1 I'm kinda with Andy, I'm thinking a no Mitch Daniels 2012 truce is in order

2 He already showed his hand with his ridiculous comment about it being perfectly fine for the Dems to cut & run.

No on Mitch Daniels 2012.

3 You do karate "guess so"....<squish>....just like grape.

4 Screw NRO and Daniels. He is history.

5 I come back to this question: if the Democratic minority can block legislation the Indiana House anyway, why did they run away? Why not just stay?

Optics.  They're running away because Wisconsin Dems have run away and it makes them look good to their base to play hardball, even when they don't need to.

6

Bullshit, The dem speaker of the house was just on tv saying that he knows Daniels caved on the right to work law but now they have 10 other bills they don't like and they will stay out until he caves on those too.

Daniels is a weak fucking squish.

7 It is one thing to say I want to get rid of the unions, but don't have the power.  It is quite another to say I didn't campaign on this, the most important issue facing this country, so I'll just take a bye. 

What we are looking for is a leader, and Daniels fell miserably short yesterday.  And I say that as someone who planned to support Daniels, until yesterday.  There is going to have to be a much better explanation than I've seen so far. 

8

Mitch  the chamberlian of our times.   Anyone have any faith that Mitch would not call for a truce with china, Russia, muslim brotherhood, islamists.  Hell of Sweden attacked us I wouldn't be surprised to see Mitch call for a truce.....

 

 

9
If we know ONE thing about Republicans, it is:

a) they are not wily
b) they are always one step behind the Democrats
c) lazy
d) all of the above

10

Mitch....bold leadership  from the rear.....

11 We hoped it wouldn't come to this.

12 Have Dog the Bounty Hunter grab one freaking senator. How hard could it be?

13 There's always a way to spin it. But it doesn't change the fact that it's a PR disaster for Daniels. A big part of choosing a President is having confidence in a person to say the right things at the right time. Imagine something like that coming out of his mouth at a Presidential debate ala Dukakis.

14 Daniels seems to think his action will make passing other legislation easier, but he's mistaken.  What he's communicated to the Democrats is that if they throw a temper tantrum, they will get what they want.  Not a good call.

15 Here's the test...if the MFM start touting Daniels as the "serious" conservative in the room...he's wrong and misguided, both in instincts and in action.  Because we all know the MFM will not tout any true conservative on any level if they (MFM) think it harms their agenda.  Remember, the love the Maverick as long as he's mavericking the right, i.e. agreeing with them. 

If, however, they believe Daniel's and his jedi thinking are a serious threat to BtotheO in 2012, they'll shred him.  In that case we should probably re-examine.

16 Mitch is the man!

17 I'm gonna be lazy and repost what I wrote last night on the ONT:
 
799 re Daniels
 
I admit it, I'm greedy. When I see the kind of actions that Walker or Christie are doing, I get hungry for more. When I see Allen West stare down and put down people I have no respect for, I want more of it. When I see political leaders say what they mean, and mean what they say, dammit I get wood.
 
I was raised to believe a bunch of stuff, and while I've rejected some of it much has stuck for life. One of those things that stuck is 'your word is your bond'. Maybe that is why I'm so enamored with The Outlaw Josey Wales, my favorite movie. In the meeting between Josey and Ten Bears, the chief says:
 
"It is a shame that the white man is chiefed by the doubletongues. No signed paper can keep the peace."
 
I reckon so.
 
Most politicians would rather lie to you 50 times before breakfast than tell you one thing straight. Our bumbler in chief is a case in point, though Nancy P. never saw two words that she couldn't put together in the wrong order either.
 
So when I see someone with principle and backbone and sticktoitiveness, I get greedy and want them ALL to be like that. Now here comes Daniels. He's done some good stuff, no denying it. If he was the best I've seen, I'd probably be shouting his praise from the rooftops. But he has a case of politician's disease. It isn't a bad case, and a few injections of Tea Party antibiotics might clear it up, but still he raised doubts yesterday.
 
I'm resigned to accept that whoever emerges to challenge The Bumbler will be a weak tea brew designed to reach more pragmatic types than myself.
 
But I sure hope they can at least be a (wo)man of their word.
 
Unleashing my inner Gordon Gekko, this kind of greed is good.

Posted by: GnuBreed at February 23, 2011 03:55 AM (h0RtZ)

18
hey, Ben, what's with this? All that's missing is a 'meow' at the end. You feel me, brah?

