PHOTOS: Senator Todd Young endorses Mark Seabrook at Pints&union on Friday afternoon.

It was a personal pleasure and an unqualified honor to host Senator Todd Young today at Pints&union as he endorsed Mark Seabrook for Mayor of New Albany.

NEW ALBANY — As the municipal election approaches, a U.S. Senator has given his endorsement to New Albany's Republican mayoral candidate.

U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, visited Pints & Union Friday to weigh in on the New Albany mayoral race and voice his support of Mark Seabrook, who is facing Democratic incumbent Mayor Jeff Gahan and independent candidate Dan Coffey in November's election ...

... The U.S. Senator said he has known Seabrook for years, and he explained his decision to endorse the Republican mayoral candidate.

"Unlike a lot of requests I receive to endorse different candidates, I've developed a personal connection with Mark, and I've found him to be a sincere, hardworking and really conscientious public servant who has encouraged me in the past, and I want to give back, and I want to make sure all our communities are represented by the most competent people that they can," Young said. "I enjoy working with people of all parties, but when it comes time for Election Day, I end up supporting the Republican nominees, and in this case, we just have an outstanding one."

Fair enough. You may disagree with supporting Republican nominees on Election Day; that's why we have a secret ballot, but the senator's reasoning about competent local candidates is impeccable.

In my view, "impeccable" also describes Joe's founding vision for this public house, because his idea is for it to be public. It's a place to check ideology at the door and have conversations, not just about politics, but anything else worth talking about. There were Democratic candidate functions upstairs last fall and this spring, and I hope there'll be more now and in the future.

Now the photographs, courtesy of Kelly Feiock except the first one by Scott Stewart. Several of the Louisville news channels were there, too.

Save your Darwinian drivel for another time, and urge Senators Young and Braun, and Representative Hollingworth, to be accountable to their constituents.

Fact is, 800,000 unpaid federal workers are being held hostage not by one man, but by America's wretched two-party system. In any other facet of our lives, being given a "choice" between two options would be laughable, and yet we continue to accept one or the other of two entities that both suckle the same teat of accumulated wealth for sustenance.

Want to be independent? I hate to be a buzzkill this early in the year, but first, you have to think independently.

Those of you hugging the Darwinian ledge on the far right side of the aisle, who currently chortle with glee at the prospect of at last achieving Saint Grover Norquist's cherished wish to drown government in a bathtub, are displaying even less empathy toward fellow human beings than usual -- which is saying something.

You're seemingly fine with expediently eliminating "non-essential" jobs by starving job holders, when the jobs were created by ... wait for it ... the two-party duopoly. Can you explain to me why this process cannot be a process, rather than collateral damage suffered by de facto hostages, and for a reason (a wall) that has nothing whatever to do with your "small government" mantra?

Doesn't it contradict this mantra?

My friend Amanda wrote at Fb. My boss Joe was spot on: enough is enough.

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So today my husband- the FBI agent one who is currently working without pay- was told if we miss another paycheck due to the shutdown we lose our vision and dental insurance. Yeah.

I phoned my congressional representatives Senator Young, Congressman Hollingsworth and Senator Braun. I've emailed them before. This time I invited them to dinner.

Not one of them seems to care about out situation. Nor do them seem to want to respond to me or my family, their constituents.

If you can, give them a call & tell them your displeasure in their inability to even call or email back those of us who are affected by their actions. You might want to throw in that they need to do their jobs when my husband is doing his without pay. Their phone numbers are below. Let them know Amanda Beam sent you.

(And please be nice to those answering the phone. Sen. Young and Rep. Hollingsworth's staff were very kind and did a great job. I even told them to go grab a beer. Sen. Braun's assistant made ME want to grab a beer.)

Senator Young: 202-224-5623

Senator Braun: 202-224-4814

Representative Hollingsworth: 202-225-5315

"Todd Young eager for conservative agenda."

What's done is done. Evan Bayh entered the Senate race in midstream to the hosannas of the not-so-Left in Indiana. Todd Young regrouped, busted his tail and out-hustled Bayh, riding the big wave to a decisive 52-41 win. You needn't like Young or agree with his positions to respect his work ethic.

