Indiana

Political Two For Tuesday

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Two big political news items Becky Skillman is getting out of the race for Governor and Public Safety Director Frank Straub was re-appointed with bi-partisan Council support.   So without further adieu let’s dive into some analysis shall we…

Becky Bows Out

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman this morning told me that it was unexpected surgery in the last couple of weeks played a role in her decision to not run for Governor in 2012.   She did not go into details, but she did describe her health condition as “minor” but still enough to keep her out of the race.   She also told me this morning she spoke to Congressman Mike Pence and the two had a very good conversation.  Skillman had been laying the groundwork for a while for a gubernatorial run.  My sources tell me she had been lining up organization and support.  And her announcement came as a shock to many of her supporters.

With Skillman not getting in, all eyes have now turned to Pence.  While the speculation continues about whether Pence will run for President, I am more convinced that he will run for Governor.  Not only has he also been laying the groundwork for a while for gubernatorial run, but in a Monday speech at a fundraiser he told the audience he was more “Flatrock than Potomac”; a reference to the Flatrock river which runs through his district.  And to make an even stronger point, I argue that Pence will run for Governor because he doesn’t have a choice.

If Pence were to get out of the race, that opens the field to just about anybody and everybody and cause pure political chaos in Indiana’s political landscape.  And it also opens up the field to a credible Democratic challenger.  With Evan Bayh not running, everybody and his mother would give the Governor’s Office a second look.

You can hear my interview with the Lt. Governor below.

Becky Skillman Interview

The Importance of Being Frank

By a vote of 16-13, the Indianapolis City-County Council voted to re-affirm the appointment of Public Safety Director Frank Straub.  Democrats Vernon Brown, Angela Mansfield and Jackie Nytes joined 13 Republicans in voting for Straub.  Meanwhile Republicans Janice McHenry and Christine Scales joined nine Democrats and Libertarian Ed Coleman in voting against Straub.

What was most interesting about this was the dynamics of some of the votes.  For example, Councilor Bob Lutz was a “no” vote until he heard what he labeled as disparaging remarks by the Fraternal Order of Police  regarding the Citizens Review Board and the Brandon Johnson case.  Also, Councilor Jack Sandlin was originally thought to be a “no” vote however he stated that it was time to move the department forward in a new direction.

The “no” votes did not surprise me, however I was a bit puzzled by the votes of the majority of the Black Councilors.  For years, Blacks have complained about the relationship between the community and the police department however they voted “no” against the man who whose policies have been to improve relationships between many of their constituents   and law enforcement.

Overall, the Straub re-appointment is not so much a win for the Mayor nor a loss for the FOP, I do think it is a victory for badly needed reforms which need to happen within the police department.   And since Straub isn’t going anywhere, I think it behooves both he and the FOP to work to together improve the department and both sides will have to adjust their game plan somewhat to make that happen.

That’s all for now.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on December 21, 2010 (boomark / email).