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18 Sep 2011 11:09

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Politics: Mitch Daniels, after the fact: Family concerns trump presidential onces

  • I think our family was really concerned about the lack of privacy. And that it’s not just for four years or eight years, but for the rest of your life. Mitch has given 12 years to public service. And, you know, now it was our turn to get him back.
  • Mitch Daniels’ wife, Cheri • Discussing why the Indiana governor’s family vetoed their father’s potential run for president in 2012. When Daniels made the decision back in May, the key tell sign for us was his open dismissal of questions related to foreign policy, a perceived weak point for the governor. But that point isn’t nearly as weak as his love of his family. “I’m not complaining about a thing. I’m the luckiest guy I know of,” he told CBS Sunday Morning. “And, you know, you can’t have everything in life. And sometimes you have to choose.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jun 2011 00:30

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U.S.: Latest attempt to defund Planned Parenthood fails

  • plan In preparation for his aborted presidential run, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed a bill blocking Medicaid recipients from using Planned Parenthood’s services.
  • problem The Health and Human Services Department has informed Daniels that the bill he signed is in violation of federal Medicaid law, and thus can’t be implemented. source
  • » What was wrong with the bill? Well, from a moral standpoint, a lot. But from a legislative standpoint, the issue is that Medicaid beneficiaries are legally permitted to use their Medicaid anywhere they want, so long as they do so at a “qualified service provider.” The bill Daniels discriminates against Planned Parenthood for reasons unrelated to its qualifications. Proponents of the bill correctly pointed out that the Hyde Act makes it illegal for federal funds to pay for abortions; however, only 3% of Planned Parenthood’s services are abortive, and for low-income Hoosiers to be blocked from Planned Parenthood’s other services simply because the governor once wanted to run for president is not only wrong–it’s against the law.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 May 2011 02:14

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U.S.: GOP field narrows further: Mitch Daniels won’t run for president

Another high-profile contender in 2012 is out — because his family said no. “Simply put, I find myself caught between two duties,” the Indiana governor said. “I love my country; I love my family more.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 May 2011 22:53

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Politics: Grassley pokes fun at Daniels’ lack of charisma

  • Maybe I oughta back [Mitch Daniels], because it would be an opportunity to show that people who don’t have charisma could be elected president.
  • Republican Senator Charles Grassley • About…well, Mitch Daniels. Aren’t these guys supposed to be on the same team? He went on to compliment Daniels’ performance as George W. Bush’s budget director (because if there’s anything Bush did well, it was handle the federal budget). source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 May 2011 19:37

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U.S.: “Mitch The Knife” lives up to name, cuts health services for poor sick people

  • NO Planned Parenthood access for poor Hoosiers source
  • » Last June, he called for a “truce” on social issues. Now, with a presidential run looking ever-so-tempting, Mitch Daniels has no problem cutting reproductive services for 9,300 Medicaid recipients in Indiana, of which he is regrettably the governor. Today, a court rejected Planned Parenthood’s efforts to postpone enforcement of the bill. For low-income Indianans who feared they might have life-threatening illnesses, Planned Parenthood was one of their only resources. Now, thanks to Daniels’ quixotic presidential ambitions, they’re out of luck. (Note: A separate request for an injunction, filed by the ACLU, has not yet been ruled on)
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 May 2011 10:59

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Politics: Mitch Daniels’ limited foreign policy cred becoming obvious

  • Monday In perhaps the meekest single comment ever published, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ staff revealed he had no official opinion on Osama bin Laden’s death. Not even a “heckuva job?” It’s not like you couldn’t glean these details from a newspaper or anything.
  • Tuesday The strange revelations continued when he revealed to a roomful of reporters that he probably couldn’t take on Obama in a foreign policy debate. “His foreign-policy details are TBD,” noted the National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru. Well, guess he’s not running. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 May 2011 01:15

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Politics: Mitch Daniels mum on the death of bin Laden

  • NO Mitch Daniels has no comment on bin Laden’s death source
  • » Dodging a softball: Indiana governor and possible presidential candidate Mitch Daniels has made a strange choice in steadfastly refusing to release any statement on the death of Osama bin Laden. When Jennifer Rubin at The Washington Post e-mailed him to ask if he had any response to the news, his staff answered in one word: “No.” This is odd, as the death of the world’s most-wanted man is a) certainly newsworthy enough for a presidential candidate to bother responding to, and b) probably the easiest news for any politician to formulate a response to. You really can’t screw this one up; it’s a slam-dunk! Just say, “I’m glad bin Laden’s dead,” and call it a night. Rubin takes Daniels’ silence as a sign that he’s not serious about running for president, and we think she’s onto something.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

25 Apr 2011 21:55

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Politics: Ron Paul to run for President again

  • one Establishment favorite and GOP company man Haley Barbour surprised everyone today by announcing that he won’t be running for president in 2012 (probably a good idea, given his poll numbers).
  • two Hours later, Dave Weigel at Slate confirmed that everyone’s favorite scrappy libertarian, Ron Paul, will announce tomorrow an exploratory committee to run for president. Let the ReLOVEution begin again — for the first time. source
  • » What this means: One thing to keep in mind about presidential primaries is that every time a potential candidate announces their intent to run (or that they won’t be running), the calculus for every undecided candidate changes. For example, Haley Barbour is good friends with Mitch Daniels, who is half-heartedly considering a run of his own. With Barbour out, Mitch Daniels has one less excuse not to run. Meanwhile, Ron Paul’s entrance into the race effectively puts an end to his son’s quixotic flirtations with a bid, as Rand Paul already ruled out running against his father. Next question: Will the presence of another libertarian on the ballot put a dent in Paul’s loyal following?
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 22:33

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Politics: Indiana GOP concedes, ending Wisconsin-style standoff

  • wisconsin As you may remember, Wisconsin Democrats fled the state back in February to block the passage of a harsh anti-union bill. Ultimately, their gambit didn’t work, as Republicans were able to pass the bill in the Democrats’ absence using a simple (yet revealing and disingenuous) parliamentary procedure.
  • indiana Five weeks ago, Indiana Democrats tried the same tactic to prevent the state GOP from passing a similar bill that would have severely curtailed worker’s rights. This time, though, it worked, with Republicans agreeing to scrap the most controversial parts of the bill and the Democrats returning to the state. source
  • » What concessions did the GOP make? Several. Most significantly, they removed a provision that would have made Indiana a “right-to-work” state (that is, a state with fewer restrictions on the hiring of non-unionized employees), and pledged not to pass a law banning collective bargaining (it’s already banned in the state via executive order, but that hasn’t been made law). There were a few education-based changes as well, including the elimination of a plan that would have allowed private companies to assume control of fledgling public schools. All in all, both sides are happy to see the end of this stand-of (especially Governor Mitch Daniels, who can now continue half-heartedly mulling a bid for the presidency).
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Jan 2011 21:33

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Politics: Mitch Daniels close to decision on presidential run

  • I don’t think that I’ve waited too long, but I believe I should come to some decision. There are a lot of people waiting and I owe them an answer.
  • Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels • On running for President in 2012. Daniels is a favorite amongst both fiscal conservatives and the Republican establishment, having served at the head of George W. Bush’s Office of Management and Budget. His low-key (read: bland) personality and moderate views on social issues could cause him trouble in a GOP primary, but he’s arguable stronger against Obama than almost any other GOP prospect. He recently won a Washington straw poll, which would be encouraging for him if Washington had any sway in Republican Presidential primaries. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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