Indianapolis Star Finally Calls Out House Speaker And Ethic Committee Chairman On Financial Ties To Indy Eleven's Ersal Ozdemir

State House reporters for the Indianapolis Star finally got around to discussing the financial ties House Speaker Brian Bosma and House Ethics Committee Chairman Greg Steuerwald have to Indy Eleven's owner Ersal Ozdemir after Advance Indiana first first broke the story. Speaker Bosma rushed out a conflict letter on February 13, 2015 after Advance Indiana reported that Rep. Steuerwald, an Avon attorney, had been representing Ozdemir and his construction and real estate development businesses in contentious litigation with a former business partner in Hendricks County for the past several years.

Despite that relationship, Steuerwald supported and voted for legislation last year providing for the public financing of a new soccer stadium for Ozdemir's Indy Eleven minor league professional soccer team in downtown Indianapolis. After Advance Indiana reported on Steuerwald's conflict, Bosma fired off a letter to the ethics committee disclosing legal work his law firm had performed for Indy Eleven and requesting to excuse himself from voting on this year's stadium financing legislation, HB 1273. Both Bosma and Steuerwald abstained from voting on HB 1273 when it came up for a vote in the House of Representatives last week on Second and Third Reading.

In today's Star story by Tony Cook and Mark Alesia titled, "Ethical dilemma? House Speaker Brian Bosma has ties to Indy Eleven," Common Cause's Julia Vaughn criticized the timing of Bosma's disclosure, although the story ignores the fact that it was prompted by Advance Indiana's exclusive report, while Bosma defended his actions regarding the matter.

“If it’s going to be meaningful to the process it has to be timely,” Vaughn said. “I think it would have been more transparent if he had put his cards on the table beforehand.”

Bosma defended himself by saying he has never voted on the issue or advocated for it privately.

“I feel like I handled it perfectly correctly with advice from legal counsel on how to do it,” Bosma said. “It was appropriate for me not to make any public statements about it and just to distance myself as much as possible so the normal legislative process could take place.” . . .

Bosma said he works on trademarks, contracts and sponsorship agreements for the team . . .

Bosma said he didn’t try to hide his relationship with the team. He said that last year he privately told Gov. Mike Pence and Senate President Pro Tempore David Long he couldn’t discuss the stadium issue because of his work for the team.

Bosma never publicly disclosed his work for the team until reporters pressed him for an opinion on the measure after Wednesday’s vote. Initially, he said he didn’t have an opinion on the bill. Only when a reporter told him that seemed unlikely did he explain he had done “some work with the team” and has “not been a public or private advocate” for the project.

He later voluntarily provided a copy of his Feb. 13 letter to the House ethics committee, although such letters are not public record.

The Star report also discusses Steuerwald's belated disclosure of his conflict of interest and the fact he voted for the Indy Eleven stadium legislation last year and only abstained this year after Advance Indiana's reporting. Both Bosma and Steuerwald insisted that even tougher ethics rules pushed by them this year didn't require they abstain from voting on the legislation; rather, they did so for appearances sake. "Steuerwald . . .  said the new ethics rules — which include language discouraging “the appearance of impropriety” — were the primary factor in his decision to abstain from voting this year, the Star reported. "That is a higher standard, so even though I had no pecuniary interest, no financial interest in the bill of any kind, I thought it would be best to avoid the appearance of impropriety," he said.

Keystone Construction's vice president, Paul Okeson, assured the Star the hiring of Bosma and Steuerwald by his boss' firm had nothing to do with their roles as state lawmakers.“This is Indianapolis,” Okeson said. "We’re sort of a big small city. It’s perfectly reasonable that at some point you might interact on a business transaction with someone who may be an official at the Statehouse," Okeson said. "But, it’s not like we do that exclusively. It’s not like we look to that for any undue gain. It’s part and parcel of doing business in Indianapolis." "Compared to our total (legal) spending, it’s not a significant amount with either of those two lawyers,” Okeson said." "Okeson said the lawmakers didn’t give advice on the proposed stadium and that the company uses 13 law firms." Okeson assured the Star that Ozdemir did not have any business relationship with other lawmakers. Vaughn told the Star she viewed the hiring of the two lawmakers as "a curious coincidence."