Look, I hate Mike Castle as much as most everyone here, but how can you still like this woman? [Ben]

19 Does #16 answer your question, The Hammer?

20 I'm not sure where the whole Mitch Daniels thing started, and I'd like to think that it's the MSM's favorite Republican right now, but the crowd at NR have been leading his parade for a while now. That being said, if the MSM is saying he's the man then he definitely is not. To the extent that fiscal sanity is the prevailing issue of the Tea Party movement, resurgence in conservatism or what have you, then Daniels certainly isn't doing himself any favors. His strategy seems to be... Social issues? Um, not this time. Dealling with the public unions? Maybe later... That's not good optics as it were, and it's definitely not presidential.

21 I still can't believe this shit is going on. Dems just run away and refuse to do their elected duty and the msm and now even a Republican governor are acting like this is a legitimate tactic. Fuck all of them.

22

Ok, I accept that rescinding an executive order requires courage in some measure.

WI was the first state in the union to grant collective bargining to state employees in '59.

Rust-belt states have half of their teachers ready to retire in coming decade on defined benefit pensions.

IN has the third least funded pension system in the nation.

If Daniels is leading, he's setting a tepid pace-he'll be gone before this race is run.

23
The Reduction of Mitch Daniels.

Daniels is a conservative's conservative
Daniels is a stalwart on fiscal issues.
^{Daniels is pretty good on some budget and tax issues.}

24 Daniels' statement that this is a "perfectly legitimate part of the process" treats the flee-baggers' action as if it were some sort of filibuster-in-absentia to protect the right of a minority opinion to advocate for its view.  It is meant to prevent debate and vote by withholding a quorum.  I call BS.

If Daniels is listened to on this, it will set a precedent that will be used in the future to thwart the will of the majority and of the people.  Either side will be able to use this stalling tactic, not as a "perfectly legitimate part of the process," but to interrupt the process.  The stalling side will depend on the short memory of the masses and reliable partisan voters to continue them in power.

This tactic needs to be rejected, denounced publicly, and then punished.  These flee-baggers are AWOL from the job the voters hired them to do, and like anyone else who abandons their job, they need to be summarily fired and replaced.  Declare their offices vacant and call for a special election to replace them.

25 If I want a Senate Dem to leave, it is only so he can go fetch his fucking shinebox.

26 he's only stating the obvious.....the minority has this capability and they are using it....i don't think this is as big a deal as it's being made out to be.....

27

hey, Ben, what's with this? All that's missing is a 'meow' at the end. You feel me, brah?

Look, I hate Mike Castle as much as most everyone here, but how can you still like this woman? [Ben]

I was on the O'Donnell side of the argument during the election, but the more I read about this woman the more I can't stand her.  Sorry if that bothers you but that how I feel.

 

28 I don't need this man. He doesn't fight.

29 I don't mind Daniels not wanting to tackle the Right to Work issue because he says he didn't campaign on it. Not a fan of that idea but I can understand it.

What I can't fathom is him saying that the Democrats abdicating their responsibility and refusing to actually do their jobs is a legitimate part of the process.

Absolutely ridiculous.

30

if they leave they shouldn't get paid....

31 #5  Optics.  They're running away because Wisconsin Dems have run away and it makes them look good to their base to play hardball, even when they don't need to.

Good point.  Also gives more "cover" for Dems in states such as Ohio to flee when this issue inevitably comes up. 

32 What we are looking for is a leader, and Daniels fell miserably short yesterday.

ISWYDT

33 19...I see what you did there...

I know this blog gets clogged up with "rino vs purity" threads/flame-wars all the time.  I get that no one is perfect and Ace's post the other day that having a politician that speaks like Limbaugh at the top of the ticket probably won't happen and that may not be a bad thing.

However, we need more R's who are the thermostat, not the thermometer...and unfortunately, Daniels in this case is neither.  He doesn't really even have to lead very much...just hitch a ride on the Walker train.

And, as a side note...The Big Guy from NJ...despite all his fiscal chops, has too many seriously rino positions for me to consider.  Coulter really stepped on herself recommending him and someone Mark Levin, who I do find grating at times, called her on it very effectively. 

There are about 5 things you cannot be wrong on and still be a conservative...Life, income redistribution, 2nd amendment, amnesty, and defense.  Christy fails the test on at least 3 of those...sorry, no sale here.  And with his Truce Tour, Daniels is racing down the same road. 

34 I unfortunately find myself gravitating towards Pawlenty...slowly.  As the movie says, I am waiting for superman.  i don't think he will show.

on topic, yeah the dems in Indiana don't want to deal with 10 other bills either, if the repubs and daniels could just learn the lesson from neville chamberlain. appeasment won't work.

hell, maybe they should just learn from wilt chamberlain and dunk it, hook it or otherwise score.

