Coats Unscathed at GOP Event

Chris Dickson and Senator Dan Coats

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

Other candidates don’t refer to his lobbying career

Tom Davies

New Castle: The five Republicans who want to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh shared a stage for the first time just hours after the race for the Democratic pick cleared up more, with Rep. Baron Hill saying that he would seek re-election to the House and endorsed Rep. Brad Ellsworth for the Senate seat.

None of the four other Republican candidates at Saturday’s Henry County GOP event brought up the questions that Coats has faced over his work as a Washington lobbyist and his years spent away from Indiana.

All drew frequent applause from the crowd of about 200 people in a Moose lodge by faulting President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress for their handling of the economy, push for revamping the health care system and increased federal spending.

“Washington is completely out of touch with America,” said state Sen. Marlin Stutzman of Howe. “I believe that people voted to change Washington, not to change America.”

Coats has the backing of national Republicans since he launched his Senate campaign Feb. 3, but his attempt at a political comeback 18 years after he was last on a ballot didn’t prompt any of the other candidates to drop their campaigns.

Coats reassured the crowd Saturday of his intentions if he wins the party’s nomination in the May 4 primary.

“I’ve re-engaged because I care deeply about my country and care deeply about the future of this country and am fearful, absolutely fearful, about where we’re headed,” he said.

The Republican primary campaign has taken on greater importance since Bayh’s Feb. 15 announcement that he wouldn’t seek a third term

Dan Coats Moves Ahead In Polling

Dan Coats

Indiana polling

The Indiana political reporter Ed Feigenbaum reports:

Polling last Monday and Tuesday for a congressional candidate in one hotly contested primary found the Senate primary race to be a runaway of sorts in that particular district for [Dan Coats] ... leading the field by a wide percentage margin well into the double digits, with only one of the other hopefuls [John Hostetler] even breaking the 10 percent support threshold — and [conservative favorite Marlin Stutzman] checking in at a surprisingly low 2 percent — but with boatloads of yet-undecided voters.

A source who's seen the poll of GOP primary voters confirmed the account and says it was from Indiana's 4th District.

Posted by Ben Smith 11:54 AM
Politico

Dan Coats: Fox News Interview by Neil Cavuto

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

Dan Coats Ft. Wayne Interivew

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

Dan Coats on the Democrats Approach to the War On Terror

Dan Coats

“I would characterize it as the failure of
the liberal left to understand the realities
of the world that we live in and the threats 
to the world order as well as threats to
America. There’s always been this thought
that we’ve taken too strong of a position.
If we just open up our hands and embrace
our enemies, they will see the folly of their
ways and their policies. That was a
theoretical position of liberals. Once they
got in charge of everything, total control
of the government, they tried it. And it has
been the failure across the board. There was
Gitmo. There was homeland defense. Whether it
is   dealing with adversaries that see all of
this as a sign of weakness. I think that has
been demonstrated in great detail for
Americans to look at. And I think the
understanding now is that that has been a
total failure.”

T

Dan Coats on Iran

Dan Coats

“What do we do now? I think we face up to the
facts and let the   American people and the
world know that everybody has to eat their words.
Everyone on both sides of the aisle, on both
sides of the   Atlantic, around the world, has
said it is unacceptable to allow Iran   to
obtain nuclear weapons. And yet, no one has
gone past that point   and said “If it’s
unacceptable, what are we going to do?” And now
it seems we’re being asked to accept the
unacceptable.”

T

The Death Of America: We Need Dan Coats Now!

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

"RENEWING THE AMERICAN DREAM"

At about the time our original 13 States adopted their new Constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinborough, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic, some 2,000 years prior:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time voters discover that they can vote themselveds generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship."

He goes on to say, "The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back to bondage."

Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the Gore/Bush Presidential election:

Population of Counties won:
by Gore: 127 million
by Bush: 143 million

Square miles of land won:
by Gore: 580,000
by Bush: 2,427,000

Sates won:
by Gore: 19
by Bush: 29

Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won:
by Gore: 13.2
by Bush: 2.1

Professor Olson adds, "In aggregate, the map of territory Bush won was (mostly) the land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements..."

Although America's run at Democracy has exceeded the 200 year average, Olson believed the U.S. was then somewhere between the "apathy" and the "complacency" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of Democracy; with some 40 percent of the nation's population already having reached the "government dependency" phase.

So here we are now, in 2009, and what have we seen? The government take-over of the banks and automotive companies in America; Obama fired the President of General Motors; Cap and Trade (Cap & Tax) , driving up the cost of energy by $2000-$3000 per household; Universal Healthcare with absolutely no way of paying for it; the National Debt raised to over one Trillion Dollars with no accountability as to where the money went or was spent; New York City's combined tax rate of 67 percent. Need more proof? Then watch this:

America is now on "life support" and probably won't survive the next four years! We need Dan Coats now, more than ever !

Dan Coats for Indiana

Tully: For Now It's All About Coats

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

by Matthew Tully
Indianapolis Star

Most of the state's political attention this week has focused on Sen. Evan Bayh's surprise retirement from the U.S. Senate and the efforts by his fellow Democrats to select a new nominee.

