The 7th Congressional District will present an interesting race of contrasting personalities between 10-year veteran Rep. Julia Carson (D) and successful automobile dealer Eric Dickerson. While both candidates are African-American, the differences end there. Rep. Carson is a dyed-in-the-wool liberal who has held various elected offices dating back over three decades. Dickerson, a veteran and former GM executive, is a self-made businessman.
With strong party backing, Rep. Carson easily vanquished her 4 Democratic opponents, capturing 81% of the vote. Although the first openly gay congressional candidate bankrolled his own campaign to the tune of $200,000, it paid little in the way of dividends. Kris Kiser got just 11% of the vote, costing him nearly $50 per vote.
Dickerson, despite having no official backing from the Republican Party, stomped the GOP-slated candidate Ron Franklin by a greater than 2-1 margin. Dickerson captured 54% of the vote in this 4-way race. Franklin got only 22%, a little better than the 18% of the vote a complete unknown, John Bauer, managed to get.
While the Marion Co. Republican organization looks pathetic after tonight's results, the party is better off because Dickerson is a credible candidate who will run a serious and well-financed race against Carson. Democrats, while pleased with tonight's results, would have preferred to face Franklin. Now they have a real race on their hands.
Democratic Chairman Ed Treacy comes out looking good all around. All of his slated candidates performed as expected. He held all 9 slated judicial candidates, including a seat for his wife, despite an outsider challenge from Karen Celestino-Horseman. Although Celestino-Horseman had strong backing from the GLBT community, it wasn't enough to stop Jose Salinas, who benefitted from Marion Co.'s growing Hispanic population.
Rep. Mike Murphy, the GOP county chairman, gets his own wake-up call. He managed to capture just 60% of the vote against a little-known, under-funded candidate Brian Canter. Tonight's election proves just how far in the past Marion Co.'s once venerable county organization now is.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Walker Slays The Giant Garton
LONGEST SERVING PRESIDENT PRO TEM IN INDIANA HISTORY IS NOW HISTORY
Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton (R-Columbus), first elected to the Senate in 1970, has been defeated by a political unknown, Greg Walker. The Columbus accountant lambasted the 36-year veteran and longest serving President Pro Tem in Indiana history for creating and protecting a health insurance for life legislative perk for lawmakers. The issue played the same way it did in Brent Waltz' (R) upset race two years ago over the long-time powerful Senate Finance Committee Chairman Lawrence Borst with deadly results for the incumbent.
In both the Garton and Borst races, voters in Johnson County played a critical role in the defeat of the powerful incumbents. While Garton ran slightly behind Walker in his home county of Bartholomew, Walker maintained a strong enough lead in Johnson County to lock up a win, causing Garton to concede a short while ago.
Walker enjoyed considerable support from right to life activists. Those same voters helped propel Rep. Woody Burton over challenger Ron West in Johnson County. The spillover effect in the Senate race cannot be discounted. Those same anti-abortion voters voted heavily in favor of Walker over Garton, sealing his defeat.
Walker's win tonight is certain to move the leadership of the Senate further to the right. Former Sen. Dick Thompson, an extremist conservative, is locked in a tight 3-way race with Phil Boots and James Detamore, with Boots on top slightly. Boots appears to have won by a few hundred votes. A win by Thompson would have moved an increasingly conservative caucus dangerously further to the right. Sen. Allen Paul (R) narrowly holds on to his Senate seat after a close one tonight.
Walker's win tonight in no way insures his victory in November. Although the district favors Republicans, Walker will face a very well-respected Columbus attorney, Terry Coriden in the fall. Democrats will no doubt be pouring a lot of resources into this race.