35

What is it with Republicans named Mitch?!?

btw, the picture of this Mitch at HA looks like  Bill Maher's little brother. yikes!

36 Take a look at what just landed in my inbox, courtesy of Felonois senior senator Durbin, the Dick: "An assault on unions anywhere is an assault on working families everywhere. Wisconsin's tea party-backed governor, Scott Walker, has launched an ideological crusade against his own citizens' collective bargaining rights. He's using the pretense of a state budget deficit to curb the rights of teachers and other public employees in his state to unionize -- rights we've recognized here in America for over 80 years to assure better working conditions and fairer compensation for all workers. Fourteen brave Democratic state senators -- backed by tens of thousands of ordinary citizens protesting outside the state Capitol -- are boycotting a vote on the governor's plan. We're counting on these 14 state senators to prevent the most serious setback America's labor movement could ever face. I want them to know working families in Illinois and across the country welcome the "Wisconsin 14's" boycott and stand with them, every step of the way. Sign my petition to show the "Wisconsin 14" we support their boycott and encourage them to continue standing strong to protect the rights of American workers. Governor Walker is not setting out to fix his state's budget. After all, he just enacted a sweeping tax cut that will make Wisconsin's deficit worse. No, at the behest of his big corporate backers, he's setting out to break unions, clear and simple. Why else would he refuse to even sit down with teachers and state employees and work out a fair compromise -- when union leaders have signaled that they are open to temporary wage and benefit concessions? It's because this whole debate is about who holds political power -- the corporations or the people -- and not budget deals. In the wake of the Citizens United decision granting moneyed interests unprecedented power over ordinary citizens, the current showdown in Wisconsin marks a watershed moment in American history. If we lose this fight, Republican leaders throughout the country will move forward with their own plans to bust unions and further undermine the power of American workers to earn a decent living. That's why we must all rally behind the thousands of Wisconsinites protesting in the streets of Madison -- and the 14 Democratic state senators who refuse to entertain a rollback of workers' collective right to speak for themselves. These legislators are workers' last line of defense, and it's crucial we show them our support. Show your support for the "Wisconsin 14" as they stand strong against Governor Walker's assault on American workers' hard-earned collective bargaining rights! Thank you for joining me in publicly supporting the "Wisconsin 14" and their courageous boycott on behalf of every American worker. In solidarity, Dick Durbin U.S. Senator" WTF - The " courageous" Wisconsin 14! WTF - really? Anyone have any doubt now why every "courageous" idiot (D) in the U.S. is fleeing into the Peoples Republic of Felonis? Way to stay classy, Dick.

37

Squish Daniels, this is how you do it.

Walker says doctors giving fake excuses will be investigated and any state employees using them will be fired.

http://tinyurl.com/5tj79s3

 

38
I can't stand the Fantasy Presidential Candidate Leauge threads but I'll say this in defense of Chris Christie: He might be a little left-leaning on some key issues, but he doesn't strike me as a man who makes foolish decisions.

In other words, I'd expect a limit to his left-leaning tendencies, especially if they translated into bad policy.

39 All states need to add a law that any legislator who leaves the state without the permission of the leadership of the chamber (to deal with death in the family type issues) and in so doing prevents a quorum from being achieved is stripped of their office and prevented from holding one (elected or appointed) in the future.

40 Bravely bold Mitch Daniels
Rode forth from Indianapolis.
He was not afraid to die,
Oh brave Mitch Daniels.
He was not at all afraid
To be killed in nasty ways.
Brave, brave, brave, brave Mitch Daniels.

He was not in the least bit scared
To be mashed into a pulp.
Or to have his eyes gouged out,
And his elbows broken.
To have his kneecaps split
And his body burned away,
And his limbs all hacked and mangled
Brave Mitch Daniels.

His head smashed in
And his heart cut out
And his liver removed
And his bowls unplugged
And his nostrils raped
And his bottom burnt off
And his pen--

41 It's a smart tactic on Daniels part. Every governor should encourage their state legislators to sit quivering in their seats, like rabbits or squirrels, twitching and nervously eager to flee at the slightest provocation. The spectacle of retreating politicians is both hilarious and provokes disgust among the electorate, which are two things we need more of in government. Run you bastards, run!

42 With some of the leading R's...not sure yet if Daniels fits this reason, but it would make sense...they really do think the Tea Party and the great unwashed who comprise it are just too loud, obnoxious, and dangerous.  They want our votes and campaign contributions, but they really do wish we'd just go away and let them fulfill their calling.

It's really, IMO, that simple.  So they try to create ways to divert/distract and be seen as the adult in the room, rather than be too closely tied to the TP. 

43 It's because this whole debate is about who holds political power -- the corporations or the people -- and not budget deals.