But on the other side of the aisle, Republicans are gearing up for a crowded, entertaining and possibly divisive primary. Although several candidates are expected to be on the ballot when filing closes today, the GOP race for now looks like a referendum on one contender in particular: former Sen. Dan Coats.

Coats' campaign has generated more strong opinions and more intense scrutiny than the rest of the field combined. So let's look at both what Coats has going for him as the primary season heats up, and the factors that could hurt his campaign.

We'll start with some pluses.

Name ID: Here's the rest of the potential field: former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, state Sen. Marlin Stutzman, Richmond financial adviser Don Bates Jr. and Fishers business owner Richard Behney. Not exactly a star-studded lineup.

Coats, meanwhile, spent a decade as Indiana's junior senator, winning two statewide elections along the way. In a crowded primary field, and with less than three months for candidates to meet voters before they head to the polls, Coats has the advantage of not having to introduce himself to as many Hoosiers, or convince them of his credentials.

After all, many Hoosiers have already voted for him. His job now will be to convince them he's still worthy of that vote. Additionally, his profile likely will give him a crucially important edge in fundraising.

The surprise factor: It's easy to forget, but not so long ago it appeared the Senate seat was comfortably in Democratic hands. Coats' entry focused attention quickly on the race, causing handicappers to label it competitive even before Bayh's decision. Coats made a splash that energized many Republicans, and that could pay off on Election Day.

High-caliber politician: In a short, intense campaign, there is little room for error. Coats has been through big campaigns before and should be ready for the spotlight. He still has statewide contacts and relationships, and a deep understanding of the issues the next senator will face.

Go to Matthew Tully, Indianapolis Star, to read further...

Room for a nice guy in Senate Race?

OPINION

by JACK COLWELL

Dan Coats said "thank you" when I quoted from a column I wrote back when he was in the Senate, citing then his sense of humor, sense of decency and "low-key, reasoned approach."

Thanks? Wait.

Praise it was then. But are those characteristics Republican primary election voters want now as Coats seeks the party's nomination to take back the Senate seat Evan Bayh doesn't want anymore?

In these angry times of partisan hatred, Tea Party wrath and eye-gouging campaign style, will voters in the May Republican primary seek instead a slasher to eviscerate President Obama and all things Democratic?

"You have to be who you are," Coats answered in a telephone interview. "Slashing and burning and throwing red meat to a crowd won't solve our problems."

And he sees problems aplenty: Rising national debt. Unemployment. Uncertain economic future. National security concerns. And, in general, the direction of the country during the Obama administration.

Coats said he had looked forward to running against Bayh, not to slash at the Democratic senator as the quintessence of evil, but to debate serious issues "that will determine the future direction of the country."

Coats thought he could beat Bayh. He did not come back to Indiana to lose. But most political analysts rated Bayh, with all his campaign funds and longtime popularity with Hoosier voters, as the favorite to win.

Now, with Bayh out, they virtually all figure the seat is likely to be won by a Republican.

By Coats?

He likely would be favored if he is the nominee.

However, Coats was skewered by the Demo-cratic Senatorial Campaign Committee within hours after he announced his intention to run, with allegations about his clients and causes as a Washington lobbyist. While Coats was able eventually to show flaws in the some of the opposition research, including the allegation that he somehow lobbied for Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, he knows that the negative start, with Republican opponents piling on, did not help.

Also harmful was that video showing Coats speaking to North Carolina delegates at the Republican National Convention. He tells them that he bought a second home in their state for retiring and jokingly asking them not to "tell the good people of Indiana." The purchase was because his wife's elderly parents live there, Coats said, and he was only giving a friendly greeting to the North Carolinians as a representative of the McCain campaign, not renouncing his Hoosier roots.

The last professional poll before Bayh bailed out, by Research 2000, showed Bayh ahead of Coats by 20 percentage points. The first professional poll since Bayh's departure, by Rasmussen Reports, shows Coats ahead of either of two top prospects for the Democratic nomination — by 14 points over Congressman Brad Ellsworth, by 16 over Congressman Baron Hill.

Although the poll also showed that two other Republican contenders, former Congressman John Hostettler and state Sen. Merlin Stutzman, also with double-digit leads in the matchups, the Coats campaign was happy that the poll didn't show any disastrous effect for Coats of Democrats clobbering him and his Republican opponents joining in as a greeting.

Now, with an organization forming and backing from Republicans nationally, with substantial funding sure to come, Coats will concentrate on getting out his own message on the issues, winning the primary and getting back the seat he once held in the Senate.

Coats disagrees with some fellow Republicans who think Democrats gain from ability to appoint a nominee, while Coats and the other GOP contenders fight it out in a primary.

"A primary is very healthy," Coats said. "It sharpens all the candidates. And the winner will come out better prepared." Although the Democratic nominee won't have to spend on a primary, Coats said the GOP money won't be wasted because it will help obtain statewide name recognition and test themes and staff for the fall.

In contrast, he said, Bayh "leaves Democrats in a pickle."

Coats, still disdaining a slasher's knife, said he will run the same way he would have if Bayh were still the opponent. He'll do it his way and hope that the primary voters decide that his more "reasoned approach" still works in politics.

