Free Republic

ndiana Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh has decided against a run for governor in 2012, robbing Democrats of their top recruit in the Hoosier State. "After careful consideration, I have concluded that the appropriate decision is not to be a candidate for governor of Indiana in 2012," Bayh said in a statement released to the Fix. ""The principle reason for my decision is the welfare of my twin sons." Bayh's decision leaves the Democratic field wide open. Reps. Brad Ellsworth and Baron Hill, both of whom lost races this fall, are likely to consider the Bayh-less contest. Others mentioned include Rep....

A call to action for all taxed enough Patriots At Wednesday night’s debate Todd Young vigorously asserted his support for the Federal Department of Education and has previously stated he supports increased funding. The debate on the Department of Education will be the starting point for the future debate on who is conservative and what the role of the Federal government is. As things begin to crystallize heading toward 2012, the battle within the GOP between the establishment moderates/liberals and the Conservative grassroots cannot be avoided. Quite simply everyone must pick a side and be sure where they stand on...

Independent watchdogs are calling Congressman Baron Hill’s recent spate of negative attacks on Republican challenger Todd Young false and misleading. In a new report, Factcheck.org, a non-partisan organization that monitors accuracy in U.S. politics, says Hill’s television ads, designed to scare seniors about the future of Social Security and Medicare, are “incorrect” and “without evidence.” This comes on the heels of Hill citing the Louisville Courier-Journal to claim that Young is not a deputy prosecutor. Contrary to Hill’s claim, the paper, in fact, clarified that “Young is a sworn deputy in the Orange County prosecutor’s office.” Baron Hill has been...

At a quick glance, Young, the Republican suitor for the seat currently held by Democrat Baron Hill, appears to have all the qualities of a promising politician. He is a 38-year-old father of four and a Marine-turned deputy prosecutor with television-ready good looks and natural charisma. But Young is more about ideas than image. During a recent interview in his spare campaign office near Bloomington's downtown, he discussed policy and philosophy with a wonkish zeal. This should come as no surprise since his education includes degrees from the Naval Academy and the Universities of both Chicago and London. Because of...

Todd Young has been endorsed by the Independence Caucus for the 9th Indiana district. The following is their endorsement. Todd Young: State 9th Congressional District - Indiana Todd enlisted in the Navy directly from high school, and earned the opportunity to go the Naval Academy. Todd was commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps, and honorably discharged as a captain in 2000. Website: http://toddyoungforcongress.com Seeking to unseat 5 term incumbent Baron Hill (D) Republican Primary Election: May 4th, 2010 Todd is a former Marine and Deputy Prosecutor for Orange County. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Todd...

FDL/SurveyUSA, 1/16-1/18, 600 likely voters, margin of sampling error ± 4.1% If there were an election for US House of Representatives today, and the only two candidates on the ballot were Democrat Baron Hill and Republican Mike Sodrel, who would you vote for?41% Baron Hill (D)49% Mike Sodrel (R)10% Undecided 2010 will be the fifth straight time Democratic Congressman Baron Hill has gone head-to-head with Republican former Congressman Mike Sodrel for the opportunity of representing Indiana’s 9th congressional district. The seat, in the southeast of the state, has changed hands twice. Hill beat Sodrel in 2002 during their first match-up....

FDL/SurveyUSA, 1/16-1/18, 600 likely voters, margin of sampling error ± 4.1% If there were an election for US House of Representatives today, and the only two candidates on the ballot were Democrat Baron Hill and Republican Mike Sodrel, who would you vote for? 41% Baron Hill (D) 49% Mike Sodrel (R) 10% Undecided 2010 will be the fifth straight time Democratic Congressman Baron Hill has gone head-to-head with Republican former Congressman Mike Sodrel for the opportunity of representing Indiana’s 9th congressional district. The seat, in the southeast of the state, has changed hands twice. Hill beat Sodrel in 2002 during...

Bloomington - White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel made a visit to Indiana Saturday night. While Emanuel was in town to attend fundraisers for Congressman Baron Hill, others were there to have their say. ...

