Your Regular Reminder That Mitch Daniel Stinks

As you may have heard, my garbage nightmare governor, aka former George Bush budget czar and current Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, is considering running for president. I may have mentioned once or twice, or two dozen times, that this would be a terrible idea.

If you don't believe me, just listen to conservatives talk about what a GREAT idea it would be:

Rich Lowry, editor of The National Review, says he was impressed by Daniels' speech. "It wasn't pandering to its audience at all, which is very unusual, perhaps unheard of," Lowry says.

"I think he understands the political challenge to conservatism now," he adds, "which is to reach beyond the conservative base, not just talk to ourselves, and really engage with the working-class and middle-class voters where they live."

If they live in Indiana, Mitch Daniels likes "engaging with them" by stealing their right to collective bargaining, jacking up their property taxes, destroying public education, and privatizing the state roads, parks, and social services programs that once belonged to them as taxpayers. Get ready, America!

GOP strategist Mike Murphy says whether he runs or not, Daniels has already made a contribution to the Republican debate.

"I think what Daniels has done is put a spotlight on what I call the 'grown-up' brand of fiscal conservative politics, a brand of conservatism that tells the truth about big problems without pandering to the simple answers or the knee-jerk," Murphy says.

"It tells the truth about how to win a general election, which is not just about purity, and talks to all voters about the fact that we have to face this out-of-control spending we have," Murphy adds. "And facing it needs some sacrifice that people will have to make as part of being citizens."

Yep, Mitch Daniels totally believes that people need to make sacrifices as part of being good citizens. Not rich people, who get to keep their tax cuts, and not corporations, who get to keep their government bailouts and handouts, and not the military-industrial complex, who get to keep their very profitable wars, and not straight people, who get to keep their stupid marriage privilege, naturally. Ha ha, don't worry, rich people! Here in Indiana, it was state workers who sacrificed their collective bargaining rights, and poor, working class, and middle class people who sacrificed their jobs and homes.

Those are the sorts of sacrifices good citizens make in Indiana, which has an unemployment rate higher than the national average, ranks fifth highest in the nation in bankruptcy filings, and now ranks tenth highest in the nation in foreclosures, after spending years at number one.

Mitch Daniels for president? Just no.

[H/T to Shaker Scatx, via email.]