Scramble to Join the Hoosier Senate 9 Holcomb Kicks Off Campaign Today for Rare Open Seat by BRIAN A
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V20, N27 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Scramble to join the Hoosier Senate 9 Holcomb kicks off campaign today for rare open seat By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – Since the dawn of the televi- sion era in Indiana politics, a mere nine white males have been U.S. senators out of the approximately 12 million people who called Indiana home during the period. Those holding one seat included Sens. Wil- liam Jenner (R), Vance Hartke (D), Dick Lugar (R), and now Joe Donnelly (D). On the other, there have been Sens. Homer Cape- hart (R), Birch Bayh (D), Dan Quayle (R), Dan Coats (R), Evan Bayh (D), and then Coats once U.S. Sen. Dan Coats conducts business on the phone on Capitol Hill. more. (New York Times photo). In more than case, Coats returned to the public spectrum to win back 60 years, there were three “open seats” at the beginning the seat he gave up a decade earlier. In only one instance, of the cycle when the incumbent did not run, with Jenner in 1958, Coats in 1998 and Evan Bayh in 2010. In Bayh’s Continued on page 3 Coats history rhymes By MARK SOUDER FORT WAYNE – The esteemed philosopher of baseball, Yogi Berra, once said: “It’s like déjà vu, all over again.” In 1998, U.S. Sen. Dan Coats surprised Indiana and the nation by deciding not “Faith, freedom and family used to run for reelection. It resulted in a three-way Senate primary to mean something in Indiana. with a candidate backed by Now, according to the cultural most Republican leadership, Peter Rusthoven, one backed and media elite, if you espouse by the social conservatives/ pre-Tea Party faction, John such positions you are consid- Price, and an elected official ered old fashioned. This needs to with an independent base, Paul Helmke. Evan Bayh cruised be confronted in this campaign.” to Democrat victory in the fall - State Sen. Mike Delph campaign. Page 2 My friend Congressman John was a fair point but that my advice as Shadegg always used to quote some- a Christian brother to him was that one who said, “History may not re- sometimes he needed to do more “on peat itself, but often it rhymes.” Bayh the one hand but on the other.” He may or may not run; 2016 is not 1998 laughed and said the point was well- since the Republicans have moved to taken. The person most likely to think the right and the Democrats to the this story is really funny is Dan. Com- left. It is a Presidential election year. pared to Dan, I am America’s most Money matters even more. decisive person. Kinder people would There are fewer pesky news call Dan “reflective,” a rather rare trait is a non-partisan newslet- reporters asking tough questions, among politicians. ter based in Indianapolis and which means candidates spin more Dan also cared about people. Nashville, Ind. It was founded than ever. Open town meetings where All politicians are forced to be self- in 1994 in Fort Wayne. citizens can vent and fight with each centered or lose. But in the political other disappeared with the Democrats’ world, Dan was an extraordinarily car- It is published by health care town halls. Those rowdy ing person, kind at the core in private WWWHowey Media, LLC meetings met video on cell phones, as well as in public. Kindness oozes 405 Massachusetts Ave., a political nightmare. Ask Baron Hill. from his eyes, his mannerisms, and Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN We may see the video again, over and his face. Bluffing has never been his 46204 over. It’s a different world with fewer skill. real media people and millions armed He is also a determined with video power. man. When Dan decided to run for Brian A. Howey, Publisher Before discussing the poten- the Senate again in 2010, Frank Wolf Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington tial successors to Dan Coats, some of asked me whether being a senator Jack E. Howey, Editor whom were out in the field organizing and an ambassador had changed Dan Mary Lou Howey, Editor before Coats announced his political so much (both posts transform any funeral, let me discuss my friend Dan. person to a degree) that he wouldn’t Maureen Hayden, Statehouse For many years of my life he was one be able to adjust to the rowdy populist Matthew Butler, Daily Wire of my closest friends. I sold him furni- politics of 2010 Republican primaries. Mark Curry, advertising ture. We plotted his first congressional I replied with a story I learned from primary upset together. I worked for Marsha. Subscriptions him for a decade in