Support for Gov. Daniels' Major Moves appears to have claimed at least one victim tonight. Rep. Mary Kay Budak has been crushed by Tom Dermody, who collected nearly 70% of the vote. Gov. Daniels campaigned for Budak's re-election to no avail. Rep. Don Lehe ekes out a win over challenger Art Anderson. Support of daylight savings time nearly claimed the seat of Rep. Rich McClain. He holds off Rich Eller with 55% of the vote. Rep. Phyllis Pond has beaten back Denny Worman, capturing more than 60% of the vote. Rep. Suzanne Crouch also easily defeated anti-abortion extremist Jon Fulton. Rep. Mike Murpy pulled about 60% of the vote to win over his 2 primary opponents in Marion Co.
While several GOP incumbents had a rough go in today's primary, legislative Democrats appear to have escaped defeat, except for Rep. Colleen Bottorf, who has held her late husband's seat since he died late last year. Sen. Karen Talian easily holds off a challenge from Larry Chubb. Phil GiaQuinta holds on to the House seat he will inherit from his father despite a strong challenge from Geoff Paddock. Rep. Linda Lawson held off a challenge by former Rep. Ron Tabaczynski.
Early Returns Produce Interesting Results
Election night returns are rolling in and here's our early take:
- Senate President Pro Tem is headed for defeat. While Garton is making it a race in his home county of Bartholomew, Walker has a commanding lead in Shelby County which Garton is unable to overcome.
- Sen. Allen Paul had a close one, but has made it passed Bruce Wissel with about 54% of the vote.
- Former Senator Dick Thompson is struggling to regain his old Senate seat. He now has a slight lead over James Detamore in this multi-candidate race.
- Rep. Rich McClain has a lead over his opponent, Rick Eller.
- Rep. Mary Kay Budak is losing by a substantial margin to challenger Tom Dermody.
- Rep. Phyllis Pond has a solid lead over Denny Worman.
- Rep. Don Lehe is struggling with a small lead over Don Anderson.
- Rep. Mike Murphy is capturing 63% in his 3-way race.
- Rep. Woody Burton has a commanding lead over Ron West.
- Rep. Suzanne Crouch is handily beating Jon Fulton.
- Rep. Julia Carson has coasted to renomination with close to 75% of the vote. Kiser is collecting just under 15% of the vote.
- Republican Eric Dickerson has smashed his Republican-slated opponent, Ron Franklin. Dickerson has captured more than 50% of the vote in this 4-way race.
- Democratic judicial candidate William Fatout is the bottom man out in this 12-way race for 9 judicial spots. Jose Salinas, riding the wave of Marion Co.'s growing Hispanic population is the beneficiary. Karen Celestino-Horseman comes up short, along with LilaBerdia Batties. No slated candidates losing in this race.
Stay tuned for more results.
Mary Cheney: Dad Never Had A Problem With Her Being A Lesbian
Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary, is publishing a memoir in which she explains her relationship with her parents and how they reacted to her coming out as a lesbian. Many may be surprised to learn that she came out to her parents while she was still in high school. Matt Drudge reports on the details from an upcoming Vanity Fair article:
It certainly places Dick Cheney in a different light, knowing how accepting and caring he was of his daugther from the very beginning. It also makes a bit of a liar out of her mother. I distinctly remember her mother being interviewed during the presidential race in 2000 and being asked about Mary's lesbianism. Mrs. Cheney became very angry and challenged the interviewer, claiming that Mary had never said she was a lesbian, and that she had no right to suggest Mary was a lesbian. By that point, everyone in the GLBT community had known about it because she had been working in the gay community on behalf of Coors. The interviewer was taken aback by Ms. Cheney's reaction.
What really bothers me is how a politician can place his own selfish political interests ahead of his own child. Cheney has sat by idly while President Bush has allowed Karl Rove to mastermind ballot initiatives all over the country targeting gay marriage as a divisive wedge issue to turn out conservative voters at the expense of gay families.
Cheney is not alone in this department. There is one very long-time serving state senator here in Indiana on the ballot today who has done just that to his own son. He has been in a position to make a big difference, and he's chosen to remain silent. How he sleeps at night knowing this I will never understand.
In her new memoir, NOW IT'S MY TURN(Simon & Schuster/Threshold Editions, 2006), Mary Cheney writes that when she told her parents she was gay, the first words out of her father’s mouth “were exactly the ones that I wanted to hear: ‘You’re my daughter, and I love you, and I just want you to be happy.’”
