Monday, December 21, 2015

Howey Politics: Pence Trying To Dump Ellspermann With Ivy Tech Job Offer

A lot of conservatives and some Republicans were never real happy with Mike Pence's choice of Sue Ellspermann as his running mate in 2012. Ellspermann is actually a Democrat who had to get the permission of Republicans when she first ran for the House of Representatives in 2010 against former House Majority Leader Russ Stillwell (D-Boonville). Howey Politics is now reporting that Pence is urging Ellspermann to apply for the top job at Ivy Tech, which will soon come open with the impending departure of President Tom Snyder. Howey Politics says Pence asked Ivy Tech trustees during a recent meeting to appoint Ellpsermann to the job.
. . . Following the October Indiana Republican Fall Dinner, rumors surfaced that Ellspermann might be off the Pence ticket in 2016. Matt Lloyd, deputy chief of staff for communications for Gov. Pence, immediately tamped that story down, telling Howey Politics on Oct. 28. “Gov. Pence believes Sue Ellspermann is the best lieutenant governor in the country and is grateful for her service every day. He looks forward to serving with her throughout his second term.”
Since governors were constitutionally allowed to seek second terms in 1976 with Gov. Doc Bowen, all of the tickets seeking reelection remained intact. The Pence administration source told HPI that if Ellpsermann is not selected as Ivy Tech president, she would remain on the ticket. “Nothing has changed since the quote you ran,” the source said.
A spokesman for Ellspermann said that her office would be issuing a statement later today.
On Friday, informed and reliable sources told Howey Politics Indiana that Gov. Pence was meeting with Ivy Tech trustees, urging them to appoint Ellspermann to be the next president. The Pence administration did not respond to HPI requests for information on Friday, Saturday and again Monday morning.
Ellspermann's office has confirmed interest in her potential appointment to the job according to Howey. Pence detractor Bill Ooesterle blames RFRA for the interest in her being moved over to the Ivy Tech job. Ellspermann's office says RFRA has nothing to do with it.

UPDATE: The Star is now up with its story on the development confirming that Ellspermann is poised to become Ivy Tech's next president. Naturally, the Gannett newspaper does not confirm its reporters learned of this development from a competing news source, Howey Politics. The Star's story is no different than the Howey Politics report. The governor is happy about Ellspermann's prospects of becoming Ivy Tech's president, even if it means losing his running mate, and The Star's favorite Pence dissident, Bill Oesterle, is convinced the move is over her disagreement with Pence on social issues like RFRA and an LGBT rights bill:
“Governor Pence believes Lt. Governor Ellspermann is uniquely qualified to lead Ivy Tech and strongly encouraged her to seek the position,” said Matt Lloyd, Pence’s spokesman. “Governor Pence believes Ivy Tech will play a key role in strengthening Indiana’s workforce and believes the lieutenant governor is an ideal candidate for the position. The governor will support the lieutenant governor's effort to lead Ivy Tech but respects the role the Board of Trustees will play in the decision-making process.”
Ellspermann did not return calls from The Star late Monday.But in a prepared statement, she said she was honored to be considered for the Ivy Tech job.
"While I have made the governor aware of this opportunity, this is a decision of the Ivy Tech Board of Trustees," Ellspermann said. "As lieutenant governor I am focused on making Indiana a state that works and improving the lives of Hoosiers.”
According to a senior Pence administration official, Ellspermann was approached during the summer by a member of the Ivy Tech board, who encouraged her to apply for the position. Ellspermann then spoke with Pence and expressed interest in applying, according to the official
News of Ellspermann’s potential departure comes just weeks before Pence is expected to make public his stance on a potential expansion of the state’s civil rights laws for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers.
In September, Ellspermann said she believed that as long as there was a perception that Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act might be used to discriminate, it was important to fix it . . . 
Former Angie’s List CEO Bill Oesterle, who was one of Pence’s top donors until a falling out over RFRA, said “it’s obvious something precipitated a separation.”
“Clearly there were divisions over the handling of RFRA and non-discrimination, and have been for months,” Oesterle said.
Lloyd denied that a disagreement over LGBT rights played a role in Ellspermann’s interest in leaving the ticket.
“I’m not aware of any disagreement they’ve had over that issue,” he said . . . 
Lloyd said Pence is confident he can find someone qualified to fill the position if Ellspermann leaves, but he declined to speculate about possible candidates. Any replacement would have to be confirmed by the Indiana General Assembly . . . 
A reader has also pointed out that Ed Feigenbaum's Indiana Legislative Insight speculated about a rumored job change for Ellspermann into a job in academia. Rumors at that point focused on whether she would take a job opening at Vincennes University back in July. That rumor discussed the possibility that Teresa Lubbers, Commissioner of Higher Ed. would be appointed by Pence as lieutenant governor in a move to head off a primary challenge to Pence led by Bill Oesterle. Lubbers, of course, is very liberal former state senator who only identified with the Republican Party and landed lucrative jobs because she was married to a long-time moderate Republican operative, Mark Lubbers, who made a bunch of money during Daniels' tenure as governor pushing that corrupt, one-sided Rockport coal gasification deal brokered by Gov. Daniels, even while he freelanced as a communications consultant for Daniels' office.