This outcome strikes me as deeply symbolic of the 2016 election as a whole, and even if I'm stretching, it certainly points to a generation gap manifested by the absence of young, vital blood in Indiana's Democratic Party.

I'd suggest the Democratic Party get started with the process of progressive reform. In the meantime, Young's going to be your senator for a while, so get to know his positions. If you're opposed to them, whining on social media isn't going to cut it. Either use the system, or step outside it, though first, it helps to know the risks and rewards embodied by your choice.

If you'd like to write about it, either way, then consider becoming a columnist at NA Confidential.

Todd Young eager for conservative agenda, by Amy Bartner (Indy Star via the C-J)

About 13 hours after his unexpected win over Evan Bayh for Indiana's open U.S. Senate seat, Todd Young spoke to reporters on being an “unapologetic conservative,” his intention to help repeal Obamacare and whether he supports Donald Trump’s push to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S.

The 45-minute conversation, at Downtown's Le Peep breakfast restaurant, also touched on Trump’s surprise win, Young’s focus on bipartisanship and what Mike Pence would be like as vice president.

"Crazy night," Young said, sitting down at a table in a reserved room in the breakfast restaurant with a green Starbucks cup in hand. "Is anyone here not tired?”

Marine versus saccharine ... or Young, Bayh and Mr. Disney's acid reflux.

And Bayh was our best hope to take Mr. Disney to DC with him. 

Sharing an astute observation from a friend.

"(Evan) Bayh said he watches PBS and the Disney channel to escape the negative advertising."

I'll leave it to you to judge whether he's more PBS or Disney. By the way, Todd Young is a Marine. Bet you hadn't heard.

"They are slinging so much mud, and I’m wearing a white suit.”

Our corporate class.

“My name is Lucy Brenton, but you probably don’t know who I am because I haven’t spent $30 million to win a job that pays under $200,000 a year.”

The Libertarian candidate's quip probably was the highlight of Tuesday's senatorial debate. Charlie Pierce noticed, so let's skip to the end -- but first, one of Pierce's classic lines:

"The essential patriotism of the American corporate class can be measured in a thimble, and you'd still have room left over."

No, Hillary Clinton Should Not Go Business Class When She Gets into Office, by Charles P. Pierce (Esquire)

... On Tuesday night, because I could not sleep and do not have a life, I checked in on a replay of a recent debate between the candidates for the U.S. Senate seat from Indiana. The Democratic candidate is Evan Bayh, a classic Simpson-Bowlesite who left the Senate once before because the political climate had gotten too hot and the Senate too wild for his delicate constitution. He then became a lobbyist. Now he wants to get back to the Senate because…oh, hell, who cares. I tuned in just in time to hear Bayh brag that he was opposed to the estate tax and that he would vote for its repeal.

Except he didn't call it that.

He called it "the death tax."

The death tax.

I'm amazed that he isn't telling people he's running for the Senate as the candidate of the Democrat party.

Evan Bayh is half an anachronism and I suspect he doesn't know it. The country has changed. So has the Democratic party. I remain cautiously optimistic that its presidential candidate realizes that as well.

Tully: "In (Todd) Young, Republicans have a particularly strong candidate."

In 2012, I had the pleasure of hosting our U.S. Representative Todd Young for a brewery tour and lunch at Bank Street Brewhouse. It was a genuinely enjoyable chat with Rep. Young and his local organizer, Deb Johannes, who I've known since elementary school in Georgetown.

Rep. Young is knowledgeable about beer, and he actually drank a beer with me. We exchanged travel stories. He has a sense of humor (see his note above). It was a good time, and I thought about it when reading Tully's article, below.

Does this mean I'm voting for Todd Young for U.S. Senate? I don't know. Evan Bayh is an impressively empty suit. Does he stand for anything? I disagree with Young on many issues, and yet he's actually taken positions.

As for me, I'm a traditionalist in such matters. All politics is local, and breaking bread or enjoying an adult libation both mean something to me.

