Sadly, the Onion says it all.

Thanks to the Twitter crew for the link ... while it may be true that any district in any other state of the union would be as apt, this article captures the very essence of what passes for campaigning, hereabouts. Breathtaking. Really.

Yard Sign With Candidate's Name On It Electrifies Congressional Race

Rep. Baron Hill belongs to the House Small Brewers Caucus. He is encouraged to support H.R. 4278, too.

I may have written this previously, but if not: Alone among Indiana's delegation in the House of Representatives, Baron Hill (9th district) has signed on as a member of the House Small Brewers Caucus.

Thanks to Rep. Hill for doing so.

However, not one Indiana member of the House has yet declared co-sponsorship of H.R. 4278 (excise tax reduction legislation).

H.R. 4278 is the result of months of intensive effort on the part of Representatives Richard Neal (Massachusetts, 2nd District) and Kevin Brady (Texas, 8th District), individual Brewers Association (BA) member breweries and BA staff to ensure American small brewers are given the best chance to remain strong and competitive.

Representative John Yarmuth (Kentucky, 3rd District) recently climbed on board.

I encourage Rep. Hill to do so.

Baron Hill visits New Albany.

Hill impressed with downtown New Albany, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune).

Photo credit: MK

Do it to us one more time: Hill vs. Hot Wheels, coming to a vomitorium near you.

From the C-J, and for the dreary, annoying record.

Sodrel to run for Congress again; will face GOP rivals

Discuss if you wish. Personally, I cannot understand any conceivable benefit to the regional GOP of having Sodrel once again delay the development of younger, more capable candidates, but if that's what it takes to drive another stake through his political heart, then so be it.

Open thread: In the 9th, Hill vs. Sodrel IV enlivened by the Libertarian.

Only a handful of days remain until the conclusion of a seemingly endless political campaign that surely must have started in 2002 … and, in fact, did.

That’s when Mike Sodrel challenged Baron Hill for the first time, and lost, setting the stage for a successful rematch, then another loss, and now a fourth effort. In the end, there have been enough sequels to embarrass even Rocky Balboa.

Considering the Libertarian candidate Eric Schansberg's second 9th district bid, my personal 9th district electoral strategy remains as it was in 2006, when I gleefully paraphrased Abraham Lincoln:

"If I could vote for Hill to beat Sodrel I would do it and if I could vote for Schansberg to beat Sodrel I would do it and if I could leave all of them alone and skip the election to beat Sodrel I would do that. The thing is to beat Sodrel.”

Two recent NAC articles considered a few of the angles:

Indiana's 9th district contest: A million miles on a set of retreads? Are you kidding?

Schansberg: " ... Nose-holders in both parties now have an option which would allow them to sleep better at night."

Granted, we may already have beaten this one to death, but comments are welcomed just in case.

ELECTION Q&A: U.S. Congress 9th District (New Albany Tribune)

Baron Hill for Congress (D - incumbent)
Mike Sodrel for Congress (R)
Eric Schansberg for Congress (L)

Indiana's 9th district contest: A million miles on a set of retreads? Are you kidding?

If you happen to be reading from afar, be aware that my blog and I both reside in Indiana’s 9th congressional district, which for much of my life – 34 years, to be exact – was represented by Lee Hamilton, a Democrat.

When Hamilton retired in 1999, he was succeeded by Baron Hill, also a Democrat, but one that cannot be identified with the party’s liberal wing.

(Excuse me if I err in taking for granted that such a beast even exists in the American two-party, non-genuine-choice system.)

Hill served two congressional terms before being defeated by Republican Mike Sodrel in 2004. Sodrel, a trucking magnate, actually lives just outside New Albany, a fact that is largely meaningless, but one that I diligently report in an effort to find something favorable to write about the mercifully short-lived political phenomenon of Sodrelism.

In truth, when it comes to Sodrel’s unapologetically Falangist political orientation, there is very little positive to say. During his two years on Capitol Hill, Sodrel’s fawning fealty to the miserably failed George W. Bush bordered on the pathological. With no visible prompting, he could be counted on to prostrate himself before King George in what amounted to an unappetizing display of groveling reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire at its zenith.

Sodrel’s running yet again, and I see that the man dubbed by his foes as “Millionaire Mike” is selling himself (no puns, please) as “Million Mile” Mike in his recent television ads.

Considering Sodrel’s numerous previous bids for the seat, why not “Million Yawn Mike”?