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think Bill knows how to tell the truth about much of anything.

Anonymous said...

If Ellsperman takes this job I wonder what poor sap is going to wind up being LG? If Pence has any brains he should appoint a person who is not a hack. Gary Welsh, Charlie White, Paul Ogden, or Mike Delph would all be excellent choices! The only issue is that why would any of these gentleman take the job? They would just be butting heads with Pence and the State GOP all day long! If he appoints Bill Oesterle than that would be bad!

Gary R. Welsh said...

You have a good sense of humor, anon. 5:32.

Anonymous said...

Bill Oesterle is now a "go to" person for the media when they want backstory on a Pence story, or an rfra story, or a re-election story, or any story about Indiana's reputation and the hits it took from Pence's bigotry against gay people. This will not stop. The Republicans are pushing a terrible non-discrimination bill that corporate Indiana will come out swinging against. And Pence will get slammed again. Because the Republican leadership in the General Assembly doesn't have his back. They want business as usual, which is all about thwarting any progress for gays, and they do it by dirty bill writing. And they don't care the cost. The cost, of course, is Pence's reputation as the national press and corporate leaders just skewer him until he caves and vetoes the bill. Blame Bosma. Pence is like a deer in the headlights. He knows everybody is against him on this, even his own party willing to sacrifice him.

Gary R. Welsh said...

If he wants a real Republican woman serious about doing the right thing, he should consider asking Christine Scales to join the ticket with him.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Pence and GOP lawmakers are being blackmailed over the LGBT rights bill and other matters. Gannett has worked with these folks to develop dossiers on all of them which they will use against them if they don't capitulate. Look at the dirty PR people they have on their side if you doubt me.

Anonymous said...

If Pence's problem is rfra fallout and a looming lgbt non-discrimination law fight, none of these Republicans like Welsh, White, Ogden or Delph will help him a bit. Pence needs a Republican that can work with the Dems on this; that has a track record of support from the gay community, and that has the blessing of corporate Indiana. Why not ask Lilly and Cummins and Indiana University and Purdue who they think would be appropriate. Because if he continues to get advice from the leadership of the General Assembly, or from the guys who were on that stage with him at the rfra signing, then its going to get ugly. If Pence allies himself with a deeply conservative running mate, his poll numbers are going to go down.

Anonymous said...

Blackmail is a strong word Welsh. The General Assembly has a super majority and a conservative Christian governor. The gay community is a paltry 3% of the electorate. From all the moaning and wailing and whining you would think the conservatives are the oppressed, but that's just a popular fundraising whine. The underdog remains gay people who want protection from firing and blatant discrimination by small business, and they'll take their support from wherever it comes. Corporations have their back. And so does every major university in the State. And the media is a mixed bag. Don't kid yourself, there are a lot of Christian conservatives out there that would hang us out to dry. Franklin Graham is practically ready to stone the gays, and there are now half a dozen Focus on the Family type groups that are actively fundraising on that meme. Pence can either soften his tone, or he can enjoy the reputation he deserves. He gets a pass for the first rfra blunder. If he frucks up passing the non-discrimination bill the gay community wants, he's going to pay a heavy price politically. He only beat Gregg by a couple of percentage points. That is not a mandate. His office is on the line. That's not blackmail. Its just reality. There will be no religious exemptions for businesses that don't want to sell me flowers or cakes or accommodations. You can't turn away blacks. And you can't turn away gays. Get used to it.