State House Lawmakers And Press Corp Like Crude, Sexual Humor

Indiana Gridiron Dinners have long been known for presenting edgy humor at the annual gala affair where members of the State House press corp, state lawmakers, staff, lobbyists and politicos come together to have plenty of food, drinks and humor for a charitable cause. This year's event dubbed, "Beat The Press," pushed the edgy humor a bit far according to some attendees, One attendee complained about often-repeated crude, sexual references throughout the event.

Produced by former Indiana Democratic Party spokeswoman Jennifer Wagner and emceed by the Indiana Fiscal Policy's John Ketzenberger, the NSFW humor in the minds of some went too far over the edge. The state's legislative leaders played along with two back-to-back skits titled, "Dicks On The Left" and "Dicks On The Right." Just in case you were too dense to pick up on the double entendre references, visual references on the large screen of "dicks and balls" helped point the way.

A funny and self-deprecating video recorded by Gov. Mike Pence got high marks, making up for his aborted JustIn state news service that failed to amuse the State House press corp who saw his move as an affront to the beat. State Rep. Ed DeLaney and Ketzenberger poked fun at Pence's failed effort as the Pence News Service, or as they preferred to call it, "PNS." Get it? Hah hah. And if you're going to select music to play, what's better than AC/DC's "Big Balls"?

The lawmaker hit with the lowest blow was State Sen. Brent Waltz, who was likened to former Olympic gold medalist-turned reality TV show star Bruce Jenner of Kartrashian fame, who is now launching a new show documenting his transition from the male to female gender. Terre Haute lawyer Jim Bopp was a little more than red-faced when radio talk show host Abdul-Hakim Shabazz suggested his former client, ex-Secretary of State Charlie White, should go over to Bopp's table and pay his "f_ _ _ ing bill." That one didn't get many laughs.

Do not heckle the executive producer. Your free wine will disappear. #BeatThePress
— Indiana Gridiron (@IndianaGridiron) March 3, 2015

Best @IndianaGridiron in years ..well done!
— Kip Tew (@kiptew) March 4, 2015

@LWeidenbener you did great! So did @shellawish @tomlobianco and @AttyAbdul - nice cameos from the #INLegis #reporters @IndianaGridiron!
— Tory Flynn (@ToryFlynn) March 4, 2015

You know it was a good @IndianaGridiron dinner when the only person complaining is an irrelevant wingnut blogger.
— Jennifer Wagner (@JenniferAWagner) March 5, 2015

Ballard Administration Justifies Giving Away Old City Hall Building With Millions In Public Financing: It's A Drain On The City

The Indianapolis Star finally got around to discussing the cost behind the Ballard administration's latest crony capitalism plan to redevelop the old City Hall development. At least half of the $55 million plan to redevelop the iconic building and adjacent parking lot into a boutique hotel will come from a mix of public financing. A Ballard administration says the public investment is justified because the property has "become a drain on the city." The Star's John Russell writes sympathetically, of course, of the public give-away:

. . . But the company wants a basketful of government help: a $11.3 million federal loan, $4 million in federal historic tax credits and $9.1 million in city-backed loans over 20 years.

The last part would require the city to pay about $645,000 a year for the first two years from the city's Downtown tax increment financing to cover issuance cost and debt service. After construction is complete, plans call for the company to repay all of the city funds.

The city would continue to own the old City Hall building and lease it for $1 a year to 21c Museum Hotels.

Adam Thies, director of the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, said 21c typically seeks a wide assortment of public financing. He said the incentives requested for this project are in the middle of the pack, compared to several other locations.

"I didn't want to be taken for a ride," Thies told the commission.

He said the project is the best option for the old building. He described it as a drain on the city, costing up to $100,000 a year to operate. Repairs would cost the city about $13 million.

Founded in 2006, 21c operates three boutique hotels in Louisville, Cincinnati and Bentonville, Ark. It plans to open two others this year in Durham, N.C. and Lexington, Ky.

One has to wonder what it takes before we reach the tipping point, and the public wakes up to the fact that their current mayor has given away valuable city assets and public incentives that will cost the city billions of dollars over the next several decades during his two terms as mayor. Why this man isn't in a federal prison is beyond belief. Someone needs to school Mr. Thies on who the real drain on the city has been for the past eight years. Even more tragic is the large number of folks who should have been blowing the whistle somewhere along the way who have remained silent, or  who have been complicit or active co-conspirators in this unprecedented theft of public assets.

