Gregg Ponders Pence Reunion
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V16, N25 Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 Gregg ponders Pence reunion Governor’s race takes Pence will make after he completes the definition with Pocket Republican Lincoln Day circuit later this Dems exiting spring. Gregg’s announce- By BRIAN A. HOWEY ment came as the NASHVILLE, Ind. - Earlier this Democratic pocket decade Mike Pence had John Gregg sit in drained. Evansville with him on his WIBC radio show. Shortly Mayor Jonathan thereafter Pence recommended the station Weinzapfel dropped give Gregg a Saturday morning show of his out on Saturday and own. former congress- “Mike Pence got me my job on man Brad Ellsworth WIBC radio that I had for five years,” Gregg did so on Tuesday. said Wednesday of his former Indiana Sandwiched between University Law School classmate. “Mike was Gregg, who had Pence and I are friends. He called me last been supporting the week and asked how I was doing. We talked mayor. But along about our kids. Mike Pence is not a bad with that support was guy.” advice and since the In a week that brought sharper - spring of 2009 when though not complete - definition to the 2012 Weinzapfel secretly Indiana governor’s race, the Pence-Gregg rescinded the Vander- axis cuts through party lines and could burgh County home- present Hoosiers with an audio special of stead tax - essentially two glib-to-earthy-to-passionate communica- raising taxes on 40,000 households - his political blood was tors. Gregg told HPI last Saturday that he was “seriously considering” the governor’s race that most assume Rep. Continued on page 4 Partisan Mourdock runs By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS - When Evan Bayh announced he was leaving the U.S. Senate in 2010, he lamented the lack of “bipartisanship.” “The House Democrats have When Richard Mourdock declared his Republican primary shown a complete contempt for candidacy against U.S. Sen. Dick the democratic process.” Lugar on Tuesday, he blamed “bipartisanship” for the current - Gov. Mitch Daniels, on state of affairs. With great irony, Wednesday during the second day of as 37 Indiana House Democrats bolted for Illinois in a fit of parti- the House walkout sanship, it sank the conservative HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 www.HoweyPolitics.com Howey Politics Indiana is a non-partisan newsletter based in Indianapolis and published on the campus of Franklin College. It was founded in 1994 in Fort Wayne. Brian A. Howey, Publisher Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington Jack E. Howey, editor Beverly K. Phillips, associate editor dream of a Right to Work state and consequences. Each party should de- knocked Mourdock off the front pages fine itself on those principles. We have Subscriptions and first minutes of the newscasts. one party who thinks government This partisan curveball now threatens should grow ever more bigger, send $350 annually HPI Weekly school voucher and charter legislation. bigger bills to ordinary Americans and $550 annually HPI Weekly and “It is bipartisanship that our party thinks we should have lim- HPI Daily Wire. has brought us to the brink of bank- ited government and lower taxes. It’s 'Call 317.627.6746 ruptcy,” Mourdock said, though a case a clear difference.” That is a statement could be made that it was two unpaid Lugar will exploit: His Nunn-Lugar wars, the biggest post-Great Society program has been a national security Contact HPI expansion of the Medicare prescrip- bargain. He has cut more than $5 bil- Howey Politics Indiana tion drug plan, and the Bush tax cuts, lion in farm subsidies. 6255 N. Evanston Ave. along with Wall Street deregulation But clearly there is a move- Indianapolis, IN 46220 - all coming when the GOP controlled ment afoot whether it is the Tea Party Congress and the White House early or rural Republicans skeptical of inter- www.howeypolitics.com last decade. nationalism and doesn’t want to nego- [email protected] Mourdock cited the “lame tiate with President Obama. To them, 'Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 duck” session of Congress last Decem- “compromise” is a dirty word. Lugar’s 'Washington: 703.248.0909 ber and Lugar’s role in successfully career in public service is all about 'Business Office: 317.627.6746 pushing for the START Treaty and compromise. Mourdock’s candidacy is unsuccessfully the Dream Act that just one more coming across America triggered his decision to run. “I was in waves where the political center is © 2011, Howey Politics Indiana. amazed at the lame duck session,” in the crosshairs. All rights reserved. Photocopy- Mourdock told a couple hundred sup- As for