Anonymous said...

Sue was never popular with the Pence staffers. Most of the grassroots Pence supporters across the state don't like Sue either. She had this superior attitude from being a PHD from Ferdinand. That attitude never played well in places with plenty of successful people. She has this sidekick from Ferdinand named Tonya Brothers-Bridge that she always has around. Tonya was constantly rude and annoying to the people on the campaign. The Pence campaign had to put her in check more than a few times. Sue made Tonya her chief of staff when Pence got elected. Go figure

Pete Boggs said...

Anon 6;23: The ability to say yes or no, is the difference between liberty & tyranny. Lawyers & other professionals don't have to take clients they don't want / can't handle. Smart consumers get free market satisfaction from those who want their business; vs. bullying someone into doing something they don't want to do; stupid on many levels.

The LGBT problem continues to be one of same sex sharia or GayKK radicals focused not on who they love but who they hate: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/20/powerful-homosexual-group-threatens-christian-colleges-universities/

Anonymous said...

It's a shame for Gannnet that Jud McMillan got plastered and sent his videos to everyone on his phone contacts list. I would love to see them twist him in knots! The amount of lobbyists downtown this session is unheard of! Strangely Matt Tully and his Circle Jerk Club are praising Bosma a lot lately!

Anonymous said...

Why is anyone listening to that breeder Oesterle?

Anonymous said...

Sorry Boggs, but you're wrong again: professionals can't turn away blacks because they're black, period. A dentist can look a black person in the eye and turn him away because he's too busy. But not because the dentist doesn't want to serve blacks. And telling that black man that "smart consumers get free market satisfaction from those who want their business" is really kind of a stupid thing to say to someone who has just been discriminatorily insulted. And a black person suing the dentist who told him he didn't believe in serving blacks isn't "bullying someone into doing something they don't want to do." This is just the same old tired arguments they used to give us for why we couldn't serve in the military. "They just don't like you." "Real men can't be expected to shower with gays." "It will be bad for morale." Now we're years down the road, gays serve with pride, and there's no problem at all in the ranks. Military guys consistently poll completely being ok with serving with gays. This is just old Christian farts who will say anything to hurt gays. That Kim Davis is a prime example. She can get married four times, but she thinks she has the right to tell long term gay couples they don't deserve to be married at all; that God doesn't approve of them; to their faces. Somebody should have reached across that counter and bitch slapped her for the things she said. Gays are not going to take your kind of crap much longer, and your church isn't going to provide the protection you need from expressing your hatred and bigotry. We will have the same rights as everyone else, and if you're in a business, you cannot tell me you won't serve me. I thinks its sad that the ones least willing to extend their hand in friendship are the ones who think they know God.

Anonymous said...

Pence has no problems from RFRA. Opponents of RFRA are weak, noisy, shrill, evil, hateful and toothless. All they can do is shriek.

Everyone supports RFRA. All Pence needs to do is act a little like Trump, and smack the whining critics around.

Whoever said "GayKK" above, that's hilarious. The gays own the media, so they are disproportionately loud, but they have no real power or numbers. How many people even follow traditional media, any more?

Pence should hold town hall meetings on RFRA in places like North Vernon and Jasper.

Anonymous said...

6:23, it's funny how you try to put gays and Blacks on the same legal footing. It's not against the Bible to be Black. Some of the greatest Christian leaders have been Black.

Even our strong Black Christian brothers, however, can't force a Christian baker to bake a cake that reads: Only Black Christians Go to Heaven.

That's RFRA. Conscience matters. You can't destroy the right to speech and religion just because you want special made-up recognition.

You seem very angry, but you should restrain your hatred and anger. If you're planning on getting terribly militant about this and are planning violence against men of conscience, you should know that they do not stand alone.

Anonymous said...

"Gays are not going to take your kind of crap much longer, and your church isn't going to provide the protection you need from expressing your hatred and bigotry. "

"This is just old Christian farts who will say anything to hurt gays."

You should like Christ a bit more. The Torah tells us that gays are to be killed upon proof of homosexuality. Simple trial and a simple sentence. No appeals. No twisting the law. Proof, death. Leviticus 18:22, 20:13.