Prosecutors Get Dream Jury In Boston

The list of jurors as described by the media in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev doesn't bode well for the accused Boston Marathon bomber. A male juror worked at the same hospital where victims of the bomb were taken. Another retired male communications worker was a victim of arson and an attempted house explosion by dynamite. There's an air traffic controller for the U.S. Coast Guard. A retired female juror lost a family member in the World Trade Center terrorist attack on 9/11. One female juror was a college roommate of an immigration attorney now working for the Department of Homeland Security. Another female juror's son was an intern for the U.S. Marshal's service. Other jurors admitted to donating to victim funds or donning "Boston Strong" t-shirts to show support for the prosecution. A lone former Muslim on the jury, who is a psychology major, said he would have no trouble ordering Tsarnaev executed because he thinks it would be "merciful." Is there a point in conducting a trial?

WhoWhatWhy's Russ Baker, who is watching the trial proceedings, laments the fact that Tsarnaev's government-appointed attorney is not even questioning the government's narrative in her opening statements, which is full of holes. She just wants jurors to believe the brother the government killed so he wouldn't get a trial just led his younger brother around by the nose. Tsarnaev's lead attorney is Judy Clarke, the same attorney who was assigned to represent Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, the MK-Ultra mind control victim, and Zacarias Moussaoui, the supposed 20th 9/11 hijacker who missed out on the action because he got picked up on an immigration violation days before the attack.

What kind of trial is it when neither side asks the deeper questions? Feels like old soviet justice system. #tsarnaev
— Russ Baker (@RealRussBaker) March 4, 2015

As we predicted @whowhatwhy, defense never questioned any of the claimed facts...totally focused on minimizing Dzhokhar punishment
— Russ Baker (@RealRussBaker) March 4, 2015

Juror 83, male
The psychology major said his college education is on pause for financial reasons. He said his mother is Iranian and a former Muslim. He said he'd be comfortable ordering Tsarnaev executed because, "I think it would be merciful if you believe in an afterlife."

Juror 102, female
A cake artist and former emergency room nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton said she and her boyfriend gave up their apartment to buy an RV for a cross-country adventure, but she was willing to live in the RV if chosen for jury duty. "I didn't know what his name was until the court summonsed me here," she said of Tsarnaev.

Juror 480, male
The telecommunications engineer for Partners Healthcare said, "You could feel a buzz that something had happened" as victims from the marathon bombing were being brought into Massachusetts General Hospital, where he works. "We knew there was a bombing. We knew there were a lot of injured people."

Juror 552, male
The retired telecommunications worker claims to be a victim of arson and an attempted house explosion by dynamite. He said he "wanted to do my civic duty, but I didn't necessarily want to do it this way."

Juror 567, male
The air traffic controller for the U.S. Coast Guard at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod said local media and talk radio is "pretty slanted and full of politics." On watching the bombing coverage and wondering what fate awaited the suspect, he said, "I would not want to be that guy."

Juror 598, male
This self-employed house painter said he fears the planet will eventually be under water. Of the case, he said, "All that matters to me is there are two sides to every story."

Juror 35, male
The price analyst for the state Department of Energy Resources said the war on terror has been "overblown" by the media, but he still attended a fundraiser for and donated $75 to One Fund Boston to benefit victims of the marathon attack. "I've committed myself to make a decision on all the evidence provided in this case," he added.

Juror 41, female
The senior executive assistant for EMC Corp. in Hopkinton said she knows a lot of people in law enforcement. "Sometimes I try not to listen to the news because it's too depressing," she said.

Juror 138, male
A municipal water department worker whose son was an intern for the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington, D.C., said, "The death penalty seems sometimes like it could be the easy way out."

Juror 229, female
A former North Shore social worker who has worked with domestic abuse victims, as well as youth with behavioral issues, said a former college roommate is an immigration attorney for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She added she left her job to raise her children.

Juror 286, female
The restaurant general manager in charge of a staff of 50 said she attracted finger-pointing and supportive comments at Disney World by wearing a "Boston Strong" T-shirt. "Maybe it sounds selfish," she said, "but if it doesn't apply to me, I don't give it much thought."

Juror 349, female
When the bombings occurred April 15, 2013, this women's clothing product development worker was at the hospital bedside of her brother in New York City as he underwent brain surgery. "Is the media watching me right now?" she asked.

