A rumor circulating among the political circles in Indiana's 8th District is that Putnam County Sheriff Mark Frisbee will soon make it known publicly that he does not intend to challenge Congressman Brad Ellsworth in 2008.....and will throw his support behind Greg Goode from Terre Haute. While Goode has not announced publicly, he is considered the favorite by party leaders in DC and Indiana.

We'll continue to keep you updated.....

During the 2006 campaign, various politicos attempted to criticize Brad Ellsworth for his tenure as Vanderburgh County Sheriff. However, many will agree that the voters were more interested in simply seeing a "change" in representation at the federal level, thus electing Ellsworth in a landslide victory.

Well, it seems that one of those criticisms is now coming back to haunt Ellsworth and he will now be judged by a court of law.

The Evansville Courier & Press is reporting that relatives of two victims of a triple murder have filed suit against former Sheriff Brad Ellsworth, the Vanderburgh County Commissioners, and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Department.

After numerous warnings (of stalking) from one of the eventual victims, county officials continued to allow Travis Moore to participate in their work release program. On April 22, 2005, Moore broke into his ex-girlfriend's apartment and shot and killed three people.

From the article, Fred Schultz (attorney for the plaintiffs) was quoted in saying,

This was just a complete breakdown. Moore was supposed to be serving time, but he was able to get a gun. Also, the sheriff's deparment was put on notice that Moore was harassing her before the shootings. These families want the system to work better so something like this doesn't happen again in the future.

To view a copy of the complaint filed in the Vanderburgh County Circuit Court and Federal Court, please click on the contained links.

Shortly after the first vote several weeks ago, Congressman Ellsworth claimed that he voted "yes" on the Iraq supplemental spending bill to support the troops, but opposed the language in the bill that set a firm deadline to withdrawl troops from Iraq. Well, he did it again....and the U.S. House approved H.R. 1591.

During an interview (March 23rd) with the Evansville Courier & Press, Ellsworth explained;

I would prefer not to have a public date (for troop withdrawal), but for that to be a deal killer for me would have meant (a vote to) cut off all funding for our troops. A 'no' vote would have been no to the entire thing, and I was not willing to do that.

Excuse our language, but that is complete and absolute crap!

For weeks, President Bush has threatened a veto of any bill that includes a specific deadline to withdrawl troops from Iraq. Following the vote this evening in the U.S. House, a veto was again assured by the White House.

Realizing that a veto means the U.S. Congress would indeed have to go back to work on the spending bill to essentially remove the troop withdrawl date so that Bush will sign it, the process moves on and does not simply end......(Go back and check your 8th grade civics textbook)

WHY is Ellsworth using the lame excuse that a "no" vote would have cut off the funding for the troops?!? The President wants and needs a supplemental spending bill that will fund the troops....but WITHOUT telling the enemy when we would withdrawl our troops.

Congressman, quit playing the political games led by Speaker Pelosi and vote your conscience!

The Politico.com recently reported....

While speaking at the Rockingham County Lincoln Day Dinner in New Hampshire, GOP presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani was emphatic that if a Democrat is elected to the White House in 2008, America will be at risk of another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001.

Giuliani further explained that;

The Democrats do not understand the full nature and scope of the terrorist war against us.

While conservatives debate the credentials of "America's Mayor," let's hope that while his views the social issues are not ideal.....let's not forget that Mr. Giuliani is a proven leader and has the confidence of the American public.

Remember the days when our congressman did not accept political action committee (PAC) contributions?

Nowadays, it seems that our current representative doesn't think twice and has no problem accepting PAC money, no matter who it comes from....

Our friends at "Paint the 8th Red" explained last week that Mr. Ellsworth (Former D.A.R.E. Officer/Sheriff) accepted $1,000 from the Marijuana Policy Project, a group focused on decriminalizing marijuana.

Interesting. According to the national D.A.R.E website,the organization is committed to curbing drug abuse and educating our nation's youth about the potential dangers. Under the heading of "Drugs of Concern," marijuana is listed as the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States.

Why is Mr. Ellsworth accepting PAC money from a group that is working to decriminalize this drug?

Normally, we make it a point to be "somewhat" objective in our posts.....but the below press release from the National Republican Congressional Committee provided too good of a laugh over the weekend....

