Marlin Stutzman for Senate. Yes! Yes! Yes!

If you have followed this blog for sometime you have probably observed that I have been rather stingy with my praise of candidates endorsed by the Tea Party in Indiana and Kentucky. I did not support Richard Mourdock in his successful primary race against Dick Lugar nor did I support Matt Bevin's attempt to unseat Mitch McConnell. For years I had watched Mourdock fumble around in local politics, even visited his home once, and concluded that he was probably a pretty good geologist who should have stuck to his career choice. I predicted he would lose to Joe Donnelly in the general and Mourdock succeeded in confirming that fear.
I regarded Matt Bevin as an opportunist on an ego trip who after losing would never be heard from again. That judgment may have been too harsh. After losing to McConnell, Bevin embarked on an unsuccessful effort to shift control of the Kentucky legislature to the Republicans proving that he is a team player. I will happily back him in his race for governor.



This post in The Hill has me ecstatic. Congressman Marlin Stutzman has announced that he will seek the nomination for the senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Dan Coats. To me this is Christmas in May! Marlin Stutzman is the best Indiana has to offer. Since he arrived in Congress after a special election in 2010 he has been one of those recalcitrant Republicans who have given Speaker Boehner heartburn. As noted in my less than objective post, Yo, Rep. Stutzman the Senate needs you, as head of the Republican Study Committee Budget and Spending Task Force Stutzman produced a budget that reformed Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and added to defense spending. It took a parliamentary maneuver on the part of Speaker Boehner who invoked the "Queen of the Hill" rule to defeat it but it did get 132 Republican votes which is more than any of the 5 alternative budgets.
He is not only a fiscal conservative but is adamantly pro life. Please read this compelling post by the congressman in Life News.
Back in 2010 Stutzman was among a group of at least 5 Republicans who were vying for a chance to run against Evan Bayh. After Bayh announced he would not seek reelection national Republicans prevailed on Dan Coats to enter the race. Being a loyal party man, Coats entered the race and won the seat, a seat that he had once retired from. Now it appears that former Coats staffer Eric Holcomb who has never been elected to anything is the establishment's choice for senate.
Stutzman was elected to the Indiana state senate at the age of 26. The is something compelling and down to earth about politician who cut their teeth in state politics. Think along the lines of Marco Rubio, Cory Gardner, Joni Ernst or Jimmy Jordan. They keep their ears to the ground.
Stand by Marlin Stutzman, collect ballot signatures for Marlin Stutzman, send money to Marlin Stutzman, pray for Marlin Stutzman. Do whatever you can for Marlin Stutzman. This guy is gold!