The Never-Ending Fundraising Operation? C’est La Vie. Now Let's Move On!

It’s not surprising most candidates hate raising money. After all, who wants to be the equivalent of the friend you have to avoid because they sell Amway, Avon, or dietary supplements and you fear any interaction opens the door for “the ask?”

But is there a time when it’s not only unpleasant, but also actually gauche to raise money?

I ask because some 2010 Democratic candidates for countywide office and their campaign staffs grumbled that mayoral and city-county council candidates raised money this year.

I remembered this when, a few weeks ago, I received an invite for a high-priced fundraiser for prosecutor-elect Terry Curry hosted by Marion County Democratic Party Chair Ed Treacy and Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan. Yesterday, I got an email touting a second low-dollar event for Curry at Sun King Brewery. The dates? December 2nd and 8th, 2010, respectively.

Democratic candidates and activists focusing on 2011 now have their chance to bristle about a guy who hasn’t even taken office raising money for 2014.

They shouldn’t. The 2010 candidates and their staffs were wrong, and anybody who gripes about the Curry fundraisers now is equally wrong.

Excluding the ban on Indiana legislative candidates raising donations while the Indiana General Assembly is in session, there is no “off season” for fundraising. Ever.

When people complain about somebody raising money in their year, they’re really complaining about their own lack of fundraising traction. Anybody who is going to give to Candidate A will do it. When a prospective donor tells Candidate A, “I don’t have the money because I gave to candidates B, C, and D already,” it’s the same as when your dating interest tell you he is she is not ready for commitment. To paraphrase Chris Rock, they’re just not ready to commit to you.

But more critically, money is a transferrable good, and it behooves any party to have as much of it in the hands of as many of its candidates as it can get with the hopes it will travel.

Some people can raise money from certain donors when others can’t. I can easily envision people who would not traditionally give to Democrats (including Curry) who might fall over themselves now to throw money at the newly-elected prosecutor.

If Emily Post on Political Fundraising dictated that you sideline your money horses, you never get to see what they can pull in for the good of other candidates.

And that’s the real issue – will a candidate raising money in an off-year share the spoils of war?

With Curry, I’d say it’s a given. I haven’t tabulated the total, but I noticed at least one donation to Curry for $12,500 from the Marion County Democratic Party. For Curry to set the Dems up for 2011 would be a fitting token of appreciation.

As long as that’s Curry’s plan, there’s no naughty here, and Santa should reward him with two huge holiday fundraisers.

UPDATE: Several people have suggested that these events are to retire campaign debts, and there's no doubt that's true. But if you fall in the "it's unfair, waaa waaa!" crowd, that would actually be worse because political dollars are being taken out of circulation that could be used for 2011 and there won't even be anything left to share. iPOPA makes no distinctions on contributions regardless of their form, time, or purpose and says simply: If you are a candidate, quit worrying about what others do, run YOUR race, and raise YOUR money.

The Never-Ending Fundraising Operation? C’est La Vie. Now Let's Move On!

Marion County Democrats Weather Republican Onslaught; GOP Claims 60 Reps at the Statehouse?

Whether many Democrats will say it publicly, the clip below likely typifies many of their sentiments this morning. (Profanity warning!)



To quote Lawrence Township Trustee Russ Brown, Marion County was an island of blue in a red wave yesterday.

Democrats got trounced nationally, giving up control of the U.S. House of Representatives, in part, courtesy of Indiana’s 8th and 9th Congressional District losses, which served as sandwich bread for the main entrée of the Dems’ cough-up of their U.S. Senate seat to uber-lobbyist Dan Coats.

Dems got trounced in Indiana. The best performing D statewide candidate, treasurer candidate, Pete Buttigieg, garnered only 38%. Despite running against a guy being investigated by two special prosecutors, Vop Osili still got only 37%. I had speculated that Vop might poll less well than expected because of his unusual name, but apparently the only name that bothered voters yesterday was the Democrative Party’s.

Dems got trounced in local races. Depending on the outcome of the Bob Deig/Wendy McNamara race in Southwestern Indiana, the GOP will go from 48 members in the Indiana House of Representatives to 59 or 60.