Jack Colwell is a columnist for The Tribune. Write to him in care of The Tribune or by e-mail at jcolwell@comcast.net.

Mike Pence at CPAC Pt 3 of 3

MIKE PENCE
RECLAIMING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND
THE AMERICAN DREAM
by
LTC Robert "Buzz" Patterson
and
Chris Dickson

http://mikepencethebook.blogspot.com

Dan Coats says he's right choice for these times

Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito and Senator Dan Coats

But will his fiscal courage override voters' fury with career politicians?

If not for a decision by one of the Republican Party's rising young stars, an old GOP warhorse might still be out to pasture.

But now, thanks to an improbable series of events and a deepening fear that “this thing called America is unraveling,” Dan Coats is back in the political saddle.

The question is: Will Coats' party, energized by the anti-incumbent militant populism of the tea-party movement, embrace a 66-year-old candidate sure to be painted by opponents of both parties as a career politician, Washington insider and carpetbagging lobbyist?

Coats makes a persuasive case that they will, but insists the coming race for the U.S. Senate seat he filled for 10 years isn't about him at all. It's about principles, he says: the principles the Republican Party betrayed and must restore if the nation is to survive.

“Republicans bear their share of responsibility (for the $12 trillion national debt). We lost our way between 2006 and 2008 and started acting like Democrats,” Coats said by telephone just hours after officially filing for the seat now held by Democrat Evan Bayh. “But now we need to say more than just ‘no' to what the Democrats are doing. We need to say how we would fix things.”

Coats never thought he'd be Indiana's repairman, however.

A strong supporter of U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, the 6th District Republican who represents part of Allen County, Coats said he never expected to be a candidate until Pence announced on Jan. 26 his intention to stay in the House. A week later, Coats said he was considering a run for Senate. And less than two weeks after that, Bayh shocked Coats and the entire nation by announcing he would not seek a third term.

Coats accepts Bayh's explanation of having tired of Washington's increasingly toxic and partisan atmosphere. Even so, he said, the timing of Bayh's announcement undermines the credibility of a poll conducted by the liberal Web site Daily Kos showing Coats trailing Bayh by 20 percentage points.

Ironically, Bayh's sudden departure may not be good news for Coats. While the loss of a traditionally popular Democratic senator is sure to help the Republican candidate's chances in November, Coats' main edge against his Republican primary opponents – the name recognition needed to unseat a well-known incumbent – no longer applies. And having represented northeast Indiana in the House of Representatives from 1981 to 1989, and serving in the Senate from 1989 to 1999, Coats will be the closest thing to an incumbent on the ballot.

So can he appeal to the growing tide of voters who simply want to throw all the bums out, whatever their party?

“I do think I appeal to the tea-party movement. I've been promoting fiscal discipline for a long time,” he said. “This crisis is so deep, so devastating, that it must be above politics. The first thing we need to do is to stop the (budgetary) bleeding, and put it before the voters:

“Are you willing to defer gratification for the sake of your children and grandchildren? I think recent elections show we're getting there. At the grassroots level, people are saying ‘enough!' What's happening is extraordinary.”

To that end, Coats supports creation of an independent commission that could recommend a series of budget cuts Congress would have to endorse or reject without amendment. Only then, he said, could the pressure to protect hometown interests be resisted – something Coats said he did by supporting recommendations to close military bases in Indiana.

Is he a carpetbagger? Well, Coats has lived and voted in Virginia, and also bought a $1.8 million home in North Carolina in 2006. But Coats said he has also remained active in Indiana, and that he and wife Marcia are moving back to the state “to stay.” Has he been a lobbyist? Yes – something Coats said he did for financial reasons after serving in political office, and reported as required by law.

But given the lobbyists within the supposedly lobbyist-free Obama administration, and election-driven residence changes of such stalwarts as Hillary Clinton, Robert Kennedy and, yes, Evan Bayh, Democrats will have a tough time making those charges stick. Bayh is likely to donate his now-unneeded $13 million war chest to his party and other Democratic candidates, according to his Fort Wayne office.

I'm not endorsing Coats, who will face no less than four other Republicans in the primary. But I've known and respected him for years, and have no doubt he's right when he says traditional Republican principles in Congress are an essential antidote to the left-wing ideologue who will occupy the White House for the next three years.

And if the Republicans abandon those principles again, heaven help them – and the rest of us.

This column is the commentary of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel.

E-mail Kevin Leininger at kleininger@news-sentinel.com, or call him at 461-8355

Tully: For Now It's All About Coats

by Matthew Tully
Indianapolis Star

Most of the state's political attention this week has focused on Sen. Evan Bayh's surprise retirement from the U.S. Senate and the efforts by his fellow Democrats to select a new nominee.

But on the other side of the aisle, Republicans are gearing up for a crowded, entertaining and possibly divisive primary. Although several candidates are expected to be on the ballot when filing closes today, the GOP race for now looks like a referendum on one contender in particular: former Sen. Dan Coats.

Coats' campaign has generated more strong opinions and more intense scrutiny than the rest of the field combined. So let's look at both what Coats has going for him as the primary season heats up, and the factors that could hurt his campaign.

