Endorsement: Barry Welch

It was my great disappointment this year not to do more to tout Reverend Welsh. He has debated Representative Pence twice and done well both times.

Anyone who confuses a Baghdad market with an Indiana farmer's market sorely lacks good sense. Anyone who supports George W. Bush as much as did Pence needs removing from the public sphere for someone who can think for themselves. Consider this from The Muncie Star Press:

Republican Congressman Mike Pence has voted with the American Conservative Union's position 99 percent of the time, and he supported President George Bush 92 percent of the time during 2007.

Are voters in Pence's sixth Congressional district that conservative?

"That's a great question," says Pence's Democratic challenger, Barry Welsh, a Methodist minister. "We'll find that out Tuesday."

Welsh, who is the same age as Pence -- 49 -- says he is not a "fire-breathing liberal."

"I think the district has swung a little bit and he might be a little too conservative for the district," Welsh says. "I'm a fiscal conservative but a social moderate. That's a big difference. He's a fiscal conservative and a social conservative as well."

The problem with ideologues is that they attempt to make the world fit their ideas instead of fitting their idea to the world. Such characters belong in academia or a think tank, not where they can do damage to the rest of us.

For an example, NAFTA remains beloved by the conservatives like Pence. I agree that theory makes free trade a good thing but the facts have shown us here in Madison County the wrongness of free but unfair trade. Mr. Perot's giant sucking sound was more of a continuous drain. Representative Pence does seem to see the difference between free but fair trade and free trade that is also unfair.

Barry's Birthday Bash

A reminder from ActBlue about Barry Welsh' Birthday Bash:

"Please join us for a celebration of Barry Welsh’s birthday. * 3:00pm, December 8, 2007 * Below the Loft – 6th & Central, Connersville, IN * There will be food, live music & cake! RSVP by ordering your tickets below. Questions? Please email betsy@barrywelsh.org or call (765) 825-8100"

Barry Welsh on Pence and Iraq

Welsh Comments On Pence Iraq Statement

"Welsh said, 'Those in lockstep with President Bush, especially Congressman Pence, keep trying to put a fresh image to this disaster in Iraq. The old saying of 'Lipstick on a Pig' comes to mind. We have heard so many times that we are turning a corner, or the tide is turning, or just three more months, and the People have had enough. The People want change, and that was demonstrated in last week's elections. Change is coming and we are that change.'"

I urge everyone to take a good look at Barry’s Blog.

By the way, why is it that walking in lockstep makes me think either of the prison inmates in an old Warner Brothers movie or lemmings? Indiana deserves better than Mike Pence and we can do something about it.

Pence - time to start working on next year

For those wanting to improve Indiana, I suggest we start with sending Mike Pence back home. Take a look at IN-06: The 19th Most Influential Conservative Is Going Down..

Day late, dollar short

With all apologies for tardiness, I suggest taking a look at Night of the Living Indiana Republicans.

Pence's excuse for not supporting SCHIP and Barry Welsh's reply

The Muncie Free Press published Congressman Pence's press release where he tried to excuse himself for voting down health insurance for children. From Pence Supports Responsible Children's Health Insurance Plan :

"U.S. Congressman Mike Pence announced today that he is supporting the “More Children, More Choices Act .” The legislation is a compromise proposal and responsible solution to the Democrat plan which would have expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) into a middle class welfare program."

And Barry Welsh's response:

"Congressman Pence was in lock step with President Bush and the veto denying Health Care to Children in the S-CHIP bill. Congressman Pence had to flip-flop in his voting as he had voted for the bill before voting against it. Congressman Pence thought Health Care for Kids was important and voted for it, until President Bush told him to vote against it. Pleasing President Bush is more important to Congressman Pence than Health Care for Kids, and that is not representative of Hoosier Family Values and is the wrong priority for any Congressman to use in decision-making."

For more information contact Communications Director Joh Padgett at (317) 352-5066 or via email at press@barrywelsh.org. Also visit our website and blog at the addresses listed below.

