Blue Dog

“Who let the dogs out

woof, woof, woof, woof.”

    Baha Men

In the wake of the shocking margin of Senator Dick Lugar’s defeat, Senatorial candidate Joe Donnelly is stressing that he is a so-called “Blue Dog” Democrat.  In 1995, after Republicans gained control of the House, a group of moderates, mainly Southerners, some of whom subsequently became Republicans, gave themselves that moniker.  They met regularly in offices of Louisiana Congressmen who had “Blue Dog” paintings of Cajun artist George Rodrigue on the wall and felt that they had been “choked blue” by the leftwing of their party.  The nickname may have been a take-off on so-called “Yellow Dog” Democrats, loyal to a fault in that they’d even support a yellow dog if such an animal were on their party’s ticket. Another explanation is that dogs left out in the cold allegedly turn blue.  How sad if Donnelly thinks he has to distance himself from Obama and the Democratic House leadership.  Shades of Evan Bayh.  When I moved to Indiana in 1970, both senators were good liberals.  Vance Hartke lost to Lugar in 1976 and Dan Quayle defeated Evan’s dad Birch in the 1980 Reagan landslide.  Asked by Chuck Todd about Obamacare, Donnelly at least praised the parts that mandate insurance coverage of preexisting conditions and allow young people to remain on their parents’ policies through age 26.  Favorite student Shannon Pontney’s hubby works for Donnelly, who married them, and I’ll be a volunteer if called on to help defeat Tea Party stooge Mourdock, whose idea of compromise is for the other side to totally capitulate.

When grandson Anthony was a kid, he’d drive everyone crazy playing “Who Let the Dogs Out.”  He loved the woof woofs, and after the first 30 seconds would repeat the opening over and over.

Sadly Roy Dominguez lost his bid to unseat incumbent Lake County Commissioner Gerry Sheub, perhaps partly the result of cynicism among voters distrustful of candidates born in Gary with Latino names. Scheub’s main residence is elsewhere, and the 76 year-old pushed for the government to support a dubious trash-to-ethanol scheme.  Roy’s political enemies planted misleading innuendoes with newspaper columnists all too willing, perhaps out of fear, to do their bidding.  With such low voter turnout, Sheub benefitted from having the support of a Democratic machine that had its roots with Club SAR, an Eastern European clique put together 75 years ago by Gary boss George Chacharis. The two most powerful county officeholders, Hammond mayor Tom McDermott and Sheriff John Buncich, each had reasons for fearing a Dominguez victory and did everything they could to derail his candidacy.  I told Roy that he should consider seeking a seat on the IU Board of Trustees.

In West Virginia some jerk who is in a Texas jail garnered over 40 percent of the votes in the Democratic Presidential primary and a majority of voters in North Carolina want to ban same sex marriage.  The results show that prejudice is very much alive in border states among folks who seem to care more about social issues than their economic self-interest.  

One Sunday in May 1774, 69 year-old Puritan minister Joseph Fish preached to just eight Narragansett Indians and afterwards asked an old woman why more didn’t come to hear him. In his diary he wrote of being told that “she supposed they dare not come for Sam Niles warned them not to hear any of our ministers that wore great white wigs.”  Good for Sam.  Fish hated Baptists, looked down on Native Americans, and in church matters believed that women should be seen but not heard.

I exchanged several emails with childhood friend Paul Turk, whose daughter will attend William and Mary College in the fall.  A sports fan originally from Cleveland who lives in the D.C. area, he refers to his two favorite baseball teams as The Tribe and the Gnats.

I renewed my Traces magazine subscription.  In looking to expand our “Traces of Northwest Indiana History” exhibit I discovered an article by Todd Gould on Mexican Repatriation (“Forced Exodus from the Calumet Region”).  Gould has written books on the early days of pro basketball in Indiana and on Charlie Wiggins and the African-American racing car circuit.  

The teenager semi-finalists on “Jeopardy” had trouble with the Citizenship category.  Contestants didn’t know the minimum age for a Congressman (25) or that freshmen take office in January.  The guy ahead prior to “Final Jeopardy” failed to write down “Hunger Games” author Suzanne Collins, setting up an all-female final.

In a recent episode of “Mad Men” the news in the background mentions Vermont Senator George Aiken’s October 1966, statement that the U.S. should declare victory in Vietnam and leave.  Don’s 12 year-old daughter Sally comes across her dad’s mother-in-law fellating Roger.  Later she calls her brother and when asked how ‘s the city, responds, “Dirty.” Don’s trophy wife gives him a copy of the Beatles’ “Revolver” album, and he seems totally mystified listening to “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

History secretary Vicki informed that former student from the 1970s Daniel Kozlowski was asking about me.  He left a business card indicating that he is a judge advocate at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, IN, with the rank of colonel.  I published his article about growing up in Highland in my Sixties Shavings.

I’ve been invited to an event honoring Maria Reiner Center’s volunteers because of my talk to seniors on the “Age of Anxiety.”  Ellen Szarleta also invited me to an event where the Barden Gary Foundation will honor Gary Roosevelt students who have worked to clean up Buffington Park.

I picked up slacks at Nuvo Cleaners in Chesterton.  Entering the establishment, I said, “Hi, my name is Jim Lane and I’m here for a pair of pants.”  With a smile a young woman replied, “Hi, my name is Jill and I’ll get them for you.”