We'll start with some pluses.

Name ID: Here's the rest of the potential field: former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, state Sen. Marlin Stutzman, Richmond financial adviser Don Bates Jr. and Fishers business owner Richard Behney. Not exactly a star-studded lineup.

Coats, meanwhile, spent a decade as Indiana's junior senator, winning two statewide elections along the way. In a crowded primary field, and with less than three months for candidates to meet voters before they head to the polls, Coats has the advantage of not having to introduce himself to as many Hoosiers, or convince them of his credentials.

After all, many Hoosiers have already voted for him. His job now will be to convince them he's still worthy of that vote. Additionally, his profile likely will give him a crucially important edge in fundraising.

The surprise factor: It's easy to forget, but not so long ago it appeared the Senate seat was comfortably in Democratic hands. Coats' entry focused attention quickly on the race, causing handicappers to label it competitive even before Bayh's decision. Coats made a splash that energized many Republicans, and that could pay off on Election Day.

High-caliber politician: In a short, intense campaign, there is little room for error. Coats has been through big campaigns before and should be ready for the spotlight. He still has statewide contacts and relationships, and a deep understanding of the issues the next senator will face.

Go to Matthew Tully, Indianapolis Star, to read further...

Dan Coats Says Thank You For 14,193 Signatures!

Friends,

Your hard work collecting signatures has been an inspiration to
Marsha and me, and we are grateful to you.

Today we filed 14,193 signatures with the Secretary of State.
This absolutely could not have been done without the active
support and hard work of hundreds of dedicated volunteers.

In order to be on the ballot we had to collect and get
signatures from at least 500 registered voters from each of
Indiana's nine congressional districts.

You gathered 14,193 certified petition signatures --
significantly more than any  other candidate.

Congressional District Breakdown:

#1:  1,470

#2:  1,302

#3:  1,469

#4:  1,040

#5:  1,290

#6:  1,387

#7:  1,878

#8:  1,534

#9:  2,823

We will build on the momentum this process has generated
by continuing to travel every corner of the state to
listen to Hoosiers at the grassroots who are fed up and
alarmed by what they see going on in Washington. Hoosiers
are demanding true representation of their views on jobs,
national security, runaway federal spending and the extreme
liberal Washington agenda that has been shoved down our
throats.

Together we will win on May 4th and November 2nd!

Thank you,
Dan Coats

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.

Dan Quayle: Bayh Out, Reganism In

Quayle: Bayh Out, Reaganism In [Robert Costa]

Sen. Evan Bayh (D., Ind.) will not seek re-election this year, leaving former GOP Sen. Dan Coats, for now, the race’s frontrunner. Coats represented northeastern Indiana in the House during the Reagan years and moved to the Senate in 1989 when Dan Quayle became vice president. Quayle tells National Review Online that he is not surprised by Bayh’s decision and that it is “good news for Dan Coats.”

“Senator Bayh has been in there for quite awhile,” Quayle says. “Four years as secretary of state in Indiana, eight years as governor, and twelve years as a senator. The timing of it took me by surprise, but not his reasons. He’s had a long, good run from his perspective and wants to move on. He tried to run for president, was passed over by Obama as a vice-presidential candidate, and he’s not in the Democratic Senate leadership — he’s leaving on his own terms.”

Quayle beat Bayh’s father, former Sen. Birch Bayh (D., Ind.), as part of the Reagan sweep in 1980. Could this year be just as successful for the GOP? “Possibly,” Quayle says. “There are some similarities. The grassroots are very anxious. There is a lot of talk about Reagan values and the Reagan view of the world: smaller government, less regulation, less taxes, and a strong national defense. That’s the direction this country is heading. Now, Republicans won the Senate in 1980, but we did not get the House, so though things look good now, we’re still a long way from November. This will be a very good year for the GOP, it’s just not clear how good.”

Quayle says Coats, who has spent the past decade in private life, “is a quality person who has great values.” Quayle adds that he also brings a fresh perspective, even after many years of service. “A lot of us on the outside were very disappointed with how Republicans acted when they were in power, in terms of how they spent money and were aggressive on earmarks. The party has to accept responsibility for that, and Dan Coats is clearly of the ilk of understanding what went wrong and where the party needs to go.”

Dan Coats says he's met Indiana ballot deadline

By MIKE SMITH, AP Political Writer

Former Indiana Senator Dan Coats (R) is considering running against Senator Evan Bayh (D). (WRTV File Photo)

By Jason Overholt

Story Created: Feb 16, 2010 at 10:20 AM EST

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Republican Sen. Dan Coats' campaign says it has enough petition signatures to put him on Indiana's May primary ballot as he seeks the Senate seat Democrat Evan Bayh is leaving.

Coats spokesman Kevin Kellems said today that Hoosiers had responded with "tremendous enthusiasm" in helping gather the required 4,500 signatures since Coats announced his campaign Feb. 3.

Coats and other candidates face a deadline today to submit their petition signatures to county officials.

State Sen. Marlin Stutzman of Howe has set a news conference today to announce his filing.

