Sometimes I wonder if Jim Shella has become too close to those he covers...
Republican Scott Schneider’s election tonight to replace Teresa Lubbers in the seat she vacated in the state Senate is a victory for the far right.
He joins a growing list of right wingers to replace moderate Republicans in the state Senate in recent years. Mike Delph took over for Murray Clark, Greg Walker took over for Bob Garton, Brent Waltz replaced Larry Borst, Jim Buck took over from Steve Johnson, you get the idea.
The Republicans hold a 33-to-17 majority in the Senate and will lose it, in all likliehood, only if they become too extreme. They are headed that direction.
There is no evidence of what Shella postulates. Consider that Steve Johnson was defeated in 2002 by a more conservative Jeff Drozda. Waltz defeated Borst in 2004, Walker over Garton in 2006, and Delph defeated Ike Randolph in a winter caucus somewhere prior to 2007. So, if Shella is right, where is the backlash over the last seven years? Not only has there not been a backlash, but Delph and Waltz have stood for re-election with minimum controversy.
The reality is that, in contrast to other states where Republicans have lost 20+ seats in the last 5 years, Indiana Republicans have dealt with their own problems in the Primary. Lifetime healthcare benefits stood to destroy the legislative Republicans, but the problem was nuetralized with the defeat of Majority Leader Bob Garton. Both Sens Johnson and Borst supported tax increases in the 2002 session, and we cleaned house.
So where does Shella come off saying the Republican Senate is in grave danger? I'm sure he talked to the losers of last night's caucus and came up with that conclusion- because he certainly couldn't have done so by viewing the evidence.
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