The [Friday] Papers

I'm sorry, I've got to take one more day to try to get some business done. This is the first time in more than two years that I've skipped a column two days in a row. Hey, I write more often than our highly paid newspaper columnists and I certainly put more effort into what I do than some of those who seem to spend no more than 15 minutes turning out drivel of less quality than your average single blog post. Make a list of those who qualify!

At any rate, if you look to the right you'll see what's new today. --->>>>>>

And I'll try to catch up with the wealth of material in the papers these last two days with posts at Division Street later today and through the weekend.

Natasha Julius will be here tomorrow with her always-superb Weekend Desk Report. I'll be back in this space on Monday.

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The [Thursday] Papers
No Papers column today. Which means you should take this opportunity to read every other story on the site, plus every single story in our archives, and click on everything you see.

Also, the Dance Movie Blogathon over at Ferdy on Films is going great guns. Today's offerings include Rod Heath looking at "The Dance That's Stayin' Alive," and I recommend it highly.

Plus, everything I said about Indiana yesterday still goes.

The [Wednesday] Papers
The news out of Northwest Indiana this morning: More cable boxes coming to Cal City and Lake County still counting votes. UPDATE: Votes finally in.

The race nonetheless, has been called by most media outlets for Hillary Clinton. But her campaign is on life-support.

Rudy Can't Fail
"In March, [Gary Mayor Rudy] Clay predicted the race would come down to Gary, telling the Northwest Indiana and Illinois Times that tonight on CNN, 'They are going to point at Indiana and say Hillary Clinton is leading by one point but Gary ain't come in yet.'"

Dollars and Change
Rudy Clay, Obama's man in Gary.

Chicago, Indiana
"At 7 p.m. on Election Night in the Post-Tribune newsroom, reporters knew what to expect from Lake County voting officials. For years, probably decades, Lake County has been notorious for dragging its heels in announcing voter results to local media outlets," Jerry Davitch writes.

"And I'm sure Lake County voting officials, and politicians, could care less that media outlets like the P-T have to scramble during every election to get the most updated numbers before rushing to print that night.

"Well, well, well, finally Lake County has been caught with its fat-cat hands in the cookie jar of chronic ineptitude - and alleged corruption once again - under the white-hot glare of the national spotlight."

Clay Feet
Rescinded debate invitation that Obama didn't want.

Regional Differences
"Lake County - fondly referred to by its denizens simply as 'the Region' - is where I was born and raised," Mike DeBonis wrote early this morning on the website of the Washington City Paper. "And it's pretty much where I got my conception of what urban politics is all about.

"If you've been watching cable TV, you've heard all about how Gary mayor Rudy Clay has promised to deliver big numbers to Barack Obama, for instance by busing high school kids to early-voting sites. What's not mentioned as much is that he's the county Democratic chairman, which means he essentially controls the election apparatus. He, have no doubt, is responsible for the fact that the vote has not been announced on time."

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"But there's no doubt that election shenanigans aren't too far in the Region's past. For a reminder, just look at Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens' opinion upholding the Indiana Voter ID act last week. For part of his reasoning, he cites the 2003 mayoral primary in East Chicago, which is just west of Gary, as proof "that not only is the risk of voter fraud real but that it could affect the outcome of a close election."

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DeBonis also takes then national media to task for misunderstanding the demographics of the region, and live-blogs Clay "making an utter fool of himself on CNN."

CampaignGate
"This presidential election makes me feel like one of those blow-up dolls in the Chicago White Sox locker room: A symbol of frustration with a piece of lumber stuck in its posterior."
- Phil Kadner, Southtown Star

Indiana Jones
"Danica Patrick was only ninth fastest Tuesday among drivers practicing for the first time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but she is already brimming with confidence," the Indianapolis Star reports.

"Asked if she could win the pole Saturday for the 92nd Indianapolis 500, which would be a first for a woman at the Speedway, Patrick responded with unbridled optimism.

"'Absolutely,' she said, beaming."

If she doesn't have the fastest time, she'll appeal to the superdelegates.

Monorail
More of a Shelbyville kind of thing.

Bitter, Clingy
Feral cat coalition forming in Elkhart.

Bizarro Indiana
"Hillary Rodham Clinton won the Indiana primary Tuesday night, running up a victory that gave her bragging rights to being a powerhouse in a Republican-leaning state," the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette reports.

"'This confirms her resurrection from the political dead,' said Charles Dunn, political scientist at Regent University. 'It doesn't mean she will get the nomination, but she has a head of steam' heading into the final primaries in West Virginia, Oregon, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota."

Clingy, Bitter
"A minor three-car accident on State Road 334 near Kissel Road held up traffic Thursday, April 24, for about 30 minutes during rush hour," the Zionsville Times-Sentinel reports.

With photograph.

Indiana Wants Me
Lord, I can't go back there.
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The Indiana Pant
Close fitting thigh and wider flare from the knee.

Hoosier City
The, um, Indianapolis skyline.

Does Indiana Suck?
Is it boring or are there things to see?

The Beachwood Tip Line: It depends.

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