T

Dan Coats Petition Summary Report

Senator Dan Coats

As of 2/16/2010 09:55:10 AM

Petition Type: (CAN-4)

Number of Signatures Required: 4500
Total Number of Signatures: 8090


T

Dan Coats: Pro-Life Ambassador for the Pre-Born

Chris Dickson and U.S. Senator Dan Coats

Go to:

Dan Coats for Indiana
at:
http://dancoats.blogspot.com

With Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) retiring from the U.S. Senate,
let's all come together now to elect
Senator Dan Coats,
Former
U.S. Ambassador to Germany
and Current
Pro-Life Ambassador for the Pre-Born.

T

Democratic Sen. Bayh Will Not Seek Re-Election This Year

Democratic Senator Evan Bayh says, "Bye, Bye!"

FOXNews.com

Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh will not seek re-election this year, Fox News has learned.

The two-term Indiana senator is known as a moderate Democrat. His retirement gives Republicans yet another opportunity to pick up a seat in a year when several incumbent Democrats are considered vulnerable.

Former GOP Sen. Dan Coats had been planning to challenge Bayh in November.

From Cakewalk to Competitive

nationalreviewONLINE

by Robert Costa

Dan Coats is in . . . we think. The former senator released a statement this afternoon acknowledging his interest in challenging Sen. Evan Bayh (D., Ind.), but we agree with NBC’s Chuck Todd, who thinks the statement is a little murky, with its “test the waters” whimsy:

After much thoughtful consideration, I have authorized my supporters to begin gathering signatures as I test the waters for a potential challenge to Evan Bayh in 2010. Over the next few weeks, I will be talking to Hoosiers from all walks of life, and I will make a formal announcement regarding my intentions in the near future.

Indiana Republicans, however, are already gearing up for Coats v. Bayh. A senior Indiana GOP official tells National Review Online that Bayh better “think twice” before calling out Coats about his Virginia residency. “Senator Bayh lives in the Washington area now, and has for most of his life,” the official says. “Remember, Bayh grew up in Maryland, went to St. Alban’s, and came back to Indiana for a few years of college. But other than that, especially since he went to the Senate, Bayh was, and is, a man of Washington. To suggest Dan Coats isn’t a Hoosier is disingenuous.” Politically, he adds, “getting into a residency skirmish won’t make sense for Bayh because we’ll bring up not only his years as a Beltway resident, but his own residency problems in 1988, when he first ran.”

The official is referencing this case (h/t IU-PUI):

In Article 5, Section 7 of [Indiana’s] 1851 constitution, Indiana requires governors to have been “a resident of” the state for five years preceding election. Because no governor’s satisfaction of this requirement had ever been questioned, the constitutional language had never been interpreted – until 1988. In November, 1987, Evan Bayh announced his intention to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor in the 1988 election. However, for approximately thirteen months during the required five year period, Bayh worked in Washington, D.C. As a result, a question arose whether Bayh was “a resident of” Indiana while he lived and worked in Washington. His eligibility to serve as governor, if elected, was formally challenged by leaders of the Indiana Republican Party. Bayh argued that he had been “a resident of” Indiana his entire life even though he had temporarily lived elsewhere . . . For almost eight months, Bayh’s eligibility to serve was a focal point of public attention in the 1988 governor’s race. While Bayh and his opponents pursued answers in several legal forums, they also were competing for advantage in the most important forum of all – the court of public opinion. Finally, on April 28, 1988, the Indiana Supreme Court rendered a decision declaring Bayh eligible to serve, if elected.

Greg Sargent at Plumline says Bayh may have other troubles:

National Republican strategists working on the Indiana Senate race are drawing up a battle plan to target Senator Evan Bayh’s wife, whose work on multiple corporate boards has drawn criticism from good government advocates, as a way of offseting Dem attacks on Bayh’s expected challenger, GOP sources say.

The news broke this morning that former GOP Senator Dan Coats will challenge Bayh, and he’s widely seen as a major recruiting coup for the GOP. Dems promptly went on the offensive, blasting Coates as a lobbyist for private equity firms and defense contractors who is gaming the system for the banking industry at a “time of financial collapse.”

NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh tells me the GOP response will be this: Target Bayh’s wife, and the “Bayh family partnership.”

While two other Republicans, former Rep. John Hostettler and state Sen. Marlin Stutzman, are already in the GOP Senate primary, Robert Schmuhl, a political analyst and professor at the University of Notre Dame, tells NRO that a (possible) Coats entry makes the race a pick-up opportunity for Republicans. “Dan Coats brings immediate name recognition and stature to the Indiana Senate campaign and his announcement will move the race from cakewalk category for Evan Bayh to potentially competitive,” Schmuhl says. “Another Dan (Quayle) retired another Bayh (Birch), so Hoosiers with longer memories will be watching what happens closely. The question is whether Coats’s time out of government and his lack of Indiana ties in recent years will hurt his effort.”

Democrats jump in the mud

by Russ Pulliam

Former Sen. Dan Coats brings more than the potential for an upset in his race against Sen. Evan Bayh.

Win or lose, Coats could help Gov. Mitch Daniels gain the House Republican majority he wants for his final two years as governor.