Deig’s situation is a fascinating illustration on the perils of electoral musical chairs. When Senator Bayh (playing the little kid who accidentally knocks down the first domino) vacated his seat, Ellsworth went up from the 8th, a seat he would have likely kept. Then Trent Van Haaften went from state rep into Ellsworth's slot, and Deig jumped over to run in Van Haaften’s house seat, presumably thinking it would be fun to be in the house majority.

If Deig wins, which is iffy given that he holds only a 30-vote lead with 2 precincts still to be accounted for, he would have certainly become the political version of Randy Moss, but for the fact Indiana Senate Democrats somehow managed to lose four of their seventeen seats.

Deig’s vacated senate seat (which Deig might have maintained had he stayed put) was lost to Republican Jim Tones. Senate Republicans also took Connie Sipes’ open seat and knocked off Democratic senate icon, Jim Lewis, and social justice champion, Sue Errington.

The remaining Senate Democrats (a/k/a "The Unlucky Thirteen") will be able to hold their caucus meetings in the coat closet, and they may need to ask the GOP to loan them some ringers just to fill the minority chair slots on senate committees.

But amidst the smoldering wreckage, shattered glass, and charred remains arose the Democrats of Marion County, who elected Terry Curry as prosecutor with 52% and kept the sheriff, auditor, clerk, recorder, and assessor positions (Colonel John Layton, Billie Breaux, Beth White, Julie Voorhies, and Joe O’Connor, respectively).

This is huge because someone can finally look under the hood of the Daniels administration to see if they've been shadily hocking parts we need to keep the governmental engine running smoothly.

Though Democrats suffered a heart-crushing loss of State Representative John Barnes, the other Marion County newbie Dems – Representatives Mary Ann Sullivan and Ed Delaney – pulled through strongly.

Democrats also fared relatively well in township elections. Jeff Bennett and Russ Brown retained their trusteeships in Warren and Lawrence respectively, along with incumbent trustees Frank Short in Washington, Lula Patton in Pike, and Wally Akers in Center.

Other than John Barnes’ loss, the only dimming of Marion County's Democratic wattage was the body blow delivered to the entire Wayne Township government. Wayne Township Trustee David King Baird was defeated, as was constable Bill Newman and Small Claims Judge Maxine King, though the latter two races may be subject to recounts, given these losses were by 37 and 68 votes respectively. Some Democratic insiders are not broken up by Baird’s loss, as he has created some PR problems for the party, and it is an almost certain D pick-up in four years (assuming the office still exists then).

Out in Lawrence Township, party stalwart and Indianapolis Times blogger, Terry Burns, can almost certainly expect a recount, given his 118-vote victory, but for the moment, he is our Lawrence Township Constable. Also in Lawrence, Democrat Judy Conley nearly knocked off incumbent Lawrence Small Claims Judge Jim Joven, who may be facing a recount of his own.

In short, the Democratic state of affairs may be a mess nationally and statewide, but they run a tidy ship in Indianapolis.

Bring on 2011.

Marion County Democrats Weather Republican Onslaught; GOP Claims 60 Reps at the Statehouse?

Tuesday Results Show Democrat Strength, Serve as Bad Omen for Williams

You're probably thinking, "Come on! Tuesday's election results have been picked over by blogger buzzards like a three-day old zebra carcass on the Serengeti!" Sorry, but there's still meat on dem bones.

The main storyline locally is that the Democratic Party's slated candidates fared extremely well. Sheriff candidate Colonel John Layton received 61% of the vote in his race against Mark Brown, while prosecutor candidate Terry Curry received 64% against current Marion County Assessor Greg Bowes. Countywide, in fact, the only slated candidate who lost was Charles Gaddy, who was defeated by Maxine King, the incumbent Small Claims Judge in Wayne Township. King's victory further cements my hypothesis that African-American woman are natural slate busters, in particular when their names are at the top of the alphabet. For historical evidence, see Billie Breaux (Jean, too, I think), Kim Brown, Linda Brown, and Julia Carson. I'm sure I'm missing others, so throw them in my comment box.

Anyway, Tuesday was well-oiled Democratic party machinery on display.

If Democratic mayoral contender Brian Williams was contemplating going through slating in 2011, he can't be now. If the Democratic Party's heavyweights (or "insiders" if you prefer) can rope so many of their more detached kindred spirits to support Curry and Layton, imagine how persuasive they'll be among their Precinct Committeepersons (PCs).