Juror 395, female
An executive assistant to a managing partner of a law firm's corporate division said she could keep an open mind -- but it has put her at odds with her husband's opinion of Tsarnaev. "For me there are different degrees of guilt," she said, "and I don't know where this falls."

Juror 441, male
The unemployed auditor who admitted he recently lost his job over a question of his productivity, said, "I could vote not guilty."

Juror 487, female
The single mother of four, including twin boys, who works at a high school said, "Mr. Tsarnaev was a child, also, during this."

Juror 588, female
She sells digital gadgets for Barnes & Noble and said she does not trust press reports on the seriousness of the war on terror. As for why she can be objective about sentencing Tsarnaev to death, "I can't ignore it because I don't like it."

Juror 608, female
The retired actuary's husband lost a family member in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack on New York's World Trade Center. "I'm a mathematician," she said of her occupation.

Juror 638, female
A supervisor for the state Department of Developmental Services said she is so devoted to her work and clients she barely had time to pay attention to the bombings. On whether she has time to serve, "As long as I get my mileage back I'm good to go."

UPDATE: The prosecution brought in Carlos Arredondo, the cowboy hero, to sit in the courtroom packed with his fellow victims crisis actors . Here's Betsy McGee's video tribute to Carlos.



Since Tsarnaev's attorney told jurors in her opening statement that her client did it, you should take the time to see this in-depth analysis of what he supposedly did by setting off those "bombs." If you don't wonder what the hell is going on in this country after watching this video to the end, you're a lost cause for what little remains of humanity on this planet.

Ruth Holladay: Star's Daily Circulation Plunges Below 100,000

Former Indianapolis Star columnist Ruth Holladay has a stunning circulation figure for the Gannett-owned newspaper over at her blog. According to Holladay's source, the Star's daily circulation figure has plunged to just 97,000. "We used to run 200,000 daily, 400,000 Sunday," Holladay writes. "Those days are long gone," she adds. It probably doesn't help that the newspaper has abandoned hard news coverage and good old fashion investigative journalism in favor of sports and entertainment and a bunch of fluff with an insert from the USA Today tossed in to fill up a daily newspaper that is a fraction of what it once was.

FBI Claim It Had Video Of Accused Boston Marathon Bomber Placing Bomb Untrue

When FBI Special Agent In Charge Richard DesLauriers stood before cameras at a live nationally- broadcasted press conference and announced the FBI had narrowed its search to just two individuals the law enforcement agency suspected of planting the two "bombs" detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, he made a very incriminating statement regarding the evidence against Suspect No. 2, the unarmed man later arrested during a one-sided shootout by police who is now standing trial in a Boston federal court room for the terrorist act after surviving near fatal wounds inflicted upon him during his capture. Agent DesLauriers specifically claimed the video evidence obtained by the FBI showed Dzhokhar Tsarnaev setting down a backpack near the site of the second explosion.

Today, we are enlisting the public's help in identifying the two suspects. After a very detailed analysis of photo, video and other evidence, we are releasing photos of these two suspects. They are identified as Suspect 1 and Suspect 2. They appear to be associated. Suspect 1 is wearing a dark hat. Suspect 2 is wearing a white hat. Suspect 2 set down a backpack at the site of the second explosion just in front of the Forum restaurant . . . We have photos of the suspects. The photos and videos are posted for the public and media to use, review and publicize. For clarity, these images should be the only ones, and I emphasize the only ones, the public should view to assist us. Other photos should not be deemed credible, and they unnecessarily divert the public's attention in the wrong direction and create undo work for vital law enforcement resources . For more than 100 years the FBI has relied upon the public to be its eyes and its ears. With the media's help, in an instant these images will be delivered into the hands of millions around the world. we know the public will play a critical role . . . someone out there knows these individuals as friends, neighbors, co-workers or family members of the suspect . .. the nation is counting on those with information to come forward and provide it to us . . . 

As opening statements begin in Tsarnaev's trial in Boston tomorrow, we learn for the first time that Agent DeLauriers' claim that Tsarnaev was captured on camera placing a backpack at the site of the second explosion was not true. No such video ever existed. Agent DesLauriers will not be testifying at Tsarnaev's trial, but the prosecution planned to let him testify by playing his live press conference during the accused's trial. During a pre-trial hearing yesterday, Tsarnaev's attorneys argued the press conference should be excluded from evidence because the video footage DesLauriers described at the press conference doesn't really exist. The prosecutors reacted by saying they would edit the press conference video footage to remove DesLauriers untrue statements. Who What Why describes this major late-breaking development that is being ignored by the mainstream media covering the trial:

What do former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, an appeals court justice, several potential members of the Boston Marathon bombing jury and thousands of regular Americans have in common?