At the top of the ticket in November, Coats could remove what historically has been an advantage for Democrats whenever Bayh has been on the ballot.

Bayh is the most popular Democrat in state history, with two terms as governor and two terms as a senator. But this year he may be vulnerable because of voters’ strong reaction against the Obama administration.

Bayh, who has never developed a political identity beyond a passion for holding the middle ground in most political debates, has not faced a strong political challenge in Indiana since he won his 1988 race for governor against Lt. Gov. John Mutz.

Coats will give Bayh real competition, similar to what U.S. Rep. Mike Pence would have brought to the race. Coats, who represented northeastern Indiana in Congress in the 1980s, moved to the Senate when Dan Quayle became vice president in 1989.

In Congress, Coats pushed conservative alternatives to big government efforts to end poverty, and his thinking contributed to the compassionate conservative ideas that helped George W. Bush land the presidency.

By personality Coats and Bayh share a modesty and reserve that seem to fit the profile of what Indiana voters like.

U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, who now represents the region that Coats once served, says the former senator will have to show passion for the race. “What Dan has to prove is he wants it,” Souder said. “People want to shake your hand.”

What remains unclear is the impact of uncivil attacks on Coats by the Democratic National Campaign Committee and other Bayh supporters. They are throwing every piece of mud they can find, hoping something might stick. He is a lobbyist. He thought about a retirement place in North Carolina. He lobbied for a firm that represented Yemen. He lobbied on behalf of a company linked to South American dictator Hugo Chavez. He may even have reached for the wrong fork once at a White House dinner.

Democrats sound like the state Republicans who tackled Evan Bayh when he came on the scene in the late 1980s. They said Bayh was not a real Hoosier, he had not lived here, he only had an address through his father. They accused him of misbehaving in college.

Mud-slinging might work if there is substance behind it. But Evan Bayh was a real Hoosier, growing up around Washington only because his father was a senator.

This time the mud-slinging may hurt Democrats. The issue is whether Coats is a man of character and integrity. On that score, the mud tossed by Democrats could splash back on them.

Dan Coats Petitions (Update)

UPDATE:

AS OF 02:44:45 PM 2/12/2010

NUMBER OF INDIANA SIGNATURES REQUIRED: 4500
NUMBER OF INDIANA SIGNATURES: 5422
NUMBER OF WAYNE COUNTY SIGNATURES: 308
(DOES NOT INCLUDE MUNCIE, ANDERSON, COLUMBUS, ETC...)

WOW! It's been a tough NINE DAYS !!!???!!!

Look for me there!

PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION!
Indiana (CAN-4)

Senator Coats needs 500 signatures in Indiana's 6th Congressional District to be placed on the Primary Ballot.

TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

DATE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12th

TIME: FROM 10:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M.

LOCATION:

Phillips Drugs
631 East Main (Promenade)
Richmond, Indiana 47374

T

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

1) While one law firm represented Bank of American on a patent issue, that representation ended before TARP - so Dan wasn't involved, nor was the firm.

2) They got the Venezuela charge exactly backwards. The firm helped an American company deal with the fact that Chavez was trying to confiscate their business assets -- so the charge made by Senator Bayh's people and those who parroted them were 180 degrees off from the truth.

3) Considering Dan Coats' service to country in the Army, on the Armed Services Committee in Congress and as Ambassador to Germany, one could argue it's deeply offensive to question his patriotism relative to Yemen if it weren't so laughably ludicrous.
Here's what the records show (from The Hill, Feb. 5, 2010):

"Coats registered as a lobbyist for a foreign interest while he worked at Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand in 2000 and 2001. According to lobbying disclosure documents, he contacted members of Congress trying to get them to invite the Indian prime minister to a joint session of Congress.

"Coats only personally lobbied for India , according to the documents, but around the same time his firm also did foreign lobbying for several other countries, including the governments of Yemen , the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan."

Coats had no dealings with Chavez aide says

Photo of Senator Coats' Detractors

by

Glenn Thrush of Politico

It took them exactly a week, but Dan Coats's nascent Indiana Senate campaign has finally responded to my story about his lobbying efforts on behalf of a Texas oil company that has partnered with the government of Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez.

A quick refresher: Coats's firm, King & Spaulding, received $470,000 in fees from Houston-based Harvest Natural Resources from 2005 to 2008, according to the Senate's lobbying database. During that period, the company concluded a deal with the Chavez government that gave it roughly a third of the revenue generated from projects it developed.

Kevin Kellems, Coats's spokesman, sends an e-mail today claiming the story "got the Venezuela charge exactly backwards. The firm helped an American company deal with the fact that Chavez was trying to confiscate their business assets."

Kellems, himself a former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz, says Coats had no direct dealings with Chavez and his aides and suggested that Coats played a relatively minor role, despite his appearance on three years' worth of disclosure forms.

Kellems downplayed Coats' role, writing:

"Dan Coats was asked by the firm to assist in setting up two appointments for a Texas company which was a long-time client of the firm — appointments with a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees — so the CEO could inform them of the Venezuelan threat to annul their contract and harm the company financially."

