Mid Term Elections: No Choices for NW Indiana?

Sometimes it sucks to be stuck in Jasper County come election time, particularly when you're lumped in with Lake County which some describe "to be one of the nation's most corrupt" ...because you know, no matter how frustrated Washington has made you feel, the same old dumba**es will smile and wave as they zip back to Washington after a token race here.

This year it is only mildly different in that Evan Bayh has stepped down, but who are the candidates vying for his position?

There's the Pelosi butt-kisser Brad Ellsworth (D) who I feel is sure to jump to her every command should he get the seat. I'm guessing that even Cap and Trap ...errr... Trade will be on his "Yes, Ms. Pelosi" list even tho he rejected the Markey Bill in June of 2009 (along with several other Dems as I recall). Ellsworth has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 88.7% of the time during the current Congress... including the much-hated Health Care Bill.

Don'tcha just HATE "deem and pass"? That sneaky little play by the Democrats in Washington still leaves a sour taste in the mouths of many people across the country. It's a bitter pill to swallow, to be sure, but even worse was their Stimulus spending spree which, it appears to me at least, they used more as a vehicle to thank (read payback) those who voted them into the Oval Office than anything to do with actual job creation. Yes, our buddy Brad voted in favor of both of those monsters. You think he read them? I wonder...

To be fair, he was one of the so-called Blue Dog Dems that first said they wouldn't sign the Health Care Bill, and then in the ninth hour did their silly little dog-and-pony show to flip over to the other side and vote yes because either, a) they were stupid enough to believe the Executive Order on the abortion issue actually meant something, or b) they were stupid enough to believe that we were stupid enough to believe it actually meant something.

IMHO, that was the most PATHETIC display of politics I had seen in a long time. However, since these mid-term elections have started heating up across the country I've been seeing plenty more.

Now, in the other corner vying for Bayh's seat...

Here we find the fly-by-night Dan Coats who quickly moved back to Indiana when he saw an opening after Bayh announced his pending retirement. Yeppers... Dan Coats sure would love to return to Washington as an insider again... he has a string of exes on his resume that leaves no doubt where his ambitions lay (Ex-US Senator, Ex-Congressman, Ex-US Ambassador to Germany, Attorney & Lobbyist)... if that don't SCREAM Washington politician at you ...well then... you probably haven't been observing how things work at that end of the country.

To be fair, maybe that kind of experience would be a good thing. Maybe he would go down there and kick butt. Maybe, just maybe, he actually WANTS to be a voice in Washington for us. Ya think? Frankly, in my very personal and humble opinion, I just can't stand people who only have an eye on opportunity and not on serving the people without whom the opportunity would not even exist... and his whole move-back-in-the-nick-of-time thingy strikes me as so... I dunno.... poser-like? Does he see us as HIS boss? Or does he see us as minions he needs to use as stepping stones to go where he really wants to go - namely Washington? I wonder...

Evan Bayh's seat isn't the only position up for election come November. Visclosky faces the voters once again, too. For those of us who have had to go up against his buddies in this region, we weren't at all surprised about the Murtha whispers and following Federal investigation (still ongoing). We've had the advantage of seeing first hand how he plants his seeds in the front yards of his powerful cronies... and turns his back on the small, weak and/or middle-class working man in this region. But I'm guessing there are enough clueless voters still left in this region that this election (like all others he has been in going back almost 30 years) will be a walk in the park for him... just my humble opinion.

He won't get my vote -- but I sincerely doubt that will keep him awake at night. The way I see it, he's part of that oh-so-powerful Democratic machine that has a strangle-hold on this region. IMHO, they need to be completely ripped apart and rebuilt, tossing everyone out starting at the very top and working their way down to just above the local level. The machine couldn't care less about Indiana... but they do appear to love their Washington weight. Again, just my humble opinion. Or is it?

"Voters overwhelmingly believe that most members of Congress are for sale, and over half think it’s at least somewhat likely that their own representative has been bought with cash or a campaign contribution." (link to Rasmussen Reports)

Here's another quote for ya...

"Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, the Lake County Democratic chairman, said Democrats with political aspirations know better than to run against Visclosky." (link to full story)

What's that tell ya? Is that where the so-called corruption starts?

I've seen Visclosky signs perched in various yards around the area... however... I notice there aren't nearly so many as there have been in previous elections. In fact, by my estimate just in our area, there are only about 1 tenth of them this go-around. Is this a signal that maybe, just maybe, the walk in the park might not be so pleasant for him after all?

Sadly, I have yet to see any signs for his opponents, the first of whom is Mark Leyva (R). He is going up against Pete for the fourth time. Mark, Mark, Mark... What can I say about Mark? Not much, but here is someone who has plenty to say about him.

And then there is Jon Morris, the Libertarian candidate for this region... the only other alternative left for Viscolosky's seat.

Seriously? These are all we have to choose from? Well... there are more. Click here for a bigger list of political candidates/seats up for grab in less than 2 weeks.

Regardless which side of the fence you're on -- get out and vote. Okay?