Christ commands tolerance. Christ tells us that vengeance belongs to God, not man. Christ removed adherence to the rituals of the old law.

Imagine if all those believers you insult didn't have Christ and were fundamentalist Torah believers that were required to hold to all the rites and rituals of the Torah. What a very different country we'd be.

Seeing you spit in the face of Christ is really pushing His tolerance and the safety He gives you a bit far.

Anonymous said...

I doubt Bill Oesterle is going to primary Pence. If Pence gets a challenger in the primary it will probably be a token opposition at best. And I don't see Lubbers being picked as LG unless Pence wants to hurt himself more with the GOP grassroots.

Pete Boggs said...

Anon 8:22: You lose, not because of my personal attitudes or feelings, but because you're not empowered to direct those of others or subvert their sovereignty. What magic do you claim that asserts only you or those of a certain ilk have been denied services, etc., due to prejudice? The point is, move on, grow up & understand that not everyone is equally ideal or great to deal with- so you go elsewhere, like most people do. This stuff isn't that hard; unless it's about something else; like political retribution & the pretense of settling scores...

Anonymous said...

You haters gave all the same tired arguments in fighting gay marriage. But for all your efforts, and your attempts to get your bigotry enshrined in the Indiana Constitution, you lost big time, because the U.S. Supreme Court slapped you down. And you ought to be ashamed that it took outside intercession by the supreme court to right your horrible bigotry. Gays will marry. Gays will serve in the army. Gays will gain non discrimination protection nationwide. And you haters you will lose again. Because your religion is hateful, and you do discriminate, and you fight tooth and nail to keep the right to discriminate, and eventually somebody will slap you down. Its just an embarrassment to Indiana. Go die off Your younger generation doesn't hate gays. Just you old losers. Its sad, really. "God doesn't want me to bake a cake for this gay." Its not anything Jesus would say. You just get this crap from your stupid, half illiterate preachers, who are all out sexing up whores anyway. And who are you to judge. You think you can get divorced. Run around with women. Drink. But you have the right to some moral outrage against me. Get real. I'm 6'4'', 224lbs. I have a hot temper. You call me a slur name I'll smash your face. Keep your frucking primitive religious ideas to yourself. You put a sign on your door that says you don't serve gays I'll teach you a lesson good. We'll get our rights the easy way or we'll get our rights the hard way. You religious wackos don't scare us anymore.

LamLawIndy said...

If the LG takes the Ivy Tech job -- which is not a bad gig, BTW -- I think the Guv picks Rep. Stutzman as runningmate. That takes out the strongest opponent (& major northern Indiana opponent) of Rep. Young in the May primary.

Anonymous said...

7:19

That rant was hilarious. Especially the parts about hot temper and face smashing. I imagined a lispy voice saying it and hands bouncing at the ends of limp wrists.

Do you actually think the Supreme Court has any sort of authority? Do you actually think Americans respect the Supreme Court when it usurps Congress and becomes the country's legislative body?

No, all the nine urban liberals on the Supreme Court did was to create an even larger problem for later while increasing the perception that homosexuals are threatening America.

Be careful about spoiling for a fight; you might get it.

Anonymous said...

8:02 doesn't think the Supreme Court has any authority. Kind of a stupid thing to say, isn't it? Since its the ultimate authority. I get a kick out of religious conservatives saying they don't have to follow the law, but they always end up following the law in the end because they don't want contempt fines, so their silly protestations are kind of toothless. And 8:02 imagines gay voices as lispy and hands with limp wrists. That's kind of stupid too. I know at least a dozen gay veterans who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq who came home to Indianapolis after service, and they're seriously tough guy soldiers. Sometimes these straight guys who put down gays are kind of lispy and weak themselves. These focus on the family religious freedom types all look like closet cases; hard to believe there's actually any action with that fat wife.

Bigots are funny. They want religious freedom to be bigots. Why don't they just wear white hoods?

Anonymous said...

And welcome to Indiana!

Pete Boggs said...

Anon 7:19: Your expression is one of incoherent frustration, anti-intellectual vomitribe. We all work with people who won't do what we want or expect them to do, for who knows what reason & guess what- we hire other people. Again, this isn't about civil rights, but barbaric retribution, against those who may disagree with you; as though it will somehow make you "right."