They all believe that they’ve seen a video of accused bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev dropping a deadly backpack behind victims at the marathon on April 15, 2013—a video his defense said “does NOT actually exist.”

In a pre-trial hearing yesterday, Tsarnaev defense attorney David Bruck argued that the April 18, 2013, press conference in which former Boston FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers identified the brothers should be excluded from evidence. That, he argued, is because the FBI agent described the video footage that doesn’t really exist, which subsequently was used to convict Tsarnaev in the media.  

U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole ordered the defense and prosecution to edit the recording of DesLauriers’ press conference in a manner satisfactory to both sides. He reserved the right to rule on the defense’s motion to suppress the entire recording if the two sides can’t agree.

So what else was the FBI lying about? They were lying about plenty. DesLauriers boasted about the quality of the video images they had of the two suspects, both of whose images were contained in government databases because they were recent immigrants to the country. The FBI had at its disposal sophisticated face recognition software that could have easily identified the suspects with the photo images the government had in its vast database from their immigrant files. Instead of using that technology, the FBI enlisted the public's help in identifying them knowing that many family, friends, acquaintances and the victims themselves would recognize their images. Moreover, the government knew their uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, who helped the brothers and their parents emigrate to this country, had a long-standing relationship with the CIA and had been married to the daughter of a former high-ranking CIA officer, Graham Fuller. Why create a public frenzy to find and capture two suspects the FBI should have been able to quickly track down in a discrete fashion without endangering the public by making the suspects desperate like cornered rats?

At the same time the FBI agent lies to the American public about video footage implicating Tsarnaev and his brother, Agent DesLauriers tells the public not to focus on any other suspects, and to help the FBI in identifying only these two suspects. That brings up the next big lie. The FBI already knew who the Tsarnaev brothers were because they had been monitoring them prior to the bombings, had been warned about them by the Russians and had interviewed them on several occasions. The evidence that these two brothers were nothing more than mere patsies in this entirely manufactured terrorist event is overwhelming. Yet Tsarnaev was long ago tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, rendering it next to impossible for him to obtain a fair trial in the Boston courtroom where his trial begins tomorrow. That's to say nothing about the heavy-handed tactics the FBI employed against all friends and associates of the Tsarnaev brothers to ensure nobody would be available to testify in their defense, including his older brother, the supposed mastermind of the bombings who somehow wound up dead after being arrested and taken alive after an alleged shootout with police. The indifference of the media and the American public to the injustice playing out in Boston is quite troubling to say the least.

House Speaker Notified Ethics Committee Of Indy Eleven Conflict After Advance Indiana Reported On Ethics Committee Chairman's Conflict

After Advance Indiana exclusively reported that State Rep. Greg Steuerwald (R-Avon, Chairman of the House Ethics Committee and Assistant Republican Caucus Leader, had been representing Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir and several of his real estate construction and development companies for several years in contentious litigation with a former business partner being heard in the Hendricks Superior Court, House Speaker Brian Bosma penned a letter to Steuerwald and the ranking minority member of the House ethics committee, State Rep. Clyde Kersey (D-Terre Haute), advising the Ethics Committee of his intent to recuse himself from participating in legislative action on HB 1273.

HB 1273, authored by State Rep. Todd Huston (R-Fishers), provides enabling legislation to allow for the public financing by the Capital Improvement Board of a new $83 million soccer stadium for Ozdemir's Indy Eleven minor league soccer team in downtown Indianapolis. Bosma's letter is dated February 13, 2015, the same day Advance Indiana first reported on Steuerwald's conflict of interest, noting he had supported and voted on soccer stadium legislation passed by the House last year which ultimately died in the Senate. Bosma wrote in his letter:

I am writing to inform you that the Indy Eleven soccer team, which is currently advocating for the passage of HB 1273, is a client of the law firm of Kroger, Gardis & Regis, LLP, where I am a partner. Although I do not believe that I have a direct personal or pecuniary financial interest in HB 1273 under the House Rules, it is in the best interests of the House of Representatives if I do not participate in proceedings regarding the bill. Therefore, I do not intend to preside when the bill is on Second Reading or Third Reading, and I will asked to be excused from voting.

