be plenty of self-congratulatory applause lines and pats on the back for jobs that don’t exist, prosperity that’s just out of reach for working Hoosiers.

Here are seven topics you won’t hear Daniels touch on that have defined his administration over the past seven years:

1. Fewer jobs. Since Daniels took office, Indiana has lost nearly 150,000 jobs, and our unemployment rate has nearly doubled. Republicans have failed to articulate a jobs plan or grow our economy, but they continue to insist that we lower wages and reduce worker safety by pushing policies like “right to work.”
2. Lower income. Compared to when Daniels took office, Hoosiers make five cents less per dollar than they used to. That adds up, and it doesn’t match up with the Governor’s rhetoric that we’re somehow doing better now than we were seven years ago.
3. Sweetheart deal for political pals nets pain for Hoosiers. The Governor spearheaded a project to outsource critical FSSA services to a private company connected to his administration. It failed, and it cost Hoosiers their lives. We’re still paying for Daniels’ botched deal, and he still won’t talk about it.
4. Toll Road bait and switch. The Governor promised that the long-term lease of the Indiana Toll Road would net jobs and solve our transportation woes for decades to come. Six years later, the money is gone, the jobs never showed up, and the projects are unfinished.
5. So many scandals. From GOP scam artist Tim Durham to corrupt real estate broker John Bales to a pair of incorrigible Hoosier Lottery directors, Daniels’ appointees and allies have made shame and scandal an everyday part of state government and the political process.
6. Degrading hard-working Hoosiers. Daniels never misses an opportunity to practice his talking points at the expense of working Hoosiers. Last session, he and fellow Republicans pushed education reform proposals that vilified teachers, and from the outset of his administration, he’s made it clear that public employees are Public Enemy #1. Now he’s moved on to unions and members of organized labor.
7. Passing the buck. Nothing is ever Mitch Daniels’ fault. The economy wasn’t a product of his own failed leadership and financial prognostication in Washington, D.C. He blames President Obama. Jobs that don’t show up aren’t his fault. It’s just the way things work out. Daniels believes there’s only one right answer to every question: his. And that’s the way he’s governed our state for seven years.

You won’t hear any of this during tonight’s speech, but we know all too well how much damage Daniels and his friends have done over the past seven years, and we know that Hoosiers are ready for change.

That’s why we’re working hard to make sure dangerous policies like “right to work” don’t become law and hard-working Hoosiers have a voice at the Statehouse and in Washington.

After three years of leadership, President Obama has begun to right the ship he inherited from George W. Bush and Mitch Daniels. We can’t let anything stand in the way of that momentum.

Mitch Daniels issued his new year’s resolution today: Shut down free speech.

That’s right.

Daniels, a lame duck governor entering his last year in office, today ordered the Indiana State Police to limit the number of people who can protest at the Statehouse to between 1,000 and 1,500 on a given day.

No such cap has ever existed in the past.

This move comes as the legislative debate over the Governor’s push for so-called “right to work” gets underway next week.

We’ve always known Mitch Daniels didn’t want to hear what hard-working Hoosiers had to say. Now he’s trying to drown us out.

Here’s what we need you to do:

Call 317-232-4567.

E-mail the Governor or contact your legislator.

Complain. Loudly. And assert your rights.

This is America, Mitch. We have a right to peaceably assemble, and we have the right to speak freely.

Just because you don’t like what we have to say doesn’t mean you can keep us away.

Click here to read a copy of the new regulations (PDF).

Pennies on the dollar. It doesn’t sound like much, does it? But those pennies sure do add up.

To quote the Indianapolis Business Journal, in 2004, Mitch Daniels “berated his opponent” with the fact that Hoosiers made 91 cents on every dollar in a national income comparison.

Seven years later, despite Daniels’ best spin, that number has gotten worse.

Hoosiers today make 86 cents for every dollar other Americans bring home.

We make less. Our unemployment rate is through the roof. Hoosiers are struggling.

So what’s the GOP solution?

Instead of focusing on job creation and incentives for growth, they want to pass “right-to-work,” an attack on organized labor that has lowered worker wages in every state where it’s been implemented.

Let’s send them a message.

Sign up today to make sure Daniels and GOP lawmakers know that Hoosiers want real economic development solutions, not empty rhetoric and even lower wages.

Daniels has had seven years to create jobs. His record is dismal, and we have to do better.

Please, sign up today.

We can only imagine Congressman Mike Pence’s surprise when he read this recent story in the Purdue Exponent about Gov. Mitch Daniels’ remarks at political rally for West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis:

Gov. Mitch Daniels said Thursday that Mayor John Dennis shows all the right qualities for Indiana governor.