At the very least, Tully's piece isn't what you'd expect, given his evisceration of Mike Pence.

Tully: Evan Bayh is back, but Todd Young isn’t blinking, by Matthew Tully (Indy Star)

Two weeks ago, Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Young was on what appeared to be an easy glide path to election as Indiana’s junior senator. His Democratic opponent, the hardworking former Rep. Baron Hill, was trapped in a campaign that had failed to catch on, with either fundraisers or voters, in a state that leans Republican.

Then Evan Bayh happened.

The former senator and governor replaced Hill as the Democratic candidate and the Senate race suddenly was transformed. Young, a former Marine and father of four from Bloomington, is now facing arguably the most popular and enduring politician in modern Indiana history, one who also happens to enjoy a massive fund-raising and name ID advantage.

That easy glide path? It’s been replaced by an extremely turbulent flight ...

 ... “My hope is that the election comes down to issues and to who can bring people together to actually solve problems,” he said. “But I also think character matters. I think presence matters. And to the extent that we talk about things that make Evan Bayh uncomfortable — well, I guess that is unfortunate.”

Two weeks ago, Indiana’s Senate race didn’t seem worth watching. A lot has changed since then. Now, Todd Young is trying to do something nobody has ever done: beat Evan Bayh in an election. It’s a daunting task but, in Young, Republicans have a particularly strong candidate.

Padgett Inc. appeals for National Guard deployment to maintain civil trucking rights.

Padgett Inc. owner R. James Padgett thinks he has a very strong case against street reform in downtown New Albany, so he’s taking his brief to US Representative Todd Young.

“Obviously, we’re being singled out for discriminatory treatment by Jeff Gahan, Jeff Speck, and probably a few other Jeffs who haven’t occurred to me yet,” said Padgett as he prepared to jump seat an 18-wheeler to meet Rep. Young at a truck stop near Seymour. “It’s like we’re an endangered species.”

Padgett says it’s time for a change.

“As a Republican, I’m completely opposed to federal intervention in local matters, but I’ve given a lot of money to Todd, so now’s the perfect time for me to demand federal intervention in local matters.”

He believes there’s an ideal mechanism to keep New Albany firmly mired in the transport mentality of the one-way 1960s.

“Naturally I’ll make a substantial campaign donation first, but what Todd’s going to do is transform downtown New Albany into a National Wildlife Refuge, so we can restore the natural habitat.”

“You know, Save the Cranes, right? Those beautiful wild creatures need to roam free in their natural habitat of destitution and despair -- we can make it happen again, right? I mean, it’s really good for tourism and shit."

"Just think of the photography licensing fees.”

ON THE AVENUES SPECIAL EDITION: Full Frontal Goebbels erupts as Padgett looks at New Albany as a hole.

(thanks, CA and AG)

Craft beer and the shutdown: Et tu, Rep. Young?

Remember the time last year when I enjoyed a beer with Rep. Todd Young?

Nichevo, Tvarish Young.

We had a nice chat about craft beer in the context of economic development. Now, as the story below clearly outlines, there is no economic development in craft beer owing to the government shutdown ... which Todd Young endorses.

No histrionics are necessary, because I'm guessing that lots of others reading this can spot a disconnect the size of the Grand Canyon.

What isn't clear is whether Rep. Young can. Seems to me that my business is being held hostage in order to further GOP political aims ... and it doesn't look much like economic development at all.

Now the shutdown's getting SERIOUS... as government closure dries up the nation's beer supply, by Lizzie Parry (Daily Mail)

• US federal shutdown closes agency responsible for alcohol licensing
• Craft brewers on the frontline facing financial disaster
• Small businesses and start-ups put on hold indefinitely
• One brewer claims shutdown will cost him $8,000 a month

... Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association, which represents more than 1,900 US breweries, said: ‘One could think of this shutdown as basically stopping business indefinitely for anyone who didn't have certain paperwork in place back in mid-August.’