VANITY FAIR editor Todd Purdum reports that Mary Cheney tells her story in a voice very much like her father’s, and that she came out to her parents when she was a junior in high school, on a day when, after breaking up with her first girlfriend, she skipped school, ran a red light, and crashed the family car. Cheney writes that her mother hugged her, but then burst into tears, worried that she would face a life of pain and prejudice.
When Purdum asks the vice president whether he thinks gay people are born that way, Cheney scrunches up his mouth, fixes him with a look that says “Nice try,” then says: “I’m not going to get into that. Those are deeply personal questions. You can ask.”
Mary Cheney tells Purdum that her father “has very little tolerance for bullshit, pardon my French.” She also says that one common reaction from people who have read the manuscript of her book is “‘Wow, you guys really have this close-knit, loving family,’ and it always strikes me as ‘Yeah, of course we do.’ It was very surprising to me that people would think we didn’t.”
It certainly places Dick Cheney in a different light, knowing how accepting and caring he was of his daugther from the very beginning. It also makes a bit of a liar out of her mother. I distinctly remember her mother being interviewed during the presidential race in 2000 and being asked about Mary's lesbianism. Mrs. Cheney became very angry and challenged the interviewer, claiming that Mary had never said she was a lesbian, and that she had no right to suggest Mary was a lesbian. By that point, everyone in the GLBT community had known about it because she had been working in the gay community on behalf of Coors. The interviewer was taken aback by Ms. Cheney's reaction.
What really bothers me is how a politician can place his own selfish political interests ahead of his own child. Cheney has sat by idly while President Bush has allowed Karl Rove to mastermind ballot initiatives all over the country targeting gay marriage as a divisive wedge issue to turn out conservative voters at the expense of gay families.
Cheney is not alone in this department. There is one very long-time serving state senator here in Indiana on the ballot today who has done just that to his own son. He has been in a position to make a big difference, and he's chosen to remain silent. How he sleeps at night knowing this I will never understand.
SVRS and Voter ID Law Pose No Problem In This Election
For blood-thirsty Democrats in Indiana hoping for total failure of the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) and complications from the state's new voter ID law, today's election turned out to be a big bust. SVRS is "working well" reports AJ Feeney-Ruiz of the Secretary of State Todd Rokita's office. And, save for the little bit of confusion Rep. Julia Carson's congressional ID card caused at her polling place, there have been no major problems reported with the voter ID law according to AJ.
AJ says, "The polling place locator and public portal functions of the system {SVRS} continue to be a huge asset to voters." An early breakdown shows that 4,500 voter searches per hour have been conducted today by election officials. That means that only 35% of SVRS' server capacity is being utilized.
The Secretary of State's office received reports that at least two Marion Co. precincts were not asking voters to present a photo ID as required by the voter ID law. Once county officials were made aware of this, the problem was addressed according to AJ. These were probably precincts where the Marion Co. GOP failed to provide election workers and Democrats had to come up with workers to staff the precincts.
There also hasn't been much to report in the way of election day fraud. The primary complaint thus far has been limited to candidates placing their campaign signs too close to polling places, something that happens every election.
The Star and wire service reports confirm what the Secretary of State's office is reporting for those keeping tabs on us.
AJ says, "The polling place locator and public portal functions of the system {SVRS} continue to be a huge asset to voters." An early breakdown shows that 4,500 voter searches per hour have been conducted today by election officials. That means that only 35% of SVRS' server capacity is being utilized.
The Secretary of State's office received reports that at least two Marion Co. precincts were not asking voters to present a photo ID as required by the voter ID law. Once county officials were made aware of this, the problem was addressed according to AJ. These were probably precincts where the Marion Co. GOP failed to provide election workers and Democrats had to come up with workers to staff the precincts.
There also hasn't been much to report in the way of election day fraud. The primary complaint thus far has been limited to candidates placing their campaign signs too close to polling places, something that happens every election.