Seriously?? These are public employees - where do corporations enter the picture?

44

Don't hate me cuz I'm beautiful.

 

 

45 Walker and Christie are fighting the good fight and have brought events to a critical point and here comes Daniels, running out in front of them and waving a white flag. Not good.

46 Here Mitch Daniels undermines his own GOP legislature and stabs Scott Walker in the back at the same time. Walker had been mentioned as a possible GOP Presidential Candidate. Did Daniels want to take out a potential rival?

47 Posted by: CurlyHumphreys at February 23, 2011 12:14 PM (skb7c)
 
You should send Dick 'In My Ass' Durbin a cleaning bill for having to fumigate your inbox. What a load of shit.

48 A question.I realize this is a gutless, cowardly tactics used in avoiding passage of bills for states but does this same tactic apply for the overall house and senate and if so why didn't the Republicans go pussy and flee to one anthers states for extended vacations during 3/4 of the garbage passed the past two years.

49 OT. Oil is at $99.70 and climbing. Swell.

50 Yeah, my liberal friends have found a scapegoat in the Koch brothers and the evil corporations. WTF do either have to do with the public sector?

51 Republicans FINALLY have a majority in the house. FINALLY.
They got it by promising to do the big 3 on the Daniels list. They all campaigned for it.. Daniels did radio commercials for EACH of them asking for a majority to get it done.
They get sworn in and immediately forget all the promises and start going down the checklist of conservative dreams. Gay marriage.. ect. (which is redundant since we have had a ban for years)
Meanwhile... we are all pissed off that they arent doing what needs to be done to help our jobs situation.
We already kicked unions out of our public sector.
We arent debating what WI is doing.. we already did it.  We are onto job creation and the republicans ..after a mere 40 days.. forgot all about those pesky promises.
Daniels is the best Governor in the country.  I personally, dont give a rats ass what the rest of the screwed up states are doing.  I want to move Indiana forward with job creation. While everyone else is trying to do what Daniels already did 6 years ago... we have moved on.
Freakin republicans.. their own worst enemy.  Had they stuck with the mandate dems would have no voice because of the overwhelming vote of confidence for Daniels and their promises.

Daniels is 110 % right.

I guess  he could pick a big public fight with the dems over an issue that is nowhere near a priority in Indiana... and derail his entire last 2 years.
I guess that would make a bunch of you in screwed up states happy. He got to be an ass and get nothing done. Whooppie. What a hero he would be.

Or.. he could be the freakin adult and steer the direction he and his new found majority promised and were elected to do.

Unreal... conservatives eating their own.  Wake up.  Pay attention to what that man has done here in this state. When you look at his record.. get back to me with a valid excuse for calling him a rino.

52 For the crew last night that was arguing that Daniels' remarks were part of some subtle brilliant strategy:

Daniels Backtracks On Support Of Democrats Walkout

Gov. Mitch Daniels now concedes his supportive remarks of House Democrats' decision this week to walk out on their jobs and flee to the Land of Lincoln in an effort to kill right to work legislation were premature after seeing the full list of demands House Democratic Leader Pat Bauer (D-South Bend) that must be met before his caucus returns to the State House. He now says his words of praise for the move by House Democrats were "careless." Star political columnist Matt Tully tweets this morning:

    Gov. Daniels just called. Re: Dem calls to kill other bills, particularly on education: "We're not doing that. Those are my priorities."

    Daniels said he was "careless with my words yesterday." When he praised actions by critics he was referring to protesters not House Dems.

advanceindiana


Daniels is also continuing the "I was talking about the protesters" spin, which is simply a lie.

53 Quorum shmorum. If you want a say, you show up for work.

54 Yeah, but calling the cut and run "legitimate" was giving the liberals and media ammunition and completely unnecessary.

55

You people just don't know how to play the game.

  

56 House Democratic Leader Pat Bauer released a statement tonight listing many more demands than just dropping the right to work legislation. They want Republicans to drop education reform measures, including school vouchers and charter school initiatives opposed by teachers unions. They are also fighting an unemployment insurance bill that attempts to put the state on a footing to begin paying back the more than $2 billion debt the state owes the federal government because the state's unemployment trust fund is bankrupt.

Here's the laundry list of the terrorists demands:

Education

HB 1002
Charter School Expansion.

HB 1003
School Vouchers. Allows a family of four making over $80,000 a year to receive taxpayer dollars to send their children to a private school.

HB 1479
Private Takeover of Public Schools. Allows the state of Indiana to take over poorly performing schools and for these schools to be managed by for-profit companies. It removes local decision making in schools.