Further, while I'm still calculating the numbers, quite a few of the PCs that came from the Williams camp's initial submission of close to 200 new PCs were defeated on Tuesday, making his slating prospects even more gloomy, though Williams did succeed in placing over 100 in empty precincts, and those folks with stay. Nonetheless, I believe we've entered the "primary planning phase" for the Williams campaign.

Across the aisle, the Republican Party's main guy, Dennis Fishburn only captured 55% in a race against Bart McAtee.

Some may rightfully contend that my comparison is unfair because neither Bowes nor Brown had the money McAtee did. Had McAtee been unable to afford his last week radio barrage, Fishburn might have weighed in around 62-64%, just like the Dems. Maybe, but McAtee was a guy rank and file GOP apparatchiks branded a patronage sopping turncoat, and the fact they couldn't convince their less ideologically committed brethren to believe it tells you that the operation ruptured along the communication chain.

This notion is reinforced by the fact the GOP's slated candidate for 7th District Congress, Carlos May, lost with 37% in a three-way race to perennial candidate for something, Marvin Scott. Scott didn't have a last (or any minute) media blitz. How do you explain his victory? Many will contend that "Marvin Scott" name ID trumped all. If so, the GOP foot soldiers failed to dissuade their own from selecting a guy who got bucked on all of his four prior ballot rodeos (U.S. House - 1994, U.S. House - 1996, U.S. Senate - 2000, U.S. House - 2004).

(As a quick aside, don't you love how the Republican Party's "new leadership" consists of Dan Burton, Dan Coats, and Marvin Scott, three guys who were on the ballot in 1996? It's like the GOP is using Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine for candidate recruitment.)

Did "nativism" or prejudice cost Carlos May? Stay tuned....

...up next...

...A Shameful Moment for the Democratic Party...and.....

...Let's Play Name Combat!

Tuesday Results Show Democrat Strength, Serve as Bad Omen for Williams

Election Day Roundup for Marion County!

Ahhhh! Time to wake up and smell the democracy! In Marion County, both parties have intriguing matchups that will test their organizational strength.

On the Republican side, Bart McAtee is running for sheriff against the party's slated candidate, Dennis Fishburn, a guy who until the party stalwarts started chipping in, had raised only slightly above the square root of zero. On April 9, 2010, however, Fishburn reported raising $54,000 in the quarter with $24,000 cash on hand (c-o-h).

Fishburn's report makes for interesting reading. On the upside, every living Hoosier with the name Fishburn donated, so at least you know the family reunions are cordial. Unfortunately, Indiana law requires candidates to identify by name and address every donor who gives $100 or more, and Team Fishburn botched up that operation. There are several names who break the reporting threshold but no address is provided. (For example, Dave Young and Randall Elliott gave $700 and $500 respectively, and we have absolutely no information about them. But my personal favorite entry (and I am not making this up) reads simply:

Paul
"Ponytail" Paul

Nice to know a potential candidate for sheriff is getting cash from guys with hitman nicknames.

Also, on April 9, 2010, Fishburn actually reports a total of eleven donations of $200 each from “anonymouses” (if that’s the plural). Oh, Dennie! Your treasurer screwed the pooch, my friend. You were obviously trying to keep these donors below the radar, but unfortunately, they can only donate up to $99 to do that. Yes, you filed an amended report claiming that it was just $2,700 in "unitemized cash," but we already know you're lying because you broke them down into $200 increments on the initial report. (I'm guessing these are guys working for McAtee now who can't stand him?)

For his part, McAtee has been a money horse. He started the quarter with $89,000, and raised another $76,000, and he spent it all by 4-9-2010 securing radio time and paying his media consultants well in advance. Then in the eleven days after the 4-9 deadline, he filed 6 supplemental reports for large donations, pulling in a total of $26,500.

McAtee's radio ad, which has been in heavy rotation on WXNT shows like Glen Beck, is typical, tough guy hockum that revs up the law and order crowd. In the ad, McAtee states that he will never release a prisoner without a court order..."even if they have to sleep in my office." Great idea! Maybe if you can also teach them some computer skills, they can go into the workforce upon release.

