Coats was a good conservative, so is Hostettler but Daniels would be better, he’s the sitting Governor and would have a better chance.
Daniels won’t run for Senate, and it’s said his wife wants him to get out of politics.
He’s grooming Becky Skillman to take his place, and even Democrats admit she is one hell of an administrator.
That said, Dan Coats announcing comes totally unexpected, out of left field, but I’ll bet his buddy Greg Garrison has been egging him on for months to do it.
For those of you outside of Indiana, take a look at his resume, both in Congress, AND afterward. it’s long as it is wide.
This is the SHORT Version:
“Senator Dan Coats is a senior policy advisor in King & Spalding’s Government Advocacy and Public Policy Practice Group. Senator Coats joined King & Spalding after serving as U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany from August 2001 to February 2005. A former member of Congress, Senator Coats represented Indiana in the United States Senate from 1989 to 1999, and in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1988.
While in Congress, Senator Coats was a member of several high-profile committees, including the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He also was a member of the Senate leadership, serving as Midwest Regional Whip. In the Senate, Senator Coats focused on national security, health care, education and human resources issues. He was a strong advocate of a bipartisan approach to national security issues, and joined with Democrats such as Senator Joseph Lieberman in pursuing several defense reform and transformation initiatives.
Upon his retirement from the U.S. Senate in 1999, Senator Coats joined former Senate Majority Leaders Bob Dole and George Mitchell as Special Counsel with the Washington law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand. Before his election to Congress, Senator Coats served as Indiana Director for former Congressman Dan Quayle from 1977-1980. Prior to his career in politics, he was Assistant Vice President of a Fort Wayne, Indiana, life insurance company. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966-68.
In 1995, Senator Coats received national recognition as the author and champion of the Project for American Renewal, a comprehensive initiative aimed at shifting power and funding from Washington directly to local and non-profit groups that are successfully working to resolve many of the nation’s social problems. He also is the author of Mending Fences: Renewing Justice Between Government and Civil Society.
Senator Coats has served as President of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, as co-chair of the Center for Jewish and Christian Values, and as a member of several other boards, civic and volunteer organizations. He is a graduate of Wheaton College and holds a J.D. degree from Indiana University School of Law.