HB 1584
Public School Waiver of State Laws. Allows school boards to seek waivers of almost any school law or regulation.

Labor

HB 1468
"Right to Work."

HB 1216
Public Works Projects and Common Construction Wage.

HB 1203
Employee Representations. Ends employee rights to join a union by secret ballot and opens employees up to retaliation and firing by an employer who finds out they are trying to use their right to bargain. This is preempted by federal law. Will require the state to use taxpayer dollars to defend this legislation.

HB 1450
Unemployment Insurance.

HB 1585
"Right to Work" for Public Employees. Removes collective bargaining rights at the local level.

HB 1538
Minimum Wages.

HB 1001
Budget Bill.

Advanceindiana

57 Evidently, Republicans are incapable of even maintaining a united front on what should be a no-brainer of an issue. Public sector unions are draining the states dry of money that used to go towards things like road repair and stuff like that there. We can no longer afford the outrageous demands of unions, the bill has come due, union jobs are on the line if something isn't done quickly.

58 55.   Daniels WAS talking about the protestors.. here is his quote on the dems leaving the state:
Daniels is "very supportive of our position to come in and try to do our work. He was not pleased that the Democrats werenÂ’t here to do their work."

59 58 Evidently, Republicans are incapable of even maintaining a united front on what should be a no-brainer of an issue. Public sector unions are draining the states dry of money that used to go towards things like road repair and stuff like that there. We can no longer afford the outrageous demands of unions, the bill has come due, union jobs are on the line if something isn't done quickly.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at February 23, 2011 12:35 PM (b6qrg)

Yeah.. thats fantastic.. but Indiana already drained that public union swamp in 2005.

60 Daniels deserves mega-credit for his action to decertify the public employee unions. In fact, this needs to be a new litmus test for any Republican governor seeking higher office.

61 57.  yeah.. great eh?  Everything Mitch Daniels wants done in his last 2 years in office completely derailed bacause of the freakin republicans not sticking with the plan and now dems have a renewed vigor to fight him.
Great job republicans.. you retards.

62 57 Holy crap...if that stuff all passes, I may have to move to Indiana.

63 47 Here Mitch Daniels undermines his own GOP legislature and stabs Scott Walker in the back at the same time. Walker had been mentioned as a possible GOP Presidential Candidate. Did Daniels want to take out a potential rival?

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at February 23, 2011 12:21 PM (mHQ7T)

How in the hell did he undermine his party?  They undermined him. They only got the majority because MITCH promised if he had a majority he could enact signature legislation.  Then 40 days after being sworn in.. they bail on him and start with nonsense that NOBODY in this state ever heard of until now.

Daniels is on RECORD of supporting Scott Walker. See politico from a couple days ago.

Walker has been in office a month and now he is the candidate.. good Lord.. how about prove you can do something before we all start buying a campaign button.

64 63 57 Holy crap...if that stuff all passes, I may have to move to Indiana.

Posted by: Spike at February 23, 2011 12:42 PM (wtnmC)

Good fuckin luck passing it now since democrats are now laughing that they convinced republicans Daniels is horrible.

Republicans.. too stupid to see they are their own worst enemy.

Daniels had a clear freakin mandate.  A freakin mandate.  Republicans blew it because of arrogance. They have acted like children so excited they finally have a majority.  They are stupid. They will be voted out by the dems that put them in office to give Daniels his priorities.

And all we will hear is republicans arent serious about jobs.

65 Timbo, thanks for chiming in. I was leaning toward Daniels until this broke. It seemed to be out of character, so I'm glad you spoke up. Yes, we do have to tread lightly in some cases, so I will allow it to play out before I totally dismiss him. I know he got many things done that we can agree on, but I do wish he'd refrain from thinking out loud. That is what confuses a lot of people.

66 Republicans have killed a controversial labor bill that has sparked a Democrat work-stoppage and large union protests at the Statehouse.

Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, R-Fort Wayne, said that he, House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, and Gov. Mitch Daniels all agree that the matter instead should be studied by a legislative committee later this year.



Dems 1 - Reps 0

67 There are actually two fights being waged right now. One pertains to the unions' asserted "rights." The even more impactful fight, though, is whether legislators can obstruct governmental function by refusing to engage in the responsibilities of their office. Daniels may have point about the timing of the legislation at issue (I happen to think he's full of shit, myself), but his capitulation to the extortionate tactics of the fleeing Dems is a groin-shot to the advocates of fair and ethical governance. Also, Daniels' history of public union busting is irrelevant. It's like a husband who says, "I deserve respect for my infidelity because up until this incident, I used to be faithful." Right. What a bunch of horse hockey. His past history has no bearing on the propriety of his actions in relation to handling the issue in front of him. DANIELS IS A BIG FAT WISHY-WASHY SQUISH PUSSY. Fuck him sideways with the rusty barbed cock of satan.

