Democrats hope that old news is bad news for Richard Mourdock and that a familiar theme will help build opposition to Mike Pence.

Indiana party officials and the campaign of Joe Donnelly – who is running against Mourdock for U.S. Senate – have repeatedly brought up the lawsuit Mourdock filed in 2009 as state treasurer seeking to block the Chrysler bankruptcy and reorganization.

Had the lawsuit been successful, the Democrats argue, it would have been a major blow to the state’s economy, given the number of workers at the Indiana plants of Chrysler and its suppliers. As it happened, the government-directed reorganization was a boon for the company, returning it to success.

On Monday, state Democratic Chairman Dan Parker took aim at the cost of the lawsuit. He said state records show it cost taxpayers $2.8 million – a significant discount from the $3.3 million originally billed to the state and still 40 percent more than the $2 million Mourdock originally contended.

Democrats say that had the lawsuit been successful, 150,000 Hoosier jobs would have been eliminated. “Richard Mourdock not only sued to liquidate Chrysler, he asked Indiana taxpayers to pick up the expenses for his Wall Street law firm,” Parker said.

And the party doesn’t plan to let up on the issue, a sign that polls find it appeals to voters.

“Democrats claim that they’re ready to campaign on the issue for the remainder of the summer, and have a brand for the series of events to follow: My Way or The Highway,” a party news release stated.

Pence

Meanwhile, John Gregg and Democratic Party leaders are employing a campaign tactic that the Mourdock campaign successfully used against Richard Lugar might help their own chances.

Just as Mourdock branded Lugar a Washington insider out of touch with Indiana, Gregg’s campaign is saying the same about his opponent in the governor’s race, Mike Pence. A Pence spokeswoman announced the six-term congressman is renting a house in McCordsville, a small town along Indiana 67 northeast of Indianapolis near the upscale Geist Reservoir. “Columbus is home for the Pences, but family needs and professional convenience made this move necessary,” the spokeswoman said.

Gregg’s response was in an e-mail with the subject: “Pence Finally Moving Back to Indiana”:

“We are glad to hear that Congressman Pence is finally moving back to Indiana,” a Gregg spokesman said. “After 12 years of focusing on a far right social agenda in Washington, and never passing a single bill, he might need some help finding his way back here. As a gesture of good will, the Gregg campaign will pay to send the first moving truck to Pence’s real home, in Virginia.”

Mourdock, though, had a better case against Lugar, considering the veteran senator did not have an address in Indiana while the Pences still have a Columbus home.