Hoosiers Rule?

(Newser) - Indiana has voted Republican 16 times in the past 17 presidential elections, so why is Barack Obama even bothering to run ads and rally? The state that favored George W. Bush over John Kerry 60-39% is showing surprising support for Obama—enough that he could scrape out a win,  Salon reports. And if that does happen, it'll be because the Obama team spotted opportunity among that state's long history of campaign neglect. More »

(Newser) - It's easy, and usually fun, to bash members of Congress. But what about those who deserve praise? Esquire picks some favorites, starting with Rep. Henry Waxman of California; the Democrat has long been the sole member not only criticizing the Bush team's missteps but actually investigating them. Then there's principled Republican Mike Pence of Indiana, a maverick of the kind lost when McCain went all presidential. More »

(Newser) - Florida Sen. Mel Martinez became another statistic in the correlation between theft and college football while watching his nephew punt for Notre Dame this weekend, reports the Southbend Tribune . The senator had his wallet nabbed from his rental car, a common fate for fans with out-of-state plates. Police were able to return Martinez’s wallet by halftime, minus $180 in cash but still containing his Senate credentials. More »

(Newser) - The National Park Service has found wild marijuana growing in a northern Indiana federal park, the Chicago Tribune reports. Officials don't know how many plants are spread throughout the 15,000-acre Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, on Lake Michigan about 30 miles southeast of Chicago, but said they will work with local police to eradicate the illegal crops. More »

(Newser) - An Indiana man says he is a loving father who just wants to share his faith with his kids—but his Christian ex-wife would prefer their daughters spent Sunday morning in church instead of with their Satanist dad. The custody case raises thorny church and state issues, the Chicago Tribune reports. More »

(Newser) - One soldier's death reveals more of America's pain more starkly than Iraqi war statistics ever could. So one reporter discovered as he followed the remains of Indiana native son Sgt. Robert Joe Montgomery from a pass near the Tigris to a funeral in Scottsburg, meeting all who suffered along the way. At the riveting center of Chris Jones' haunting journey in Esquire is "Joey" himself. More »

(Newser) - A teenage rite of passage made popular in a movie claimed a life yesterday when an 18-year-old high school graduate plunged 65 feet to his death into an Indiana quarry pool, ABC reports. The plunge was featured in the 1979 coming-of-age movie Breaking Away and is routinely copied by local youth, despite the best efforts of law enforcement to stop them. More »

(Newser) - A dozen nuns who lacked proper photo ID were turned away from an Indiana voting booth yesterday—by a fellow nun. None of the nuns, all over 80, had a driver's license because they don't drive, and some presented outdated passports, the AP reports. Their convent has launched a major push to arrange for proper ID in time for November's election. More »

(Newser) - An Indiana 16-year-old plotted a Columbine-style mass killing on September 11 and even sought the same pistol used in that attack, the AP reports. The high school student faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder when he appears in court today. Police found 100 knives in his home and say he discussed how to make explosives and obtain weapons online with an out-of-state friend. More »

(Newser) - Despite the ubiquitous use of “change” as a rallying cry in the Democratic primaries, the New York Times notes, the candidates might want to reconsider using it ahead of Indiana's May 6 primary. Although they’re dissatisfied with the economic toll taken by the decline in manufacturing, voters generally expressed “queasiness” in response to both candidates' use of the mantra. More »

(Newser) - A bank teller pregnant with twins was shot during a robbery today in Indianapolis, but her fetuses were not directly injured, the Indianapolis Star reports. Katherine Sheffield, 30, is in serious to critical condition after a gunman walked into the bank where she worked and fired two shots into her abdomen before escaping with an undisclosed amount of cash. More »