A woman who answered the phone on October 2 at TTB’s headquarters in Washington abruptly hung up on Associated Press after explaining the government was shutdown. Assistant Administrator Cheri Mitchell did not respond to telephone or email messages.

One Southern Indiana does not speak for me or this local business. Repeat.

It is true that I didn't vote for Todd Young, although it didn't stop me from having a beer with him last year. The important thing about it is that I voted. There was an election, and he won. So be it.

Young: We have the leverage to push tax reform; Congressman says blocking health care funds won’t stop law, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — U.S. Rep. Todd Young believes the public has the appetite to deal with the kind of debates that led to deadline fiscal deals in the past if it brings about change in Washington.

Young, R-Ind., met with local business owners at One Southern Indiana on Wednesday about tax reform. He said it’s an issue the House and Republican lawmakers could hold leverage over the White House on with a Sept. 30 federal government funding deadline approaching.

When I read this article, it took me a moment to grasp the part of it that galled me so tremendously. In retrospect, it can be narrowed down to the final three sentences.

As for tax reform, 1si CEO Wendy Dant Chesser said the Chamber’s members were especially interested in simplifying the tax code.

Local businesses also support changes in the tax code as a way to boost economic growth, she continued.

“I sensed an optimism as [Young] gave his presentation and they pitched their questions,” Chesser said.

Yeah, THAT's it, for sure. Let's be blunt.

The non-elected oligarch's benevolent society otherwise known as One Southern Indiana does not speak for local business in the broader sense, and it does not speak for NABC in any sense at all -- whether on the topic of managed health care, or tax reform, or the unconscionable boondoggle of the Ohio River Bridges Project.

I'll take dissonance from Todd Young, because whether I voted for him or not, at least there was an election. But I don't and won't accept it from Wendy Dant Chesser, who was selected by a cadre of elites, not elected by persons or businesses.

The problem? It isn't so much her as the ones doing the selecting.

1Si cadres: The boy can't help it. He just can't help it.

Original article here

Shelli Yoder and Todd Young "spar" in debate.

In which there is a reference to craft beer, natch.

Indiana’s 9th District hopefuls spar, Jobs, health care central issues for Young, Yoder exchange, by Ryan Trares (Daily Journal of Johnson County)

... Young said the way to foster business and make new jobs is to scale back regulations and let the free market work.

“This campaign can be summed up in one word — trust. Are we going to trust our large, interventionist government to get our economy running? Or are we going to trust the American people,” he said.

Yoder agreed that the power to spark jobs lies with the people. She advocated more support for entrepreneurs and small businesses as opposed to big corporations. Public-private partnerships could be used to foster innovative new businesses in green energy and biotechnology. Where government could help would be to invest in infrastructure, including improving bridges, ensuring airports are sound, and helping get broadband technology to all people.

“It’s become a social justice issue that people have been cut out of the 21st century because of where they live,” she said.

Courier-Journal and Publican back Shelli Yoder.

The most annoying part about owning a small business is keeping the restrooms clean.

A close second is the knowledge that we’ll generally be at a competitive disadvantage compared to the chains, our chief competition, both in terms of economies of scale in daily purchasing and providing employee “benefits” like health insurance.

My viewpoint hasn’t changed: Access to health care is among the most significant aspects of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It should be regarded as is a right, not a variable benefit dependent on a roll of the dice. If all of us share the costs rather than a few, isn’t this state of equality the very essence of a favorable economy of scale, one that “benefits” all of us, and not just a few?

It is delightful that the Courier-Journal, a bosom friend to the Southern Indiana oligarchs when it comes to shilling for unnecessary bridges, has endorsed the candidate for our 9th district congressional seat most inclined to enrage Southern Indiana oligarchs: Shelli Yoder. The newspaper’s endorsement focuses on contrasting views of “Obamacare” between Yoder and the incumbent, Todd Young.

We don’t know whether Mr. Young, 40, of Bloomington, is hearing similar stories. He declined an invitation to meet with The Courier-Journal editorial board.

