Good morning!  Here are your Hendricks County GOP News Briefs for Thursday, September 2, 2010:

– Gov. Daniels has received criticism from Democrats who consider it hypocritical to oppose new stimulus spending and then take the money for Indiana.  A column by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy points out that if Gov. Daniels did not take the latest round of stimulus offerings, then taxpayers in Indiana would be sending money to other states.  (Mackinac Center for Public Policy)

– In his weekly column, Karl Rove reviews President Obama’s address to the nation on the withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraq.  He makes the case that the world needs a determined United States if we are  going to progress in economics foreign policy.  (Wall Street Journal)

– Democrats last-ditch strategy this election year is hung on the hopes they can scare enough old folks into believing that Republicans want to dismantle Social Security.  Several months ago, Republican candidate for Congress Todd Young called Social Security a “ponzi scheme”.  Nevermind that it is, Democrat Congressman Baron Hill is using that comment to run a campaign built on scare tactics.  (Washington Post)

If you wondered if Congressman Brad Ellsworth’s vote in favor of closing the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay is an effective issue in this campaign, consider that five days after Dan Coats’ ad was released Ellsworth is still running in circles and struggling to respond to it.  The fact that he’s responding at all is a mystery.  This ad is getting far more earned media than anyone on our side could have dreamed.  Well done guys, high five.

The comedy of errors began last Friday when the response from Democrats was to release a poll showing Ellsworth was losing by double digits, but less double digits than before, a move political reporter Jim Shella called, “curious”.  Next, the Ellsworth campaign called a press conference in Jeffersonville.  The ad is only running in Indianapolis so naturally the campaign would call a press conference in a different media market a hundred miles away and introduce the issue to voters who have never heard of it.  No reporters showed up but the campaign managed to chase down a New Albany News and Tribune reporter to do a story.  Ellsworth called the ad misleading and demanded it be pulled off the air.  Seconds later, he reiterated his support of the vote saying, “if and when Gitmo is shut down, I have full confidence in our federal prisons.”  Sounds to me like Ellsworth is still on board with the plan he voted to support.  So what’s the misleading part?

Yesterday, Ellsworth hosted former terrorist prosecutor turned defender Morris Davis, who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Gitmo.  But rather than use the former Bush official to defend his position in support of closing the terrorist detention center and gain credibility, Ellsworth had Davis trot out the same old tired talking points about Coats’ former law firm.  Two attorneys who Coats has never met, and who worked out of an office he’s never visited, defended detainees on a pro bono basis several years ago.  So what does that mean?  Well… nothing really.  But it’s all Ellsworth has going for him.

Hendricks County GOP News Briefs for Tuesday, August 31, 2010:

– Social Security is on a path to insolvency. I know it. You know it. The American people know it. But at the same time that President Barack Obama is establishing a bipartisan deficit reduction commission, he’s blasting Republicans for suggesting that maybe Social Security can’t continue to spend at will. (Wall Street Journal)

– Gov. Mitch Daniels says that that state’s colleges and universities shouldn’t expect more money in the next state budget and should focus their efforts on finding new efficiencies in the way they operate and instruct students. (NWI Times)

– Brad Ellsworth is having a bad week.  Dan Coats is on the air reminding Hoosiers his Democrat opponent voted to close Guantanamo Bay and relocate prisoners to domestic facilities.  The Washington Post highlights Ellsworth as the model falling Democrat star.  And WISH-TV ran a story today that says what everyone is thinking, “Ellsworth may struggle to win seat.”  May?  (WISH-TV)

Senator Richard Lugar appeared on C-SPAN this week to discuss the nation’s withdrawal from Iraq and also plugged Mitch Daniels for president.

Apparently the idea of looking for work in the private sector terrifies Senator Evan Bayh.  The Brett Favre of Indiana politics has played musical chairs with elected office since the mid-80’s and is hinting that he’ll run for governor again in 2012.  Brian Howey had this to say in his daily political wire:

For the first time in years, Evan Bayh spent parts of three days at the Indiana Democratic Editorial Association convention in French Lick and while he was still mum about his future plans – reiterating a decision will come after Christmas – the overwhelming sense among former staff, party chairs and operatives is he will seek a return to the governorship in 2012. — Howey Politics Indiana

Get ready, folks.  Indiana’s future looks bland, but still good looking for its age.  If nothing else, the fact that Bayh can walk back into his party’s nomination for governor is a testament to the fact that Indiana Dems are plagued with a short bench of warm bodies to run for office.

Here’s a good question to ponder.  What happens if Dan Coats wins in November and Bayh hands Republicans his party’s position of statewide power in Indiana?  Will Democrats be as willing to welcome Bayh back to the ballot with open arms or will they take the opportunity to move on?