Paul Ogden, The Crazy Goof; Opposition Tactic #1, Smear the Messenger

In recent columns, I came out for a more ethical Republican Party, and criticized those who are using the Mayor's Office to profit financially and to help their friends profit, all of which is being done at the expense of the Mayor's re-election prospects and the Republican majority on the council. The issue of ethics is one that worked well for the Republicans in 2007. Giving away that issue by Ballard's people was foolish and will result in Republicans paying a heavy price.

I also spoke about the need for party bosses to stop the heavy-handed, thuggish approach to those Republicans who dare express views that are not 100% in agreement on every issue. It's an approach that dates back from when Republicans dominated the county and won every election by large majorities. It was a wrong approach then, but in today's climate, where Republicans, had a 40% baseline vote and desperately need to attract independent and Democrat votes, it is an approach that is political suicide. Councilors in particular need to be free to represent their constituents, first and foremost.

In response, those who been involved in the heavy-handed, thuggish politics, now are trying to marginalize yours truly as some kind of crazy goof, who doesn't know what he's talking about.
Wow, instead of addressing the issues raised (because you'll lose), you divert attention by attacking the messenger and trying to marginalize him as soome crazy good who doesn't know what he's talking about. Wow, I have only seen this strategy about a thousand times during my 22 years in Marion County politics.

So, I don't know what I'm talking about? It's funny that many of my Republicans critics making such a suggestion, have less experience and political knowledge than I have in my little finger.

Let's compare the bio of Ryan Vaughn, one of my critics to mine. First, Ryan's from the council's website:

[Ryan] Vaughn has lived in Indianapolis all of his life. He grew up on the Westside of town where he attended Ben Davis High School. Vaughn later went on to attend Wabash College where he graduated cum laude. After Wabash, Vaughn sought his law degree at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis.

Vaughn served as a Marion County Deputy Prosecutor for three years during which time he prosecuted all levels of crimes from Public Intoxication to Murder. Since that time Vaughn has been in private practice with the law firm of Tabbert Hahn Earnest & Weddle, LLP. He has also served as the Marion County Republican Party Political Director.

Now my biography:

Paul Ogden grew up in a small town, outside of Madison, Indiana. One of five sons, he worked on a neighborhood farms and at assorted other jobs to put himself through college. He graduated from Ball State University in 1983, with a major in political science, and a nearly 3.9 grade point average. During the last year of college, he interned for the Republican majority in the Indiana Senate. He worked on staff two other sessions in the Indiana Senate for the Republicans. He again worked to put himself through law school, graduating in 1987. In law school, he served as editor of the law school newspaper and was elected by the law school student body as President of the Student Bar Association.

In 1986, Paul interned at the Prosecuting Attorney's Council. Upon graduating in 1987, he moved on to become a Deputy Attorney General and while there conducted several jury trials on the condemnation of property. In the fall of 1989, he moved on to clerk for the late Judge Buchanan at the Indiana Court of Appeals, where he drafted hundreds of appellate opinions. When Judge Buchanan retired in 1993, Paul went into private practice and has handled a wide assortment of issues. Later Paul also started his own business which he maintained for a number of years,before taking a position at the law firm Roberts & Bishop. Paul also did free-lance writing, and won the first place award from the Society of Professional Journalists for a piece he wrote on grading ISTEPs for Indianapolis Monthly.

In 2004, Paul took a position as general counsel for a title insurance agency and then 2 1/2 years later because head of the newly-created Title Insurance Division at the Indiana Department of Insurance. He is presently back as an associate at Roberts & Bishop, handling an assortment of cases, including public interest litigation. In 2008, Paul, on behalf of taxpayers, filed lawsuits related to the auction of public property at RCA Dome and the changing of the 22 year old Pan Am Plaza agreement, both actions taken right by Mayor Peterson's administration shortly before leaving office, and which actions benefited the Sports Corporation at the expense of taxpayers.

In addition to his legal career, in 1987, Paul Ogden began teaching political science at Indiana University-Purdue University. There he taught State and Local Government, American National Government, Media & Politics, and Campaign Organizations, a class on how to set up and run a political campaign. In 1995, he began teaching political science at the University of Indianapolis and still does today.

Politically, Paul Ogden began working as a precinct committeemen in the Marion County GOP in 1986. He has worked as a vice-ward chairman, ward chairman and President of the Pike Township GOP Club. He has worked on numerous political campaigns, including Rex Early's campaign in 1996 on which he handled education issues and research. In 2000, he ran and won slating as a legislative candidate in a district on the northwest side of Indianapolis. Following slating, the son of the state treasurer, Joyce Brinkman who used to represent the district just years earlier, filed
against him in the primary. Paul won the primary. In the general election, Paul took the race from one not targetted by the Republicans for pickup to one of the most watched races in 2000, a year in which, it turns out, not a single incumbent lost. Paul was recruited to run for Marion County Clerk in 2002, but did not receive slating and lost in the primary.

I'm pretty sure my experience and knowledge of politics, including Marion County politics, trumps that of Ryan Vaughn, Tom John and the others who are currently trying to marginalize me as some sort of crazy goof who doesn't know what he is talking about.

The fact that they are attacking the messenger means they do not have a response to the message. That message is that those Republicans who are using their positions to see how much they can profit during these next few years, are sacrificing any chance the GOP has of winning the Mayor's Office and a majority on the council in 2011. To have any chance of getting cross-over votes, Republicans need to get board on an ethics and reform agenda, not simply go down the same road where we let those in power personally profit at the expense of taxpayers. Voters expect better and Republicans have a chance to deliver. But we can't do that if we are going to allow our party to be taken over corruption, self-dealing, and wannabe thugs who use intimidation, threats, and retaliation against anyone who dares oppose their self-interested agenda.