Commentary on Leadership by Indiana Republican Governors

Seal of the State of IndianaListen, I know that none of you signed up for my movie reviews expecting to receive my commentaries. I can only ask your forgiveness, as I remain convinced that there are things going on in our world that are flying past us to our own eventual regret.

Simply stated, when did it become an accepted standard for conservatives to criticize only President Obama’s policies while ignoring what is going on in Indiana? Are they so caught up in their own philosophy that they lack the ability to hold conservative politicians accountable?

First of all, look what is happening with our toll road in Northern Indiana. Again trusting the private sector rather than government, Governor Daniels apparently didn’t read the fine print when he leased the toll road to a company that has now gone bankrupt. As a result, Hoosiers have to ride on deplorable roads while our ex-governor flees to the friendly confines of Purdue University.

Then you have the wonderful experience of our Bureau of Motor Vehicles literally stealing over $60 million from Hoosier taxpayers under two Republican Governors. It is incredible that some conservatives still believe that there is an IRS scandal under President Obama while ignoring a State institution bleeding working class Hoosiers dry.

Finally, you have Governor Pence and his supporters patting themselves on the back while turning down millions of federal dollars to expand both Medicaid and pre-school education. Once again, these are taxpayer dollars paid by many Hoosiers, and how can conservatives champion the meaning of family while simultaneously destroying our ability to educate the young?

In the end, it appears that many conservative leaders have become so passionately anti-Obama that they will turn a blind eye to the manner in which Republican allies run certain states. Their failure to cooperate with President Obama has played the biggest role in creating gridlock, and they know it. My suggestion is that if they want to demand that President Obama hold out a helping hand to seek compromise, it might be beneficial to resist spitting in it.