Pence Take Down In High Gear: He's Being Schocked

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I've never been much of a fan of Mike Pence, but I have enough compassion for him to provide this dire warning to him. A take down of your political career is in high gear now. Some of the people in which you placed ill-advised faith are part of an organized attempt to completely discredit you at every turn. Their goal is not simply to dash your presidential ambitions or defeat your re-election bid in 2016 as governor. They intend to force your resignation as Indiana's governor.

The Gannett-owned Indianapolis Star and their man Mitch is behind those efforts. Consider yourself warned. If you thought your life has been a living hell this past week, you haven't seen nothing yet. Look across the border at former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock at how quickly his political career was taken down when the powers that be decided he had to go if you want to see what they have in store for you. I don't pretend to know what you did to offend them, but you are now their bullseye. Star political columnist Matt Tully, returning from his latest circle jerk club meeting, serves up the latest proof of your pending doom:

Recent months have made one thing clear: You can put those Mike Pence for President campaign buttons, if there were any, back in the drawer.

Something else, meantime, is becoming more obvious with each new mistake: Pence was never meant to be a governor. A partisan and dysfunctional Congress that lives on bright line divisions was his home for 12 years, and that's where he belongs — in a place where a person can rise high by talking well and digging in and not really doing much. A place where, for the most part, you are not held accountable for results.

Being a governor is different. It's about being a leader who is forced every day to think pragmatically, who knows that doing no harm is high on the list of requirements, and who understands that the job is at its core about making sure your state's people have a better chance of earning a decent living or getting a great education tomorrow than they do today.

In recent days, Fortune magazine listed former Gov. Mitch Daniels among "the world's 50 greatest leaders." At the same time, Pence, the man who followed Daniels into office, has once again been exposed as a stunningly ineffective leader . . . 

For Indiana Republicans, it must be particularly hard to accept what has been lost in these past 27 months: The hard-earned mantle of the party of action and the party of ideas. Under Daniels, it was also a party that had made inroads with minority groups and college students. 

For Indiana Republicans, that mantle is lost. It was shattered by a governor who never should have given up his seat in Congress. It was shattered by a governor who is in the wrong job, and whose mistakes have cost Indiana dearly.

What can I say, Mike? You lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas. Remember former Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham, and the role the Star's sister newspaper, The Arizona Republic, had in his take down? Yeah, that ended ugly. Mecham was later acquitted of the charges The Republic trumped up against him, but by that point there was nothing left of his reputation.