U.S. Rep. Baron Hill says he's considering mounting a bid for Indiana governor in 2012, but first he'll run for another term in the House next year. Hill's comments came after weeks of rumors that he will retire from Congress next year to run for Indiana governor two years later. The Indiana Democrat's response to those rumors came just days after the National Republican Congressional Committee sent out an e-mail about the Indiana Democrat's so-called "retirement jitters." Hill tells The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., he doesn't know how the rumors that he will retire from the House got started. But...

House Democrats passed the 2,032-page Pelosicare bill on a near party-line vote Saturday night 220-215 (roll call here). The only Republican voting in favor of the measure was New Orleans-based Joseph Cao who has long ago proven to be a tax and spend (and spend and spend) liberal. After a week of intense arm twisting, threats and promises from party leaders, more than half of the 52 so-called conservative Blue Dog Democrats voted in favor of the over $1.3 trillion measure. These are the 28 Blue Dogs voting in favor of Pelosicare (who apparently fear the wrath of House Speaker...

I suppose the “me too” thing isn’t entirely fair, but I’m at a loss at the moment for something else to put there. If I can think of something different, I’ll edit it into the title instead. In this, the fourth and final (unless another candidate enters the race) installment of the “Bloody 9th” series, I’m going to look at Travis Hankins of Columbus. Hankins hasn’t gotten as much attention on this blog (and others) for his campaign, but I’d be remiss if I said he hasn’t been busy. In fact, he’s probably been more active in many ways than...

A congressman from the Indiana 9th district named Baron Hill had a major league arrogant temper tantrum on camera last Saturday which has become a big hit in the blogosphere with over 100,000 viewers on YouTube. So one would figure that the local Bloomington newspaper, the Herald Times, would cover it, right? Wrong. Amazingly the most interesting thing that has happened in Bloomington in at least a year has been studiously avoided by that newspaper. Here is the scene as described by the American Thinker:It is not just the career safe seat members of Congress and the Senate who are...

It is not just the career safe seat members of Congress and the Senate who are vulnerable to getting caught up in the arrogance and elitism of power. Relative back bencher Baron Hill from Indiana's 9th District might well have surged into the lead in the contest to see which member of congress had the most out of touch and arrogant attitude during the town hall meetings. You have to watch this video to believe it. It starts right after he has announced that there will be no videos allowed and goes into question and answer. The first question is...

Idiot Congressman.

Rep. says to journalist student "This is my town hall meeting, I set the rules."

Needless to say, afte this video floats around a bit, Baron Hill will not be running "his" congressional office much longer. Nor will he be able to congratulate himself about what a benefocent leader he is for allowing his constituents to attend "his" townhall meetings. Seriously, guys it's just too good to be true.

Baron Hill, a Blue Dog Democrat from Indiana, just announced he will be holding a Town Hall meeting on Healthcare at Indiana University Southeast on Monday 8/31. It will take place in the Hooiser Room at 6:30. Lets get a big FReeper contingent there to greet him.

U.S. Rep. Baron Hill will have an hour-long "tele-town hall" about health care reform at 6:40 p.m. today with AARP members in the 9th District who are called, answer their telephone and choose to participate. Using a Virginia company, Citizen Dialog, AARP will call about 25,000 of its 97,000 members in Hill's district at the same time, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported today. Numbers called will get a recorded message inviting them to participate. Indiana AARP expects about 4,000 9th District AARP members to participate, but only about two dozen of them to get a chance to ask questions, according to...

The Purple Shirts are hiring new musclemen to build an “organizing department.”

Health Bill Hinges On Blue Dogs' Vote But Few Bite So Far By DAVID HOGBERG AND SEAN HIGGINS August 14, 2009 Blue Dog Democrats are being chased by both sides in the health care debate. But the opposition may have the inside track, based on an IBD survey of these moderate-to-conservative House lawmakers. There are 256 Democrats in the House, 52 of whom are Blue Dogs. Rep. Artur Davis of Alabama, who's not a member of the pack, has said he won't support HR 3200 in its present form. That means Democrats need the support of at least 15 Blue...

