Sunday, August 26, 2007

Carson To Run Again

The Star's "Behind Closed Doors" is reporting this morning that U.S. Rep. Julia Carson (D) has made it official. She will seek a seventh term in Congress next year despite increasing signs that her declining health is making it virtually impossible to perform the grueling job of being a member of Congress. The item reads:

Politicos, especially her detractors, have speculated that she would step down after this term because of health problems that have forced her to consistently miss votes for a number of years. She has also let her fund- raising slip the past two quarters.

This past week, however, the Democrat made it clear she plans to be on the ballot next year. She did so after her grandson, Andre Carson, declared himself a candidate for a recently vacated seat on the City-County Council.

The congresswoman's critics immediately theorized that she was grooming her grandson to take over her seat when she steps down. He was featured in one of her campaign commercials last year and has spoken in her place at some events.

Carson said she would be active in his campaign because, "I like this kind of stuff, and I like to go out and talk to people about it."

Asked if she hopes to bequeath her seat to Andre eventually, she deferred.

"I haven't got that far up the road yet," she said.

It is now clear Carson intends to hold the seat until she dies. This self-serving attitude will leave voters of the 7th District essentially unrepresented in Congress until she is gone. Local Democrats are too aware of her declining health and the problems they pose for her to ignore this problem. As for any attempt to anoint Andre Carson as her successor, you can count on organized opposition to that effort within the party. There is continued speculation her 2006 GOP opponent, Eric Dickerson, would like to take another crack at her. Other Republicans have suggested Rep. Jon Elrod might run for the seat. Republicans are preparing for the real possibility of a special election brought on by Carson's death as opposed to her retiring at the end of her term.

On that Democratic caucus to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of 15th District Councilor Patrice Abduallah because he didn't live in the district, the outcome on Tuesday night will only determine who holds the seat through the end of Abduallah's term. That's because it's too late for Democrats to put his successor's name on the ballot. Because Republicans nominated no one to run for the seat, only Adbuallah's name will appear on the ballot. Democrats will have to caucus again after the November election to appoint someone to hold the seat for the four-year term. In other words, if Andre Carson is chosen to take the seat at Tuesday night's caucus, he won't be able to win the seat in November in his own right. Some legal experts theorize that Republicans could legally challenge Abduallah's name from appearing on the ballot because his absence from the district dated back to at least January of this year. A successful challenge on that issue would leave it to the newly-elected council to choose a replacement for Abduallah's seat. If Republicans won control of the council, they would get to choose Abduallah's successor. I'm told this legal challenge is unlikely to happen, but it would make things much more interesting.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

While youthful, Jon Elrod would prove an interesting opponent...

Anonymous said...

Let's see Tully and Shella demand a debate here too!

Maybe they can ask her if she ever found that little girl that was sitting on her lap and eating off her plate?

Anonymous said...

A debate? You need two people who can talk for a debate to happen and I don't think Queen Carson would be up to the task.
Is she a piece of work or what? But hey,if people didn't vote for her she wouldn't win.

Anonymous said...

Pretty Simple.

Central Indiana is best represented by someone who shows up to work, has influence, and votes.

Anonymous said...

It sounds like she just wants to keep the Carson name in the air. As soon as she is gone, the mighty Carson crew suffers a huge blow. While others from the crew will still be in power, it just won't be the same. I think she messed up by having her son not be in a more public position. Being an excise police officer, I have never even heard of him.

The old group of powerful blacks in the city is going to change, just like anything else. New players will come and go. Sometimes the powerful families will end up falling all the way down, with no one in the family having any more political connections/power.

The entire council run and her continued run for Congress is obviously a last ditch effort to try and maintain power.

Anonymous said...

http://indycorrupt.blogspot.com/2007/08/whats-wrong-with-julia.html

Must see youtube of her, good luck trying to sit through it.

Anonymous said...

Viva La Machine!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I, as a Democrat, would back Elrod in an instant.

Change, unfortunately, will not come from within my party. The fear is just too strong.

I'm not sure she'll be in good enough health to run again, regardless what she says now.

She has earned the right to enjoy retirement. She's already, unfortunately, an embarrassment to herself and the district.

Anonymous said...

Julia Carson, our "Fool on Capitol Hill" wants another term to continue and embarrass us???????????

Anonymous said...

This is bullshit. If the Republicans can't put someone on the ballot, the Democrats should not be able to hold their place on the ballot. Abduallah never qualified to be on the ballot in the first instance. There must be a lawsuit to block the Democrats from getting this seat handed to them on a silver platter. You know the Democrats would do the same thing if the tables were turned.

Anonymous said...

You all have to watch that You tube clip. I am embarrassed to say I live in Indiana, and even more embarrassed to say that is my rep. Oye!

Sir Hailstone said...

I don't care if Eric or Jon runs ... it was close in 2006 in a "blue year" and 2008 people are realizing the errors of their 2006 ways

why else is Congress' approval rating below 20%?

Anonymous said...

Where is Wilson showing his support for the lady who Capitol Police called a "Bag Lady"?
Yes, that happened. They, (Capitol Police) had to call Dan Burton from his office to identify her as the newly elected rep.
I'd bet that was the most embarrassing that happened to Burton, up to that point in time.
(I'm sure there has been worse by now, he needs to go as well)

garyj said...

Wilson will show in due time. He always does. He is, after all, the official self appointed spokesman for center township democrats.
The same one who is HURTING Andre Carson.
Good luck to Mr. Carson in his endeavour to take a seat on the council. Hope you can do a better job that Mr. Abdullah did. Staying awake will be a step in the right direction.

Anonymous said...

8:19...she served well for several years. Not recently, but the first couple of terms, she did a bang-up job.

And, just for the record, embarrassing Dan Burton is apparently tough. His skirt-chasing reputation is alive and well on Cap Hill.

For cryin' out loud, he married his dead wife's doctor.

And he shot a pumpkin in his backyard, to prove Vince Foster didn't commit suicide, and then had the audacity to enter the results of his test in the Congressional Record.

He's another Indiana embarrassment. We've got too many. His brother is another one, but that lardass is at least confined to Indianapolis. Effing up our license plates.

Anonymous said...

Come on Eric!!!

Anonymous said...

Check out our Congress lady representing us:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZAPma1s_sw

Jacob Perry said...

Wait, didn't I already predict this, how come I didn't get credit?

Just kidding...

She'll run (be re-elected, of course) and then die (note to Secret Service/FBI: Not by my hand); whereupon former NOI member Andre will be selected/elected (same thing in the 7th) to replace her and we'll deal with him for the next 24 years.

Anonymous said...

This city gets what they deserve. They had an opportunity to get rid of Carson in 2006--a better opportunity the 7th district has never had. WE BLEW IT! If I were Eric, I'd tell the GOP to go to hell. They did more to keep her in office than her own campaign did.

Julia can be replaced with a bucket of sand. If Andre(apparently the grandson not in prison) is annointed to that position, Indy will continue on this downward slide.