ELLSWORTH SUBVERTS CONSTITUTION, APPLIES D.C. STATEHOOD BY CONGRESSIONAL DECREE

DC Voting Rights Bill Confiscates States’ Rights by Issuing Statehood without the Constitutional Consent of the American People


WASHINGTON –Ignoring basic Constitutional facts that are learned by elementary school students across America everyday, Brad Ellsworth voted with House Democrats to disregard the Constitutional amendment process and expand voting rights to the District of Columbia.

According to the “Kids in the House” section of the U.S. House Clerk’s website, a change to the U.S. Constitution must be made via the Constitutional amendment process:

“The Constitution of the United States, as provided in Article 5, may be amended when two-thirds of the members each house of Congress approve a proposed amendment and three-fourths of the States thereafter ratify it.”

Despite the advice of Constitutional experts much less intermediate children’s learning recources, Ellsworth voted against adhering to states’ rights by voting to grant the District’s non-voting delegate the authority to cast a vote in Congress. The only problem is that Congress does not have the authority to issue statehood with a simple majority vote.

According to the Congressional Research Service:

“...it would appear likely that the Congress does not have authority to grant voting representation in the House of Representatives to the District.’”
(CRS Report, 1/24/07)

George Washington law professor Jonathan Turley in testimony before the House Judiciary committee last month:

[The bill is] “the most premeditated unconstitutional act of Congress in decades.”
(The Washington Post, 3/15/07)

If Brad Ellsworth can’t acknowledge the fundamental principles in the U.S. Constitution, it begs the question: Is he fit to hold office?

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) has reported that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) will investigate their claim that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi violated federal election law by using two political action committees to evade campaign contribution limits.

NLPC Chairman Ken Boehm was quoted as saying,

She's been caught violating the clearest and most basic law of all, the limits on contributions.

Question is.....Will Congressman Ellsworth return the $5,000 that was contributed by Pelosi's "PAC To The Future?"

Earlier this week, the Evansville Courier & Press printed a story about Congressman Brad Ellsworth's trip to Iraq and relayed some of the conversation that he had with troops serving in the conflict.

The article claims that one soldier told Ellsworth to, "just let us finish our job!"

This is very interesting, since Ellsworth recently voted for the Iraq supplemental spending bill that sets a deadline to withdrawl troops from Iraq.

Additional questions from the troops during the visit included another soldier to ask, "you're not going to cut our money off, are you?"

Great question. With the impending veto by the White House on the current version of the spending bill, what is the next move for House Democrats?

Excuse us as we take a short break from blogging about the 8th district to focus for a moment on state government. Secretary of State Todd Rokita caused a stir recently when he suggested that African-Americans are in a slave-like relationship with the Democratic Party. The Washington Times-Herald posted an audio clip of Rokita's speech. We tend to think Rokita's choice of words were poor, and we're not even sure the jist behind his comments are accurate.

Having said that, we also tend to think that the furor over the comments are a little one-sided and blinded. The Indiana Democratic Party Blog seems to be leading the charge. Rokita is by no means the first to suggest such things, but being a Republican, it fits into a nice pre-conceived agenda by some to portray the GOP in a racist light.

Examples of such sentiments are numerous, perhaps most notably from famed black leader and Indiana University graduate Tavis Smiley. Smiley has often argued that Black people are on a "democratic plantation," slaves to the democratic party just because one day they said they’d support Black issues. And bloggers often use the phrase as well. The Cincinnati Black Blog has argued, "...the alliance between Blacks and Democrats resembles less a partnership, and more a master-slave relationship where African Americans work like slaves..." Then there was that oft-noted time when Hillary Clinton complained House Republicans were running Congress like a "plantation."

It'd be a little easier to accept the crticism of Jen Wagner if she was an equal opportunity critic.

For some light reading, Congressman Ellsworth's campaign finance report for the 1st quarter (1/1/07-3/31/07) is now available for public viewing.

The quarterly report , found on the Federal Election Commission website shows that Ellsworth currently has approximately $215 k (cash on hand).

Looking closer at his report, a few contributions caught our eye:

* Aloha PAC - $1,000
(Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee)

* AMERIPAC: The Fund for a Greater America - $5,000
(Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's Political Action Committee)

* John D. Dingell for Congress Committee - $1,000
(Rep. John Dingell, Chairman of the Commerce & Energy Committee)

* Leadership 21 PAC - $1,000
(Democratic Leadership Political Action Committee)

* Moderate Victory Fund - $1,000
(Democratic Leadership Political Action Committee)

* Our Common Values PAC - $2,500
(Rep. Rahm Emmanuel, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee)

* PAC to the Future - $5,000
(Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Political Action Committee)

* Victory Now PAC - $2,000
(Democratic Leadership Political Action Committee)

* Friends of Rahm Emmanuel - $2,000
(Rep. Rahm Emmanuel, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee)

* National Leadership PAC - $2,500
(Rep. Charles Rangel, Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee)

What do these contributions have in common?

