taking down words

General Withdrawal: Rokita is out, Costas in?

The Star reports this morning that Sec. of State Todd Rokita won't be trying for the GOP nomination to replace the retiring Steve Carter. The reason? Apparently because he doesn't consider himself a "strong leader," or something like that.

He will, however, be throwing his support behind Valparaiso Mayor John Costas:

Rokita had considered seeking the post since Republican Attorney General Steve Carter recently announced he would not run for a third four-year term. The major parties will select their nominees for attorney general at their summer state conventions.

Rokita said his main concern is that Indiana have a strong leader as attorney general. He says he recently spoke to Valparaiso Mayor John Costas, who Rokita said has expressed an interest in running. Rokita says he would support Costas if he runs.

Posted by: Thomas

Step Right Up: Who Wants To Be The GOP Attorney General Nominee?

The unexpected announcement over the weekend that two-term Attorney General Steve Carter will not seek re-election this year has set off something of a GOP gossipfest, with several names being tossed around as Republicans scramble to find someone -- preferably someone with name ID and funding -- to take Carter's place on the ballot:

"This caught most everybody flat-footed," said Wheeler, 45, who is with the Indianapolis law firm Locke Reynolds. "I had talked with Steve (Carter) about my interest in running in 2008, and he indicated to me he was going to run again."

Starting the work of putting together a campaign at the end of March is not ideal, Wheeler said, "but there is (still) plenty of time," because candidates can focus on convention delegates, rather than all state voters, and have until mid-June to make their cases.

In a statement issued by the spokesman for his county office, Brizzi said he, too, "was surprised by Attorney General Carter's announcement."

"Carl is flattered that he has been mentioned as a possible candidate, and it is something he is considering," Matthew Symons said.

Zoeller, the chief deputy, also sought the party's nomination for attorney general in 1996 but lost that bid to Carter. Carter, defeated in the 1996 general election by Democrat Jeff Modisett, was elected in 2000.

"I may be the only one who's worked in the office," said Zoeller, 52. "I'm pretty proud of what the attorney general has been able to do, and for people who think he's done a good job, I would be a known commodity and a continuation of what we have been doing."

Another Republican who was being mentioned as a possible candidate is Secretary of State Todd Rokita, but a call to Rokita's election committee was not returned Monday. Elected to his second term in office in 2006, Rokita is prohibited by Indiana law from running for another term as secretary of state in 2010.

The Do-Not-Run List: Steve Carter Takes Himself Out Of The AG Race

Attorney General Steve Carter is throwing in the towel, according to this Easter Sunday update from the Star's John Strauss. (Odd timing, anyone?)

Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter today said he will not seek a third term in office and will likely bring his career in public service to a close.

"I want to look at a number of things in both the private sector and the not-for-profit sector," Carter, 54, said at a news conference in his office.

"I've enjoyed my term as attorney general. There have been great opportunities. We have achieved a lot, but I think we can achieve things outside government."

Carter, a former top aide to then-Lt. Gov. John Mutz and former corporation counsel to Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, vigorously championed the state's Do-Not-Call law and enforced it from his office. The AG’s office also pursued claims of gasoline price gouging after the 9/11 terror attacks.

Carter is married with two teenagers and a 12-year-old. He said today he has not interviewed for other jobs and has not decided what he would like to do next.

This bodes well for Linda Pence, the extremely talented and well qualified Democratic candidate who will go from running against incumbent Carter to running against Some Random, Late-To-The-Game Republican. It doesn't look like Pence has a campaign website just yet, but TDW will steer you to it once she does.

Against The Wind: Reed Should Buck GOP Will, Run Again For Ed Post

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette wants Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed to run again -- despite the fact that the Republican machine is backing a rookie on the scene.

The gauntlet has been thrown by Reed's own Republican Party leader – Gov. Mitch Daniels. At the Whitley County Lincoln Day Dinner last week, the governor introduced Jeffersonville Superintendent Tony Bennett as the person likely to be the next state schools chief – a not-so-subtle declaration of support for a political newcomer over a popular four-term incumbent. He later denied he was offering an endorsement of Bennett.

Reed campaigned with Daniels four years ago but has endured his public criticism on the progress of Indiana schools ever since. In his first State of the State address, the governor attacked the schools as wasteful, noting that, "We have doubled the amount of money spent per child with scant improvement in the only thing that matters, the readiness of those children. If money were the answer, this would no longer be a problem."

For her part, Reed told The Journal Gazette’s Niki Kelly that she is "considering all the possibilities and options" and will soon make a decision on a fifth term. The party's nominee for state superintendent is selected at the state convention instead of in the primary election. Reed has until two weeks before the June 2 convention, but she should announce early enough to court the Republican delegates whose support she will need.

Daniels, whose political skills are among the best, surely hasn't underestimated Reed's own political talents. They aren't apparent immediately, but the former Rushville superintendent's first win was over Stan Jones, a powerful Democratic legislator who later became Indiana's Commissioner for Higher Education. From their start as political foes, they've forged a strong working relationship.

