When sexual misconduct allegations were made against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill earlier this year and a number of my Republican friends immediately called for his resignation, I always felt they were making a mistake.

This was not to say that they should have dismissed the allegations against Hill outright, but I think they should have waited for an investigation to take place before calling on Hill to resign his post.

Why?  I have two words.  Brett Kavanaugh.

The nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court has been accused of sexual assault and after a lot of political consternation, the FBI will take a closer look at the accusations and a decision regarding Judge Kavanaugh’s fate will be made accordingly.

I wish that would have happened here before folks started jumping the gun.

It would have been very easy for the GOP leadership to say, “we are aware of the allegations against the Attorney General.  We find them very disturbing so we have turned them over to a third party for an investigation and will have more to say once it is finished.”  Pretty simple stuff.

Unfortunately, we have a situation here where the calls for the resignation proceeded any call for a third-party investigation.

The Republicans are castigating Joe Donnelly for wanting an FBI investigation of the Kavanaugh allegations before making a decision, but with no investigation, Hill was put in front of political firing squad.

It has not gone unnoticed in political circles that the GOP is standing behind Kavanaugh, as well as Donald Trump, while Hill is cast aside.     I was asked if I thought race had anything to do with it, my response was “no”. I’ve known the key players calling for Hill’s resignation for years and none of them have a racist bone in their bodies.

I do think this is more a result of political tensions between Hill and the Republican establishment on a variety of other issues which could have otherwise been avoided had one side been willing to talk less and another side being willing to listen more, but that’s another story for another time.  (I see a Cheat Sheet item coming here.)

But for now, we get to wait for two reports, one from the FBI and one from the Inspector General.  And I think the only thing more interesting than what the reports will say will the subsequent reactions.  We’ll see if anyone gets this right on the second go around.

On this edition of Indiana Issues (Online), we discuss the latest poll #s in the U.S. Senate race, Donald Trump’s recent visit to Indiana and the Cavanaugh confirmation hearings. Our panel includes Republican Joey Fox, Democrat Kip Tew, Libertarian Brad Klopfenstein, and WIBC Political reporter Eric Berman.

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 0:30 – U.S. Senate Poll #’s
• 8:00 – Donald Trump Visit to Indiana
• 21:00 – Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings
• 24:00 – Mike Braun “Solutions Tour”
• 28:00 – Political Prognostications and Predictions

For the last eleven years, it’s been a tradition of mine to work as a bouncer at Nicky Blaine’s on the second Saturday night of Indiana Black Expo’s Summer Celebration.

That tradition may be coming to an end.

I started it back in 2006 when the owner, as well as other downtown businesses, would tell me stories of teenagers running the streets and getting out of control.  And things hit their peak back in 2010 when Shamus Patton decided to shoot several people.

Not only how times have changed, but so much, it’s as one friend put it, downtown was business as usual.

Thanks to the collective work of IMPD, Indiana Black Expo, smart parents and well-behaved kids this year, as well as lot of early work over the past couple of years by the Ten Point Coalition and other faith-based groups and volunteers, what used to be one of the worst Saturday nights downtown, is now just like any other weekend evening.

The crowds were not as heavy, but that was due more to the irregular periods of heavy rain earlier in the day.  There were lots of families, as well as the downtown party crowd.   Even the homeless, some of which can be a bit aggressive at times on the Circle, were well-mannered.

There were a couple of incidents downtown that evening, but nothing that could be connected or tied to Expo.  Those were both typical “downtown type stuff.”

So now that I have completed year five, and things have been relatively incident free, I think it’s time to retire my Nicky Blaine’s bouncer polo shirt and call it a day.

I will still head to my favorite watering hole next year, but it won’t be to work, but to enjoy a cigar and libation while reflecting on how one of the most annoying Saturday nights in downtown Indy is not just another Saturday.

Whenever I get asked what should happen to Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, who is accused of groping several women in a bar, my response is easy. I say “get all the facts” and then let’s make a decision.

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is denying groping allegations levied against him in a story published Monday on the Indianapolis Star’s website.

The Star is reporting that four women accused the Attorney General of touching them inappropriately at a party on the last day of the legislative session at a party at AJ’s Lounge in downtown Indianapolis.

The women, according to an investigation conducted by a law firm hired by the four legislative leaders, say Hill touched their backs inappropriately and two accused him of grabbing their buttocks.

In a statement released to Indiana Barrister, Hill not only denies the allegations but says he was never interviewed to give his side of the story.

”These allegations are deeply troubling.  Following dinner, I was invited to AJ’s lounge for the legislative end of session party.  The celebration at AJ’s was very crowded with, legislators, lobbyists, staffers and others. The atmosphere was light and jovial, as would be expected in a bar. I interacted with several people – talking, laughing, and telling stories. At no time was my behavior inappropriate nor did I touch anyone in an inappropriate manner. While the celebration continued, I left with the gentleman who had invited me and went home. I have never been contacted by any investigator. I have not been informed of who made these allegations nor have I been provided any due process with regard to these vicious allegations.”