I have carefully considered this course of action and believe it is necessary to safeguard the public's trust in the Indiana House of Representatives. Thank you for your attention to this matter.  

Bosma's February 13 letter did not give the impression he was personally performing the legal work for the Indy Eleven. Yet a report by the Indianapolis Star the same day HB 1273 passed the House by a wide margin without Bosma or Steuerwald's participation, which only mentioned in passing Bosma's first disclosure of his conflict of interest, gave the impression Bosma had been directly involved in that legal work. "He disclosed after the vote that he had done legal work for the Indy Eleven and has remained neutral," the Star reported "That work involved trademarks and contract negotiations." "I don't have an (ownership) interest in it," Bosma said. "Honestly, I'm just trying to set the example for others and felt it was appropriate for me to file a letter (with the House ethics committee) and be excused." State House media reports ignored the fact that Steuerwald had also risen on Second and Third reading of HB 1273 asking to be excused from voting. The presiding officer asked Rep. Steuerwald to put his request in writing before allowing him be excused from voting on HB 1273.

The House Republicans began this year's legislative session announcing tougher ethics rules to help remove the cloud hanging over the legislative body following disclosure of former State Rep. Eric Turner's active lobbying of colleagues during last year's legislative session on legislation that would have negatively impacted his family's nursing home business. A key change in a new ethics code covering House members' conduct requires them not to vote on or sponsor legislation in which they have a personal financial interest, along with not carrying out any public or private advocacy on such issues. "That is a very high standard," Steuerwald said in commenting on the new ethics code. "It began as a judicial standard and has slowly incorporated itself for lawyers and now we have put that standard here for the House members."

UPDATE: It's worth noting that Bosma released his letter to the media only hours before the State House press corp joined state lawmakers and lobbyists they're supposed to be covering for a night of partying at their annual Indiana Gridiron dinner where they put on full display out of the public's view just how incestuously close they've become to the subjects the public relies upon them to report honestly upon.

Petraeus Cops Plea For Sharing Classified Documents With Mistress, Avoids Jail Time

General David Petraeus, former CIA Director and allied commander in Afghanistan, has agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified documents and avoid jail time altogether while serving two years of probation and facing a fine of $40,000. The plea agreement is sweet for the former top spy given the seriousness of his admitted wrongdoing--retaining a black book of top secret documents after leaving his post in Afghanistan and sharing them with his biographer and mistress, Paula Broadwell. This same government wants to lock up NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden in prison for life, or even worse. The Petraeus prosecution seems to have been more about keeping him in his place as opposed to meting out justice for the crimes he committed.

Illinois' Republican Senator Warns Chicago Will Become Detroit If Emanuel Is Not Re-Elected

It's very difficult sometimes to differentiate Republicans from Democrats in Illinois. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Sen. Mark Kirk, a Republican, is warning Chicago voters that Chicago could follow Detroit into bankruptcy unless the city's voters re-elect the Democratic incumbent mayor, Rahm Emanuel, who did everything he could to defeat Kirk and elect his pal, Alexi Giannoulias, in his very narrow 2010 election win. Sen. Kirk told the Sun-Times that Emanuel's opponent, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, lacked the "gravitas with the bond market" to protect the city from going into bankruptcy.

"Rahm’s re-election is essential to maintaining the value of Chicago’s debt market. We need a strong capable leader… I would worry about the value of the Chicago debt if Rahm was not re-elected…. It’s a concern if we have some of the less responsible people running against him," Kirk said. 

"None of them could command the respect of the bond market. A collapse of Chicago debt, which already happened with Detroit, I think would soon follow if somebody who was really inexperienced and irresponsible replaced Rahm."

A sensitive person might interpret Kirk's comments as a bit racist given that Emanuel is Jewish and Garcia is Hispanic. Emanuel's opponent dismissed Kirk's comments as "partisan politics." In theory, Chicago mayoral candidates run for office in a non-partisan election, although their campaigns are clearly organized along party lines. Chicago is a one-party town where Republicans rarely win election to office. Kirk's comments come as a newly-released poll shows Emanuel in a dead heat with Garcia. The Ogden & Fry poll shows Emanuel leading Garcia by a small margin of 42.9% to 38.5%. The pollster warned that the poll likely under counts Garcia's support, particularly among Hispanic voters.