Saturday, January 31, 2009

GOP Should Tell Luke Messer Where To Go

Word is out that former state representative turned Ice Miller lobbyist Luke Messer is letting it be known that he thinks he should be the candidate to replace U.S. Rep. Dan Burton. Messer quit the state legislative job to which he had been elected shortly after he helped with the passage of Gov. Mitch Daniels' Major Moves legislative initiative, leaving it to party insiders to pick his replacement. Ice Miller made millions off legal work it later performed on the deal to privatize the Indiana Toll Road. Later, another state lawmaker, Rep. Bob Kuzman, joined Ice Miller as a lobbyist as well after he helped steer legislation allowing gambling at the state's two horse race tracks. Ice Miller had lobbied for passage of the legislation on behalf of its gambling clients. This week, Center Township Trustee Carl Drummer announced he would step down from his elected job to become a lobbyist for Ice Miller. Word on the street is that he plans to run for Marion County Sheriff next year.

Enough is enough. People who simply run for elected office to bolster their financial status and abandon the offices to which they were elected when the first job opportunity presents itself should not be rewarded by the voters with another elected office. These people made their choice. They put their own financial reward ahead of the voters. Now just go away. Don't come back and ask us to entrust you with yet another elected public office. Whatever happened to civic virtue?

9 comments:

Nick said...

I met Messer in 2000 when he was running to replace David McIntosh when he ran for governor.

He basically ran on the platform of "I worked for McIntosh, vote for me if you like him." He didn't have any new ideas and opposed NAFTA just to stand out from the GOP field. He also had the awful habit of telling the same sob story of how as a child he played peewee football and his mom didn't have money to buy pads, so she made them herself when she wasn't slaving away at her factory job.

He managed to carry Wayne County with that act. He also ran on his looks and I remember some Republican precinct committewomen ask "Who's the hunk running for Congress?" when he came to a meeting.

I saw him at the 2001 Wayne County Lincoln Day dinner and then he was talking about running for SoS in '02. I think he was appointed to his state rep. seat when Roland Stine was killed in a car accident.

He just wants to be in elective office to serve himself.

Diana Vice said...

This post should be emailed throughout the state for more people to read. I'll do my part, and I encourage others to follow my lead.

Sean Shepard said...

I know that this has been a bit of a touchy subject the past few weeks on on all of the BLOGS, what there seems to be a recurring theme of the big law firms scooping up insiders to presumably help them secure lucrative city or state business.

Patriot Paul said...

This goes under 'there ought be a law'

Gary R. Welsh said...

The big law firms and powerful lobbyists have destroyed this country. They so blur the lines between the political parties that it really no longer makes a difference which political party is in control. The same self-serving people control most of our elected officials. It's just a game to them to see how much they can exploit public resources to build their own power and wealth. Their idea of entrepreneurship is to manipulate the powers of government to make money for themselves. They are no better than the Wall Street cheats who trade on insider information to get ahead.

Diana Vice said...

You are oh so right! The Barnes & Thornburg law firm was hired to promote and defend an illegal bidding scheme involving millions of tax dollars for overpriced school roofing projects in our state BECAUSE of their connections to government officials. This law firm represented the private multi-million dollar, out-of-state roofing company AND the Wilson Education Center (an Indiana Educational Service Center) for the same purpose. It's all spelled out in their board minutes.

The lobbyists/lawyers at this firm are peddling their influence with high ranking government officials, and the result has been disastrous for taxpayers. We don't just have a problem with Barnes & Thornburg. We have a problem with legislators and other high ranking government officials listening to them while ignoring taxpayers.

Taxpayers are funding their own demise.

Nick said...

I certainly hope his second run for congress is a failure like his first.

I guess now he has a wife and kids to use as props. He might not have to rely on his own version of the Richard Nixon "I grew up on the poorest lemon ranch in California. My mother was a saint" tear jerker stories.

I remember when I first met him in 2000, I was in college and he offered me a part time job to work on his campaign. There were several other candidates running at the time and I wasn't sure who I was even voting for, let alone if I wanted to work for him. At any rate, he wasn't pleased when he saw me wearing one of his opponents buttons at a subsequent GOP committee meeting.

Every time I saw him after that at GOP meetings and at the statehouse, he literally acted like he didn't know who I was when I said hi to him.

So I went from being addressed as "Hey partner!" to "Uh, do I know you?" lol.

Howard Roark said...

For crying out loud, get the facts right! Luke did not quit his position as a Representative to join Ice Miller. He finished out his term, and spent considerable time and effort making sure that a Republican was elected to serve in his seat after his term was finished.

Unknown said...

What has Dan Burton done for Indiana? He scheduled a job fair and then canceled it. Mike Pence is far superior to Burton on the national stage and we need someone stronger than Burton. I don't know if Messer is the answer, but Burton is not!