According to Howey Politics, former Fort Wayne resident Dan Coats is now tossing his hat into the ring.
Coats was a member of congress from 1981 – 1989 serving in the 4th district, and in the U.S. Senate from 1989 to 1999. From 2001 to 2005, Coats served as the United States Ambassador to Germany. He’s currently a Washington lobbyist.
Informed and reliable sources are telling Howey Politics Indiana that former U.S. Sen. Dan Coats will announce Wednesday he will challenge U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh.
The source, former aide Curt Smith of the Indiana Family Institute, said that Coats knows he has about two weeks to gather the 4,500 signatures – 500 per Congressional district – in two weeks.
Coats was up for re-election in 1998 when he decided to retire, citing the pressures of constant fundraising. Bayh went on that year to defeat former Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke to reclaim his father’s Senate seat.
Coats was almost named President George W. Bush’s Defense Secretary instead of Donald Rumsfeld, and later was named ambassador to Germany .
Coats would join the Republican field that includes State Sen. Marlin Stutzman, plumber Richard Behney, former Congressman John Hostettler and Winchester financier Don. Bates Jr. — Howey Politics Indiana
I’m guessing the GOP thinks we have a weak field and pushed Coats into the race.
So we now have the following cast of characters running on the GOP ticket against Bayh. Lobbyist Dan Coats, State Senator Marlin Stutzman, plumber Richard Behney, former Congressman John Hostettler and Winchester Indiana financial advisor Don Bates Jr.
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I would never vote rep. I never seen so much tit for tat in all my life….if anything vote the bums out and see if they can buy their own health care.
Dan,
Why is John Hostettler listed as a former Congressman and Dan Coats listed as a lobbyist? To be consistent shouldn't you list Coats as either a former US Senator, or former US Congressman, or Former US Ambassador? I guess if Hostettler is currently unemployed and Congressman was his last paying job, it might might sense.
On the surface I might surmise, you are not a Coats fan.
Good point, just an error on my part. Busy morning. It's been changed. As for being a fan, I really like Dan and his conservative values. As for who I support, I'm not saying other than it's not Behney or Bates.
Why NOT Dan Coats?
- Resident of VIRGINIA – Hasn't been a Hoosier for over 10 years!
- NRSC handpicking is wrong – let HOOSIERS decide
- Another OLD white anglo
- Resident of the Beltway Establishment
- Harriet Miers
- Lobbyist
- Career Politician
- RETREAD
- Why pick an 11th hour candidate, who had to be TALKED INTO running when we had qualified grassroots candidates before?
First, to say Coats should not run, be elected or considered because he has not been a Hoosier for 10-years is a sign of a confused individual. Afterall, while Bayh has been a 'legal' resident of Indiana he spends limited time here and really – what benefit has he been to us.
The issue here is not who is running but who is in office. And with Evan Bayh we get nothing more than liberal lies, Obama spending tactics, and no level of financial, social or political ethics from his office or King Obama's.
Your racist comment about Coats being "another OLD white anglo" provides us with an indication you are a supporter of Obama and will use the age and race card ONLY when it serves your needs.
And since when is Evan Bayh NOT a career politician himself? Or did you just accidently leave that out for your own benefit as well?
Once again, "prominent "Republicans are trying to choose our candidate for us. “They” are reaching out, on our behalf, to a retired (for ten years) senator who lives in another state. “They” couldn’t find anymore viable candidates here in Indiana, even though we had four people already contending for the nomination.
I am beginning to feel somewhat like a marionette with someone pulling the strings and hiding behind the curtain. Are we everyday Republicans lacking enough common sense to choose who should represent us? I don’t think so.
My advice to those four candidates that were deemed ”unworthy” by the “prominent” Republicans ? Keep going. We, as voters in this great state of Indiana need a choice. We don’t need our candidates chosen for us by the “prominent” Republicans.
As a postscript, I believe that my dog Rufus could defeat Evan Bayh in this present electoral climate. (No offense meant to the human candidates.)
I have not seen this much excitment in the Indiana GOP since Palin was announced and Mitch cleaned house in '08. Everywhere I go people are excited about Senator Coats. The others are fine candidates but Sen. Coats is the one who can win!
Typical old school GOP thinking. The heck with the details and what the people want, let's just run someone we think can win.
Attabpy Plumbing Richard Behnry is perfect as follows >
1. Experienced & Undersrtands business
2 can work on fixing the financial plumbing in politics,
3. Isn't a bought and purchased political hack
4. Isn't a flow with the breeze person like Bayh
5 scare the heck out of Democraqts
6 another congressman to control & stop Obama mess
If my memory hasn't completely failed me, I remember that Dan Coats did not run again because he felt that 18 years in the congress was enough for anyone – something that our Representative Souder should also heed.
That being said, I don't see any problem with Dan Coats running for the Senate again if that's what it's going to take to get Evan Bayh to go "Bye-Bye".
Behney has my vote! I can't wait to push the button for someone who is one of us…ready to be a public servant and not a lifetime politician! GO BEHNEY!
http://richardbehney.com/