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Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels Will Not Run For President

By Art Gallagher

In an email to supporters sent early this morning, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels said he would not enter the race for the GOP nomination for president, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The two term governor who worked for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush said his decision came down to family concerns:

“I was able to resolve every competing consideration but one, but that, the interests and wishes of my family, is the most important consideration of all,” he said in an e-mail sent after midnight.

Daniels and his wife Cheri divorced in 1993 and remarried in 1997.  During those four years Cheri married a California man.  The Daniels’ four daughters, now adults, remained in Indiana with there father.  The Governor issued an other statement this morning to the Indianapolis Star this morning defending his wife against growing media scrutiny into their marriage, divorce, remarriage, and the claims by some that Cheri abandoned her daughters during their split:

“The notion that Cheri ever did or would ‘abandon’ her girls or parental duty is the reverse of the truth,” said his statement.


He called the idea “absurd to anyone who knows her, as I do, to be the best mother any daughter ever had.”

With Daniels out of the race, many observers expect the national Republican establishment to step up their efforts to recruit New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to seek the nomination.   Christie has repeatedly declared that he will not be a candidate while at the same time establishing himself as a national leader for education reform, entitlement reform and reducing the size of government.

Daniels withdrawal will also increase the focus on former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman.  Huntsman, who was President Obama’s ambassador to China,  is on a five day tour of New Hampshire.  He delivered the commencement address at Southern New Hampshire University and has made 12 campaign style stops throughout the Granite State.

If Huntsman formally enters the presidential race, for the first time two Mormons would be competing for a major party nomination.  Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the leader in most polls for the GOP nomination, is also a Mormon.

Posted: May 22nd, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics | Tags: , , , , | 6 Comments »

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels “Would Like to Run For President”

By Art Gallagher

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels would like to run for president, according to an article in The Huffington Post that quotes a Daniels advisor.

Convincing his wife, Cheri, to support his presidential bid is said to be Daniels challenge.   The Daniels divorced in 1993 and remarried in 1997.  Cheri married and divorced another man during that four year period.  She is said to be reluctant to expose that period of her life to the media spotlight of a presidential campaign.

In addition to his marriage, Daniels will face questions about his role as a senior executive at Eli Lily from 1990 until 2001 when he became President George W. Bush’s budget director.  During his tenure at Lily, the drug maker paid $2.7 billion in fines and damages in criminal and civil matters concerning for illegally marketing two of its drugs.  Lily has said that Daniels had nothing to do with the agreements to settle the criminal charges.

If he gets into the race, Daniels could dominate what is considered by most a weak field on GOP candidates considering a challenge to President Obama in 2012.  He is considered a strong fiscal conservative.  As governor, he put an end to collective bargaining for public service workers, expanded school vouchers, and signed a bill that defunded Planned Parenthood.

Daniels turned a budget deficit into an budget surplus in Indiana.  How he did it will cause some tap dancing for any New Jersey Republicans who decide to back the head Hoosier.  He leased Indiana’s East-West toll road to foreign investors for 75 years, raising $3.8 billion dollars.  Sound familiar?  Jon Corzine might still be governor had he not emulated Daniel’s plan to restructure New Jersey’s fiscal mess.

Republican Governor John Kasich of Ohio is considering toll road monetization in Ohio.  Governor Chris Christie is not likely to do so in New Jersey.

Daniels has close ties to Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, going back to the 1970’s when Lugar was mayor of Indianapolis.  He ran Lugar’s senate office and his campaigns.  He was political director in the Reagan White House, turned down an opportunity to be appointed to Dan Qualye’s U.S. Senate seat to enter the private sector and returned to government service as  Bush’s budget director.

Posted: May 10th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: 2012 Presidential Politics | Tags: | 4 Comments »