The Star and wire service reports confirm what the Secretary of State's office is reporting for those keeping tabs on us.
Could Someone Tell Kiser The Election Is Today?
A field correspondent reports in that you can look far and wide throughout the 7th District today and you won't find any Kris Kiser for Congress yard signs. Our observant correspondent tells us that Kiser's campaign has stacks and stacks of yard signs sitting in his headquarters as we write just waiting to be put to use. Did someone forget the election is today? Or were there simply no takers for the signs?
UPDATE: A caller identifying himself as Rick Sutton, Kiser's campaign manager, tells AI Editor Gary R. Welsh that Kiser yard signs were widely distributed throughout the district by volunteers, and that they had sign coverage near all of the 800 plus precincts in the district, at least until last night's storm and the handy work of Carson supporters came into play. Sutton alleges that Carson supporter Wilson Allen, a well-known gay activist, was caught in the act of destroying a Kiser campaign sign near a precinct at a middle school on E. 10th Street earlier today. Assuming the allegations are true, these sorts of actions on the part of Carson's supporters are entirely unnecessary. Carson can easily claim victory without her supporters resorting to dirty tricks.
UPDATE: A caller identifying himself as Rick Sutton, Kiser's campaign manager, tells AI Editor Gary R. Welsh that Kiser yard signs were widely distributed throughout the district by volunteers, and that they had sign coverage near all of the 800 plus precincts in the district, at least until last night's storm and the handy work of Carson supporters came into play. Sutton alleges that Carson supporter Wilson Allen, a well-known gay activist, was caught in the act of destroying a Kiser campaign sign near a precinct at a middle school on E. 10th Street earlier today. Assuming the allegations are true, these sorts of actions on the part of Carson's supporters are entirely unnecessary. Carson can easily claim victory without her supporters resorting to dirty tricks.
Monday, May 01, 2006
AFA's Clark Blames Gays For Child Molesters
Just when you thought you had heard it all, the American Family Association of Indiana's Micah Clark comes through with another wingnut idea to breed more hatred against gays. This time he's holding gays responsible for sex offenses against children.
Discussing the recent signing of several child protection measures by Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), which were approved this year with the support of the AFAI, Clark explains that the new laws only address half the problem in dealing with sex offenses against children. Clark laments that we have become a "sex-obsessed modern culture culture", and that we have "embraced a code of sexual anarchy which starts with the phrase 'if it feels good, do it' and ends with 'who are you to judge?'" And then he expains the heart of the problem as he sees it. "We pass laws that embrace bisexuality and legitimize homosexuality." He adds, "[U]ntil America takes serious steps to address the poisonous amoral culture we have unleashed upon ourselves, we will continue to have an epidemic of sick people who harm children, regardless of the legal consequences."
Clark doesn't explain that the vast majority of child molesting cases involve heterosexuals, and that many of those cases involve another family member. Instead, Clark deceptively tries to blame the problem on homosexuality as another way of fomenting hatred against gays, just as his Christian hate group does with the gay marriage issue. He would have you to believe that the greatest threat to the "traditional" marriage is gay marriage, even though a majority of all "traditional" marriages end in divorce without any help from gays.
Passing meaningful laws to punish child sex offenders is commendable. But using these efforts as a pretext for attacking homosexuality is reprehensible. Clark shows us all just how disingenuous he and his Christian right friends are when it comes to protecting our children.
Discussing the recent signing of several child protection measures by Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), which were approved this year with the support of the AFAI, Clark explains that the new laws only address half the problem in dealing with sex offenses against children. Clark laments that we have become a "sex-obsessed modern culture culture", and that we have "embraced a code of sexual anarchy which starts with the phrase 'if it feels good, do it' and ends with 'who are you to judge?'" And then he expains the heart of the problem as he sees it. "We pass laws that embrace bisexuality and legitimize homosexuality." He adds, "[U]ntil America takes serious steps to address the poisonous amoral culture we have unleashed upon ourselves, we will continue to have an epidemic of sick people who harm children, regardless of the legal consequences."
