It’s not that I necessarily begrudge the Lafayette Journal & Courier its endorsement of Dan Coats as Senator. Brad “I’m more pro-life than him, lets protect the tax cuts of the ultrawealthy” Ellsworth doesn’t exactly give me the warm fuzzies either. But, the J&C’s rationale for endorsing Coats is a little bit ridiculous. They say that Ellsworth has “contributed to the gridlock” in Washington whereas “Coats has the experience, potential and the gravitas to be a consensus builder.”
Have they been watching the Senate at work at all? Even Sen. Dick “gravitas” Lugar has been reflexively and frequently voting for filibusters. This isn’t just an absence of bipartisanship, this is a refusal to even let matters come to a vote. The idea that Coats is going to go out on a limb to break a filibuster in defiance of Republican leadership is preposterous. Meanwhile, Ellsworth was a prominent supporter of the Stupak amendment which injected anti-abortion provisions into the health care reform bill. This was not popular with most Democrats and especially not with Democratic leadership.
There are probably legitimate reasons the Journal & Courier could have picked to endorse Coats. Increasing the odds of bipartisanship in the United States Senate is not one of them.
Disappointed to hear this. Nothing about Coats seems appealing to me. As a former resident of Vanderburgh County, I always thought (and still think) of Brad as an excellent public servant. He is really the candidate of choice, probably hampered by the “down-state” syndrome. People around the state just don’t know him and what a really good job he could do for all Indiana residents.
Coats was never bi-partisan when he was a U.S. Representative or U.S. Senator. If he doesn’t like your group he will also lie his ass off to avoid any meeting. Even have his staff do the same. Tried meeting with him once in D.C. and receptionist told me he wasn’t there. 5 minutes he comes out from the back.