his Fort Wayne At Wheaton College when he office, the House and the Senate. I attended, the top sport was soccer. HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 know and understand him, to the de- Dan wanted to impress Marsha so HPI Weekly, $350 gree possible, more than anyone else decided to try out for soccer which Ray Volpe, Account Manager except maybe his wife Marsha and he had not played. Suddenly learning 317.602.3620 Curt Smith. how to dribble, pass, and do head- email: [email protected] Dan Coats is the most ers for a championship squad was decent man I have ever known in poli- not to be. He decided to become a tics. I know many men and women in goalie. He bloodied himself diving for Contact HPI government whom I greatly respect. balls and learning how to do it from www.howeypolitics.com It is common to trash politicians, but scratch. The star goalie got hurt. [email protected] as a whole, many are extraordinary Dan stepped in. Wheaton remained Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 people who are not only skilled at a national power. As Denny Hastert, what they do but good people. Dan, House Speaker and fellow Wheaton Washington: 202.256.5822 along with our mutual friend Con- grad, told me, “Dan was a really good Business Office: 317.602.3620 gressman Frank Wolf, was exceptional. soccer player.” He is not perfect. No one is. But he I told Frank Wolf that if Dan © 2015, Howey Politics Indiana. took his job seriously and is genuine. worked incredibly hard like he did in All rights reserved. Photocopy- One time my good friend Tom soccer and in pulling off his upset in Coburn asked me to come to his of- 1976 for Congress, he would win. If ing, Internet forwarding, fax- fice. He wanted to discuss a problem he acts like a senator or ambassador, ing or reproducing in any form, I had. He said: “Mark, you think too he will lose. One day Mike Boisvenue, whole or part, is a violation of much. Too often you do ‘on the one a long-time aide of Dan’s, called me federal law without permission hand, but on the other hand.’ You from the road saying that Dan was from the publisher. need to be more decisive.” I said it frustrated about a meeting he had Page 3 with six or eight kids after several hours’ drive, and they represented elected experience, someone who had to win pestered him about some obscure amendment vote he the middle, not just the Republican conservatives (though had taken 20 years before, what I knew was this: Dan Paul, at times, forgot the base, as on guns). Two potential would win the nomination and election. People know Dan candidates with statewide victories are Attorney Gen- Coats is nice and intelligent, hiding an inner drive. eral Greg Zoeller, arguably the most popular politician in It is unclear who the candidate to succeed Indiana right now, and Congressman Todd Rokita, former him will be. Eric Holcomb as former state chairman with Indiana secretary of state. ties to the current big three of Indiana Republican politics Evan Bayh, the only candidate with his own (Coats, Pence, Daniels) had an early tip-off of what was to private bank of federally eligible funds, is claiming that he come. He is a formidable candidate. He could, however, be won’t run. Baron Hill, who ran a very hard race against Rusthoven with more dollars behind him. Coats in 1990, is the probable Democrat candidate. Joe Congressman Marlin Stutzman, my successor, is Hogsett, who came much closer to defeating Coats in 1992 clearly the choice of the Tea Party/social conservatives. He than commonly realized, may soon be mayor of Indianapo- also could get Club For Growth, headed by Hoosier David lis. McIntosh, or Koch brothers support. A different sort of Yogi Berra might be right. v money. Marlin has been underestimated. He could be a more electable John Price. Souder is a former Republican congressman from There is no Paul Helmke, moderate and willing to Fort Wayne. be called that anymore in the Republican Party. But Paul An open Senate seat in a presidential election year with no Senate, from page 1 clear favorite. Sen. Coats’ announcement Tuesday that he was Lugar in 2012, was a sitting senator defeated in a primary. riding off into the sunset comes just four years after Rich- In three cases, Capehart in 1962 to Birch Bayh, Hartke in ard Mourdock defeated Lugar in the Republican primary, 1976 to Lugar, and Birch Bayh in 1980 to Quayle, were setting off a $50 million showdown that Donnelly won in incumbents defeated in general elections. November. Of the money spent, more than $30 million In all three open seats, there were overwhelm- poured in from special interest groups outside the state.