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http://barrywelsh.or...

http://blog.barrywel...

Barry Welsh Campaign Steps it Up

From The Muncie Free Press: Barry Welsh Campaign Steps it Up:

"CONNERSVILLE, IN – Barry Welsh, Democratic candidate for Indiana sixth District Congress, has stepped up his grassroots campaign. This past month, The Barry Welsh campaign has moved and re-opened headquarters in Connersville, Indiana and hired an Indianapolis based media relations firm, Levelsix Marketing & Public Relations and finance director, Betsy Decillis."

Check out these sites

No time to add these to the blogroll. I am not sure anyone even looks much at the blogroll. So just going to put these links in the post here:

WORKING ASSETS BLOG - for opinions and news from the center to the left. Which also carries Tom Tomorrow!

The website for David Sirota. A new voice and I like what he is saying.

The Muncie Star-Press is running Truck-only lanes studied: Could I-69 benefit from one? this morning. The bottom line is that a truck only lane is pure speculation.

I am backing Barry Welsh against Mike Pence for Congress. I suggest everyone take a look at Barry’s Blog. I see no reason for any Democrat to vote for Pence. I think those of you independently minded voters will find much to like about Barry Welsh. For all us, we need a representative more attuned to our area of Indiana than Mike Pence. I think it is a safe bet that Barry Welsh will not confuse an Indiana farmer's market with a Baghdad market.

For those who want some fun with their presidential politics, take this Select A Candidate Quiz. I am a bit surprised that I came up with Dodd (but not exactly shocked either).

Barry Welsh on Limbaugh and Pence

From Barry’s Blog, a piece wroth quoting at length:

Drug addled hypocrite Rush Limbaugh has the Constitutional right to say what he wants and I support his right to be wrong. Limbaugh tells his listeners to let him do the thinking for them and that in itself should warn any sane person away. Limbaugh said that any soldier coming back from Iraq that did not support the occupation was a phony soldier.

Now we learn that Congressman Mike Pence agrees with Limbaugh and supports him totally. Two men that have never worn a uniform, united in judgment against our troops. I've lost much respect for Congressman Pence as he again puts party politics ahead of the good of the US fighting forces. First Pence tells us Iraq is like Indiana and now he tells us those that wear the uniform are phony. I expect stupidity from the blowhard Limbaugh but I expect respect for the troops from Congressman Pence. Again we in Indiana are left embarrassed and apologetic for Mr. Pence's words and deeds.

What I did for lunch yesterday

I babbled a bit with Barry Welsh who was kind of enough to ask me about the nominee for United States Attorney General. You can listen here - and I suggest that you do. I think the more you hear Barry Welsh, the more you will recognize that we need him to replace Mike Pence.

Welsh on Pence and Iraq:

Do read Pences Myopia On Iraq Too Costly and Will Freedom Prevail In Iraq?.

Enough of Pence

I do not think Madison County has yet to vote for a Democratic candidate for the United State House in the past twenty years. We can elect and return Democratic candidates at any other level but this one. In other words, what otherwise appears a Democratic County voted for David McIntosh, Dan Burton and now Mike Pence.

What have either of these men done for Madison County? Is it not time for the Democratic voters (and, frankly, any thinking Republicans) to get rid of Pence? I heard Barry Welsh in his debate last year with Mike Pence and I was impressed by our candidate. Thoroughly disappointed with his lack of support from the state party but impressed with our candidate.

Everyone take a look at Barry Welsh For Congress and I think you will agree this is a candidate that represents all of us.

Tops in poverty? Indiana – IN 06.

In case no one has heard, Indiana increased its population living at the poverty level. The Herald-Bulletin published nothing I could find on the subject. Muncie's Star-Press sure did: Census figures show one-third of Muncie lives in poverty. Taking Down Words posted on the subject: Wrong Direction: Income Down, Poverty And Uninsured Rates On The Rise.

