Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-3rd, said in a commentary published Wednesday by the Washington Times that his teenage mother had considered terminating her pregnancy with him.FORT WAYNE – Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence traveled to Fort Wayne on Friday for a private fundraising reception with his “second-favorite governor” in tow.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Rep. Pence, R-6th, were in Congress together from 2005 through 2008. Pence called Jindal “a thought leader,” “a personal friend” and “an example of the new breed of governors that I hope to be a part of after Nov. 6.”
“He’s my second-favorite governor” after second-term Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Pence said.
Jindal repaid the compliments after his arrival at Fort Wayne International Airport, describing Pence as “smart, conservative, principled” and “a leader.”
“He is a candidate who is offering specific ideas,” Jindal said. “He has proposed to cut the personal income tax rate by 10 percent, proposed to partner between universities and businesses to create good-paying jobs here, proposed Indiana-based solutions to improve health care instead of Obamacare” – the term Republicans use for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act advocated by President Obama.
“You contrast that with his opponent, who’s got a record of voting for higher taxes, for more spending. So it was easy for me to want to come here and to support Mike,” Jindal said.
Former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg is the Democratic candidate for governor. In that role, he “abolished taxes and worked with a Republican Senate to balance the budget every year,” Daniel Altman, Gregg’s communications director, said in an email.
Altman cited a 1999 Associated Press report that identified $437 million in tax cuts over two years while Gregg was speaker, including the elimination of the inventory tax on small businesses.
“In contrast, Congressman Pence voted for Washington, D.C., budgets that increased the nation’s deficit by $200 billion and never managed to balance a budget,” Altman said. “The last thing Hoosiers need is budgeting advice from a congressman.”
Also running for governor is Libertarian Rupert Boneham.
Jindal was the second of three high-profile Republican governors to campaign for Pence. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie appeared at a Sept. 15 fundraiser in Carmel, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is scheduled to join Pence in Indianapolis on Oct. 7 for an NFL game between the host Colts and the Packers.