Anonymous said...

Rumor has it that one of the Chicks on the Right will be appointed to serve out the LG term, as they better fit the intellect of the current GOP than PhD Ellsperman. Just not sure if it will be Mock or Daisy. Like totally!

Anonymous said...

One other option: Mayor Ballard. Think about it. He brings plenty of anti-RFRA bonafides, and is very popular in Marion County (despite all the municipal critiques constantly enumerated in this blog) which could help Pence pick up a few desperately needed votes in Indiana's most populated city, he won't have to give up a seat in Congress or the Legislature, would likely want the job, has nothing else to do and could head off a primary challenge to Pence from the RINOs. Not advocating it, just putting it out there.

Anonymous said...

Marlin Stutzman is not going to play second fiddle to Pence. Marlin seems more eager to keep duking it out with people in Washington. Even if he loses the Senate Primary he would be a good choice to run against Donnelly in 2018. Marlin also has built up a decent reputation nationally with conservatives for standing up to the GOP Establishment. Sorry but he is not going to give that up to babysit Mike Pence.

Anonymous said...

IVY Tech is the place where inept and ineffective politician and cronies end up. Conflict of interest since Ivy Tech nurses off the public dollar.

Anonymous said...

How about Bart Peterson? He has a good relationship with the gay community. And as a Lilly VP he brings a lot of corporate access and goodwill. Pence probably hates his politics, but his lieutenant is going to be on a short leash anyway; what harm could he do to Pence. The upside would be a huge boost to Pence's credibility when he says he's not a bigot. Its called putting your money where your mouth is. There aren't many Republicans that will help his ticket. He has to ask himself, where am I really weak, what am I perceived to be doing that's wrong, and how do I fix that by selection of a new running mate. It has to pass the sniff test. And it has to appeal to the national media. He'd better start looking for someone with a gay child or with some real credibility for crossing the aisle to work positively with gay issues. I don't think of this as a Republican or Democrat thing. Its just representing his constituents, half of whom truly support gay marriage and such. And trying to keep himself out of the national news as a laughing stock. If you're like me you're tired of hearing people call us bigots and stupid and backwards. If Pence wants my vote he should assure me he will not humiliate us again.

Proud veteran said...

It has been five years ago today that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed. The sky did not fall. Gays and lesbians serve with distinction in every branch and in every war and conflict zone. They are also moving up the chain of command, both in the military and civilian defense positions.

The former congressman who took a lead role in “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal was confirmed Friday to the No. 2 civilian position in the U.S. Army. Just before adjourning at the end of the year, the U.S. Senate approved Patrick Murphy, who served in the U.S. House from 2007 to 2011, as under secretary of the Army by unanimous consent as part of group of six presidential nominees.

Still pending before the Senate is the nomination of Eric Fanning as Army secretary, who would be the first openly gay person confirmed to the role. Fanning is currently serving as acting Army secretary.

Gay and lesbian service members in the U.S. military will be given protection from discrimination under the military’s equal opportunity policy, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced Tuesday.

For the first time in its straight-laced history, the Pentagon will treat discrimination based on sexual orientation the same as it considers race, religion, color, sex, age and national origin when investigating complaints.
“Recognizing that our openness to diversity is one of the things that [has] allowed us to be the best in the world, we must ensure that everyone who's able and willing to serve has the full and equal opportunity to do so,” he said. “And we must start from a position of inclusivity, not exclusivity.” 

The shift came as the Pentagon celebrated Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month at a ceremony that was broadcast on an internal TV network to U.S. military bases around the world.

The move came nearly four years after the formal end of "don't ask, don't tell," a 17-year-old law that barred gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. If they revealed their sexual orientation, they could be kicked out, according to the law. 

Over the years, thousands of men and women in uniform were expelled. Openly gay civilian employees at the Defense Department faced similar discrimination until 1995 because they often could not obtain security clearances needed to work in national security agencies.

“Young Americans today are more diverse, open and tolerant than past generations,” Carter said. “If we're going to attract the best and brightest among them to contribute to our mission of national defense, we have to ourselves be more open, diverse and tolerant, too.”

