Attention! Voters in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District who never have voted in a primary or general election; who requested a Republican (“GOP”) ballot in previous primaries; or have requested a Democratic Party ballot in past primaries elections - I speak to you!

A registered voter can request a primary ballot of either party in early voting or at the polls on May 5. I run as a Republican because for too long progressives have sat back as stupidity, ignorance & hatred in the…

KKK: 1920, D.C. Stephenson moved to Indiana, ran for Congress as a Democrat, lost, then joined the KKK. “He was an eloquent speaker, with a powerful personality and great magnetism.” He was assigned to organize KKK. Leibowitz, “My Indiana,” 1964, pp. 192-93.

KKK “principally backed Republicans (because they were generally in control)” but found support in both parties; at its peak, nearly 500,000 Hoosiers belonged to the KKK. Stephenson bragged he delivered KKK (winning) votes in the…

When I was a kid, I heard a trucking company owner talk about how he started, and in the early days learned to improve, his business. One of the most important things he did was to follow competitors’ trucks to see what they did differently.

Years later, as a law clerk, I was in Las Vegas for a pre-trial conference on a case. Afterward, still in a three-piece suit, I was in the sports book at Bally’s. The floor boss came up to me and wanted to know where I was from.

Turned out only…

Rev Micah Beckwith, one of my opponents n the May 5 GOP primary for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, has shot several videos while driving around. One such video, dated October 24, 2019, after he decided to run, is titled “The Church’s role in politics.”

In that video he claims that those who say there is a wall of separation between church and State just don’t know our history. He quotes Thomas Jefferson a couple of times for the notion that “the church” provides the morality…

   The absence of a declared Republican Party candidate for Indianapolis Mayor got me to ponder last night about tossing my Cubs or DePauw University baseball cap into the ring for that slot on this spring’s ballot.

   First, I wish to set forth the main points of the platform on which I would run.  Second, I shall address questions of logistics. Finally, I shall set forth the political philosophy I embrace and my qualifications.

MY PLATFORM

   1) The process by which any…

   Sometimes aspects of one's life criss-cross, then, more infrequently, they come together to form a nexus.

   Yesterday, at about this time, shortly after 5 a.m., I tried to get onto one the health insurance marketplace for people who live in Indiana. I could not get through. Finally a customer service rep came onto the chat box, apologized for the backlog and asked that I try back later. Later I learned there had been over one million (1,000,000) hits on the website before 7 a.m.…

   As I prepared for yesterday's debate with Andrew Kirch and Miah Akston, I focused on the insurance exchanges and possible rates of premiums under Obamacare, presently scheduled to take effect day after tomorrow. The reasons for the focus were selfish, to a large degree. I have a pre-existing condition, about which I have made no secrets. I blogged a series about multiple sclerosis and the Mini-Marathon last year with a reprise this year. Rates for health insurance will fall. With multiple…

   Public discourse about the Affordable Care Act a/k/a Obamacare has sorely lacked facts. A few weeks ago, on "Civil Discourse Now," Ryan Ripley of "We Are Libertarians" and I engaged in civil and, I thought, informative debate about whether ACA/Obamacare was or is constitutional.  

   Today Miah Akston of "The Uncontrollables" and "Creating Miah" and Andrew D. Kirch will join me from 11 am to 1 pm to discuss/debate/argue generally about ACA/Obamacare.

   There are a lot of…

   When Hoosier (by relocation, not birth) Richard Gatling developed the Gatling gun, the first rapid-fire weapon for combat, it is said he thought his invention would bring an end to war. He could not believe people would wage war in the face of such an awesome weapon. Gatling had no appreciation for human folly.

   Gun violence has been in the national and local news. People were mowed down in D.C. and in Chicago. Whether the weapon du jour, the AR 15, was used by the gunman, it…

   "By late 1785, Madison recognized that individual states would never regulate commerce fairly.  States with active ports could not resist taxing goods from nearby states, while their neighbors retaliated in any way they could.  When three New England states tried to win concessions from the British by restricting their trade, Connecticut undermined them by aggressively promoting its own trade with Britain." Stewart, "The Summer of 1787," 2007, p. 8.

