[mandaladon]

"The Indiana conservative may be motivated not only by aspirations for higher office, but aggravations over internal House GOP maneuverings." I wonder how true that is.

[ScottinVA]

I hope he’s considering a run for President. He’d get my vote.

[GoCards]

hmmm. I like Pence enough. Just not sure which higher office I would like him in??? VP?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I’m willing to bet that Pence is already disgusted at Cantor and Boehner’s inevitable plan to “reach across the aisle” and compromise with the same Rats who have locked Republicans out of committee meetings in 2009 and 2010.

[wordsofearnest]

As a fellow Hoosier I’d take him as either one (with the Governorship leading to the Presidency).

[Deo volente]

President Pence...has a nice ring to it!

[DrC]

This doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. In the 1970’s, House Republican chairman John B. Anderson parlayed his position into a 3rd party run in 1980. Used right, the conference chair can greatly enhance his own national visibility and influence party positions on issues. If Pence hasn’t figured out how to be a leader in this position, why does he suppose that he’ll do better in the WH?

[Servant of the Cross]

I hope he’s planning to run for Speaker on a separate slate.

[rfp1234]

If not running for POTUS, Mike, please challenge RINO Lugar!

[lonevoice]

Pence, 51, also has become agitated with some of the internal maneuverings of the GOP conference, most recently when he and his staff were excluded from helping to design the "Pledge to America," the conference’s new governing manifesto.

I must have been living in a cave when that got airplay from our conservative commentators. I don't even remember seeing any articles about it on FR. Any info about why and how this happened would be appreciated.

[rob777]

"Pence thinks he is a viable candidate for president because he has what aides describe as the perfect conservative voting record during the Obama and Bush administrations."


Although many GOP elected officials are now opposing Obama's big government advances, Pence was one of the very few who stayed true to the principles of limited government when the advances were being promoted by President Bush. I remember his being "taken to the woodshed" on a few occasions when he had the audacity to insist that the GOP leadership remain true its professed conservative ideals. Pence has shown that he will stick to opposing big government even when it comes from his own party. DeMint is another one who I can say this about, but there are precious few others. I hope one of these two runs in 2012 as I want a tried and true limited government conservative back in charge of the GOP again.

[Soul Seeker]

I’m not impressed.

He’s out positioning himself as a great conservative hope and that House has learned their lessons and then he plans to bail after the election when we NEED conservatives to rise up and stop the leadership from reverting to habit? I know DeMint is saying he won’t run for the Presidency and I have no reason not to believe him but if he were I doubt he would be backing down from the position when we need him MOST.

I don’t care what Pence’s future aspirations are. We need strong conservatives in the House and in the Senate for the upcoming battle with the establishment and I am NOT amused by this talk of him cutting and running now.

[HighlyOpinionated]

I tweeted him and told him that before he moves out of leadership he needs to have a LOT of TEA Party support otherwise, WE THE PEOPLE, will not accept his candidacy.

Remember, We The People, will NOT allow ANYONE else to choose OUR Candidates . . . not the Candidates themselves, not the MSM, not even Sarah Palin. WE CHOOSE.

[JSDude1]

most recently when he and his staff were excluded from helping to design the “Pledge to America,” the conference’s new governing manifesto.

No wonder it was milquetoast at best. The Republican party really is the ~stupid party, they would have been miles ahead if they had just released a new contract with America on strong common sense conservative principles like:

1) Boarders security, seal the boarder to all illigals (and drug smuggers/terrorists), no amnesty!

2) Repeal Obamacare,

3) Reduce the Federal Budget to 2002 levels.

4) Engergy Independece: do an all in approach

5) Make Permanent the Bush tax cuts-and even add a few on top of these.

6) Pleage to balance the budget, and then look for ways to reduce the deficit

7) Support pro life legislation like reversing the Mexico City Policy.

8) End the rest of the “Stimulus”

9) Pledge to protect marriage

10) Pledge to not support anymore unconstitutioanl legislation, make congress more accountable, read the bills, do not make unreadable bills, really “drain the swamp”, investigate fraud/government power abuse, investigage Obama and the previous congress, ect..

BONUS:

(11) Judicial reform), no judicial activism, sharia, foreign influence, impeachment if necessary of judges that veer from American law in their decisions.

If they had pledged to do these simple things, (they didn’t have to give 21 pages of details), and a few more-THEY WOULE BE IN EVEN BETTER SHAPE: Electorally!

[Wuli]

I think he's telling the RINOS:

(1) “YOU are NOT the cause of the majority you are about to obtain in the House.”

(2) “Keep your status-quo ways and status-quo policy preferences, keep your sense of entitlement simply due to your length of service, not your ideas and ideals, and you'll find me and those like me caucusing on our own, until we can get rid of some more of you in 2012.”

I think he has no spirit in him to preserve any power of RINOS for nothing other than, nothing more “principled” than mere “party unity”. He wants to be part of REAL change, not part of another disastrous GOP “majority” like the one that lost the House in 2006.

If the RINOS keep it up, someone “like a Pence” could be the GOPs twenty-first century “Teddy Roosevelt” (in terms of leading a “breakaway” party).