Dan Coats Endorsed By Congressman Mike Pence Is "Old" New News

Dan Coats for Indiana
http://dancoatsforindiana.blogspot.com

IN Senate Race: What’s old is “news”

April 21, 2010 - 3:20 PM | by: Steve Brown

What's your definition of news?

Is it information that's 2 1/2 months old?

It was for Dan Coats last night.

In a five-candidate race, Coats is considered a slight favorite in the May 4th Indiana Republican primary for the US Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Evan Bayh. After Tuesday night's televised GOP Senate debate, Coats told reporters he had an announcement to make, before taking questions.

Coats said, "Lemme just pass on some news that I'd like to give you here. I'm really pleased to announce tonight that uh...in fact I just got off the phone with Mike Pence. He's given me his unqualified endorsement and support for this race which I'm thrilled to have. He said some very good things about me when I indicated my intention to run. He's been supportive but uh...to say he's given me now his unqualified support is...is...is very important to me and I'm very appreciative." (You can watch Coats says this for yourself on the video linked to this story.)

The endorsement announcement was bigger than anything that happened in the debate. Congressman Mike Pence is very influential among Indiana Republicans. In the minds of many Hooiser GOP'ers only Governor Mitch Daniels endorsement would be bigger. (And Daniels in not endorsing. He says he'll back the primary winner.)

Wednesday morning, on Coats' campaign FaceBook page, the status trumpeted the Pence endorsement:

Dan Coats for Indiana Big News! Congressman Mike Pence has given Dan his unqualified endorsement for the U.S. Senate!

The thing is...Pence's backing was old news. That's how Pence's chief of staff Bill Smith described it when contacted by Fox News.

In early February, a statement of support for Coats candidacy was issued. This was shortly after Coats' announcement that he intended to join the race. The Pence statement was picked up by some DC media outlets.

Roll Call on February 3rd ran the following quote attributed to Pence:

“I am very excited about the possibility that former Senator Dan Coats may run for the United States Senate in 2010 and I sincerely hope he does it,” Pence said in a statement. “His integrity and conservative record would make him the ideal candidate for Hoosiers. If he runs, I will support him.”

Fifteen days later, Coats filed to run in the Indiana Senate election.

Smith says since that February statement, "The Congressman has not been hesitant" to tell reporters who asked that he was a Coats-backer. Smith made it clear in a telephone interview that while the February statement did not contain the word 'endorsement', it was certainly considered one by Pence.

Still, there was at least some confusion about Pence's backing of Coats. Some supporters had contacted Pence's offices asking who the Representative liked in the primary. Smith says all who inquired were told the same thing, "Coats".

But it shouldn't have been confusing for people who visit Coats campaign website. On a page titled "What They're Saying" a Pence quote sits atop the list:

Congressman Mike Pence: “His integrity and conservative record would make him the ideal candidate for Hoosiers.” (Congressional Quarterly, 2/3/10)

So, did Coats just plain get it the timing wrong with his post-debate "news" announcement?

Apparently.

Kevin Kellems of the Coats campaign sent an e-mail this morning which reads in part:

"Cong. Pence called Dan after the debate. I don't speak for him, but I believe the reason the Congressman reached out to Dan was to make it clear that his statement of support that came very early on was indeed an endorsement."

So, Coats did have Pence's endorsement all along...even before Coats was officially in the race. And certainly a lot of people missed it (including this reporter). But was Coats post-debate announcement last night "news" as he said?

As we says around here at Fox, "You decide."

Debate Commission Locks In Indiana Senate Contenders

The five Republican U.S. Senate candidates will go head-to-head on live TV in Indianapolis on April 20 in a debate sponsored by the Indiana Debate Commission.

The public is invited to submit, and potentially ask, questions of the candidates.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GOP SENATE DEBATE

Indiana residents who would like to ask questions of the Republican U.S. Senate candidates in the April 20 debate may submit them online at www.indianadebatecommission.com by going to the form at the bottom of the page.

Questions also may be submitted in writing by sending them by mail to Indiana Debate Commission, 3909 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46208.

A committee of the debate commission will screen all submitted questions and interview potential questioners.

The commission's 13 affiliate groups will be asked to send representatives to ask questions of candidates in a post-debate news conference.

Some area high schools also will be invited to participate in the news conference and watch the debate in a separate screening room at Indianapolis public television station WFYI.

The debate commission's announcement that all five candidates have agreed to participate was accompanied by the news that Indianapolis public television station WFYI will host the one-hour debate at 7 p.m. CDT.

WFYI will make the debate available to any broadcast outlet. An audio feed will be available to radio stations, and the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System will webstream the debate.

Candidates in the GOP's May 4 Senate primary are former Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., former Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., state Sen. Marlin Stutzman of Howe, Fishers businessman Richard Behney and Richmond financial adviser Don Bates Jr.

The Senate seat is being vacated by Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. Democrats expect to nominate Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., for the seat.

A third opinion poll now shows Hostettler performing better against presumptive Democratic nominee Ellsworth than the other GOP Senate candidates.

A new telephone survey of 500 likely voters conducted by Rasmussen Reports on March 17 and 18 shows Hostettler defeating Ellsworth by a 50 percent to 32 percent margin, with the remainder of voters not sure or supporting other candidates.

Coats defeats Ellsworth by 49 percent to 34 percent, while Stutzman defeats him by 41 percent to 34 percent.

The survey was conducted with a 3.5 percent margin of error.

by Thomas B. Langhorne

A Research 2000 poll conducted late last month for the liberal blog DailyKos.com found Hostettler had the best chance of beating Ellsworth.