A spokesperson for House Speaker Brian Bosma and the other three statehouse leaders released the following statement to the Indy Star regarding its inquiry, a copy of which was provided below.

 “On Monday, May 14, legislative leaders were first made aware of employee concerns regarding Attorney General Hill’s conduct at a social gathering at the closing of this year’s legislative session. House and Senate personnel policies strictly prohibit all forms of sexual harassment and clearly state that no employee should be subjected to unsolicited or unwelcome sexual advances or conduct, either verbal or physical. In accordance with House and Senate policies, interviews of those employees expressing concern were immediately conducted and outside counsel was engaged to be certain that the matter was handled properly and thoroughly. Our investigation has been completed and the matter has been addressed with the Attorney General to the satisfaction of the employees involved. Protection of House and Senate employees is of paramount importance to legislative leaders.”

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody called on Hill to resign from his office.

“Like Governor Eric Holcomb has previously stated, Hoosier Democrats agree that there’s ‘zero room for harassment of any kind in any state government workplace’. These actions are never acceptable. We believe the multiple allegations against the Attorney General are serious, and raise material doubts over whether he can effectively carry out the duties of his office. Hill is Indiana’s chief law enforcement officer. It is not only his job to carry out the laws passed by the Indiana General Assembly, but also to protect Hoosiers from waste, fraud and abuse. The allegations reported yesterday are beyond troubling and wildly inappropriate in a professional or social environment for any person, much less a statewide elected official charged with such responsibility. Attorney General Hill should spare Hoosiers from this controversy and resign from office.”

Indiana Republican Party Chairman Kyle Hupfer took a more measured response.

“I am continuing to learn about the details of the investigation into allegations against Attorney General Curtis Hill. I appreciate that Speaker Bosma and President Pro Tem Long acted promptly to look into the allegations and that they acted in a bipartisan manner with Democrat legislative leadership to name an independent counsel to investigate.  It’s important to be clear: As the Republican Party, we have zero tolerance for sexual harassment, and that’s the standard to which we all should adhere. Actions like these alleged have no place in public life or anywhere else.”

The border, tariffs, the latest in Indiana politics and Stormy Daniels were topics of discussion this week on “Indiana Issues” with Libertarian Brad Klopfenstein, Republican Kyle Walker, Analyst Mary Beth Schneider and Democrat  Jamar Cobb-Dennard.

“Indiana Issues” is recorded at the Edge Media Studios in downtown Indianapolis.

I spent a good chunk of Saturday hanging out with the Indiana Democratic Party at their state convention in downtown Indianapolis.   Now you might think that with our respective politics it would be a contentious relationship, not really.  In fact, it’s very similar to my relationships with Indiana Republicans and Libertarians, there are some things we agree on and some things we disagree on and there some Democrats I consider very close personal friends and some who I have as much use for as a certain former U.S. Senate candidate who lost his own Congressional District in the May primary.

Now with that said, whenever I go to these events, I keep an open mind, but it’s also sprinkled with a certain amount of skepticism.   For the most part, the Democrats did not do anything at their convention that was unexpected.   They nominated their candidates, heard from former Attorney General Eric Holder and they said there was too much one-party rule in Indiana.  They accused Republicans of rolling back voters’ rights, women’s rights, LGBT rights and just about everyone else’s rights and it was time to bring some balance back to the Statehouse.

While I didn’t necessarily agree with the content, Indiana Democrats got points for style and delivery.  And I give them credit for their energy and enthusiasm, which they will need to help counteract the Republicans’ organizational prowess.

One thing that did somewhat surprise me was when incumbent Senator Joe Donnelly embraced his vote on Obamacare, to the point where it could have been interpreted that he took pride in casting the deciding vote to keep it from being repealed.  Republicans went after Donnelly in a news release saying he was doubling down on a policy that  “perpetuate(d) the premium spikes, lost coverage and overall chaos and disarray.”   When I asked Donnelly about that line shortly after the convention, he noted that he had won two elections after voting for the Affordable Care Act and he didn’t seem too worried about Republican attacks.   My political instincts tell me the Donnelly folks have polling which shows the moderate and independent voters that will decide the U.S. Senate race don’t blame him for any ACA shortcomings.  But that’s just a hunch.

I also took note of the remarks by Secretary of State candidate Jim Harper, Treasurer candidate John Aguilera and Auditor candidate Joycelyn Whittaker for more openness and transparency in government.  While they all gave good speeches and energized the audience, I’m not sure how well that line of attack will play in the general public, notably when Indiana has won awards for openness and transparency in government and data management.

Where I thought Democrats were at their strongest was actually with their women’s’ caucus meeting, which from all accounts was crowded and energized.   Two things you want going into an election season and if Democrats can motivate enough women to come out, things could get interesting in the Fall.

So overall, what did I walk away with from the Indiana Democratic Convention?  As I said, I thought there were energetic and enthusiastic.   The last time I saw this kind of energy in a mid-term was back in 2006 when the Democrats picked up three Congressional seats.   However, despite that energy, I still think Republicans have a much stronger ground presence, so the going forward I think it comes down to this, can Indiana Democrats generate enough of a blue wave to overcome the red wall Republicans are building?

