Hillary Clinton wants more debates and wants as many as two in Indiana.

Her campaign announced acceptance today of requests by the new Indiana Debate Commission for a debate on April 24th and a, so far, unscheduled debate to be staged at the Genesis Center in Gary at the invitation of Mayor Rudy Clay.

(Update:  After the acceptance, Mayor Clay withdrew his offer. )

The Clinton campaign, meantime, accuses Barack Obama of “complaining” about questions in the Pennsylvania debate on Tuesday.  They say he owes the people of Indiana a debate.

So far, similar tactics have failed to lure Obama into a CBS debate in North Carolina.

André Carson endorsed Barack Obama this morning in a move that may affect his own primary bid in the 7th District more than Obama’s.

So, why would Congressman Carson back Obama over Hillary Clinton, especially when Bill Clinton came to Indianapolis to campaign for his grandmother, Julia Carson?

Here are some answers:

-André feels vulnerable on May 6th .

-Obama will carry the 7th district.  On a conference call Rep. Carson labeled Obama “more popular” than Hillary in the 7th.

-Obama promised to campaign for Carson.

-Woody Myers is in position to pick up much of the new vote attracted by Obama based on TV ads that echo Obama’s key issues, unless André can persuade those same voters to support him.

Now let’s see if other 7th District candidates follow suit to limit the effects of Carson endorsement.

Hillary Clinton’s efforts to look like anything but an elitist this weekend (as she accused Barack Obama of being elitist) had her drinking a shot of whiskey and hoisting a beer in a bar in Crown Point.

File that under the category of Nothing New in Politics.

Joe Hogsett (now a Clinton Coordinator in Indiana) tells a story of how he drank moonshine at a southern Indiana campaign stop when he ran for the U. S. Senate in the early ’90’s.

It makes me wonder if Hillary, like Hogsett, had to stop to throw up before her next appearance.

Remember the Morphing ads of the ’90’s? 

They were negative ads that showed an opponent’s picture briefly before morphing it into that of an unpopular politician from the same party.  Bill Clinton was often the the politician that Republicans wanted you to see instead of whatever Democrat was actually on the ballot.

Evan Bayh’s new endorsement ad for Hillary Clinton is the exact opposite.  Call it a Reverse Morph.

Hillary wants Indiana voters to look at her and see Evan.  That’s why Sen. Bayh’s image appears throughout the ad.  Sen. Clinton shows up only in a still shot at the end, holding hands with Bayh. 

Forget the words in the ad, its the images that count.

We’ll have numbers in the Jill Long Thompson/Jim Schellinger matchup at 6pm on 24 Hour News 8.

With any luck you saw last night’s numbers showing Hillary Clinton at 49% and Barack Obama at 46% in Indiana.

We also shared some background polling that shows Hillary strong among older voters and white voters, while Obama is even stronger among black voters and young voters.

There wasn’t room in the story for a couple of questions:

Which candidate has run the most positive campaign?  Obama 31%  Clinton 25%

Which candidate has run the most negative campaign?  Obama 21%  Clinton 44%

The Indiana poll was conducted by Research 2000 from Monday to Wednesday.  Its a sample of 400 likely Democratic voters with a margin of error of 5%.

Please watch 24 Hour News 8 at 6 for a WISH-TV Indiana Poll on the Presidential primary race in Indiana between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.   We have scientific results regarding who’s ahead and by how much, top issues, and more.

 Democrats accused Evan Strange last week of being a Republican primary voter and a member of the Young Republicans.  They were in error.

Strange is the fellow who asked the Monica Lewinsky question of Chelsea Clinton at Butler University.  I e-mailed him today for a response to the accusations and this is his answer:

“This upcoming election will be the first time I have ever voted in any election. I am in no way, nor have I ever been, associated with Young Republicans, or any political group or club.”

When confronted with that response state Democratic Chairman Dan Parker admitted that his research found two people named Evan Strange in Indiana (from the same age group) and apparently confused the two.

Some thoughts on the Monica Lewinsky question posed to Chelsea Clinton by Butler student Evan Strange:

-Was it an appropriate question? 

Yes.  She’s campaigning for a Presidential candidate who makes her service as First Lady part of the argument that she is experienced.  The Lewinsky scandal is part of that experience and Chelsea should be prepared for it.

-Was it a good answer?

I don’t think so.  If she wanted to avoid the question a quick brushoff, something like  “next question,” would do that.   Instead her answer became the story.  Forget the hour’s worth of policy statements preceding it.

-Why didn’t the question come up until now?

Chelsea won’t take questions from the press and faces mostly friendly audiences. 

-Why is the media playing it up so big?

In a landslide of canned responses and repetitive talking points this was a little bit of reality.  And this campaign is kind of important.

A colleague asked me today about the possibility of Hillary Clinton choosing Evan Bayh to be her running mate (assuming she has any need for a running mate.)

My answer:  don’t confuse her need to play off Bayh’s Indiana popularity with any future consideration. 

From the Bayh perspective a Clinton win here could lead to something bigger, but what’s the downside?  An Obama win here would be a rare chink in the Bayh armor.

Are Republicans watching the Democratic Presidential candidates stumping here with interest? 

State Rep. Tom Saunders (R-Lewisville) is Exhibit A.  Saunders appeared at the Bill Clinton rally in Richmond yesterday, not because he’s a Clinton supporter, but because he’s a political junkie.

Saunders brought his copy of Clinton’s book “My Life” seeking an autograph.  He did attempt to appear incognito, wearing a hat. 

That didn’t stop me from recognizing him from across the street as he arrived.

(By the way, Saunders got his autograph and more.  ”Got a front row seat, got the meet the guy, it was a good day!”)