Daniels attended a political rally for Mayor John Dennis' reelection Thursday at Bruno's in West Lafayette.

"Governors come in various descriptions," Daniels said. "(Dennis) is tested and proven."

Daniels said a successful mayor seems like a good person to look to for governor.

"He has absolutely displayed qualities of a governor," Daniels said.

Is Daniels, who’s publicly stated his frustration with the lackluster GOP presidential field, having similar thoughts about the Republicans – D.C. insider Pence and little-known businessman Jim Wallace – running for Governor next year?

It sure sounds like it.

You’ve heard us say before that the 2012 election begins eight days from now, but our gubernatorial candidate said it best in a story this past weekend:

"The road to the Statehouse goes through all those city halls," said John Gregg, a former Indiana House speaker and a Democratic candidate for governor.

Next week’s elections are enormously important, and our mayoral candidates have been earning rave reviews as newspaper editorial boards pick the best executives to lead cities across the state.

Here are a few key Democratic endorsements that speak to our party’s strength and leadership at the local level:

INDIANAPOLIS STAR: “City needs Kennedy”

We need clear vision, the promise of hope for all of our residents no matter their lot in life, and a mayor who can be a leader among the nation's mayors.

We need Melina Kennedy.

TIMES OF NORTHWEST INDIANA: “Hammond voters should re-elect McDermott”

McDermott has kept an impressive campaign promise to stay in touch with his constituents. Month after month, year after year, McDermott holds a mayor's night out in a different part of the city to hear the public's concerns and tell the public what the city has been doing for them.

McDermott has accomplished much for Hammond in his eight years in office. Voters should re-elect him so he can continue improving their city. We endorse McDermott.

FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE: “Another term for Tom Henry”

Henry’s record would stand up against many other Fort Wayne mayors after just one term. But consider that many of the accomplishments of his immediate predecessors – Graham Richard, Paul Helmke, Win Moses – came after re-election.

Henry has earned the job for four more years.

We’ve got eight days to make sure these candidates and Democrats across our state are elected locally so that we can work together and get our state back on track after years of Republican mismanagement.

Looking to get involved in the final week? Click here for a list of your county party contacts and let them know you’re available to help.

If you can afford to make a donation, your financial assistance will help our candidates continue their strong local message – and ensure victory on Nov. 8.

Thank you for your support! Onward to victory…

Mitch Daniels thinks Social Security is a Ponzi scheme.

He wrote about it in his new book, and he’s been repeating it over and over as he promotes that book through as many media interviews as he can schedule.

Do Daniels and his fellow Republicans Rick Perry and Todd Young really believe that the system designed to ensure financial security for American seniors is a scam?

Daniels should know.

After all, he benefited from a real Ponzi scheme when disgraced businessman Tim Durham ripped off unsuspecting investors and funneled the money to dozens of Republican political campaigns.

Daniels received roughly $200,000 from Durham, who was dubbed the “Madoff of the Midwest” after his indictment earlier this year on charges of defrauding more than 5,000 investors of more than $200 million.

The bankruptcy trustee in the case has repeatedly asked Daniels to return those contributions. His response?

Can’t give it back. Money’s been spent. Sorry about your luck.

Social Security is no Ponzi scheme.

As seniors have struggled with the economic downturn, President Obama has acted quickly to provide relief, and the President has committed to finding a bipartisan solution that preserves the program for future generations without putting current recipients at risk or slashing future benefits.

Daniels, on the other hand, is just out to sell some books with a few carefully crafted talking points.

Why would anyone take economic advice from the fiscal architect who turned an unprecedented national surplus into a critical budget deficit?

The war costs Daniels calculated under President George. W. Bush have since spiraled to more than a trillion dollars.

As Governor, he “balanced” his budget with tax hikes, federal stimulus money and cuts that shifted the burden to local governments and schools. His biggest privatization push is the subject of a brutal legal battle, and he steadfastly refuses to give back questionable campaign funds.

And now he wants to reinvent himself as a financial expert on Social Security and our national economic future.

Thanks, but no thanks, Governor. Your record speaks for itself.

Five years ago, Gov. Mitch Daniels told us all of our state’s infrastructure woes would be solved if we sold off the Indiana Toll Road to foreign investors for 75 years.

He rammed the deal through, we got our check, and now the money is gone.

Which means we’re very likely to see more stories like this one if Daniels and his Republican sales force maintain control of the Statehouse:

Northwest Indiana has until Friday to come up with $35 million or another way to rebuild the Cline Avenue Bridge, with at least one alternative to the state's "ground route" plan still in the running.