All of the money has come from the House Democratic Leadership, in which Ellsworth has voted with 95% of the time since his election to office.

Remember back to the days when our Congressman wasn't afraid to stand up to House Leadership and voted his conscience?

To our surprise, another conservative blog has surfacted in the 8th District of Indiana.

This week, "Paint the 8th Red" came online and has already taken Congressman Brad Ellsworth to task on a variety of issues.

The rumor mill has indicated that this blog site is homegrown with authors in the northern part of the 8th District.

We'll continue to monitor this new site and keep tabs on the conservative movement that seems to be re-energized...

As Democrats are celebrating their first 100 days in charge of the US Congress, the response is mixed on what has actually been accomplished.

Late last week, House Republican Leader John Boehner unveiled the "Democrats - 0 for 6 in 2007 Report" to hold Democrats accountable for the unkept promises made during the last election.

In the report, Boehner was quoted as saying,

“From their retreat-and-hope-for-the-best approach to the Global War on Terror to proposing the largest tax increase in American history, Democrats have been tone deaf to the needs of today’s middle class families and the security of future generations of Americans.”

Not only are partisan attacks being made, it seems as though the American public is also frustrated with the lack of progress as well. According to the Los Angeles Times on 4/7:

A new poll gives Democrats mixed reviews, with nearly six in 10 respondents unable to name anything important the new Congress has done.

While it looks as though congressional leaders and the White House are close to an agreement on emergency spending for troops serving in the Iraq conflict, it may be a small step in the right direction. However, when will progress be made on the domestic agenda?

Let's hope that we won't have to wait another 100 days.....

It's nice to see freshman legislator Joe Donnelly from Indiana's 2nd congressional district has taken the time over the "congressional recess" to meet with local constituents. The Elkhart newspaper, the Truth has reported that Congressman Donnelly has embarked on a "listening tour" over the past couple weeks to answer constituent questions and explain his vote on the Iraq supplemental spending bill.

While we obviously have problems with his vote to set a specific date for troop withdrawl in Iraq and provide millions of dollars for non-war-related industries.....kudos for facing his constituents (in person) to explain his vote!

In the 8th, all we received from our congressman was a letter to the editor....

On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell posted a message on TheHill.com blog site calling for the House to return and finish work on emergency spending for the troops in Iraq. As the President has been clear of a veto for the current version of the Iraq supplemental bill, it is now up to Congress to produce a bill that will actually move forward......and not simply serve as a political stunt.

While several national political pundits are already calling Indiana's 8th & 9th Congressional Districts as vulnerable for a potential GOP takeover, there are a handful of individuals who are working behind-the-scenes to "test the waters" for a possible run in 2008.

From the Howey Political Report, Brian Howey reports that GOP leaders in the 9th District expect Mike Sodrel to mount a bid to regain his seat that was lost to Baron Hill in 2006.

In the 8th District, the Evansville Courier & Press reported on Sunday that several individuals are discussing a challenge to Congressman Ellsworth in 2008.

Political insiders within the GOP establishment give the edge to Greg Goode, who is no stranger to 8th District politics. Goode currently works at Indiana State University handling external affairs and is also a former staffer for Congressman Ed Pease. Supposedly, Goode has been on the Lincoln Day dinner circuit for some time and has already been approached by the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Even so, there are additional names being discussed.....Andrew Horning, former Libertarian candidate for Governor in 2000 and GOP candidate for the 7th District in 04, Putnam County Sheriff Mark Frisbee (who has not made any statements regarding his candidacy), and Les Shively, attorney and co-host of a local political tv show in Evansville. Shively was a GOP candidate in the 1994 primary for the 8th District seat that was eventually won by John Hostettler.

As the dinners and political events continue, we'll keep you posted on the rumors/efforts of the potential challengers for the 2008 election. Stay tuned....

Now that Speaker Pelosi has returned from her trip to the Middle East, a return is being pondered. Delivering inaccurate messages to Syria's President about Israel's intentions for "peace talks" wasn't enough.....

The San Fransisco Chronicle is reporting today that Speaker Pelosi is now ready and willing to open an official dialogue with Iran.

