-Tony Bennett’s staff is distributing copies of remarks made by President Obama citing Indiana along with two other states for the elimination of “firewall laws” that prevented teachers from being evaluated based on student test scores.  Indiana eliminated the provision in the current budget bill.  A mechanism must still be created to permit the new evaluations.  Meantime, Mitch Daniels, Bennett, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and the President seem to be in line on education reform again.

-The governor will has called a news conference for tomorrow to discuss October revenues.  That can’t be good news.

-Mike Pence is joining GOP National Chair Michael Steele in a 12 hour Internet town hall to battle the Democratic health care plan, putting that talk show experience to work.

-Invitations are out for the Fall GOP State Dinner.  Mitch Daniels is the featured speaker.  Is that because they couldn’t find anyone better, or because there is no one better?

-Republican Cheryl Musgrave’s move to run for the Indiana House of Representatives in a Vanderburgh County seat now represented by Democrat Gail Rieken is one more sign that the GOP and Governor Mitch Daniels are serious about winning back control in the House.  I hear the governor has been doing some personal recruiting.

-Daniels appeared on PBS and Fox News within four days recently.  Does that cover the waterfront?  How much can he be on national television without running for something?

-The Nobel Prize in Economics given to Indiana University Professor Elinor Ostrom is a great reward for her and the state (and the governor captured that in a statement released today.)   But how many people around here now have to change their tune now about the meaning of the Nobel Peace Prize going to Barack Obama?

Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize win is prompting all sorts of commentary about what little he did to deserve it.  Maybe the biggest factor to recommend the President is that he is not George W. Bush, as some say.  Yet he does have accomplishments.  And, his work with Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles is near the top of the list.

When Georgia Democrat Sam Nunn left the Senate, Obama took over his role as Lugar’s teammate in the ongoing effort to keep nukes out of the hands of terrorists.   The two traveled to Russia together for that purpose in 2005.  That same work won Lugar an earlier nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and therefore is familiar to the Nobel committee.  (It was also the subject of campaign ads by Obama last year.)

Lugar may never win the Nobel Prize but you can make the argument that he owns a piece of this one.

Things to think about in preparation for the President’s address on health care reform this evening:

-Remember when Bill Clinton made a speech (on health care reform) to a joint session of Congress?  How did that work out?

-Republicans including Mike Pence are clamoring to speak out in advance of the address.  Where are the Democrats?

-Barack Obama plans to visit cities around the country on a swing following the speech according to unconfirmed reports.  Indiana supporters of the President plan watch parties.  Can a return to 2008 campaign strategies save his proposal?

-If health care reform dies, does that hurt the Wishard referendum in November?

Thoughts I felt I should share based on recent and upcoming news events: 

-The recent firing of two Republican ward chairs supports my theory that GOP leaders  worry about the conservative direction of the party at a time where is opportunity for growth in the middle of the political spectrum.

-Rep. Henry Waxman’s (D-California) planned subcommittee hearing in New Albany tomorrow points up that Rep. Baron Hill (D-9th District) really does have clout in the health care debate.  Will the hearing convince Hill to support President Barack Obama, or give him political cover to vote against him?

-Sarah Palin’s exit from office causes Mitch Daniels national profile to rise even more.

Maybe you already thought of this but current events in Washington are a great lesson in democracy.

It’s government action bracketed by two elections.

Barack Obama seeks the change he was elected to deliver in 2008 through cap and trade legislation and health care reform.   He feels he has a mandate.   He is making good on campaign promises, at least attempting to make good. 

Meantime, members of Congress look ahead to the 2010 election and how it will affect them, not Obama.  Rep. Baron Hill (d-Seymour) endorsed Obama early on and supported him on cap and trade.  Now, with Republican Todd Young showing fundraising success in Hill’s 9th District and the GOP questioning campaign contributions to Hill on the eve of the cap and trade vote, he announces opposition to the current health care reform bill.  The President needs to help him now.

Sen. Evan Bayh, enthusiastic in support of Obama at Indiana rallies last year, is suddenly his old, cautious self again.  Republican Senator Richard Lugar beat him to the punch announcing support for Sonia Sotomayor.  Bayh won’t take a public position on cap and trade or health care reform.  The Democrat is on the ballot in 2010 and, though a prohibitive favorite for re-election, is taking no chances.  He’s guy in the spotlight now.

The policy issues of 2009 will be campaign issues in 2010 and Barack Obama is not on the ballot.  But, maybe you already though of that.

Here’s part of the announcement of new appointments from the White House today:

“John Fernandez, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and Economic Development Administration Administrator, Department of Commerce.”

The former Mayor of Bloomington and former candidate for Indiana Secretary of State gets rewarded for campaigning for Barack Obama last year.  I’m told the appointment requires Senate approval.

Jennifer Wagner is once again leaving the state Democratic Party staff, this time to work for Barack Obama and the federal government.

The on-again, off-again spokesperson and blogger for the party becomes the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the National Nuclear Security Administration next month.

Barack Obama takes the issue of abortion head on in his commencement speech at Notre Dame.  He says, “We must find a way to live together as one human family,” and says,”We must work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and making adoption more available.”

The President also defends his position on embryonic stem cell research.

Most of the anti-abortion protesters are gone.

President Barack Obama thanks Notre Dame for the honorary degree saying, “I’m 1 for 2.”  It’s a reference to the degree denied him by Arizona State University.  Father Theodore Hesburgh, the President says, is 150 for 150.

A protestor interrupts the President’s remarks and he says, “That’s all right… We’re not gonna shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes.”