I prefer “A Million Votes with the Discredited Bush Mike.”

Or, to recognize the storybook rags to riches to sags tale: “Million Mile Farce” to Washington … and back again.

As is the case with John McCain, Sodrel and by far the very worst president in American history – a graveside giggle by Warren G. Harding is permitted at this juncture – have been politically joined at the hip in ways that right-wingers would decry as blatantly pornographic if all involved were San Franciscans wearing leather and chains.

Did Sodrel vote against the interests of W even once during his appropriately shrunken congressional tenure? Perhaps, but the percentage of agreement surely exceeded 95% – and that’s roughly 90% too often.

What I don’t understand is why the GOP is not considering longer-term electoral interests in this race. Not that I want a theocratic Republican to win, but can any of our resident pachyderm apologists explain the tactical wisdom of Sodrel’s latest bid for Congress?

Perhaps Sodrel hasn’t yet pole vaulted past the suggested sell-by date as obviously as McCain has, though he’s rapidly gaining ground in the competition to be chronologically irrelevant. So, is the party just buying time by running a putrefying political retread in a season when the electoral (read: economic) climate probably is not conducive?

But why not let a “next generation” candidate get his or her feet wet this time, then be infinitely better placed to contest the seat in 2010?

Hill should win, and that’s good enough, even if it isn’t as good as it might be. The persistent problem for progressives in this moribund district is that Hill must always lean center-right to remain viable in a constituency that merrily views Attila the Hun as a flaming liberal.

Hill’s name came up in conversation recently, and I was asked, “Do you like him?”

My response: “I like him way more than Sodrel.”

Still, the fact that local Republicans regard Hill as Nancy Pelosi’s illegitimate sibling remains reason enough to reelect him, enthusiastically or otherwise.

I might add that I genuinely respect Eric Schansberg, the soon-to-be perennial 9th district Libertarian candidate, and find his views far more palatable than Sodrel’s. As a third party nominee, the educator and economist has the luxury to gleefully dissect the positions of both major party bidders.

Unfortunately, Schansberg’s fundamentalist religious orientation (in particular, a strident anti-abortion stance) effectively dissuades me from supporting him even if his presence in the race immeasurably enlivens the economic debate.

His isn’t so much an endorsement as a preference expressed with palpable resignation, and so I’ll be voting for Hill. I’ll continue to read Schansberg’s blogs and wish him further success in academia. Sodrel should retire from politics and focus on the family business, and the GOP should find someone younger and more capable.

Gee, thanks for asking.

Open thread: Baron Hill's endorsement of Barack Obama - yea or nay?

Late bulletin: The Green Mouse is reporting that former city council powerbroker (powerbooter?) Larry "King Larry" Kochert has informed Baron Hill's staff that the congressman's endorsement of Barack Obama has cost Hill the support of Kochert, and furthermore, the retired grimace will seek to bring his powerful political legions to bear against Hill. Wise move on Hill's part after all, wouldn't you say?

As we count the hours until the merciful conclusion of yet another Derby season, next week's primary draws ever closer, and to my mind, the most surprising thing that happened this week on the Indiana political front was 9th district congressman (and Democratic superdelegate) Baron Hill's endorsement of Barack Obama for president.

While I'm content to see our representative take a stand, it strikes me as somehow odd that the perpetually cuatious Hill didn't wait out the process, and I'm also afraid that the endorsement might hurt him in his fall re-election campaign against Mike "Hot Wheels" Sodrel.

Thoughts?

Durbin effusive, Hill mum at Obama rally in New Albany.

Senator Richard "Dick" Durbin (D-IL) and our own Representative Baron Hill (D-IN) spoke at Barack Obama's New Albany headquarters earlier today.


Sen. Durbin made a strong case for his colleague, while Rep. Hill was conspicuously careful not to say anything that might be construed as an endorsement either Obama or his opponent, Senator Hillary Clinton.

That's okay ... for now. I'll still vote against Mike "Hot Wheels" Sodrel when the magical time comes to reduce the number of Republicans in Congress.

Here are some more photos from the event today. First is Megan Maher, the local Obama coordinator; second, city councilmen Pat McLaughlin and John Gonder showing their Obama stripes; and finally, the front of the Parthenon.

Harvest Homecoming scene at Bistro New Albany.

Rep. Baron Hill (D-9th) greets members of his fan club at Bistro New Albany last Friday afternoon. Note the stylish "Pin the Tail on George W." game in the background.