What's next, a summit with all the leaders of the "axis of evil?"

At the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner in Evansville on Tuesday night, Lt. Governor Becky Skillman presented former 8th District Congressman John Hostettler with the Sagamore of the Wabash award.

The Sagamore of the Wabash is one of the state's highest honors and deserving individuals are given the award by the Governor.

During his tenure in Congress, Mr. Hostettler was a strong proponent of pro-life issues and was heavily involved in the "Right to Life" organization.

At the dinner, Hostettler told the crowd:

Keep up the fight, because it is a fight worth fighting for those who can't speak for themselves

Over 1,600 people attended the dinner that was held at the Centre in Evansville.

Last week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a congressional delegation to the Middle East in an attempt to "restart" the peace process. Instead, confusion ensued after a visit with Syrian President Bashar Assad, where Speaker Pelosi supposedly delivered a "message" from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

From the Washington Post on Sunday:

The leader of the congressional delegation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said earlier this week that she had delivered a message from Olmert that Israel was ready for peace talks, and that Assad had replied that "he's ready to engage in negotiations for peace with Israel." But Olmert's office later issued a statement saying peace talks could take place only if Syria stopped assisting terror groups.

Of course, the White House was not thrilled with this latest diplomatic adventure. Why? Well, it doesn't help that Speaker Pelosi initiated the meeting without the approval of the Commander in Chief. However, there is an even bigger issue at hand in that the US government considers Syria to be a state supporter of terrorism.

This is a terrible precedent to set, but not surprising! With the recent "strategic" action by House Democrats in approving a troop withdrawl date in the Iraq supplemental spending bill, what's next?!?

Our advice....Let's hold off on any more "congressional (photo ops) visits" and allow the State Department experts to handle the diplomatic missions abroad.

While threats of investigations and more oversight hearings are made daily in DC by the Democratic majority, it is becoming ever-so clear that "politics" are alive and well in the nation's capital.

Since the Democratic takeover in November 06, the legislative process in the US Congress has stalled and the promises of "cooperation" have conveniently been forgotten.

According to the Los Angeles Times on 4/7,

When it comes to how many of their top legislative priorities have become law, a different number stands out: zero. None of the six bills that House Democrats passed in their initial legislative juggernaut has made it to the president's desk.

To view the entire story, visit here.

So, remember those campaign commercials that ran 24/7 during the last congressional election cycle talking about "time for a change?" It would be nice to see a little bit of progress...

Oh wait, was there ever a "real" agenda?

Yet another media outlet is reporting that US Congressman Brad Ellsworth has completely disregarded a campaign promise from the last election. While praising 6th District US Congressman Mike Pence for detailing his requests for federal funding, the Richmond Palladium-Item newspaper today also pointed out:

It distinguishes the two from most of Indiana's congressional delegation whose members misled voters (Reps. Baron Hill, D-Seymour, and Brad Ellsworth, D-Evansville) when they pledged full disclosure last November, and Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indianapolis, who demonstrates yet again his public-be-damned attitude regarding his public performance.

Unfortunately, most voters in the 8th District of Indiana will never be aware that US Congressman Ellsworth is yet again, "flip-flopping" on a very important fiscal issue.

Although highly unlikely, we strongly encourage the newspapers throughout the 8th District to re-print the Richmond Palladium-Item's editorial (4-03-07) titled, "Constituents Must Shame Big Spenders."

Residents of the 8th district must once again turn to media outlets outside of their own in order to get news on their congressman. Today the Indianapolis Star reports:

Two freshly elected congressmen who pledged to make their requests for special spending transparent are now joining most other Indiana lawmakers by keeping their so-called "earmarks" secret.

The controversial spending practice occurs outside the normal authorization process, providing millions to universities, airports, transit systems, municipal governments and private companies. Critics, however, label the spending political pork.
U.S. Reps. Baron Hill, D-Seymour, and Brad Ellsworth, D-Evansville, say they are not releasing their requests despite earlier statements because they want to respect the privacy of those who have come to them asking for help.

Pork spending totaled $29 billion, according to Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonprofit group dedicated to eliminating wasteful government spending. As we noted earlier, Ellsworth once said, "Members ought to be willing to put their names beside the earmarks they request. The public needs to see where their money is going and trust that it is being spent wisely." But this was a pre-election promise, and now that he's been in office Ellsworth has - once again - gone in a different direction. The Courier & Press has yet to cover the story.