This is a test for the Marion County GOP because last go round, McAtee (gasp) endorsed Democrat Frank Anderson and, according to a wickedly funny mailer sent out by the GOP, finagled almost $500,000 worth of McAtees onto Anderson's payroll. If McAtee prevails, it will tell you pretty conclusively that either Republicans think Frank Anderson is a pretty good sheriff or Marion County GOP party muscle is more atrophied than Abe Vigoda's biceps. I vote for A & B.

The Democrats face a similar showdown in their contests for sheriff and prosecutor. In the Sheriff's race, slated Democrat Colonel John Layton has been going like gangbusters on the money chase with $133,000 c-o-h after the April 9 deadline, and he has cut his own "I'm a general bad(expletive)" law enforcement ad:


While most people in party circles (myself included) are impressed with Mark Brown, Layton seems a more natural fit as a guy who had 35 years experience in the sheriff's office and a leadership role under Anderson's entire tenure. (Brown is a 24-year veteran of IPD).

The most bizarre aspect of this contest, though, has been the blowback some African-American leaders, including Congressman Andre Carson, have received for supporting Layton, a caucasian, over Brown, an African-American. This nicely cements my belief that black folk bear race burdens white people will never have. When I made my decision to support Carson over David Orentlicher, nobody white said anything, even in a whisper. Ironically, some African-American leaders in the party wanted David O.'s head on a plate because he ignored the slating decision and ran against Carson in the primary. The idea that now some of these same folks are upset because the Congressman is respecting the slate is the epitome of crazy. (You do you, Congressman. I, and a multitude of others, have your back!).

In the prosecutor's race, Marion County Assessor Greg Bowes has released a barrage of Youtube ads. Each starts with some catchy Muzak playing while Bowes' logo is displayed on top a background of a blurred, undulating flag (think being really drunk at a VFW hall). Then a title screen appears, which states, "Greg Bowes Talks About...(Justice)(Freedom)(The Constitution)(Leadership)(Hard Work)(Public Officials & White Collar Crime)(Apple Pie).

Okay, I made up the thing about Apple pie, but you get my point. When you use these kind of topics, you have to expect a degree of schmaltz and some platitudes, and Bowes does not disappoint.

Of course, the ad format of a candidate talking to an unseen person is genius, which is why this approach is commonly employed by service industries. First, you don't suffer the bad acting that you normally get in ads where a candidate is looking straight into the camera. Second, it's somehow easier psychologically to accept that Bowes isn't trying to con you because, even though we all know his ads are made for public consumption, we're more like tourists observing than part of the conversation.

The problem is that unless you have Michael Bloomberg money, there's no way you can get these ads anywhere except on Youtube or on your website. Each of Bowes' segments are between 90-120 seconds in length, and most local campaigns are lucky if they can do two or three 30-second ads during the entire campaign. Will people who see these like Bowes? Probably, but those hundred people will also roll their eyes because only half of the segments have dairy-free "scripts." You can see them all here.

Bowes' opponent, Terry Curry, held a dominant fundraising lead over Bowes on April 9, and more importantly, has been the beneficiary of a phone banking program, proving that slating has its benefits. If both Curry and Layton carry the day as expected, even with inferior ballot placement in both cases, it will show the Marion County Democratic Party is stretching its legs.

On the GOP national side, the GOP's day, I fear, will come to epitomize the phrase more equal less. Dan Coats is expected to win the five-way fight for the GOP nomination, but not because he's wowed anybody, rather because nobody else in the fiel can get a higher plurality. The same thing will likely be true in Dan Burton's Congressional seat. Sigh.

Stay tuned...

Election Day Roundup for Marion County!

David O(ver) Running; Massa Definitely In!

David Orentlicher has withdrawn his candidacy to be Marion County Prosecutor and endorsed fellow contender and frontrunner Terry Curry. On the GOP side, Mark Massa is definitely running.

Getting out of the race was a smart move for David O., as his candidacy hinged on convincing the electorate that the office is a policy center for crime prevention, not just a law enforcement arm intent on bustin' heads.

The problem is that the general public doesn't look to their prosecutors primarily for programs. The "policy" approach has been tried by candidates with limited criminal prosecution experience in the past, and it always fails if the opponent has it. The same applies when candidates try to argue that the office is about being a good manager. Sorry, but Hoosier voters want a Jack McCoy, not a pontificating (and always seated) Adam Schiff.

