On Tuesday, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels declined to support a Republican-sponsored right-to-work bill that had sent Indiana House Democrats out of the state, like Wisconsin Democrats, to avoid a possible vote. And that’s not being well received by some conservative leaders.
On his Tuesday evening program, conservative talk show host Mark Levin explained why he wasn’t supporting Daniels. Levin said despite Daniels’ splash on the scene and his reluctance to tackle social issues, this latest gesture was something to take notice of.
“Mitch Daniels, almost out of nowhere, the governor of Indiana shows up at CPAC … he’s introduced by George Will, he’s promoted as this great candidate for president,” Levin said. “Of course he says you social conservatives park it and sit down. That’s not key right now. What’s key right now is the fiscal stuff – oh, OK.”
Levin pointed out that Daniels has been called “Reagan-esque,” but said he isn’t demonstrating an ability to multitask.
“But Mitch Daniels, he’s standing right up there — very Reagan-esque, isn’t he?” Levin said. “He’s got other priorities and he can’t chew gum and walk at the same time. He warned his party late last year against pursuing the so-called right-to-work legislation, right? Well he agreed with it philosophically, he said it was a big issue that needed a statewide debate. We don’t quite get it do we?”
Listen:
According to the conservative talk show host, there were “phonies out there pushing him” and that as a longtime aide to Indiana Republican Sen. Richard Lugar, considered to be a RINO (Republican in name only) by some, he’s not to be trusted. Despite Daniels’s service in the Reagan administration, Levin questioned his “Reaganite” credentials.
“Now he may be good for Indiana the way [New Jersey Gov.] Christie may be good for New Jersey but that’s not good enough,” he said. “Good enough is an articulate, confident, conservative voice that whenever confronted with tyranny, speaks of liberty. That whenever confronted with lawlessness, speaks of the Constitution. He doesn’t compartmentalize issues because that tells me that he’s not a Reaganite. That he’s not a conservative.”
And now in this preliminary stage, some GOP presidential hopefuls would get a little “x” by their names, and some were getting a “check,” according to Levin.
“Mr. Daniels, you get a little ‘x,’” he said. “You’re too weak. You don’t see the full horizon. You’re ready to battle on some turf, but on way too much you’re ready to surrender the turf. You should be speaking out in defense of your fellow governor from Wisconsin and you’re not. You should be encouraging exactly what the legislature is doing in — Indiana, to attract more and more enterprise and create more jobs but you’re not. That’s why you’re not presidential. Like I say, you may be a great governor. I don’t know. I don’t live in Indiana but I do live in the United States and you get a little ‘x’ next to your name.”