We will see.

GOP U.S. Senate candidate Mike Braun had a very dire warning for his fellow Republicans at their state convention a couple of weeks ago.   He cited a statistic saying that if only millennials voted in the last election, Donald Trump would have only won two states, Kentucky and Tennessee.

That’s right.  If you just counted the millennial vote, Donald Trump would have lost reliably red states like Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, the Dakotas, etc. etc.   Now luckily for Republicans, a lot more people voted than just those in the 18-29 category and Hillary Clinton did not do as well as Barack Obama did with younger voters, Clinton 55 percent of the youth vote while Obama got 60 percent.  Trump’s performance with younger voters was the same as Mitt Romney’s in 2012, 37 percent.

But Braun’s warning is good advice, especially when it comes to the long run, which is something smart businessmen do, they don’t just look at the next day, month or year, but they look five, 10, 20 years down the road.  Since 1992, Republicans have only won the popular vote once for the Presidency and that was 2004.  The 2000 and 2016 victories were “electoral college” only.   Now before some of you try to lecture the guy with a Master’s Degree in Government in Politics, I know that’s how our system is supposed to work and I don’t have a problem with it.

What I am saying though is you can’t rely on fewer than 600 votes in Florida to win you the Presidency, or a combined 80,000 votes in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to get you to the White House. You are eventually going to need more people than the other guy or gal.  And as America trends a lot younger, female, blacker and browner,  you definitely can’t rely on older and white because death will eventually take out your potential voter base.  The census is already projecting America will become a “majority-minority” nation in 2045.

So what’s a Republican to do?  Well, it doesn’t mean changing your core values, per se.  However, you are definitely going to have to meet your audience where they are and adapt your message accordingly. I am a firm believer that free markets, personal freedom, open trade and a solid national defense are good for everyone.  Beating up on people because of whom they choose to love, or because their definition of a family doesn’t match yours,  never gets you anywhere in the long-term.  I also believe we should be doing things to strengthen all families, regardless of whether they are a two-parent household, single-parent, foster, etc.

And even on issues, where Republicans don’t tend to do well, modifying that message can do a world of good.  The data shows there is a split among older and Millennial Republicans on climate change and energy.  There doesn’t have to be.  I believe in climate change, but I don’t think people are as responsible for it as some would like the public to believe.  With that said, I think we should be good stewards of the environment and try to leave the land in better shape than we found it, using free market principles when it comes to climate change and efficient energy consumption.  This isn’t hard folks. You can apply the same principles to health care.

In the area of tax reform, which is a GOP signature issue, the data shows while many Americans support it, a lot of them don’t think they will see a long-term benefit, especially if their health care costs increase as they are expected to do.  Giving Americans a universal tax break or credit for all their health insurance costs would go a long way to addressing that issue.

Those are just a few examples of what Republicans can do now to adapt to tomorrow’s political climate.  And if they can craft their message so it matches what I think are fundamentally good policies for America overall, the GOP can avoid in 2052 what happened to the Whig Party in 1852.

My friends, I continue to be convinced that the only people who are out of work in this economy are those who choose to be.  Why do I say that?  Why I’m glad, you asked.

A new report is out today showing that for every person in this country who is out of work, there is a job available.  That’s right there are now as many jobs open as there are unemployed.

MarketWatch reported that according to the latest data from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, there were 6.55 million job openings in March. In March, there were 6.59 million unemployed, meaning there are 1.01 unemployed workers for every job.

To put this in some perspective, during the 2008 recession, there were 6.67 unemployed people for every one job.

Of course, the big challenge is filling those spots.

Marketwatch also reported a separate survey from the National Federation of Independent Business found that 88% of the companies hiring or trying to hire reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill.

And it’s not just the national scene.  Here in Indiana, according to the Department of Workforce Development, 105,808 people were unemployed and looking for work.   And on Indiana Career Connect there were nearly 93,000 jobs listed, 92,824 to be exact.   So for every job opening on the state’s website, there are 1.13 unemployed workers.  And you know that’s a low ball number, especially since there are more job listings out there than on the state’s website.

And if even if you expand your search to include the entire Midwest,  this is the only region with more jobs than unemployed people.  According to JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover), here in the Midwest, there are 1,336,600 unemployed and 1,603,000 job openings.

I can’t tell you how many employers I come across who tell me they can’t find quality employees.   And it’s not a matter of wages.  Wages are increasing.  It may not look like it on paper, because you have a lot of older workers retiring and their higher salaries tend to go away when they do.

So back to my main point.  There is one job available for every unemployed person.  So this is why it behooves the unemployed to take advantage of the numerous programs and educational opportunities so they can fill those jobs.

And we also need to incentivize people to find work and get off the government dole.  I think one way to do that is to put time limits on unemployment and public assistance benefits, so you only get a year’s worth of help.  But that’s another commentary for another time.

My main point today is simple.  If you’re out of work for an extended period, it’s your fault. There’s a job out there waiting for you, so what are you waiting for?