Archives for May 2010

Tea Party Fail

May 4, 2010 by Doug Masson 14 Comments

This was going to be the season of the Tea Party. They were going to bring their anti-government sensibility to bear and clean house. These weren’t merely Republicans who were disgruntled because their team was out of power. No, no! These were people of principal, damn it! They were dormant but growing disgruntled during the Bush administration’s big government, big spending. It was just a coincidence that the straw that broke the camel’s back came right when President Obama took office.

This primary has taught us that, if the Tea Party is a movement of people who are principled warriors against the Establishment, they are toothless and the media coverage they received wildly exceeds their power. In Indiana, the old guard seems to be coming through the primary unscathed. The Once & Future Senator, North Carolinian/D.C. lobbyist Dan Coats has been ushered from moth balls to the Republican nomination. Todd Rokita is coming from 8 years in the Secretary of State’s Office to Indiana’s Fourth District. Dan Burton will return for his millionth term as will Mark Souder.

Incumbent Democrats may very well lose seats in November. But, if they do, this primary tells us that it’s not some sort of sign that people are fed up with business as usual in Washington – it’s just going to be a good old fashioned power struggle between Republicans and Democrats.

Primary Tomorrow – Predictions

May 3, 2010 by Doug Masson 2 Comments

Tomorrow is an interesting primary day, particularly for the Republicans (at least in my neck of the woods.) The GOP has a crowded primary field in the Senate and in Indiana’s Fourth Congressional District. Other Congressional Districts have a lot of primary activity as well.

So, who are you going to vote for? What are your predictions?

I’m just guessing, but I’ll say:

Senate – Dan Coats.
IN-01: Mark Leyva (no idea, but that was the one name I recognized)
IN-02: Jackie Walorski (though Tony “Illinois Nazi birthday party” Zirkle would be fun)
IN-03: Mark Souder (could be close though, he is not well liked and has some legitimate competition.)
IN-04: Toss-up, but I’ll guess Rokita – just from the name recognition he garnered by plastering his name on heavy Secretary of State advertising.
IN-05: Dan Burton because all of the anti-Burton votes will cancel out.
IN-06: Mike Pence is unchallenged.
IN-07: No idea, I’ll say Carlos May.
IN-08: No idea, I’ll pick Larry Bucshon out of a hat.
IN-09: Mike Sodrel for the re-re-re (I lost count) match against Baron Hill.

Unlike me, Jon Easter provides some actually informed opinion. What kind of predictions do you folks have?

Greenwood High School Graduation Prayer Enjoined

May 1, 2010 by Doug Masson 14 Comments

Federal Judge, Sarah Evans Barker, writing for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has issued an order enjoining Greenwood High School from proceeding with its planned school prayer. (via the Indiana Law Blog (pdf)). One of the folks I follow on Twitter was tweeting about the oral argument yesterday, and it sounded like the Bose McKinney lawyers hired by the school corporation were having a tough time of it.

The issue, generally, is that Greenwood High School went out of its way to have an election for the purpose of asking graduating students whether they wanted a prayer at their commencement. The senior class secretary or treasurer would be called upon to lead the prayer, written by that person but subjected to prior approval by the school administration. This, according to prior Supreme Court precedent as reviewed by Judge Barker, is unconstitutional. This is not an open forum, it’s a closely controlled government function. The school engineered a process – by setting up the vote – that would lead to a controlled government forum in which students were required to sit through a school-approved prayer.

I can’t read minds, so I don’t know for sure, but I’m skeptical about the motive behind these efforts to pray at public, government sponsored events. I can’t believe these things enhance the relationship between an individual who desires it and their god in any way that can’t be accomplished an hour earlier or an hour later. I’m left to conclude that it’s a desire by those people to enhance the relationship between third-parties and God. But, more than that, as I’ve said before, it looks to me like marking territory. The people who believe in God and actively push for these kinds of prayers want to demonstrate that *they* are in control. Anyone else just lives here.

(Indy Star article for further reading)