Taxman Mitch

In the 2004 elections, Republicans in Indiana were excited about their candidate for governor, Mitch Daniels. As President Bush's budget director, Daniels had made a name for himself in the Bush administration and won acclaim from some in the news media, such as when Time Magazine named him their "Person of the Week."

Daniels had moved from being a D.C. power-player to the Republican Party's best hope to retake the Indiana governor's office from the Democrats, who had held the seat for 16 years.

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Indiana Republicans affectionately referred to him as "My Man Mitch," a nickname originally coined by President Bush.

On election night, the Indiana GOP celebrated with elation as their man, Mitch, had pulled off a convincing victory that held potential to serve as a role model for Republicans across the nation.

But, now, it all seems like a dream, and many Republicans in the state are wondering what went wrong.

Today, "My Man Mitch" is known as "Taxman Mitch" and other nicknames that rhyme with "Mitch," but aren't appropriate for publishing.

It began with his first State of the State address when he shocked conservatives by proposing an income tax hike to help balance the state's budget deficit. Daniels had also gone along with $1 billion in new spending in his proposed budget, which combined with the tax increase made a mockery of what it means to be a fiscal conservative.

Daniels had said during his campaign that tax increases would be left as a "last resort." Now it seems there isn't a tax increase Mitch Daniels met that he didn't like.

Working with Indianapolis' Democrat Mayor, Bart Peterson, Daniels soon thereafter announced a deal to keep the Indianapolis Colts in Indiana for at least 30 years by building the team a new stadium.

And to pay for this deal, "Taxman Mitch" proposed – you guessed it – more tax increases.

There's the increase in hotel taxes to 9 percent – on top of the state's 6 percent sales tax. And on top of that there was the doubling of taxes on car rentals. Oh, and the doubling of food and beverage taxes. And finally, they increased the tax on tickets for those attending Colts' games.

The Democrat mayor of Indianapolis and "Taxman Mitch" seem to enjoy their tax-raising relationship.

"We're like-minded about a lot of things," Daniels says of his relationship with the Democrat mayor, who returned the compliment by noting that the two had a lot in common in their governing styles.

But taxing income and restaurants and football games and hotels and rental cars wasn't enough for "Taxman Mitch."

Last month, Daniels proposed a 25-cent per-pack tax on cigarettes.

By pushing a constant stream of tax increases, Daniels has sent the message that the problems with state and federal deficits isn't that our politicians are spending too much, but that the public is being taxed too little.

With Republicans like this, who needs Democrats?

There have been other missteps by Mitch Daniels, including his ill-spoken plea to find a way to get illegal immigrants to stay here legally. Apparently, Daniels doesn't understand the problem is allowing illegal aliens into this nation in the first place.

At some point, Indiana Republicans are going to have to find a new leader for their party for the future.

Clearly Mitch Daniels finds himself at odds with the Republican principles of smaller government, lower taxes and greater liberty.

"Taxman Mitch" seems instead motivated by the insider-politics game of wooing donors and polling voters to find out what issues his public speeches should address.

That's not leadership, it's merely self-promotion, and we have enough politicians who do that these days.

Indiana Republicans are now considering a "Ditch Mitch" campaign that runs a conservative Republican against "Taxman Mitch" in the 2008 Republican primaries.

They could start their search by taking a look at a rising star in the state Legislature, state Representative Eric Koch who serves as assistant majority whip.

Koch is a champion of conservative ideals and an admirer of Congressman Mike Pence. Koch serves on the advisery council for the Boy Scouts of America and enjoys a strong following among Second Amendment supporters.

He strongly supports our troops and was the only state legislator who took the time out of his schedule to address the Sept. 11th "Believe in Freedom" rally my organization, Move America Forward, conducted two years ago in downtown Indianapolis to honor our troops and the victims of the 9-11 attacks.

Most significantly, Koch is a devout taxfighter who can paint a future for the Republican Party of Indiana that promotes responsible fiscal policies that don't punish taxpayers for the overspending habits of their elected officials.

"Ditch Mitch" is a growing movement among Indiana Republicans, and GOP leaders across the country better start paying attention.

Jackie Loughman, an Indiana Republican activist who I worked with on the Recall Gray Davis campaign that removed failed Democrat Gov. Gray Davis from office in the middle of his second term, said it best:

These guys think they can keep sticking the taxpayer for their failures in office. You do that – and ask Gray Davis – you'll be out of a job.

It soon might be time for "Taxman Mitch" to start searching the classified ads for a new job.