Clark doesn't explain that the vast majority of child molesting cases involve heterosexuals, and that many of those cases involve another family member. Instead, Clark deceptively tries to blame the problem on homosexuality as another way of fomenting hatred against gays, just as his Christian hate group does with the gay marriage issue. He would have you to believe that the greatest threat to the "traditional" marriage is gay marriage, even though a majority of all "traditional" marriages end in divorce without any help from gays.
Passing meaningful laws to punish child sex offenders is commendable. But using these efforts as a pretext for attacking homosexuality is reprehensible. Clark shows us all just how disingenuous he and his Christian right friends are when it comes to protecting our children.
Primary Races To Watch
Advance Indiana will be watching results from several key primary races tomorrow to give us a sense of: how strong the anti-incumbent mood is this year; the strength of party endorsement; and the influence of the religious right.
In the race for 7th District Congress, party influence is at stake. On the Democrat side, 10-year veteran Rep. Julia Carson faces 4 primary opponents, including a well-financed, openly gay candidate, Kris Kiser. There is no question that Carson will win the primary; the question is by how much. Given her party support, name recognition and years of service, she should have no problem capturing 75-80% of the primary vote. Carson's ability to turn out votes is legendary. If her vote percentage falls much below that mark, it could be an indication that there is an anti-incumbent sentiment more than an indication of weakness in the Marion Co. Democratic organization.
There are 4 candidates running for 7th District Congress on the Republican side, but only two are serious candidates. The party has slated Ron Franklin, a former city-county councilor with a very troubled past, including a criminal conviction for firing a handgun at a loaded truck of people. Successful automobile dealer Eric Dickerson has mounted an impressive campaign without any official party support. If Dickerson defeats Franklin, this will be a sure sign of the continuing decline of the once-venerable Marion Co. GOP organization.
There are two state senate races on the Republican side we will be watching. The obvious race is Senate President Pro Tem Bob Garton's race against new-comer Greg Walker. While Walker has had some last-minute success in fundraising to mount a direct mail and radio ad attack against Garton for his role in preserving the self-serving health insurance for life legislative perk, it may have been too little too late to make a difference with District 41 voters in the Columbus area. If Garton loses this race, this will insure that the Senate Republicans will move sharply to right in their leadership.
A factor which may aid Walker is the support he is getting from right to life and other religious right groups and the work these groups are doing in an overlapping house district to aid Rep. Woody Burton, who is fighting for his political life against Ron West. A Burton loss to West will likely be attributed to an anti-incumbent sentiment. A Burton win will likely be attributed to his support among the Christian right. If the religious right turns out in big numbers for Burton, that could spell defeat for Garton.
Sen. Allen Paul is facing a very strong challenge from Bruce Wissel. As with Sen. Garton's race, a loss by Paul might signal an anti-incumbent mood among voters.
There are 3 Republican house district races to keep an eye on where incumbments face serious primary opponents. In northern Indiana, Rep. Mary Kay Budak is in a very tough race against Tom Dermody, and Rep. Phyllis Pond faces a challenge from Denny Worman, whose father served in the Senate. In the Evansville area, Rep. Suzanne Crouch faces a challenge from a big pro-life candidate Jonathan Fulton. In each of these races, a loss by the incumbent would move the House Republicans ideologically further to the right, if that is possible. A win by the challengers will be claimed as a win by the Christian right; however, issues such as daylight savings time and Major Moves, two controversial issues in these regions, might say as much about the success or failure of the incumbents.
If you're looking for a race that might be decided on the DST issue, watch the race between Rep. Rich McClain and challenger Richard Eller in the Logansport area. Eller, who was once a McClain supporter, launched his bid against McClain because of his vote for DST. Previously, McClain had taken a position in opposition to DST.