68 With all the governors and state legislatures that went to Repubs in November, this would be a good time for more states to join Wis, Ohio, Ind, and NJ in going after public unions and other problems. If nothing else, it would keep the rent a mobs flying around the country in a tizzy, which would lead to someone making a stupid mistake.

69 O/T:  but relevant here:  "Wisconsin gov. pranked by caller posing as donor"

"Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie confirmed Walker took the call, which will only heighten widespread suspicions that brothers David and Charles Koch are pulling strings in Wisconsin's battle as part of a conservative agenda to limit the unions' power."

this is bad.

OMG, Rush is talking about it now.

70 Huh, so Daniels threw the Fleebaggers a bone and now they want the whole cow?

Didn't see that coming.

71 Reading a defense of Daniels - and his ilk - on NRO is no surprise...that place has gotten to be wall-to-wall squishes lately...some days it seems like all of them - with only 2 or 3 exceptions - are angling for a job with the NY Times or WashPo.

As I said on the other Squishy Mitch thread:

Mitch Daniels: Chickenshit Through and Through For You! ™

Now, there's a catchy campaign slogan!

If the mostly stupid a**holes who run the GOP want to do an experiment to see how many conservative voters will pull  the level for a 3rd party candidate, just go right and nominate Truce Boy or some other rotting corpse of a RINO just as bad.

72

I can not wait for the comment spin, regarding the IN reps folding.

73 Son heard Zogby poll this morning. Support for Walker, 68% overall, Rep 81%, Dems 61%, ind 70%. Zogby is a hard core Dem, so I would tend to believe his numbers in this. So lets bring it on,.

74 I think a lot of people need to learn the rules of the legislature here in Indiana...there was no campaign or debate on the bill, it was brought up and if it was not voted on by the end of the day...that was it..it was over. It could not be brought up again this session. Daniels can not change those rules, all he did was point out the obvious. It is not the first time there has been a walkout, although it is unusual for them to leave the state, but the idea that this never happens is just not true. It is a tactic that can be used by both parties like it or not.

Daniels has been a conservative Governor with a good fiscal record and he came out in strong support of Walker from the git go. He never wavered in that support. Sometimes it seems to me that some people on the right, especially pundits would prefer a failure as a Governor with very few accomplishments who jumped on every band wagon that came along to a thoughtful and serious administrator who did just what he said he would do.

I think some people have been unfair to Daniels and much of that has come about because they don't understand the way things work in Indiana.

75

I have travelled thru IN and to the Hoosier state to visit shirt-tail relatives, to vacation at Beverly Shores, on business trips.

What I'd like to know, following six years of the Little General, have they painted the houses yet?  Has Gary been bulldozed?

If IN is in such great shape one would expect it to sparkle.

How come we have to wait 'til today to find that Daniels rescinded State employees 'right' to collective bargaining via prior executive order.  We see all these fabulous achievements dribbled out, piecemeal, without hard data on the financial result.

Sure seems like spin.

76

If on the other hand their only option in blocking this legislation is to flee the state of Indiana, then (IMHO) Daniels should very much hold their feet to the fire and make it clear to the citizens of Indiana just who is shirking their individual and collective responsibility.

I appreciate Roy's defense of Daniels, and I could even defend myself Daniels' refusal to send the state police after the missing legislators. But Daniels seems to be remarkably tone-deaf to what's happening in other states and thus undermines those efforts. A wrong choice, in my opinion; your mileage may vary (though knowing the AoS crowd, I doubt it will vary by much). ..fritz..

They only had until the end of the day for heavens sake. Bringing them back the next day would not have helped and like it or not it is not illegal for them to leave, stupid maybe, but it is not a crime. What was he supposed to do have them shackled? How crazy would that have looked to hoosiers?

77 Again, thank you Terrye. I think one problem is a lot of us don't know the rules in other states. As I said earlier, I like most of what Daniels has to say and thought there was more here than  met the eye. Hope you Hoosiers can keep us more informed. It helps.

78

Sure seems like spin.

Gary, it's hard enough for most people to keep track of their own states, let alone the other 57. A lot of people wonder if Walker will hold strong, but those of us in SE Wis. have seen him in action for a decade and are less worried than someone who just heard of him last week.

79

Gov. Daniels just called. Re: Dem calls to kill other bills, particularly on education: "We're not doing that. Those are my priorities."

Now, maybe he should have sent the State Troopers after them the night before, or the day they fled.