The fact Republicans had no candidate for some moments created some intrigue because if the policy argument would ever work it would be where a D-leaning county's D candidate was running against a weak or GOP opponent. David O. certainly showed he had friends who would dig deep to help him.

Of course, a GOP weakling is not what we have now. Mark Massa will be formidable, and the Governor will make sure he has money. Word on the street was that Massa was very reluctant, but he won't tell the Governor no.

I would have loved to be a fly on the world. If you were a Governor worried about a Democrat getting into your business before you go national, what might you offer a guy to get him to run for prosecutor to protect your flank? Can you envision a conversation about U.S. attorney if that Governor became GOP chair or (Lord help us all) President? What about an Assistant A.G. post? Or maybe an even higher number of boards to serve on to rake in dough for little work. Maybe all of it.

Massa will be formidable, and all Democrats owe David O. for not taking this one to the tape. Next time you see him, give him a pat on the back for putting party first. Also, ask him if he minds sharing say, oh, $180,000 with Curry or the Marion County Democratic Party. Now that would really be putting party first.

David O(ver) Running; Massa Definitely In!

Are People Near Brizzi Smelling Toast?

Wow. Talk about a good Thanksgiving. Who is the happiest man in Indianapolis? It's gotta be our future prosecutor, Democrat Terry Curry.

Many Democrats like me were probably thinking that, in a Democrat-trending county, we'd have a pretty good chance to take back the prosecutor's office in an open seat. But a strange thing happened. Nobody threw any job offers at Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, and if you have no options, you run for the job you have.

Anybody who thinks candidate Brizzi doesn't make things tougher for Democrats is lying. Brizzi is extremely PR savvy, and he put himself in a great position when he dusted off his trial suit and strung together three consecutive, high-profile convictions, two in the Hamilton Avenue slayings and the other in the Jason Fishburn shooting case. (I figure he'll add another conviction between March and June of next year, which would normally give him steamroller momentum).

BUT then....mmm mm mmmm...Tim Durham, a/k/a "Indiana Abramoff" happened. Durham was detained for questioning by the FBI, and his offices were raided the day before yesterday.

What does this have to do with Brizzi? Well, aside from receiving $160,000 in donations from Durham, Brizzi also serves (or served) with Durham on the Board of Fair Financial, whose office was raided.

The Star reported yesterday:

Brizzi did not return phone calls seeking comment. He issued this statement shortly before noon today: "Tim is a friend, and I’m sorry to hear about the recent developments. I have no knowledge of the allegations, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment."

Let me start off by saying that people too easily think that everybody really knows everyone with whom they associate, as if having a drink with somebody or taking their extremely huge check means you can see into their soul. Were that true, of course, nobody would be scammed by their pastor, and Bernie Madoff only could have done what he did by lacking friends.

Having said that, nobody was going to let Brizzi get a free pass with, "I can't comment." That might be the proper response for a prosecutor during a pending investigation he's on, but it's not the proper public response about a federal investigation by a guy who also happens to be a candidate for prosecutor.

The public deserves to know about every communication between Brizzi and Durham and Durham and Republican sheriff candidate Motsinger. (As an aside, if you're thinking about becoming a scam artist, it's probably prudent to "invest" heavily in local law enforcement, but be sure to diversify and invest federally as well).

Even if you can prove Brizzi didn't have the slightest inkling, at what point do Democrats get to use the "he should have known" tact taken by so many of President Obama's critics?

Understanding he needed to say more, Brizzi is now running from the Board connection. He told the Star that he never attended a meeting, never voted, and never received compensation from Fair Financial (did they name the company ironically?).

But here's the Brizzi statement that made me chuckle.

Brizzi's said he agreed to serve on the board at Durham's request. But after reading a story in the Indianapolis Business Journal last month about the company's financial practices, he said he told Durham that he had changed his mind.

"Upon reading the October IBJ article and uncertain whether I had yet formally taken a position on the board, I indicated to Mr. Durham that I was no longer interested in serving on the board," Brizzi said in the statement.

How do you not know whether you had formally taken a position? If Brizzi is such a good friend, how did he go from "Tim" to "Mr. Durham" in twenty-four hours? What specific explanation did he offer for wanting to come off the board? And more importantly, what counsel did he offer to his friend upon reading this IBJ article? He's in law enforcement, after all.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Are People Near Brizzi Smelling Toast?