But his record speaks for itself. In addition to seeking to repeal health care reform, Mr. Young, a member of the House budget committee, supports the budget plan of Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney’s running mate, which would drastically cut federal spending and reshape Medicare into a “voucher” plan for senior citizens.

I’m supporting Yoder, too, and for the same reasons. I genuinely enjoyed meeting Young and having a beer with him, and I’d happily do it again, but I profoundly disagree with his political platform. During the same span of time, I’ve run into Yoder at least four times, and the most substantive of our chats was about health care. I’ll tell you what I told her.

I personally resent the view so common among Southern Indiana’s oligarchs that small business owners must march in anti-social lock step by expressing stereotypical reactions toward taxation and regulation, to the extent of unthinkingly supporting whatever candidate fluffs their insecurities most effectively. Yes, it is true that taxes and regulations often grate, but the problem with pandering on this basis is that removing so-called burdens from my own business’s back so often places them on someone else’s, and buries problems without solving them.

We’ve had numerous employees over the years without insurance or any reasonable prospect of health care short of the emergency room and subsequent indigence claims. We’ve tried our best to provide insurance for some employees, but never have been able to come anywhere close to helping all of them. Perhaps we would come closer to the universal if the expenditure were for supplemental benefits, not primary insurance. At any rate, it is my belief that in America, the power of the collective easily can be harnessed to begin resolving the crisis, leaving individuals and businesses free to concentrate on their own lives, aims and goals.

It this makes me a socialist, so be it. It’s never been a pejorative to me, anyway.

If a work ethic means anything in politics, then Yoder is going to come very close to winning a race in a district so gerrymandered to preclude such an oligarch-unfriendly outcome. I wish her luck.

9th district: Two debates. Need more.

The Grand in New Albany sounds like a fine choice for the yet-to-be-added third debate, although perhaps it might be awarded to the Kentuckiana Celtic Foundation for immediate relocation to Cairo, Illinois.

Yoder, Young agree to at least two debates; Clark and Floyd left out of the mix, as Johnson and Harrison counties to host, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

The 9th District U.S. House candidates have agreed to at least two debates, as Republican Todd Young and Democrat Shelli Yoder will meet in Harrison County and Johnson County.

The exact times and dates haven’t been confirmed, but the Johnson County debate will be held at Franklin College. A location for the Harrison County debate hasn’t been announced.

Nichevo, Tvarish Young.

On May 24, I had the pleasure of hosting US Rep. Todd Young for a brewery tour and lunch at Bank Street Brewhouse. It was a genuinely enjoyable chat with Rep. Young and his local organizer, Deb Johannes (she goes all the way back to Georgetown days of yore). He's knowledgeable about beer, and we exchanged travel stories. A good time, and thanks to Deb for arranging the visit.

Nationalize the railroad = K & I problem disappears.

Since last week, there's a fresh asphalt ramp in place for the Greenway at 18th. It leads to the next stretch westward, as mentioned in reporter Suddeath's article, with the big question being the disposition of the properties still occupied (NA Boat Club, maybe two others).

K & I still target for Greenway connection; Congressman recently met with New Albany officials over pedestrian use of bridge, by Daniel Suddeath (N and T)

With planners hopeful construction will launch next year on a portion of the Ohio River Greenway that will connect East Eighth and East 18th streets in New Albany, opening the K & I bridge for pedestrian use is again a pressing issue.

The bridge is owned by Norfolk Southern Corp., and has been closed to public transit since 1979. Last year, area officials suggested opening the K & I to local traffic as a way to alleviate some of the congestion caused by the closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge.

The bridge links New Albany with the Louisville neighborhood of Portland.

But before the Sherman Minton was shut down, officials saw the K & I as a means to link the Louisville and Southern Indiana greenways for pedestrians. As part of greenway construction, a ramp is slated to be added leading to the flood levee near 18th Street and toward the K & I in New Albany.

"Neo-Con Rep. Todd Young pandering to the titty bar demographic. Shameless. Priceless."

Thanks to T for the photos and the title. Shameless. Priceless. In The Leader? Gads. Did Guido pay for the exposure?

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