The next
Governor in 2004 can undo the history of the I-69 project.
Watch this
page for the Governor Candidates statements and news stories regarding
I-69
Mitch Daniels (R)
White House
budget director Mitch Daniels says a decision is imminent on whether he
will run for governor. President Bush, a former governor of Texas,
has told Daniels how being governor is a great experience.
And recently, Daniels got a jolt when he walked into an economic meeting
at the White House.
The president,
Vice President Dick Cheney, Chief of Staff Andrew Card and Press Secretary
Ari Fleischer were all wearing "My Man Mitch" stickers that an Indiana
supporter had sent Fleischer.
(Compiled from reports by staff writers Mary Beth Schneider, Matthew Tully,
Michele McNeil Solida, Kevin Corcoran and Vic Ryckaert.)
Editorial: McIntosh must run fast against Daniels
Muncie- The StarPress.com, May 16, 2003
http://www.thestarpress.com/tsp/opinion/03/may/0515editorial.php
Friday, at 1:30 p.m. at the
corner of Jackson and Walnut streets, Republican David McIntosh kicks off
another campaign for Indiana governor. He has characterized himself as
the man to beat for the nomination and has said his polls show him out
to a strong early lead over Daniels and other GOP opponents.
That could be true, especially
among those who recognize McIntosh's name as his party's candidate in 2000
against Democrat Gov. Frank O'Bannon. He lost badly in that election, having
run a campaign that he later admitted was clumsy and mistake-prone.
Is McIntosh, who more recently has taught at Ball State University, the man destined to become his party's first governor since Robert Orr left office in 1989?
Political pundits don't think so.
State Republicans tend to look elsewhere for candidates who fail to capture the governor's office. Just ask John Mutz, Lindley Pearson and Steve Goldsmith, the three GOP gubernatorial candidates who preceded McIntosh.
Party leaders also seem enamored with Daniels, whose resum* appears to be a flawless blend of quality education degrees (from Princeton and Georgetown University Law School), plus success in business and political careers.
The latter include stints
as an aide to Richard Lugar, when he was mayor of Indianapolis; political
advisor to President Ronald Reagan; various positions at Eli Lilly and
Co., ending with senior vice president of corporate strategy and policy;
and (since 2000) in charge of the White House Office of Management and
Budget.
Republicans believe Daniels' ability to work at the highest levels of business and government are all the qualifications he needs to take over the governor's office and return the state to economic prosperity.
But Daniels, who has yet to officially announce his candidacy, has a few negatives. He has never run for political office, he angered some Capitol Hill powers in both parties during his budget-cutting days, and his name surfaced several months ago in a financial scandal surrounding IPALCO Enterprises, which was the holding company for Indianapolis Power & Light.
Daniels, an IPALCO board member, was among those who unloaded millions of shares of his company's stock just before it plummeted, harming the retirement savings of past and current employees.
Although it is still too early to call Daniels the front-runner for the 2004 governor's nomination, McIntosh has his work cut out. Beginning today, he'll be playing intra-party hardball with a rapidly growing GOP legend.
Murray Clark (R) -- www.murrayclark.com
The labor chiefs have signalled a willingness to support former DNC
...Joe Andrew, a former state and national party chairman. ...Andrew said yesterday that he respects both Gregg and Simpson. But he dismissed the endorsement as ''internal party dynamics'' that average Hoosiers who are worried about jobs, their children and the economy don't care about.
''I hear
more and more people say they don't want to talk about the politics of
right and left but ideas that are right and wrong,'' Andrew said. ''Republican
and Democratic politics are something they don't have time for in real
life.'' (Excerpts by Lesley Stedman lstedman@courier-journal.com
/ The Courier-Journal)
Looks like they want to increase the state gas tax again this year...
Indianapolis
Star 1-11-03:
Sen. Vi Simpson,
D-Bloomington and chairwoman of the State Budget Committee, was disappointed
that the governor wants to use a
portion of
the 3-cent gas tax increase that took effect Jan. 1 to pay for State Police
rather than pave new highways.
"There are lots
of things we don't like," she said. "But unless you're willing to raise
revenue or revenue increases, there are no good
choices."
****************************
Simpson
releases early donor list
****************************
Democratic
candidate Simpson gets nod for governor from Gregg
Ex-House
speaker to help manage senator's campaign (Excerpts By Lesley Stedman.
lstedman@courier-journal.com, The Courier-Journal)
INDIANAPOLIS
-- Former House Speaker John Gregg yesterday endorsed state Sen. Vi Simpson
of Bloomington for the 2004
Democratic
nomination for governor.
Gregg,
a Sandborn Democrat who served in the House for 16 years, including six
as speaker, will be the cochairman of Simpson's
campaign.
''She is the qualified candidate to run,'' Gregg said. ''I'm convinced she can win. I'm convinced she will win.''
Simpson
is the second Democrat to announce her intent to seek the party's nomination
for governor. The other is Joe Andrew, a
former
state and national party chairman.
Both pledged to stay in the race, even though it would produce a primary, something Democrats have tried to avoid in recent years.
...
Gregg, who retired from the House last year to spend more time with his
family, said he is a friend of Andrew's and called him a
great
state party chairman.
But he
said he decided to back Simpson because she is the most experienced candidate.
He described her not only as an expert in
economic
development, higher education and state budget matters but also as ''a
first-place horse'' in the governor's race.
''I believe she's got what it takes,'' he said. ''I know she can do the job. I know she will do the job.'' .....
But Simpson
said what will distinguish her campaign from Andrew's is her 20 years in
the Senate and four years as the Monroe
County
auditor. Andrew has never been elected to public office, although he has
helped many others win state and national
campaigns.
''What
separates us the most is 20some years of public service on my part,'' Simpson
said. ''Experience. Knowledge of state
government.
Knowledge of the budget. Knowledge of economic development issues, education
issues, health-care issues and a
voting
record to prove it.''
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