Presidential candidate Ben Carson would like to reinstate DADT.

Proud Indiana vet said...

Department of Defense officials confirmed today that the first openly gay female active duty service member was killed in action. According to officials, SAF Major Adrianna Vorderbruggen was killed in Afghanistan on Monday, making her the first openly gay female air force officer killed in action since the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" provisions allowed openly homosexual people to serve. The signing of the repeal happened five years ago today. At least two members of the National Guard who were openly gay women have been killed in action. And an untold number of service members who were open to their friends, but not the military, also have been killed. Vorderbruggen was one of six troops killed yesterday by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle who approached the troops while they were on patrol in eastern Afghanistan.

Anonymous said...

If we're talking about military issues now, will somebody please get Greg Garrison off the air at wibc. You should hear the way he disrespects gay vets, particularly gay combat vets.

two deployments Iraq said...

Since the U.S. went to war in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, about 2.5 million members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and related Reserve and National Guard units have been deployed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, according to Department of Defense data. Of those, more than a third were deployed more than once.

“When I say 2.5 million people have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, jaws drop,” said Paul Rieckhoff, the chief executive officer of the advocacy group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “I know which lines are going to get gasps, and that’s one of them. I don’t think they appreciate how many people have served, and particularly the number who have had repeated deployments. You’ve had an unprecedented demand on a small population. The general public has been incredibly isolated from those who served.”

It is estimated that 4% of active duty servicemen and women deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq wars are gay and lesbian.

Pete Boggs said...

Laughable is the dipster / hipster notion that young people are now somehow more "diverse," the scale for which is biased & arguably bigoted. Bio-diversity is a fact of DNA- cultural diversity is an ephemeral pretense of political fashion or PC marketing.

All preference is at the exclusion of other options; a matter of discrimination & sovereignty, about which this discussion has been / is typical in its dishonesty. Preference doesn't license mistreatment of those with whom we disagree- but the right to associate is also a right to disassociate. See second definition for "discrimination" below:

2. recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another.
"discrimination between right and wrong"

For all those DADT stats Proud Veteran (and thank you, for your service); the military has become increasingly hostile to people of faith; bigotry at odds with the Constitution those in uniform swear to uphold.

Today's Modern Army said...

You're an idiot Boggs; a relic. The military isn't hostile to people of faith. Far from it. There is a rich tapestry of faiths celebrated in the army, and I can only assume the other branches as well. Even Islam is respected and practiced in the service, which is a great equalizer of men, and women in today's modern volunteer army. As far as bigotry goes, I see far more in Indianapolis than I ever did in the service. And there is a new diversity in the military. Why you think that is laughable is a little odd, but we have every color of person, every religion, every sex and sexual preference. Now women will be eligible for every combat assignment. And they say we will soon have trans soldiers after the details are worked out, and I believe it will work. Your first paragraph is nonsense, truly, and your second paragraph is just one more of your arguments for maintaining your horrible status quo of bigotry. We know you want the freedom to disassociate. That freedom is ephemeral. It doesn't really exist in combat. We all have to get along together. Everyone is equal, separated only by rank. You can't refuse to work with a black or gay. You can't refuse to shower with a black or gay. Or woman for that matter. There is no place for discrimination in a modern army, and if you do it too openly, you're out. Just go take a nap old man. You babble on like you have something to say, but you're just an old bigot. We aren't trying to change you. We just wish you'd shut up.

Pete Boggs said...

Today's more Relic Roman than modern Army: Again, this stuff isn't that hard & easy to search: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/04/20/gop-rep-doug-collins-political-correctness-run-amok-in-military/

It's not Christians who want to throw gay friends & family members from rooftops- that would be another religion tied to sharia; hostile to the preferences you describe, including Jews & Christians.

Conflict in the form of disagreement is natural & frequently results in the exercise of one's right to disassociate. We all get the military's mission of working together. However, compelling heterosexuals to share certain facilities with those who have same sex attractions might be unnatural to some people; for the same reason most women don't want to shower with men.

