Monday, March 27, 2006

Bauer Takes Top Honors On Tully's "Messing Up Indiana" List

Indianapolis Star political columnist Matt Tully recently asked readers to assist him in compiling a list of the top "100 People Who Are Messing Up Indiana." The winner by a long shot was House Democratic Leader Pat Bauer. Tully said, "He nearly doubled his nearest competitor, getting selected, it seemed, by Republicans and Democrats alike. One person called Bauer, 'A do nothing politician at his best and an obstructionist politician at his worst.' That pretty much summed up the view of his detractors."

House Speaker Brian Bosma came in second to Bauer. Tully said, "Many pointed to Bosma’s fight in recent months against a court ruling that restricted certain prayers at the Statehouse." For as much as he's been beaten around in recent months, surprisingly Gov. Daniels placed third behind Bauer and Bosma. Tully writes, "For all the talk about how controversial Daniels is, he came in a relatively distant third. And unlike Bauer and Bosma, many people also came to the governor’s defense. One person wrote that, 'Mitch runs this government like a business, all he knows is stock options and portfolios and the bottom line.' Another, however, said we should all, 'give him and his ideas a chance.'"

Placing fourth on the list was no less than the Grand Dragon of Moral Righteousness Eric Miller. "The conservative troublemaker came in fourth, a significant showing for someone who has been out of the news lately." And rounding out the top five was U.S. Rep. Julia Carson. "By my unofficial count, Carson tied Miller," Tully said.

Earning honorable mentions on the list were: Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton, Senator Pat Miller, Miles Brand (I guess he's still getting blamed for Bobby Knight's downfall), and Mayor Bart Peterson.

1 comment:

Marti said...

I'm a yellow dog, and even I think Pat is part of the problem... not the answer.

Maybe my mom was right, never trust a man that wears a rug. No telling what other things he's hiding. ;)