In late 2005, at the time he was lobbying for Harvest, President Bush tapped Coats to act as Capitol Hill Sherpa for then-Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

Lobbying reports from that period, which list Coats as the main lobbyist on the Harvest-Venezuela account, list contacts with the "Executive Office of the President."

Kellems didn't immediately respond to an e-mail asking Kellems if Coats addressed the Harvest negotiations with the president or any of his top advisers.

Posted by Glenn Thrush 03:03 PM

Conversations: The Politics of Patience

To read entire 1998 article, click on:
Conversations: The Politics of Patience
(above)

How do you respond to attacks from other Christians as well as from political opponents?

On occasion, I've had some sharp exchanges in the Senate with some of my colleagues. There is a temptation to label someone a personal, not just a political, enemy. My goal is to maintain my position, to state my convictions without personalizing my criticisms, to have a relation-ship with my opponent based on respect. Christ's teaching and his conduct set the example.

Sometimes it makes people uncomfortable when you raise the moral side of the issue. But I think we're not here just to always avoid the difficult issues.

How have you used moral arguments to advance legislation?
Scripture—God's Word—is the source of all truth. But approaching public policy from an explicitly Christian perspective is counterproductive. It is wiser to approach it from the standpoint of the moral foundation that undergirds our society—the moral framework found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The principles in these documents show how to relate moral truth to the issues at hand.

Not every issue has a moral foundation. But foreign policy, issues of war and peace, life and health—all have profound moral implications. On many issues there is less clarity. Consider Most Favored Nation [MFN] trade status for China. Persecution of Christians in China is real, and it is wrong. But I've received letters from Christians within China saying that if MFN is rescinded, they'll experience repression. If we stay engaged with China, we can promote democratization.

Dan Coats the Lobbyist

In October of 2005, Former Senator Daniel R. Coats (far right) Lobbied for Samuel Alito (center),who was nominated by President George W. Bush for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States to replace Sandra Day O'Conner. Judge Alito was confirmed on January 1, 2006.

Senator Dan Coats Introduces His "Families First" Bill

Text From Congressional Record:

Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I am pleased to join the distinguished Senators from Indiana and Idaho this morning, and a number of the other Senators who will be joining us later this morning, to talk about this very important issue--tax cuts--and to help continue the leadership on this most important issue.

I am proud to be a coauthor of this very important legislation, families first.

Mr. President, today we begin a debate that has been too long in coming. The American people are in desperate need of relief from their own Government, a Government that thinks it can spend our money better than we can spend our money. It has spent the last four decades just trying to prove that point.

In 1947, Americans paid just 22 percent of their personal income in the form of taxes--all taxes--to Federal, State, and local governments, including property taxes and the like.

Today, 40 years and hundreds of tax increases later, nearly 50 cents of every dollar earned by middle-class Americans goes to the Government to feed Government priorities. `We will solve all of our problems,' says Washington, `if you will just send us more of your money.' So we do, year after year. We have reached the point now where most families pay more tax dollars to the Federal Government than they spend for food, clothing, transportation, insurance, and recreation combined.

The 1993 Clinton tax bill did not help, either. As the largest tax increase in American history, it hit middle-class Americans right where it hurts the most--in their wallets.

Mr. President, the bottom line is taxes are just too high. The tax burden falls too heavily on the middle class. And, Mr. President, the result is that more and more Americans are being forced out of the working class and being forced into the welfare class.

But with their ballots last November, Americans called for tax relief. With the change in leadership in Washington, Congress is now finally in a position to deliver on that request.

Mr. President, we are taking the first step today with the introduction of the families first act--legislation calling for a $500 per child tax credit.

The $500 per child tax credit is relief for middle-class America.

And I would just like to show one of the few charts that we have out here this morning and talk about what this means.

In my home State of Minnesota, families first, if enacted, would provide nearly $500 million every year in tax relief to families across the State of Minnesota--$500 million into the pockets of families and individuals who will decide best on how to spend on those important needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education, or health care. They will make those decisions rather than some bureaucrat 1,100 miles away from Minnesota in Washington.

If you look at the home State of Senator Dan Coats in Indiana and what this would mean, it would mean for Indiana residents over $550 million a year in tax relief--$550 million every year. You add this total, and for all States it would be a $25 billion-a-year tax cut that would go into the pockets of families to decide how to spend. It would take that decisionmaking process out of Washington and put it down where it really belongs, and that is with the individuals who know best how to handle the problems that their families are facing.

As this chart clearly shows, our plan would return, as I said, $25 billion every year to families nationwide. And that includes from $418 million in Alabama every year to $61 million for the State of Wyoming residents. Again, $500 million a year would be dedicated to families in my home State of Minnesota.

Fully more than 90 percent of the tax relief would go to working Americans making annual salaries of $60,000 or less. So this is a plan that is targeted. More than 90 percent of the tax relief goes right to the individuals that have felt the burden the most over the last 30 years, and that is families making $60,000 or less.

Most importantly, our $500 per child tax credit would let 53 million working families keep more of their own hard-earned tax dollars. And $500 per child adds up to a lot more than just some pocket change.