Local and state officials still are in discussions with FIGG Bridge Developers, of Tallahassee, Fla., which on Tuesday confirmed it is interested in rebuilding the Cline Avenue Bridge as a toll bridge.

President and CEO Linda Figg said her company, which has developed similar bridges in Florida and elsewhere, has been talking to local officials about building a bridge over the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal. She said those talks are largely confidential and did not want to divulge details.

Whatever happened to open, honest discussions about the roads and bridges that are the physical backbone of our state?

Is this going to be the go-to solution every time we come up short on cash?

GOP to Hoosiers: “Don’t worry about it! We’ll just tack on another toll.”

In case you missed it, tolls are taxes. In this case, they’re taxes that someone else gets to raise on a critical structure that someone else will oversee.

Since they first came up with the Toll Road lease, Mitch Daniels and Statehouse Republicans have been looking to sell off our infrastructure to the highest bidder because they don’t want to be accountable for the costs.

We’ll say it again: This is about accountability.

Republicans don’t want you to know there’s no money left for our roads.

They don’t want you to know they’ve bankrupted schools and local governments by “balancing” the state budget.

They don’t want to have a conversation with Hoosiers about the difficult decisions we face.

We can’t promise those decisions will get any easier under Democratic leadership.

We can promise that you’ll be part of the decision-making process. You won’t be shut out of conversations about the future of our state and its infrastructure. You’ll have a seat at the table and a restored voice in the democratic process.

More than anything, we’ll make sure that Indiana doesn’t outsource its critical public infrastructure responsibilities to the highest bidder.

You can file this story under “When Mitch Daniels’ Talking Points Meet Reality.”

The Times of Northwest Indiana reports that a Republican state lawmaker is lamenting the lack of funding for the state’s future infrastructure needs.

Those needs were supposed to be met by Daniels’ plan to lease the Indiana Toll Road to a foreign operator for 75 years in exchange for a one-time payment.

In June, on the five-year anniversary of the deal, Daniels held a press conference to proclaim the lease “the jobs vote of the generation” and say that the state “hit the jackpot” when it sold off the road.

Really, Governor?

From the Times of Northwest Indiana story:

By 2015, nearly all the Major Moves funds gained by the Indiana Toll Road lease will be spent. In addition, declining federal gas tax revenue and the political desire for federal budget cuts probably means fewer road dollars will be sent to Indiana in years to come.

That means roads will have to be paid for by other means, probably including local government funds, Soliday said.

And we all know that local governments have so much cash to spare since the Governor “balanced” his budget on their backs.

The reality is that in the next few years, there will barely be enough money – just $50 million in the FY2013 Major Moves fund budget – to routinely pave a couple roads and repair some sidewalks. Maintenance of existing infrastructure? New projects? The jobs vote of the generation?

This was no panacea, just another Mitch Daniels bait-and-switch.

It’s why we need leadership in the Governor’s Office that will openly and honestly address our state’s most critical needs, not someone who will bring more Washington-style budget tricks to the Statehouse.

It’s been a bad month for Senator Richard Lugar.

The Washington, D.C. Tea Party group Citizens Untied endorsed his primary opponent. PACs run by Tea Party Senators Mike Lee and Jim DeMint have said they may get involved in challenges to the 35-year incumbent. And now Senator Lugar has echoed one of the most tone-deaf statements in political history.

VIDEO LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjaoRFCwUfU

It gets worse.

Today, his campaign spokesman tried to defend the statement by telling the Huffington Post “there are certainly stresses in the economy.”

Hoosier families aren’t feeling “stresses,” they’re struggling to pay bills. They’re looking for jobs and making tough decisions with their checkbooks. After 35 years in Washington, Senator Lugar is out of touch. To move America forward, we need a Senator who understands that.

Mourdock v. Lugar.

Wallace v. Pence.

Tea Party v. Establishment.

Businessman v. Partisan Mouthpiece.

No matter how you frame it, next year’s Indiana GOP primary is starting to look more like a pay-per-view wrestling special than a series of well defined political campaigns.

Republicans can’t seem to figure out which direction their party needs to go – or which candidates can effectively lead them there.

In Congress, they’re proposing cuts for the neediest Americans while giving breaks to corporations and Wall Street’s elite.

In Indiana, they've got infighting up and down the ticket.

According to a poll released today, Tea Party challenger Richard Mourdock leads U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, one of our most senior elected officials, in next year’s primary. Last week, Mourdock released a video depicting Lugar as a cartoon.