Here they are, boys and girls. The four "moderate-conservative" House Dems on Henry Waxman's Energy and Commerce Committee who had their choker chains pulled by Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the lefty leadership in the lower chamber and ended up voting to approve a version of Obamacare that promises higher costs, lower quality and restricted access: Mike Ross (Arkansas), 4th District (202) 454-5262 Baron Hill (Indiana), 9th District (202) 285-0966 Zack Space (Ohio), 18th District (202) 347-3042 Bart Gordon (Tennessee), 6th District 1-800-444-BART I did some checking, and one of the reasons why a few of the above probably...

Pelosi doesn't gaurantee Blue Dog provisions By Mike Soraghan Posted: 07/31/09 06:35 PM [ET] Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) indicated Friday that some of the most hard-fought provisions of the healthcare bill, including parts meant to appease conservative Democrats, could change by the time the final measure reaches the House floor. Pelosi's remarks came as the House Energy and Commerce Committee hammed out the final details of the bill, including a deal with Blue Dog Democrats and a tax to pay for the legislation. Three committees have worked intensively on the bill, and assuming passage by the Energy and Commerce Committee...

Congress: In exchange for a vague promise of cuts in the cost of health care "reform," a few fiscally conservative Democrats agree to release the bill to a September floor vote. Have the pit bulls become Chihuahuas?Apparently even a Blue Dog Democrat will stop growling if you toss him a big enough bone. Four of the seven who helped keep the House bill bottled up in the Energy and Commerce Committee — Mike Ross of Arkansas, Baron Hill of Indiana, Zack Space of Ohio and Bart Gordon of Tennessee — agreed to vote the bill out of committee in exchange...

I was shocked to find that the NRA has endorsed Baron Hill for IN-9. This is insane, with a good Republican (Sodrel) who could have been endorsed in a very close election. Granted, Hill has only a 36% rating from the Brady Campaign, but our solid Republican representatives all are down in the single digits (with Pence leading the way with a 0% rating -- way to go Mike!). GOA gave Hill a D- in their 2007 rating, but apparently the NRA thought he was good for an A in 2008. I've always been in the "NRA is one of...

Former Rep. Mike Sodrel announced Tuesday that he will run for Indiana’s 9th District Congressional House seat in 2008. It will be his fourth election running against current 9th District Rep. Baron Hill. Sodrel, a Republican, ran against Hill, a Democrat, in 2002, 2004 and 2006. Hill defeated Sodrel in 2002, though Sodrel won the seat in 2004. Hill was reelected in the last election, winning by a margin of less than 5 percent, according to a press release from Dr. Eric Schansberg, the third 9th district congressional seat candidate. “A lot of voters voted for change in 2006,” Sodrel...

Sodrel defeats incumbent Hill in rematch Indiana 9th Congressional District Wednesday, November 3, 2004 Posted: 3:31 PM EST (2031 GMT) (CNN) -- Democratic Rep. Baron Hill was narrowly defeated in his bid for a fourth term in Indiana's 9th district by Republican challenger Mike Sodrel, who Hill had defeated two years earlier in a close race. Sodrel was ahead by less than 1,500 votes when CNN projected he would win the race with 99 percent of precincts reporting. This time, Sodrel, who lost by some 10,000 votes in his maiden run for office in 2002, was a little smarter, a...

Mike Sodrel (R) has declared victory over incumbent U.S. Rep. Baron Hill (D) by 1400 votes -- GOP Pickup.

Had the opportunity to listen to the candidates running against Baron Hill today. Was favorably impressed with Chris Redmon. Chris is currently a Commercial Airline Pilot (see his web page), was a US navy Pilot, has a degree in Business. He presents himself very very well and would pull some of the conservative democrat votes.... a must in beating Baron Hill. For more information and his stand on issues go to his web page www.Redmon2002.com