But he was so sure they'd do the right thing. The question is, will he learn?

And what is he gonna do about it now?

If he wants to demonstrate he has POTUS potential, find a way to crush them. Be unorthodox. Be creative. Be confrontational. Bend rules if neccessary but hit hard with the force to win. And then pass the RTW bill and the other bills too. Show us you can 'get things done'. Not  what the democrats want, by surrendering, but what the country needs, by winning.

He tried the modest, polite, well-mannered concillatory approach. He appealed to their better natures.

Be copy now to men of grosser blood and teach them how to war.

80

79.  Having lived in SE WI 4 decades, stayed in Harvard IL for my niece's Lake Geneva wedding, etc., I'm relatively well-informed on Midwest economics generally.

IN legislative vagaries aside,  these statements of support for Daniels do little to itemize the benefits.

I've had eight with TPaw vs. DFL Senate and House--two publicly funded stadia, Ethanol whore, no show on light rail, pimped public gaming but a fairly adept obstructionist of rabid Dimmis.

Why do we need him in the WH with GOP majorities?   We don't.

Why can't Hoosiers be half as candid about their Elitist?

81

Miss Marple put some knowledge on the first thread yesterday about this: from what she was saying, it appears as though Daniels may not have been so terribly wrong in his actions and perhaps deserves a bit of leniency on this one.

As for Dick -- well, one of the good things to come about thanks to his endless assholery is that many in his state don't believe a word he says anymore (except for those who still cling to some denial driven wishful thinking that one day Dick will come through for something other than the Machine, and himself).  I think he's going to have a hard time getting re-elected (unless you know where comes through for him...).

I"m guessing he's going to use this Madison situation like a cheap prostitute to drum up some support for himself...because goodness knows he's managed to piss just about everyone off, even his base doesn't much care for him anymore.

82 NRO, one peg above the Weekly Amnesty Standard.

Scratch Daniels off the list.

83

Hmmm, after thinking about this for a bit -- maybe it is good strategy to allow these Dems to throw a pissy fit and run off, and not be too quick to force them back.  Think about it: 1)the longer they pull this shit while the Reps look reasonable the more people are going to get fed up with them, especially with their shenangians while on the lam; 2) look where they are running to.  Like I said yesterday: tie these stupid bastiges to the Chicago Machine and it really won't look good -- hell, my state has a bad rep nationwide (if not globally), how do you think it looks to the voters of WI and IN, who know the facts on the ground even better?

 

And as I stated yesterday: it does not help Quinn out at all (who is in deep shit...and will be in deeper trouble soon given some of the realities he will have to address, and has a bad track record of addressing so far).

84 This is pretty simple.  When given the chance to (a) side with Democrats who flee the state to avoid voting on a Republican measure, (b) side with his fellow Republicans, or (c) shut up, Daniels picked (a).

85

I give Mitch Daniels credit for decertifying the public unions and taking away their collective bargaining rights, but isn't it just a temporary measure. He did this by issuing an executive order. The next time a Democrat is elected governor, they will simply rescind that order, and they won't need any help from the legislative branch to restore collective bargaining. But a right-to-work bill, would require the Democrat to take the Senate, House, and Governorship in order to reverse it. I know it would not necessarily affect public unions, but it would be a concrete Rublican victory. Seems to me, Daniels executive order concerning public union bargaining rights was just another one of his famous truces, since it can easily be reversed. Am I missing something?

86

Squish.

87 85 This is pretty simple.  When given the chance to (a) side with Democrats who flee the state to avoid voting on a Republican measure, (b) side with his fellow Republicans, or (c) shut up, Daniels picked (a).

Posted by: Randall Hoven at February 23, 2011 02:55 PM (goI7h)

No, he did not side with the Democrats for Chrisake, that is just ridiculous. He pointed out the obvious, they could not get the bill passed by the end  of the day and after that it was done. This is how it is done in Indiana, it is absolutely false to claim that Daniels sided with the Democrats. And you know what? Back in 2001 the Republicans did the same thing when they were in the minority, they took off for 2 and a half days. If this tactic is going to change, both parties have to be willing to change the rules. And they are not doing that.

88 The Democrat Party is now The Flee Party.

89

Gov. Daniels just called. Re: Dem calls to kill other bills, particularly on education: "We're not doing that. Those are my priorities."

Now, maybe he should have sent the State Troopers after them the night before, or the day they fled.

But he was so sure they'd do the right thing. The question is, will he learn?

And what is he gonna do about it now?

