Hey Big Spender

Candidate Steve Braun, running for Republican state representative from the newly created 24th district, which includes Zionsville, says in his mailings he was an all-state wide receiver in high school.

Take a look at his campaign report and from the list of his contributions and there's no doubt he's still an all-state receiver - of cash - but not all his fat cats are from Indiana.

href="http://campaignfinance.in.gov/PublicSite/SearchPages/FilingDetail.aspx?FilingID=44976">Just click here on the link below and take a gander at his list of big daddys and who they represent.

And, if you've been paying attention to the expensive mailers his campaign has been sending, there is a glaring omission - none mention what district he proposes to represent, and in the third and most recent mailing it even fails to mention he's a Republican.

http://campaignfinance.in.gov/PublicSite/SearchPages/FilingDetail.aspx?FilingID=44976

Braun and his brain trust are betting that claiming to be a ''lifelong conservative'' will register with Democrats who will ask for a Republican ballot in the May 8 primary.

But, don't be fooled.

Though Braun's family has spent the last 10 or so years as Zionsville residents, he spent his time commuting to and from Chicago to work. Although he's running on the Republican ballot, he cast his last vote in a Boone County primary election as a Democrat.

But, Braun knew how to fix that - get a letter from the Boone County GOP chair who would attest that he was a Republican, and that's what good old Debbie Ottinger did.
Why? Ottinger knows how her political bread is buttered.

And, it's all legal.

But, the $64,000 question was when did Braun ask for Ottinger's blessings to run as a Republican - before he filed for office, or after he filed?

If he asked for her approval after he filed, then that's an issue for Boone County Election Board, but don't hold your breath for the GOP controlled courthouse mummy dummies to question Braun's legitimacy. There's too much cash at stake.

Consider this:

To make sure there were no speed bumps for his candidacy, he coughed up $15,000 of his own moola to the Indiana State Republican House of Representatives committee, basically gaining the party's favor to get him positioned against Mindy McMillan in the May primary.

And, guess who's one of Braun's fat cats? None other than master wheeler dealer Chad Pittman.

How can he lose?

Folks, it stinks.

Stay tuned.