Puckett short circuiting Indiana's CD2 Energy Debate?

Republican Luke Puckett recently wrote a energy policy column, "Securing our Future," which served up enough common sense to communicate that the Goshen-based small businessman would vote the right way if elected to represent Indiana's second congressional district. Conspicuously missing, however, was the normal barbs against his incumbent opponent, Joe Donnelly, who bills himself as a Blue Dog (read: Conservative) Democrat, and who co-sponsored The American Made Energy Act of 2008 (link to bill description).

THING sends kudos to Puckett for joining the Drill More, Drill Here, Drill now crowd, and Kudos as well to incumbent Joe Donnelly for cosponsoring pro-drilling legislation. But, THING sends a box of onions to Donnelly for not joining Republicans in Washington actually calling for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to allow a vote on Drill More/Here/Now.

Furthermore, THING thinks that Puckett risks being clobbered by an increasingly popular play from Indiana's Blue Dog playbook. Wherein liberal after liberal has struke out trying to represent Indiana's conservative-leaning rural districts, Hoosier democrats have wised up to support centrist and conservative Democrats to win office, often with a wink-and-nod deal that they can keep their personal conservative convictions as long as they don't rock the liberal democratic boat.

If Donnelly is a committed pro-lifer, why is he committed to pro-abortion congressional leadership? If he's a true energy reformer, why doesn't he prove himself a blue dog maverick and go shoulder to shoulder with Republicans trying to chill the oil futures market, which every Democrat and Republican has singled out as the greatest culprint causing surging oil prices?

Puckett's column is a positive step, showing the voters of CD2, building on his recent trip to Alaska and demonstrating that he gets it. If Puckett were running against a classic liberal like Jill Long Thompson or Pat Bauer, then this might be enough. But, THING thinks he's going to have to do better than his recent column if he's going to knock off Donnelly.

Luke has to show the voters in CD 2 that they can get a moderate conservative to help prop up a far left congressional leadership, or they can get a conservative conservative to help prop up a conservative leadership.

Otherwise, this energy debate is going to remain short circuited./

Is Safety in Planned Parenthood's Crosshairs?

President Clinton and fellow abortion rights activists famously read from the same talking points about looking forward to a day when abortion is “safe, legal and rare.” Nobody doubts that abortion rights supporters want abortion to remain legal (“legal”), and the abortion industry certainly isn’t interested in the grisly procedure becoming rare, but the industry now seems to have “safety” in its crosshairs.

Micah Clark of the American Family Association of Indiana reports in the 9/10/08 edition of the AFA newsletter (not available on its web site) that today’s abortion advocates are not so concerned about safety, per se, but rather they are more interested in providing women accessing to abortion services….performed by any Tom, Dick or Harry who passes the feather test.

Get ready for Thing Beats Hulk:

THING thinks we’re seeing a pivotal shift in the abortion debate, in that abortion opponents are out-thinking the Planned Parenthood crowd, who are accustomed to the dated tactic of smashing opponents with the “woman’s right to choose” banter. If abortion opponents fail to innovate and propose a compelling reason to regard abortion as just another surgical procedure, their industry will go the way of the 19^th century slave traders (though, granted their industry will survive, at least like some form comparable to the 20^th and 21^st century traders).

Roe v. Wade is on the ropes at the SCOTUS level, and can’t afford any more ground. If McCain wins, and if abortion rights advocates can’t innovate a compelling reason for 51% of Americans to sincerely regard abortion as something truly inspiring and redeeming, then pro-lifers are on their way to clobberin’ time.

Check out Micah Clark’s email:

(FYI: Allen County, Indiana is home to Fort Wayne, the Hoosier state’s second largest city).

Allen County Considers Important Ordinance: Your Opinion is Requested

The Allen County Commissioners in Fort Wayne are considering addressing an unspoken problem that has existed in that city for years. When the Daniels administration was considering requiring the State Department of Health to inspect abortion clinics for safety and health concerns, pictures of a ratty, run down clinic in Fort Wayne were a top justification for that effort. Now the Commissioners may address the quality of care being provided inside Allen County abortion clinics.

The proposed ordinance would require that the doctor performing this invasive surgical procedure be in good standing with the local hospitals, which have to provide emergency care if a mistake is made or something goes wrong during the procedure. Case law allows local home rule to address public safety issues like this. Still, abortion advocates claim that if an abortionist is required to be capable of doing the same procedure in a hospital because he has admitting privileges there, that it would limit abortion. (What does that say about the quality, ability and standing of their abortionists?) In fact, this does not infringe on a woman’s right to an abortion, it merely requires that the doctor performing the procedure is as qualified as his or her medical peers removing tonsils or working in the emergency room down the street.

You can contact the Allen County Commissioners about the public safety ordinance at 260-449-7555 (Commissioners Linda Bloom, Bill Brown and Nelson Peters are requesting public comment from Allen County residents.)
Mail: Allen County Commissioners, 1 E. Main St., Room 200, Fort Wayne, IN 46802.
E-mail: commissioner@allencounty.us