Sherri Welsh, Barry Welsh's wife, blogs at Daily Kos. She wrote on this bit of news, Daily Kos: Tops in poverty? Indiana – IN 06., and I really liked this paragraph:

"The economy has been taking a nosedive since 2000, and Congressman Pence threw us an anchor. The number of jobs available in this state have shrunk, there have been little to no lasting or renewing economic development and the current representation appears oblivious. Oblivious would seem an understatement after his assessment of Iraqi markets, comparing them 'like any Indiana market in the summer time'. Oh, there is more – this is just a very sobering example of his many oblivious responses to Indiana’s 6th District pleas for help."

Remember, Anderson is in the 6th District. I think it is past time that the Democratic vote turn out against Congressman Pence as much as it supports our local politicians. Take a look at Barry Welsh's website.

Barry Welsh news

From Joh Padgett:

Barry Welsh to Unveil Web Site, Announce Fund Raisers at Indiana Democratic Club Statewide Picnic

CONNERSVILLE – Indiana 6th Congressional District Democratic candidate Barry Welsh will be speaking at the Indiana Democratic Club Statewide Picnic in Indianapolis Tuesday, September 28th, in Ft. Harrison State Park at 6pm EDT. At that time Welsh will report that his campaign website at www.barrywelsh.org is live on the internet and will announce the first two fundraising events that will take place in his campaign to replace current Representative Mike Pence (R-Columbus).

The website was designed by Webpolitechs' Ed Grysiewicz, a veteran web designer who has also designed the website for the Richard Young gubernatorial campaign here in Indiana. The website is designed for maximum functionality and ease of use and has links to the numerous social-networking sites that are being utilized by the Welsh campaign this cycle.

One of the sites linked to from barrywelsh.org is our new host page set up on BlogTalkRadio.com where Welsh will host a weekly 15-minute live-streaming audio show every Tuesday at 12 noon EDT entitled Barry Says. We will be using this weekly show to discuss hot topics in the campaign and to allow Barry to talk about these issues with his guests as the campaign progresses. Every show will be archived and podcasts will be made available via iTunes, RSS feed, and automatic playback via the host page's embedded audio player, which will play the last show recorded each week for page visitors.

The first event Welsh will announce will be a combined public event and online blograiser this Saturday, September 1st, on FireDogLake.com. Barry will engage in a question and answer session via the comments' section of an article introducing Barry to the community at the FireDogLake, Crooks & Liars, and DownWithTyranny blogs that promote the Blue America series events every Saturday at FDL. FDL founder Jane Hamsher will host the Q&A with Barry in the comments.

We will be combining this with a public event being held at Paradise Bakery's Castleton location in Indianapolis this Saturday from 2-4pm. The public event will feature Barry live in person taking part in the chat session at FDL which will be displayed via digital projector in the café area of Paradise Bakery. Paradise Bakery has free wifi high-speed internet available to its customers, and we encourage folks to bring their laptops and connect to FDL for the session to communicate with Barry during the chat.

We will also be announcing our next fundraiser, Green Night, a screening series to be held at a different movie theater in our district each month where we will be showing a different film significantly related to the issues raised in our campaign. For September, we will gather in Indianapolis at the Landmark Keystone Arts Cinema at the Fashion Mall, Keystone at the Crossing. This event will be held on Thursday, September 27th, between 7:30pm and 10pm for a screening of An Inconvenient Truth. We will have more details soon about these monthly-screening fundraisers.

For more information about Barry Welsh, the campaign, or our events, contact Joh Padgett at (317) 352-5066 or send email to press@barrywelsh.org.

Barry Welsh news

I am running way behind the times right now, but here is an interview from The Muncie Free Press. Read this. It is time that this area got behind a challenger to Pence. From what I have read of him and what I have heard him say, there will be no idiotic comparisons between Iraqi and Hoosier markets. (By the way, has no one here thought that Pence might not know much about Hoosier farm markets?) From this link to the interview.