   The Articles of Confederation…

   In the lead-up the passage of Medicare in 1965, some warned of the imminent Apocalypse. Ronnie Raygun always viewed "socialized medicine" as the harbinger of Marxist-Leninism. Those warnings were strident and loud. The bill passed. Earlier these year, when the far right rumbled about replacing Medicare with a voucher program in which a person would have a credit voucher for several thousand dollars to take anywhere she or he pleased---Gee, I wonder how many clinics would fashion their…

   Yesterday I addressed two areas of argument Ryan Ripley---libertarian, Libertarian, host of "The Shill Report" on Indiana Talks and my opponent in a debate on the constitutionality of Obama care we shall wage on Saturday's Show from 11 am to 1 pm---has offered opinion.

   One quick comment about yesterday's blog. Colleague and friend Paul Ogden pointed out the Supreme Court's decision on ACA held the Commerce Clause does not provide the basis for the Federal Government's ability to…

   On Saturday, August 24, from 11 am to 1 pm, Ryan Ripley, a libertarian (or is that Libertarian?) who hosts "The Shill Report" on Indiana Talks, will debate me on whether the Affordable Care Act is constitutional. Ryan debated in high school. We agreed upon a format in which each of us will give an opening argument, then proceed to polite interaction on several areas of focus. Ryan e-mailed to me areas he wants to address. (We agreed to make the discussion one of principles with focus on…

   Next week's Show features a debate between Ryan Ripley, co-host of The Shill Report on Indiana Talks, and me. We shall debate whether the Affordable Care Act---a/k/a Obamacare---is constitutional. 

   October 1, 2013, is a date on which I shall rejoice. As many of you know from my past blogs, I have Multiple Sclerosis. That means I cannot obtain regular health insurance. I have to go through Indiana's high-risk pool. That ran me one grand per month---even though I have not had an…

   Guest: Libertarian Party candidate for Vice-President of the United States, Judge Jim Gray.

   Today’s (November 3, 2012) Show: 

   Place: Rupert for Governor HQ at 129 East Market Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America, Planet Earth. (That we are shooting at Rupert’s (Libertarian Party) HQ does not mean The Show endorses any Libertarian Party candidates. However, the Libertarian Party was gracious and courteous enough to allow us to shoot there.)

  …

   Today, September 29, 2012, Civil Discourse Now will host Andy Horning, the Libertarian Party candidate for United States Senate, and Mark Waterfill, the Democratic Party candidate for Indiana Senate, District 35.

   Andy has garnered a lot of press in the last couple of days, with speculation he will split votes and affect a race that also features U.S. Representative Joe Donnelly (Democrat) against State Treasurer Richard Mourdock (Republican). 

   Mark Warerfill also will…

   Paul Ogden has written a blog demeaning the month of Autumn. He told me, yesterday, he was then writing such a piece. I feel compelled to defend what is my, and other people’s, favorite season, although other people (notably members of tribes indigenous to this continent when Europeans arrived) would wonder how anyone could hold as a "favorite" one of the natural phases of our calendar.

   First, Mr Ogden mischaracterizes autumn as a season of death, marked by cold, overcast,…

   The majority of American pay income taxes. Choice of words gives rise to a claim that many Americans do not pay income taxes. Those Americans pay "withholding" taxes.

   "Taxable income" is defined as "[g]ross income minus all allowable deductions and exemptions; taxable income is multiplied by the applicable tax rate to compute one’s tax liability."  Black’s Law Dictionary, pocket ed., 1996.

   26 U.S.C. (United States Code) § 1 generally requires everyone to pay…

   I went on a rant at the start of yesterday’s fifth segment.

   Usually we do four, 14-minute segments of "Civil Discourse Now" on Saturday mornings. If we are having fun with a particular topic, or it is proving too difficult to cover in only four segments, we will go five segments.

   Yesterday, our guests were Jeff Cox and Kurt Lorey. We discussed whether the United States is biased toward Israel. Co-host Paul Ogden, between segments, commented that the discussion of…

   Two weeks in a row on the same topic?

   Yes, we are doing that—but look at the topic: efficacy of third parties in American politics.

   Today our guests will be Chris Spangle of the Libertarian Party and Timothy Platt, Executive Director of the Socialist Central Committee, Ltd.

   Other local shows do not cover alternative parties. Most voters—look at the numbers in the elections—do not give alternative parties the benefit of thought enough to vote for a candidate…