Mike Pence, the establishment Republican gubernatorial candidate, has proudly proclaimed that he has no intention of talking about policy until after next May. Pence’s opponent, businessman Jim Wallace, has vowed to spend whatever it takes to mount a credible campaign against the policy-challenged Congressman.

The Republican Congressional field is just as cluttered. Longtime incumbent Dan Burton, for example, already has at least three challengers, including a former U.S. Attorney.

Well, we don’t have that problem.

Our candidates know why they’re running, and they understand the values that make our party strong: putting people, not special interests and loud-mouthed activists, first.

While the Republicans bicker, we’re laying the groundwork to elect decisive, proven leaders who will put focus on working Hoosiers and make sure everyone in our state has a voice in the process.

I believe that Hoosiers will become discouraged by the GOP wrestling match. We live in difficult times, and we must make difficult decisions. That means we work together to come up with policy solutions that work for all Hoosiers.

The most important part of that process is you.

In the coming months, we’ll be putting together our 2012 party platform and working with our candidates to develop their policy plans.

I hope you’ll let us know what’s most important to you and what you most want us to focus on. You can send your thoughts to info@indems.org or mail them to us at 115 West Washington Street, Suite 1165, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Thank you for being part of our great party – and helping move us toward a successful, unified 2012.

Democratically yours,
Daniel J. Parker, Chair

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Those two words don’t even begin to describe my reaction to your support for Democrats who are running for office this year and next year.

This week, many of our candidates’ finance reports will be made public, and the message is clear: We’re ready to compete in 2012.

We have outstanding Democrats running for office across our state and statewide, and unlike Republicans, we’re not going to waste time fighting each other. Indiana’s future is too important.

You’ve also shown your support for our municipal candidates who will be on the ballot in less than four months. Democrats running for mayor and city council seats have benefited from your generosity – both your hard-earned dollars and the time you give to help get them elected.

Our party is strong because you make it strong. Our opponents often have more big money to pay for advertising and negative attacks to drown out our vision for a better Indiana.

We have more heart. And we have you.

That’s why I know we’re going to win elections across the state and put Democrats in office who will focus on getting our economy back on track and putting Hoosiers -- not special interests -- first.

I hope you’ll join me in congratulating all of our candidates for their work so far, and I hope you know how serious I am when I thank you for your support and all that you do for the Indiana Democratic Party.

Working together, we’ve accomplished great things in the past, and our future is even brighter.

Democratically yours,

Daniel J. Parker
Chair

Still wondering what steps Indiana Republicans took during this year’s legislative session to create jobs and repair our ailing economy?

So are we.

We know they devoted a lot of time to divisive wedge issues like same-sex marriage, immigration and abortion.

And two court rulings on Friday make it clear that not only did Republicans not focus on pocketbook issues – they overreached and created new laws that don’t withstand judicial scrutiny.

On the issue of immigration reform, the Indianapolis Star reports:

U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker on Friday issued an injunction blocking Indiana's new immigration law, saying the state overstepped its boundaries in the controversial statute that was to take effect July 1.

Calling the measure "seriously flawed," Barker sided with the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana on the law's two main provisions: one barring the use of consular identification cards and another allowing the arrests of people whose immigration status is questionable.

And on the issue of a state law cutting off funding to Planned Parenthood, the Star reports:

Medicaid patients in Indiana again can visit Planned Parenthood after a federal judge Friday put on hold a law cutting off the health provider's funding.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled that the de-funding law violates federal Medicaid rules and "will exact a devastating financial toll on PPIN and hinder its ability to continue serving patients' general health needs."

There’s no doubt these are issues that spur fierce, emotional debates both among lawmakers and Hoosiers, but there’s also no question that neither issue – nor anything Republicans did at the Statehouse this session – creates jobs.

We need good-paying jobs and a plan to put our economy back on track.

Compared to when Mitch Daniels took office, Hoosiers today are working harder for less money. And that’s if they can find work.

We hope you’ll take a moment to call the Governor at 1-317-232-4567 and tell him that you’re sick and tired of Republicans not focusing on jobs.

Tell him you don’t want any more state funds spend defending laws that don’t help our economy.

Tell him you’ve had enough.

The courts have ruled.

Now it’s time for the court of public opinion to deliver the verdict to Republicans: Our state faces a tough road to economic recovery, and we can’t afford to waste time on distractions.

Yesterday, after countless attempts to delay the process, indicted Secretary of State Charlie White took the stand before the Indiana Recount Commission and tried to explain why he shouldn’t be removed as Secretary of State for committing vote fraud.