We're not expecting an upset in Rep. Mike Murpy's District 90 race tomorrow against two primary opponents, but we are going to be watching it. He really has just one opponent, Brian Canter; the other candidate was asked by Murphy to run in order to split the votes of anti-incumbent voters. If Murphy manages a win with anything less than 60% of the vote, that will signal a strong anti-incumbent sentiment in Marion Co., as well as an indication of a weakened GOP party. Afterall, Murphy is the county chairman, and if can get party workers to do anything, it should be to get him re-elected.
The only judicial race we will be watching is on the Democratic side for Marion Superior Court. There are 12 candidates, including the 9 slated by the Democratic Party. One of the slated candidates is Becky Pierson-Treacy, wife of county chairman Ed Treacy. Karen Celestino-Horseman, a former city councilor, is mounting a strong outsider campaign against the slate and is getting a lot of support from the GLBT community. The candidates in this race are listed in alphabetical order as are all the races on the ballot, with LilaBerdia Batties listed at the top of the list. She received the lowest rating from the Indianapolis Bar Association, and she was not slated by the party. Being first on a list of candidates this long cannot hurt. This race will be a true test of the strength of the Democratic Party in Marion Co.
In the race for 7th District Congress, party influence is at stake. On the Democrat side, 10-year veteran Rep. Julia Carson faces 4 primary opponents, including a well-financed, openly gay candidate, Kris Kiser. There is no question that Carson will win the primary; the question is by how much. Given her party support, name recognition and years of service, she should have no problem capturing 75-80% of the primary vote. Carson's ability to turn out votes is legendary. If her vote percentage falls much below that mark, it could be an indication that there is an anti-incumbent sentiment more than an indication of weakness in the Marion Co. Democratic organization.
There are 4 candidates running for 7th District Congress on the Republican side, but only two are serious candidates. The party has slated Ron Franklin, a former city-county councilor with a very troubled past, including a criminal conviction for firing a handgun at a loaded truck of people. Successful automobile dealer Eric Dickerson has mounted an impressive campaign without any official party support. If Dickerson defeats Franklin, this will be a sure sign of the continuing decline of the once-venerable Marion Co. GOP organization.
There are two state senate races on the Republican side we will be watching. The obvious race is Senate President Pro Tem Bob Garton's race against new-comer Greg Walker. While Walker has had some last-minute success in fundraising to mount a direct mail and radio ad attack against Garton for his role in preserving the self-serving health insurance for life legislative perk, it may have been too little too late to make a difference with District 41 voters in the Columbus area. If Garton loses this race, this will insure that the Senate Republicans will move sharply to right in their leadership.
A factor which may aid Walker is the support he is getting from right to life and other religious right groups and the work these groups are doing in an overlapping house district to aid Rep. Woody Burton, who is fighting for his political life against Ron West. A Burton loss to West will likely be attributed to an anti-incumbent sentiment. A Burton win will likely be attributed to his support among the Christian right. If the religious right turns out in big numbers for Burton, that could spell defeat for Garton.
Sen. Allen Paul is facing a very strong challenge from Bruce Wissel. As with Sen. Garton's race, a loss by Paul might signal an anti-incumbent mood among voters.
There are 3 Republican house district races to keep an eye on where incumbments face serious primary opponents. In northern Indiana, Rep. Mary Kay Budak is in a very tough race against Tom Dermody, and Rep. Phyllis Pond faces a challenge from Denny Worman, whose father served in the Senate. In the Evansville area, Rep. Suzanne Crouch faces a challenge from a big pro-life candidate Jonathan Fulton. In each of these races, a loss by the incumbent would move the House Republicans ideologically further to the right, if that is possible. A win by the challengers will be claimed as a win by the Christian right; however, issues such as daylight savings time and Major Moves, two controversial issues in these regions, might say as much about the success or failure of the incumbents.
If you're looking for a race that might be decided on the DST issue, watch the race between Rep. Rich McClain and challenger Richard Eller in the Logansport area. Eller, who was once a McClain supporter, launched his bid against McClain because of his vote for DST. Previously, McClain had taken a position in opposition to DST.