So, should the previous Governor have sent the state troopers after the Republicans when they took off in 2001? So, what happens if they don't want to come back...do we put them in shackles...force them to vote at gun point..what if they leave when they get here? The truth is the idea that any Governor is going to send the law {probably part of a union themselves} to drag a bunch of politicians back to the state house strikes me as bizarre, I can just see the Democrats singing We shall Overcome as they are frog marched into the Chamber, just change the rules..make it so that any deliberate attempt to leave as a group just to avoid a quorum..renders the need for a quorum null and void.  Say that the people remaining can vote without them.

90 Besides Daniels can not send our troopers to another state anyway, no more than Walker can..that is why Illinois is becoming a sort of mecca for fleeing pols.

91

No, he did not side with the Democrats for Chrisake, that is just ridiculous. He pointed out the obvious, they could not get the bill passed by the end  of the day and after that it was done. This is how it is done in Indiana, it is absolutely false to claim that Daniels sided with the Democrats. And you know what? Back in 2001 the Republicans did the same thing when they were in the minority, they took off for 2 and a half days. If this tactic is going to change, both parties have to be willing to change the rules. And they are not doing that.

Posted by: Terrye at February 23, 2011 05:34 PM (tYKoa)

yep.

Pisses me off.. 2 freakin days of republicans trashing a true PROVEN conservative when they have no freakin idea how Indiana works. You would think republicans could at least learn a little before they trash yet another conservative. 

92 87

Squish.

Posted by: KB at February 23, 2011 04:13 PM (YeiuA)

How? Give me one example of his RECORD that tells you he is a squish?

Do you know of any? Give me one.  Look at his 6 year record and tell me where he is a "squish".

93 26 If I want a Senate Dem to leave, it is only so he can go fetch his fucking shinebox.  Posted by: Scott Walker

LOL. Careful.  Last guy who said that.  Got his paw or hoof or whatever its called stuck in the grill.  Had to hack it off....with Ma's knife...what a mess...

94  @ 93 - You're giving these dullards more credit than they deserve if you think there was the tiniest sliver of genuine outrage over this.  It's all pretense -- pure and simple.  It was the first chance they could seize an opportunity to beat down the positive coverage Daniels got from the conservative press following his CPAC speech, and they jumped on it like the pack of yapping jackals they are.

On the plus side, though, they've shown what a phalanx of idiots they are, and with their overwrought baying over this, have managed to undercut anything they have to say about the man going forward.  To the extent Daniels will actually suffer any damage from this, it will be extremely temporary and all these idiots will be busy wiping the egg from their faces for quite a while.

95 95  Gets old when 'conservatives' trash their own. Especially when they dont a clue.

Just hand Obama a second term, republicans.

96 I think I know what's going on here. Someone chime in and let me know if I'm wrong.

1) Mitch Daniels has been nothing but a model conservative the past six years as the governor of Indiana. Lowest property taxes in the nation, running a surplus, etc. all look great on his resume.

2) Voters in Indiana elected a Republican majority in both houses in order to give Daniels the power he needs to enact more changes. However, there is still a powerful Democratic minority.

3) Since Daniels has long since crippled the power of unions in Indiana, the Right to Work bill is unnecessary, at least right now when he needs a quorum to push through legislation that is more important to Indiana, namely the school vouchers bill.

4) The problem here is that Indiana has a short legislative calender, and the Republicans didn't consider the need to keep Democrats appeased to maintain a quorum and pass legislation that would move Indiana forward, as opposed to shoving through what is, at this time, largely fringe and unnecessary legislation in the name of conservative purity or whatever.

5) Because Daniels recognized the need to convince the Democrats to return to Indiana so that his legislation can get passed, he has now been labeled as a RINO and, according to most posters here, is no longer a serious presidential candidate although there isn't a Republican politician in the country who has a better track record. Apparently his credibility is out the window because he's playing the political game to pass more conservative legislation that actually addresses the needs of his state.

What a shitty governor, eh?

97 Hi.NHL Jerseys on sale,buy your favarite NHL Hockey Jersey for you.the best team :Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys and Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys .

98

1.  Property taxes are levied by local government.  Reverse transfers of income and sales taxes back to property owners, directly or via education funding is a 'Big Government'  initiative,  and is not conservative.

2.  Oh, really.  Please note WI is now ready in under a week to suspend debate and begin voting.  Possibly the result of a need to pay staff, pay the wife, 2 senators have had recall efforts launched in court,..., i.e., pressure applied by citizens and the Governor.

3.  Daniels reversed an executive order giving State employees rights in collective bargaining.  Local government employees were not affected.

4.  Many states have 'short legislative calendars', they are part-time for good reason.  MN adjourns in June.

5.  If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, poops green like a duck, it might just be a duck.

99 Thank you for this article.