All he succeeded in doing was proving our case that he bought a new place where he intended to live with his new wife, but he registered to vote using the address of a house he hadn’t owned, lived in or voted from in three years.

Why did White start a new life elsewhere but continue to use his old address?

His new house was outside the Council district he represented at the time, a position that paid him $1,000 a month. After his vote fraud came to light, White resigned from the Council and repaid the money he fraudulently collected after he moved out of the district.

To hear White tell it, he stepped down and gave back the cash out of the goodness of his heart.

Here are White’s exact words from the transcript of yesterday’s proceedings: “Then just from a moral sense, unlike others who haven't locally, when they didn't live in their district, I decided No. 1, pay the money back for that period of time that I was gone, and No. 2, pay a little bit extra to help defray the costs of Attorney Doug Church's legal memo that said I was a de facto member serving in good faith, and counted my votes, told me not to pay the money back, and they view it as a gift to this day…”

Perhaps White never thought anyone would ever see Church’s memo. Here’s what it actually says in a footnote on the first page:

“A discussion of whether White failed a residency requirement to serve on the Town Council is omitted from this memo, because (1) White has admitted that he was not eligible to serve on the Council; and (2) Indiana statutory and case law and Fishers ordinances provide that Mr. White was ineligible to serve on the Council.”

The footnote continues:

“A discussion of White's compensation is omitted, because he has agreed to return all compensation paid to him by the Town since he became ineligible to serve.”

This is a far cry from the sympathetic story White tried to tell yesterday. (You can read the entire memo on our website by clicking here.)

The facts are simple: He started a new life at a new address but registered elsewhere to keep his Council seat. He got caught. He resigned. He gave the money back. He’s been indicted on seven felony counts because of his actions, and he’s fighting both to keep his job and stay out of jail.

The conclusion should be just as simple: White should be removed from the state’s third highest office for failing to abide by the election laws it’s his job to enforce.

The Recount Commission, comprised of two Republicans and one Democrat, will announce next Wednesday afternoon whether White has to go.

The evidence is clear. White’s intent is clear. The only thing left is to restore integrity to the Secretary of State’s office by showing him the door.

Six years ago, Indiana Republicans passed one of the most restrictive voter identification laws in the nation, a law they said over and over was designed to prevent voter fraud.

Today, a Republican who’s been indicted for felony vote fraud is still working as Indiana’s chief elections official months after his indictment.

Irony? Too tame a word.

Let’s call it what it is: Hypocrisy.

An editorial in this weekend’s Evansville Courier & Press sums up the situation:

In Hamilton County, Ind., a grand jury, has indicted [Charlie] White for seven felony counts, including vote fraud and perjury. His criminal trial is schedule for August.

Yet, with all of this facing him, White remains the Indiana Secretary of State, the chief election officer for the state, and state Republicans don't seem particularly bothered.

We saw this past week in New York that when enough pressure was brought to bear by fellow Democrats, Weiner resigned. We should have expected long ago to see fellow Republicans in Indiana bringing pressure on White to step aside.

But our guess is that they don't want to give up the seat to a Democrat, and that's what would happen if the recount commission declares White's election invalid anytime soon. The seat would go to Osili. The commission has a 2-1 Republican majority, so they have the votes to hold out.

Republicans even tried during this most recent legislative session to change the law allowing the Governor to replace White even if he loses at the Recount Commission, but they backed off after they got caught.

Indiana Democrats have been fighting for months to hold Charlie White accountable for his actions. Tomorrow, he’ll finally have to explain his vote fraud to the Recount Commission.

We hope the Commission does the right thing and ousts White as an elected official for breaking the very law he’s supposed to enforce.

We also hope we can count on your support to defray the costs of this expensive case.

We’ve already paid thousands to fight for justice in this case, and it may not be over after tomorrow’s hearing.

Can you afford $15, $25 or $50 to help defray the legal costs for our attorneys who are diligently fighting against the GOP machine?

For the sake of Indiana voters who follow Indiana’s voting laws, we hope the Charlie White debacle ends soon, and we believe the only appropriate course of action is for Democrat Vop Osili to become Secretary of State and take charge of Indiana’s elections.

Clearly, we can’t trust the GOP to do the right thing.

P.S. You can click here and easily make your safe, secure online contribution of $15, $25 or $50 to help restore integrity to the Secretary of State’s office.

Congressman Mike Pence: “We need to be willing to say ‘Yes’ to Indiana and ‘No’ to Washington, D.C.”

Uhhhhh…

Congressman, what office are you running for, anyway?