Interesting View from the REGION!

Saw this article and thought it was worth a blog post. The Hoosier Pundit makes the point over at that really good blog that it's really the campaign staff that is the problem. I have issue with that as Mitch Daniels is a "The Buck Stops Here" guy and if the staff is the issue then I would say the staff is a reflection of the BOSS.

I think Maybe the Guv needs to gas up the Harley and head up 65 to mend some fences. Oh and he better take some extra coins with him if he needs to use the toll road.

Peace Dude


Lake County GOP sends message to governor


June 6, 2008Recommend (3)

BY RICH JAMES Post-Tribune staff writer

Dear Mitch,
I hope you're feeling better.

Looked to me like the Lake County delegation to the Republican State Convention pretty much took you behind the woodshed and knocked the snot out of you.

The Lake County delegation voted 52-30 for Greg Zoeller for the attorney general nomination, even though you backed Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas.

You may have given Costas your blessing, but you didn't reach out to the flock.

In fact, Costas got a meager 40 percent of the vote from the whole convention. Talk about getting your butt kicked.

It's not that the Lake County delegates don't like Costas. To the contrary, Mitch, they think he's a pretty fine guy and a good mayor.

It wasn't a matter of the Lake County delegates opposing Costas because they want to keep him as mayor.

No, Mitch, the local folks were sending you a message.

It's not that they think you are a bad governor. No, they just don't like your politics, or lack thereof.

Actually, Mitch, you aren't much of a politician. Matter of fact, outgoing Attorney General Steve Carter pretty much cut you off at the knees.

Carter knows what makes Lake County Republicans tick -- and that is putting Lake County Democrats in jail.

Carter vowed that Zoeller, who is his chief deputy, would continue the work he started in fighting public corruption in Lake County.

Although former U.S. Attorney Joe Van Bokkelen did most of the public corruption work here, Carter had a knack for taking more credit than he was due.

Anyway, while Zoeller was running around Lake County talking about getting after corrupt Democrats, you, Mitch, cast off Costas but didn't give him any oars.

Back to politics, Mitch.

The Lake County delegation made a statement. Several, in fact.

Foremost, Mitch, they said they are tired of getting their pockets picked. They are tired of your buddy over in Schererville, Dan Dumezich, holding gala fund-raisers for you and other downstate Republicans.

You see, Mitch, Lake County GOP Chairman John Curley and these delegates are trying to build a party in Lake County.

But when Dumezich sucks a half million bucks out of the county for your campaign, Mitch, it doesn't leave much up here except chump change. It makes it pretty difficult to build a party with nickels and dimes.

Another thing, Mitch -- and I don't know if you had anything to do with it -- the Lake County folks didn't like the talk they were picking up down in Indy about some of the attorney general's future legal work being farmed out to the private sector -- including your buddy Dumezich.

Let me tell you something, Mitch. Some of these Republicans up here may seem like rubes to you, but they are a pretty sly bunch.

In the end, you pretty much admitted that you wanted Costas to be the attorney general candidate to provide geographical balance on the GOP ticket as a show of good faith to Republicans in a corner of the state dominated by Democrats.

I'll tell you what, Mitch, you've got some making up to do.

Next time you are in the area, Mitch, bring your checkbook. Money, like love, is a two-way street.

Contact Rich James, the Post-Tribune editorial page editor, at 648-3117 or rjames@post-trib.com