THE RACES – AT 8:18 A.M. ET:  The Republican Party has been saved from deep embarrassment in Indiana by finding a credible candidate to take on incumbent Democrat Evan Bayh in November.

Bayh is a middle-of-the-road Democrat and a decent man.  In recent days he has distanced himself more and more from the Stalin-was-misunderstood branch of his party, generally headquartered in San Francisco.  From the Atlantic:

It's a cold winter, but Indiana Republicans managed to recruit a top-tier candidate to take on Sen. Evan Bayh: Dan Coats, the former Republican senator from Indiana and ambassador to Germany, now a Washington policy adviser and a lobbyist. Bayh succeeded Coats in 1998. The news of Coats's political comeback was first reported by Howey Politics Indiana. Coats is a household name in the state and will be able to raise a lot of money instantly.

This may be his first challenge in a year when Washington isn't popular.

Coats was a key behind-the-scenes force in convincing John McCain to take Sarah Palin seriously as a vice presidential candidate. He was a member of "The Family," a close-knit group of rigorously evangelical Christians who run, among things, the now well-known C Street rooming house in Washington, D.C. He also lobbied on behalf of Roache Diagnostics during the health battle reform battle.

Bayh is popular, and it will be a steep climb for Coats.  But at least he's respectable.  After the fine congressman, Mike Pence, pulled out of the GOP running, the better to preserve his stellar House career, the Republicans were left with the frightening prospect of nominating the former congressman, John Hostettler, a public embarrassment who was thrown out of his House seat in a landslide defeat, handing the seat over to a Democrat.  Hostettler, who proclaims himself a conservative, is actually a right-wing extremist and religious nut who came equipped with more baggage than American Airlines.  He isn't even a legitimate Republican.  In 2008 he wouldn't even support John McCain in the general election, preferring to cast his lot with some fringe party. 

But Coats saved Indiana from humiliation.  This should be a solid contest between two respected candidates, which is the way I like it.

February 3,  2010