The poll, conducted with a 4 percent margin of error, showed Hostettler winning 40 percent of the vote to Ellsworth's 34 percent. Meanwhile, Coats was ahead by a 37 percent to 36 percent margin, a statistical dead heat.

A Rasmussen Reports poll in mid-February showed Hostettler defeating Ellsworth 46 percent to 27 percent , and Coats knocking off the Democrat, 46 percent to 32 percent.

The Indiana Debate Commission is a nonpartisan, statewide group of 13 affiliate organizations promoting debates at the state level.

In 2008, the commission sponsored televised gubernatorial debates at venues in Merrillville, Jasper and Bloomington. The commission reports more than 400 Indiana residents submitted questions to be considered by the candidates.

Hoosier polls may scare top Dem challengers.

UPDATE: Ellsworth running.

By: David Freddoso
Online Opinion Editor
02/18/10 12:36 PM EST

Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind.: Will he run from this one? (AP / Harrell)

UPDATE: It looks like my thinking was wrong: Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., looks like he's about to take the plunge and run for Senate to succeed Sen. Evan Bayh, D. A moderate, he probably has the best chance of keeping this seat in Democratic hands, but it will still be a tough sell, as the poll below suggests. Meanwhile, they're probably breaking out the champagne today at the NRCC, as Ellsworth's "Bloody Eighth" district has a history of being very competitive.

Earlier post:

Democrats may have dodged a bullet when they avoided having a no-experience challenger seize their Senate nomination by turning in the requisite number of petition signatures. But in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Evan Bayh, D, it still isn't going to be an easy year for them in my home state.

Because no one made the ballot on the Democratic side, a group of 32 insiders will be able to pick a strong Democratic nominee -- or so the logic goes. But the top Indiana Democrats who could be handed the party's Senate nomination may think twice before accepting it when they see this:

The three leading Republican contenders all post leads for now over the two most prominently mentioned Democratic hopefuls, but it’s not even clear if those Democrats are in the race.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Indiana voters shows former GOP Congressman John Hostettler leading Baron Hill 49% to 31% and Brad Ellsworth 46% to 27%.

Former Senator Dan Coats, whose entry in the race has the blessing of the GOP establishment but has angered some Indiana Republicans, runs ahead of Hill 48% to 32% and ahead of Ellsworth 46% to 32%.

Another announced Republican hopeful, freshman state Senator Marlin Stutzman, leads Hill 41% to 33% and Ellsworth by a 40% to 30% margin.

If Democrats give up and go with a second-tier candidate -- in other words, anyone besides Hill or Ellsworth -- then the "fear factor" will disappear from the Republican primary, as it has in Florida. This could possibly erode the advantage of the establishment Republican candidate, former Sen. Dan Coats, R.

On the other hand, Hill is in enough trouble in his own House district that he might find it worth the risk.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Hoosier-polls-may-scare-top-Dem-challengers-84711502.html#ixzz0fvtrhkGW

Rasmussen: GOP's Indiana Edge

Election 2010: Indiana Senate
Indiana Senate: Hill, Ellsworth Trail Three Main GOP Hopefuls
Thursday, February 18, 2010

As expected with incumbent Senator Evan Bayh’s surprise announcement this week that he will not seek reelection, Indiana’s U.S. Senate race is wide open. The three leading Republican contenders all post leads for now over the two most prominently mentioned Democratic hopefuls, but it’s not even clear if those Democrats are in the race.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Indiana voters shows former GOP Congressman John Hostettler leading Baron Hill 49% to 31% and Brad Ellsworth 46% to 27%.

Former Senator Dan Coats, whose entry in the race has the blessing of the GOP establishment but has angered some Indiana Republicans, runs ahead of Hill 48% to 32% and ahead of Ellsworth 46% to 32%.

Another announced Republican hopeful, freshman state Senator Marlin Stutzman, leads Hill 41% to 33% and Ellsworth by a 40% to 30% margin.

In the six match-ups, five (5%) to nine percent (9%) prefer another candidate and anywhere from 14% to 21% are undecided.

Last month, a Rasmsussen Reports survey found Bayh leading Hostettler and Stutzman but slightly behind Republican Congressman Mike Pence who decided not to enter the race.

Significantly, Bayh, who had previously been considered a fairly safe bet for reelection, attracted support from just 44% or 45% of voters in any of the match-ups, and incumbents who earn less than 50% of the vote at this stage of a campaign are considered potentially vulnerable. Coats had not yet entered the race.

Thirteen percent (13%) of Indiana voters have a very favorable opinion of Hostettler, while six percent (6%) view him very unfavorably.

Coats is seen very favorably by 16% and very unfavorably by nine percent (9%).

For Stutzman, very favorables are 8% and very unfavorables are 6%.

Eight percent (8%) have a very favorable view of Hill, and 17% view him very unfavorably.

As for Ellsworth, he is viewed very favorably by 10% and very unfavorably by eight percent (8%).

At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with a strong opinion more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.

Fifty percent (50%) of voters in Indiana think the United States and its allies are winning the war on terror. Only 17% say the terrorists are ahead. But voters are evenly divided over whether America is safer today than it was before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks: 40% say yes; 40 say no.

Seventy-three percent (73%) express more confidence in the judgment of the American people over that of the country’s political leaders when it comes to important national issues.

Seventy-two percent (72%) say the federal government has become a special interest group. Seventy-one percent (71%) believe government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors.

That helps to explain why most Indiana voters (52%) think states have the right to opt out of federal programs that they don’t agree with.

Seventy percent (70%) approve of the job Republican Governor Mitch Daniels is doing, while 27% disapprove.