election 2008

DENVER, CO -- Stateline.org reported today that efforts are underway by both of the older entrenched parties to revamp their current primary process in order to avoid the prolonged primary battles leading up to their conventions.

“The formal primary process teeters on the brink of chaos,” said Don Means, director of the Open Caucus Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that advocates a change in the nominating process.

In fact, Stateline cites the move by a record 28 states in moving their primary election to February in order to provide a voice for their voters in determining the parties' general election candidates. By the end of February, voters in 39 states had expressed their presidential preferences, compared to just 19 in 2004.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual candidate event Thursday, September 4, 7:00 p.m. at the Indiana State Museum, located in White River State Park, downtown Indianapolis.

The HobNob: Meet the Candidates is the premier political event in Central Indiana, opening the region’s election season. The event gathers the candidates for the upcoming election year in a casual and fun environment and provides both Chamber and community members the opportunity to interact one-on-one with the candidates.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- The Indiana Debate Commission is looking for voter input. Do you have a question, topic or issue you would like gubernatorial candidates to address this fall? All questions will be considered under the formats decided for the upcoming 2008 debates.

If your question is selected, you may also be asked to attend a debate and be provided a VIP seat. Your questions will not be open for public view and the candidates will not be able to view them in advance.

Visit the Indiana Debate Commission website at www.indianadebatecommission.com to submit your question.

ATLANTA, GA -- Republican leaders have filed suit against Bob Barr to remove him from the Pennsylvania ballot. Visit www.BobBarr2008.com for more information.

Reposted from Andrew Davis' article found on the LP Blog.

WASHINGTON, DC -- A text message arrived at my phone this morning announced that Democratic Senator Barack Obama had selected Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. I looked at it, said, "No surprise there," and went back to sleep.

After all, there isn't much to Biden that the public doesn't already know. He's a career Senator with more than 30-year history of being a "Congress critter." Biden is not only a part of the political establishment, he's a senior member of it!

In fact, Biden has only spent four years working in the private sector after graduating from college.

As our acting Executive Director said, Biden's pick was "predictable and typical."

ATLANTA, GA -- “The American people cannot afford to keep bailing out big businesses, lenders, investment bankers, and brokers who made big mistakes,” says Bob Barr.“With bad financial news continuing to pile up, officials at the Treasury Department and the quasi-government companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are talking about a bail-out. We must turn these organizations into true private firms, with no special access to the Treasury,” insists Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party presidential nominee.

HAGERSTOWN, IN -- Planning a room addition or new building on the family homestead? Better make sure you know where Grandpa had the outhouse.

I received a letter from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources today, informing me of a new law that went on the books this last July.

There has for years been a mostly ignored law that if you were excavating, and uncovered an arrowhead, the jobsite was to be shut down, the DNR was to be notified, and all of the workers were required to stand around and pick their collective noses while the DNR sifted around for another arrowhead. There's a good reason that particular law was mostly ignored.

Not content with just saving arrowheads, our legislators have now decided to include "nonportable evidence of past human behavior or activity, found on or in the ground, including structural remains, and formed before December 31, 1870."