Your arguments are perhaps much older than you're willing to consider or admit. Everyone practices discrimination, you're simply not honest about it; an acknowledgement other than condonation of bigotry or mistreatment. FYI: We're inherently diverse by virtue of our inimitable DNA; save for cloning which has other biological deficiencies as scientists are discovering. FYI II: The military recently acknowledged that standards were lowered for women in special forces, hardly progress consistent with mission: http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/09/11/marines-all-male-combat-squads-perform-better-than-units-with-women/

Anonymous said...

If Gov. Pence dumps Ellspermann for a more conservative Lt. Gov., he will all but guarantee a loss to Gregg. Pence must become more moderate if he hopes to win a second term. Hoosier voters will no longer allow our state to go backwards.

Gary R. Welsh said...

I challenge anyone to prove Pence's record has been any more conservative than Daniels' record. It's all a perception game. He appoints all of the people the Daniels cronies demands he appoints. He hasn't appointed conservative judges to the bench. He has continued the same corporate cronyism policies of Daniels. The only thing you can point to is the RFRA law that has been maligned and misrepresented like no other law in Indiana history.

downtown doc said...

Hey, don't worry Mr. Boggs, nobody is going to make you "associate" with gays against your will. What are you afraid of, anyway. Doctors work in hospitals with people of all sexual preferences, and its all very social. Downtown corporate types work in very diverse, integrated environments. Nobody is discriminating against gays. We like gays. We work closely together. And the guys above were right, gays are very integrated in the military now, and well liked there too. I don't know what your problem is. Maybe social. Maybe psychological. Did somebody get too close to you with their junk or something? You guys that are so worked up...its considered maladjusted. Why don't you just move on with your life and stop blogging against gay people. You're kind of a jerk, and if you worked in most hospitals or corporations or in the military, they'd fire you for it.

Pete Boggs said...

Downtown Doc: Your examination is the brand of misdiagnosis which creates a market for second opinions. For whatever reason, you're struggling beyond necessity. Again, this stuff isn't that hard. Most of us work with people who identify as gay & like other co-workers, some are great to work with & some aren't- you get that right? Sexual orientation is not on par with competence & any such suggestion is patently incompetent; not anti-anything. Maladjusted would be the uninvited / forced association of cultural card check; scripted in the oxymoronic slave tongue of political correctness.

Anonymous said...

Gov. Pence doesn't have to be any more conservative than former Gov. Daniels, it's his level of being conservative as it relates to his constituents. Hoosiers have become less conservative on social issues. Times are changing. And I have argued this before, but RFRA was proven to be exactly what it's critics say it was when he posed with his cast of far-right lobbyist supporters.

Anonymous said...

Oh, we wouldn't want you to have to be politically correct, Boggs. We know you don't want "forced association with gays". We understand you. We've known you all our lives.

Pete Boggs said...

Anon 9:22: The world has known & suffered fascists long before your planet ride began. In the not of one mind or independent thinker category; there are gays who disagree with you, with whom I voluntarily associate & they don't conflate their orientation with the fascism of forced association; vs. voluntary associations natural to the sovereign, exercising & enjoying their liberty. It is my intent to engage you, not to offend you; which if that were my intent- I'd leave no doubt in your mind or anyone reading this.

Anonymous said...

I believe you have this wrong. There is a belief that Ellspermann is dumping Pence. There is consensus that Pence is already lame duck in his first term. Much of his damage control efforts, successful or not, have been focused on RFRA. Coupled with a much maligned party that is lead by Bosma and Young, Pence has little political capital to generate traction for his own agenda. Ellspermann realizes that Pences star has faded considering Pence could have been a viable GOP Presidential option to a radicalized Trump.

Anonymous said...

I read an article that stated the majority of states in the US have community college systems.  I am glad to see that Ivy Tech was made into a community college system and has arranged for credit transfers to 4 year colleges/universities.  If the Ivy Tech community college is having problems with low graduation rates then why can't the state of Indiana study successful community college systems in other states which have acceptable graduation rates and then implement their model here in the state of Indiana with Ivy Tech community college?

Anonymous said...

I read an article that stated the majority of states in the US have community college systems.  I am glad to see that Ivy Tech was made into a community college system and has arranged for credit transfers to 4 year colleges/universities.  If the Ivy Tech community college is having problems with low graduation rates then why can't the state of Indiana study successful community college systems in other states which have acceptable graduation rates and then implement their model here in the state of Indiana with Ivy Tech community college?