Party Strife: Guv Throws His Weight Behind Rookie Ed Candidate

The Guv should probably spend more time focusing on his re-election efforts instead of taking out elected officials on his side of the aisle. Niki Kelly of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has the scoop:

It appears Gov. Mitch Daniels is lining up behind southern Indiana school superintendent Tony Bennett in his attempt to replace Suellen Reed as the state's top education official.

At Wednesday night's Lincoln Day Dinner in Whitley County, Daniels introduced Bennett as the person who will likely be the next superintendent of public instruction in Indiana.

Bennett told the Louisville Courier-Journal in January that he is running for the position on the Republican side. He has been the superintendent for the Greater Clark County Schools district for less than a year.

Daniels' statement either indicates he is endorsing a rookie against a veteran or that fellow Republican Reed will not seek a fifth term.

Reed appeared disappointed when told about Daniels' quip Thursday and said she hopes to make a decision in the next week on a re-election bid.

"I'm considering all the possibilities and options," she said.

Phone It In: GOP Dialing For Dollars To Elect Conservative Candidates

Speaking of conservative Republicans, Indiana Daily Insight brings us this nugget:

"The Republican State Leadership Committee, whose mission is to elect more Republicans at the state level, including statewide officials and legislators, is making fundraising calls into Indiana, pegging the pitch to how important it is to elect conservative Republican candidates in 2008."

Facebook It, Baby: A Brief Tour Of Indiana's Pols On The Internets

It's a somewhat slow news day. Let's check in with Facebook and see what some Indiana politicians are doing to attract the e-crowd. (Note: If you want to follow these links, you'll need a Facebook account.)

As Democratic gubernatorial candidates go, Jim Schellinger and Jill Long Thompson have both set up campaign groups. It doesn't appear that Richard Young has established a presence on Facebook.

There are several groups devoted to un-electing Mitch Daniels; this looks like the official "Go Gov" group.

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson has a group. So does his little-known opponent Greg Ballard (complete with a Brady-esque photo!).

Most of the other big-city mayoral candidates also are workin' it on the Internets.

The down-ticket statewide officials don't have much to offer other than the Richard Mourdock is my Homie group. (TDW was sad to find out that Todd Rokita hasn't electronically documented his world travels.)

The General Assembly is generally not all about Facebook.

Junior U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh has a bunch of groups devoted to him. Senior U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar? Not so much. But he gets a pass because he's just a smidge outside of Facebook's target demographic.

And that's a wrap.

More Time Off: Rokita Heads To New Orleans For Four Days Of Fellowship

According to Indiana Daily Insight, our jet-setting friend Todd Rokita is on the road again:

"Secretary of State Todd Rokita (R) joins 23 leaders representing 20 states at the second annual meeting of the Aspen-Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership from June 21 - 25 in New Orleans."

About the fellowship:

"The Aspen Institute has selected 24 of the nation's most outstanding young political leaders for the second class of its unique fellowship program focused on the ethics and responsibilities of public leadership and the study of democratic values. Members of this class—12 Republicans and 12 Democrats—bring the total number of Rodel Fellows to 48, drawn from 34 states, including members of Congress as well as state and local officials."

Straight Talk: Rokita Was All About Energy Before He Dropped It Flat

The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel briefly editorializes about Secretary of State Todd Rokita's recent Swiss junket:

"Secretary of State Todd Rokita asked for and received money from corporations to fund his trip to Switzerland, including $10,000 from the Indiana Energy Association, a trade group headed by former Secretary of State Ed Simcox. Jerold Bonnet, Rokita's general counsel, said there is no conflict of interest, because the secretary of state's office does not regulate the energy association and only indirectly regulates its members. The situation, he said, is no different than when businesses donate money to renovate the governor's residence or fund activities at public schools.

"Well, 'indirectly regulates' is still regulation. And what does this trip – to attend an international business conference and 'pursue economic development projects' – have to do with the duties of secretary of state?"

So, in order to defend the trip, Rokita's general counsel tells us that the Secretary of State has nothing to do with energy regulation, and that's why it's perfectly okay for Rokita to jet off on an all-expenses-paid trip to an energy conference.

But that defense leads to the natural follow-up question: If your office has nothing to do with energy, why did you ask an energy group to fund this trip?

Ah, the joys of watching lawyers fumble around with public relations.

Next time you want to go on vacation, Todd, pay your own way. Or be honest about who's footing the bill. Problem solved.

Rumor Has It: Jet-Setter Rokita Heading For China At The End Of July?

Rumor has it that globe-trotting Secretary of State Todd Rokita will be heading to China at the end of next month.

To be fair, Rokita has been to Asia before on somewhat official business, but this trip comes on the heels of a highly questionable Swiss junket. Who's paying for it? What's the purpose? Does it have anything to do with the Secretary of State's official duties?

It's only natural that folks might want these questions answered before Rokita takes off again.