We're not expecting an upset in Rep. Mike Murpy's District 90 race tomorrow against two primary opponents, but we are going to be watching it. He really has just one opponent, Brian Canter; the other candidate was asked by Murphy to run in order to split the votes of anti-incumbent voters. If Murphy manages a win with anything less than 60% of the vote, that will signal a strong anti-incumbent sentiment in Marion Co., as well as an indication of a weakened GOP party. Afterall, Murphy is the county chairman, and if can get party workers to do anything, it should be to get him re-elected.
The only judicial race we will be watching is on the Democratic side for Marion Superior Court. There are 12 candidates, including the 9 slated by the Democratic Party. One of the slated candidates is Becky Pierson-Treacy, wife of county chairman Ed Treacy. Karen Celestino-Horseman, a former city councilor, is mounting a strong outsider campaign against the slate and is getting a lot of support from the GLBT community. The candidates in this race are listed in alphabetical order as are all the races on the ballot, with LilaBerdia Batties listed at the top of the list. She received the lowest rating from the Indianapolis Bar Association, and she was not slated by the party. Being first on a list of candidates this long cannot hurt. This race will be a true test of the strength of the Democratic Party in Marion Co.
GLBT Community Should Support Dickerson Over Franklin
For those in the GLBT community in the 7th Congressional District who plan to vote in the Republican primary in Tuesday's election, there is only one good choice for Congress and that is Eric Dickerson. The successful automobile dealer is running against Ron Franklin, a disgraced former city-county councilor.
The Marion Co. GOP slated Franklin to challenge Rep. Julia Carson (D) in this November's election despite his prior conviction for firing a gun a truckload of people and two prior arrests for drug possession. As we previously reported, Franklin is no friend of the GLBT community. In a recorded interview disclosed by radio talk show host Abdul Hakim-Shabazz, Franklin said the Indianapolis city county council was wrong to pass the human rights ordinance, and he said marriage should be between a man and a woman. Franklin also said that "he like[d] it better when they [gays] kept it in the closet."
Dickerson has not exactly come out in favor of gay civil rights, although some views expressed on his website offer some hope. He writes on his website, "While life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness became a cornerstone of Jefferson's famous declaration, they are not guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of rights." He adds, "Lawmakers must protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Dickerson says he "pledges to do just that if elected to Congress."
Many may wonder why it makes any difference who the Republicans nominate because Rep. Carson is heavily favored to win re-election. That, of course, assumes Rep. Carson will be the candidate in November. There continues to be a lot of speculation that Carson may step down before the November election, allowing local Democratic leaders to select a candidate to run in her place. Because we have no idea who that person would be, it is extremely important that voters have a good alternative. Dickerson provides an alternative to that unknown Carson replacement; Ron Franklin does not.
The Marion Co. GOP slated Franklin to challenge Rep. Julia Carson (D) in this November's election despite his prior conviction for firing a gun a truckload of people and two prior arrests for drug possession. As we previously reported, Franklin is no friend of the GLBT community. In a recorded interview disclosed by radio talk show host Abdul Hakim-Shabazz, Franklin said the Indianapolis city county council was wrong to pass the human rights ordinance, and he said marriage should be between a man and a woman. Franklin also said that "he like[d] it better when they [gays] kept it in the closet."
Dickerson has not exactly come out in favor of gay civil rights, although some views expressed on his website offer some hope. He writes on his website, "While life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness became a cornerstone of Jefferson's famous declaration, they are not guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of rights." He adds, "Lawmakers must protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Dickerson says he "pledges to do just that if elected to Congress."
Many may wonder why it makes any difference who the Republicans nominate because Rep. Carson is heavily favored to win re-election. That, of course, assumes Rep. Carson will be the candidate in November. There continues to be a lot of speculation that Carson may step down before the November election, allowing local Democratic leaders to select a candidate to run in her place. Because we have no idea who that person would be, it is extremely important that voters have a good alternative. Dickerson provides an alternative to that unknown Carson replacement; Ron Franklin does not.
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