I think, if you pick up the phone and ask many of the constituents in your districts if $500 or $1,000 for two children or $1,500 for three children would not make a big difference in their finances every year, for middle-income taxpayers, it may mean health insurance for their families where there was not any before, or maybe a better education for their children when before there were no other options. To lower income Americans, it may mean not having to pay any taxes at all.

Mr. President, there is widespread support also for the $500 per child tax credit among Americans in every income range, in every age bracket, among those with children and those without. These are the people who feel the pain every April 15 when they pay their taxes and who think it is time for the Government to feel a little bit of that pain instead.

But how can a government grappling with a $4.8 trillion national debt afford tax relief of any kind?

Well, the families first bill, which became the centerpiece of the budget plans offered last year by both Senate and House Republicans, pays for the tax credit by cutting Government spending. Every single dollar in tax relief is offset by another dollar in spending cuts.

I just want to refer again to the charts for the support that we have nationwide for a tax cut proposal. If you look at this one chart and you look at the different age groups, 18 to 25, 76 percent would approve of a tax cut. In the age group 26 to 40, 77 percent said, yes, let us have a tax cut. From 41 to 55, over 56 percent, and so on; 62 percent for 55 to 65; and, 65 and older, 58 percent said, yes, they would favor tax relief.

And if you look at income levels, people below $20,000, said, yes, they would like to have some more tax relief. And in all income groups it is either in the 60 or 70 percent range that say yes. So this is overwhelming support nationwide by every age group, every income group that really believes we are being taxed too much.

And by putting the Federal Government on a strict diet by capping the growth of Federal spending at 2 percent, we can balance the budget by the year 2002, including the tax cuts. Our bill proves that we can afford tax relief at the same time that we begin to restore some fiscal sanity to Washington.

During the debate ahead, we will hear calls to water down the $500 per child tax credit. We will be asked to means test it or to even lower the dollar amount. Some will want to limit the ages of the children eligible, or duck out on real relief by substituting an increase in the personal deduction. Some may oppose tax relief completely.

But that is not what the Americans were promised last year, or what the voters mandated in November. If we backtrack now, we will have to face an American public that is tired of being led on by politicians who promise one thing and then never deliver.

We have to hold firm on behalf of every American taxpayer and deliver the tax relief that we promised.

I want to commend our colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee, who this week kept the covenant they made with the voters in the Contract With America and passed the $500 per-child tax credit. This was a victory for the taxpayers and a clear signal to the American people that they have not been forgotten by this Congress.

Mr. President, I am proud that Senator Coats and our Senate colleagues--what we call the 500 club--will be following up on the House's good work and fighting for the promises made in November: the promises of lower taxes, smaller government, stronger families.

Those are the principles embodied by the $500 tax credit--the principles that will once again put families first.

I would like to now yield some time to my good friend and colleague from Arizona.

Dan Coats addresses criticism over residency

Video Gallery

Dan Coats 2:50

Dan Coats - exclusive interview 4:58

Dan Coats

Kevin Rader/Eyewitness News

Indianapolis - For the first time, Eyewitness News talked with former Senator Dan Coats about the possibility of taking on Evan Bayh in the November election and about the controversy over which state he calls home.

The most talked-about man in Indiana politics made his first official campaign stop in Indianapolis Wednesday. Dan Coats stopped in for lunch at Shapiro's to shake hands and get some lunch.

The former US senator and former ambassador to Germany has been the topic of Democratic scorn ever since he announced his intention to collect the 4,500 signatures needed to run for the Republican nomination for Senate.

"I think they are running scared," said Coats.

But clearly the video of Coats telling a North Carolina crowd that he was considering moving there has taken its toll. Now Coats says he owns a home on the near north side of Indianapolis and he plans to sell his home in North Carolina.

"We have made the decision that back home in Indiana sounds pretty good. Now let me explain the North Carolina thing," he said.

Coats said he made that statement to the North Carolina delegation at the GOP convention thinking about his in-laws who live in the Tar Heel state. He says it's much ado about nothing and the focus should be on improving the nation's economy

Beverly Heid asked Coats about it.

"It concerned me that he would make a comment like that. Virginia and North Carolina would be ahead of Indiana? He better watch his P's and Q's," she said.

Coats has also taken heat for his lobbying work which he says he will be able to disprove those allegations soon.

"They are singing the Democrats' tune and it is not factually correct," he said, referring to members of his own party who have been criticizing him.

Republican State Senator Marlin Stutzman is also seeking the GOP nomination.

"Us good folks in Indiana have questions about where you been what you been doing and who you've been relating with, with your relationship with lobbying firms," said Stutzman.

Another Hoosier threw his hat into the ring for Senator Bayh's Senate seat Wednesday. Bob Thomas, an Indianapolis and Fort Wayne Ford dealer, says he thinks it's important Indiana is represented by someone who lives in Indiana.

But for right now the leading contender on the Republican side is Dan Coats. Hoosiers do have questions.

"Don't be a career politician," he said. But that allowed Bayh to run without opposition."We are going to fix that this time," he responded.

Now Coats will find out if Hoosiers like his answers.

Coats says he will be keeping his townhouse in Virginia. He's hoping he will need it in January.