Although my time lately has been spent preparing for the the first weeks of college teaching and more importantly, making sure everything goes well for my first anniversary this weekend,  I’ve still been keeping close tabs on the situation involving the latest troubles regarding the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

I was not surprised that the Baptist Ministers Alliance of Indianapolis called, for the 20th bajillionth time for Frank Straub’s resignation/termination/flogging/tarring/feathering as Public Safety Director.  Nor was I surprised that some Democrats on the City-Council are trying to politicize and capitalize on the tragic death of Eric Wells.  If they say they’re not being political, don’t believe them, their  latest news release was put out by Adam Kirsch, Executive Director of the Marion County Democratic Party.

Where I am puzzled is with all the recent discussions about what did all the parties the day of the Bisard crash and when did they know it.   My fellow brothers and sisters in the press have reported that the day of the incident Deputy Chief Daryl Pierce and Assistant Chief Ron Hicks went out to the scene but were called back by Chief Paul Ciesielski to talk about a news conference regarding the image of  Director Straub.

There have been references to conversations and text messages, but no one has produced anything in writing.   There is a lot of  “he said/he said” but I would assume that the easiest way to clear up this controversy would be for the parties involved to release the text messages that transpired that day.    With the back and forth between the culture and the command structure of IMPD, a review of the text message communications of that day would clear up confusion and we would know what everyone else knew.  Was it a failure of command at the scene or was the Chief more concerned about public relations?

And here’s something else a release of the text messages would show, did any of IMPD’s field command tell the Chief that the scene was so bad they weren’t going to come back to the office, but stay there and supervise?   That has been in the back of my mind since this controversy began.   I know IMPD has a pending investigation so they may not want to release anything until the findings are complete, but there is nothing to stop Hicks, John Conley or Pierce from releasing information through their attorneys.

I’ll be paying close attention to see how this part of the drama all plays out.

If you wondered if Congressman Brad Ellsworth’s vote in favor of closing the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay is an effective issue in this campaign, consider that five days after Dan Coats’ ad was released Ellsworth is still running in circles and struggling to respond to it. The fact that he’s responding at all is a mystery. This ad is getting far more earned media than anyone on our side could have dreamed. Well done guys, high five.

The comedy of errors began last Friday when the response from Democrats was to release a poll showing Ellsworth was losing by double digits, but less double digits than before, a move political reporter Jim Shella called, “curious”. Next, the Ellsworth campaign called a press conference in Jeffersonville. The ad is only running in Indianapolis so naturally the campaign would call a press conference in a different media market a hundred miles away and introduce the issue to voters who have never heard of it. No reporters showed up but the campaign managed to chase down a New Albany News and Tribune reporter to do a story. Ellsworth called the ad misleading and demanded it be pulled off the air. Seconds later, he reiterated his support of the vote saying, “if and when Gitmo is shut down, I have full confidence in our federal prisons.” Sounds to me like Ellsworth is still on board with the plan he voted to support. So what’s the misleading part?

Yesterday, Ellsworth hosted former terrorist prosecutor turned defender Morris Davis, who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Gitmo. But rather than use the former Bush official to defend his position in support of closing the terrorist detention center and gain credibility, Ellsworth had Davis trot out the same old tired talking points about Coats’ former law firm. Two attorneys who Coats has never met, and who worked out of an office he’s never visited, defended detainees on a pro bono basis several years ago. So what does that mean? Well… nothing really. But it’s all Ellsworth has going for him.