GOP Infighting on AG Nominees
I’m sick about reading about divisions in the Democratic party, so let’s look at divisions in the Republican party.
Attorney General Steve Carter’s retirement left Republicans split between Valparaiso mayor Jon Costas and deputy AG Greg Zoeller. Mitch Daniels has endorsed Costas, and Tod Rokita indicated his support for Costas early on. In a statement, Daniels said that he was supporting Costas for the sake of geographic balance:
I have heard from a large number of party and civic leaders making the point that three-quarters of our 2008 ticket should not come from one geographical area, and I find I must agree. Fairness, balance, and political common sense all argue for supporting Mayor Jon Costas. I ask you to join me in doing so.
In the meantime, Steve Carter is touring the state with his longtime deputy, trying to solidify Republican support for Zoeller. Today, they made a stop (sub req’d) in Bloomington after swinging through northern Indiana.
I don’t know how much influence this will have with the state convention delegates, and frankly, I no nothing of the qualifications of Costas (other than that he specialized in elder law). My inclination though, is that if Bush’s Man Mitch is supporting him, Costas tends toward political hackery. If he’s that tied to Mitch “Toll Road” Daniels and Todd “Voter ID” Rokita, it will be easier for Linda Pence to gain a foothold.