Four months after winning virtually every county and township office, you’d think Marion County Democrats would be euphoric, energized and ready for more gains.
But, despite victories on November 4 and helping power Barack Obama into the White House, local Democrats remain demoralized and paralyzed; still suffering trauma of losing the mayor’s office to Greg Ballard.
Well, let me be a columnist Doctor Phil and tell local Democrats, in no uncertain terms, to snap out of their funk. It’s time Democrats shape up, bulk up and get ready to kick electoral butt in the coming two series of elections.
The first step is for local Democrats to become a forceful, vocal political opposition and challenge decisions of Mayor Ballard.
The mayor is making mistakes right and left.
From ineffectual snow removal, to the obliteration of racial and gender diversity in the police and fire departments, to breaking long standing city policy of buying vehicles from American-owned vehicle makers, to ineptness in handling the Capital Improvement Board funding crisis, to the revelation of over 50 cops working at a scrap metal plant under federal investigation.
Yet City-County Council Democrats are sitting paralyzed.
Oh, add to that the mayor’s stunning, puzzling refusal to meet with President Obama on how to get Indy’s fair share of stimulus cash. Two-thirds of Americans approve of Obama’s actions so far. Yet, Ballard’s standoffishness towards the president and the Obama Administration puzzles some and is seemed an insult by many!
Democrats should be all over the mayor about this and many other issues.
In a year, three critical countywide offices will be up for election and Democrats can win them all.
County Clerk Beth White, whose term started horribly with her botched handling of the May 2007 mayoral primary, rebounded with her exceptional handling of last year’s record turnout election. She’s favored to win a second term.
The problem is with the sheriff and prosecutor’s races.
Sheriff Frank Anderson can’t run again. He wants his deputy Kerry Forrestal to succeed him. But Forrestal’s angling to be appointed by President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder as the next U.S. Marshall. If Forrestal gets that gig, then Democrats won’t have a clear cut successor to Anderson.
The race for Marion County Prosecutor is even more critical.
In 2006, incumbent Prosecutor Carl Brizzi barely won re-election. Melina Kennedy nearly beat Brizzi. But Kennedy doesn’t seemingly want a rematch. Instead she’s one of the legions of Democrats angling to run against Mayor Ballard in 2011.
I’ve talked to scores of Democratic leaders who’re lamenting that they have no clear-cut candidate for prosecutor. The best candidate, former Attorney General candidate Linda Pence, would be superb. But she’s also posturing to become the next U.S. Attorney here.
Equally disturbing in the age of Barack Obama, a Black attorney, is why no Black attorney is seriously thinking about running for prosecutor.
Based on the demographics and electoral politics of Indianapolis/Marion County, a Black attorney who believes in strong law enforcement and prosecution coupled with fairness and compassion would be a strong, strong candidate against Brizzi or any other Republican if Brizzi doesn’t run again.
Yet, Black attorneys are hesitant, some would say timid and scared, to run against any sitting county prosecutor.
Melina Kennedy proved that a strong Republican prosecutor can be challenged. A Black candidate, male or female, could take Brizzi. And definitely anyone else if he doesn’t run.
So, why doesn’t one of our brother or sister attorneys show some Obama backbone and seriously consider running for prosecutor?
What I’m Hearing in the Streets
For the first time in his mayoralty, Greg Ballard met with Democratic legislators and City-County Council members last Friday.
I’m told the meeting was civil. Those at the meeting tell me if the subject was public safety, the mayor seemed on top of it. But on all other subjects, the mayor was timid, hesitant, relying on answers from his staff.
Democrats did confront the mayor with our community’s concerns.
It was a different feeling when Congressman Andre Carson and members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) (except Senator Roland Burris) met with President Obama last Thursday. Carson was pleased with the meeting saying that he “was especially delighted to hear that the president shares the CBC’s vision.” Carson added that the president will be “work(ing) with me in improving the standards of living for families” in Indianapolis.
During the meeting, the president pledged to work with Congressman Carson and the CBC on a wide variety of issues, including appointing more minorities to federal judgeships. This could be good for Indiana since there’s never been a Black federal judge in this state.
The president also hopes to pair administration officials and CBC members to visit their districts explaining how our community can take advantage of the billions in stimulus money.
With President Obama pledging to fight for his budget plans, expect Congressman Carson and the CBC to be on the front lines of that battle against the obstructionism of Congressional Republicans.
And speaking of obstructionism, the position of Gov. Mitch Daniels against obtaining Indiana’s fair share of extra unemployment dollars for Hoosiers is deplorable. With Indiana having one of the highest unemployment rates in the Midwest and the country, and with thousands of Hosiers out of work, Daniels should be showing compassionate conservatism. Not the vindictive conservatism of the Rush Limbaugh wing of the Republican Party.
Gov. Daniels should be spending time fixing Indiana’s unemployment fund deficits. Daniels brags about his balanced budget and surpluses, yet he’s allowed Indiana to be millions in debt to the Obama Administration because Indiana’s unemployment fund is broke and needs a federal bailout, just like the banks.
See ‘ya next week!
Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. You can contact him at (317) 221-0915 or by e-mail at ACBROWN@AOL.COM.