Nunn-Lugar, Mour- ing, Internet forwarding, fax- porters at the Indianapolis Artsgarden. dock said, “Without question Sen. ing or reproducing in any form, “He’s known for his bipartisanship.” Lugar has provided great service After the speech, Mourdock to the nation with his participation whole or part, is a violation of added, “I think there needs to be with Nunn-Lugar and helping reduce federal law without permission more partisanship and frankly it’s nuclear proliferation. I give him full from the publisher. v based on principle. Again, elections credit for that. But again, Hoosiers are have consequences. We should have less concerned about that than the HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 economy.” pushed” but added, “When we asked that did you know And energy? With the Libyan revolt pushing gaso- that Dick Lugar ... that number dropped almost in half. line prices higher, Mourdock was asked where he parted He is in serious trouble. Before I even wrote the check for with Lugar on that front. “On the energy policy we have that poll, I asked, ‘What are we going to be looking for? to quit thinking that energy comes in colors,” Mourdock “They said, ‘You’ve got to understand he’s been there 35 responded. “We have to have low cost energy. Right now years and he’ll have 99 percent name ID, he will have 60 we have all kinds of green energy programs that are much to 70 percent favorable rating. Which turned out to be true. subsidized because there is no real place for them in the When it comes down to that hard reelect number, if it’s less competition of the energy world. Every time we have to than 60 percent he should be concerned. If it’s less than subsidize something it makes us less competitive globally 50 percent he should be worried. To have him down in the because costs go up. Energy is a component of the cost of 30s is an amazingly low number. My challenge through this every product for every service. We keep raising the cost of campaign is to get better known. I have reasonably good energy that bring green projects that are of no value.” favorable ratings. I think we’ve got nowhere to go but up Mourdock announced the endorsements of and I think Dick Lugar knows that he has nowhere to go Republican county chairmen in 67 of Indiana’s 92 counties. but down.” But missing were the urban counties of Marion, Hamil- Lugar chief-of-staff Marty Morris is quick to note ton, Allen, Hendricks, St. Joseph, Johnson and Porter where Lugar is expected to run stronger. Allen County GOP Chairman Steve Shine told HPI he plans to stay neutral, saying there is support for both candidates in the Fort Wayne area. Mourdock blasted Lugar for being President Obama’s favorite Republi- can. “You know, President Obama once said that Dick that such rhetoric tends to assume that the challenger will Lugar was among those ‘who have shaped my ideas and be the only candidate to move. “They assume we’ll just who will be surrounding me in the White House.’ But, stand still,” Morris explained. “But we won’t. We’ll keep instead, it appears that Obama has shaped Lugar,” Mour- moving.” dock said. “To turn our country around, we need fresh The Lugar campaign was quick to note on ideas from new leaders who hold conservative principles. Tuesday that more than 10,000 Hoosier Republicans have As Indiana State Treasurer, I single-handedly challenged signed petitions to get him on the ballot. the Obama Administration’s illegal bailout and takeover of And then there is the field. Will it simply be Mour- Chrysler. I took this case all the way to the U.S. Supreme dock vs. Lugar? Or will State Sen. Mike Delph get in? Court on behalf of Indiana pensioners and all the while, Delph has not endorsed Mourdock and cryptically Dick Lugar never once protested the fact that Indiana’s cites a statement he made in December that his “federal” teachers and State Police officers were having their pen- decisions will later this year. Mourdock said he spoke to sions funds looted.” Delph at the Miami County Lincoln Day Dinner last week Mourdock said he chose Feb. 22 - President near Peru. “We had a good conversation,” Mourdock said. Washington’s birthday - because of not what Washingon “In the 2002 Republican convention, there were four can- “did, but did not do” - voluntarily left public life when he didates running for secretary of state: Todd Rokita, John could have become “president for life.” Lugar should do the McGoff, Mike Delph and Richard Mourdock. Mike and I were same, Mourdock said to cheers. seen as the more conservative candidates. I’m not trash- “It’s time.” ing Todd. We split the conservative vote and both lost. My After the speech, Mourdock cited a Wilson Re- comment to Mike was we know how this movie ends.