Governor hopeful speaks at Lincoln Day Dinner Monday
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Crossing the state to attend nearly 40 Lincoln Day Dinners to meet voters paid off for Mitch Daniels as he pulled ahead of his opponent Eric Miller in the Primary Election Tuesday, to become the Republican candidate for governor in the fall elections.

On Monday evening, May 3, Daniels could be found speaking at the Milan VFW, before continuing his whirlwind tour to Batesville. He met the people gathered at the Ripley County Lincoln Day Dinner one-on-one and then spoke to the large crowd.

Daniels briefly described his time spent in Washington DC, first serving in the mid-80's under President Ronald Reagan's watch as a senior advisor and administration's liaison to the nation's state and local officials. He later served with current president George W. Bush as director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where he was responsible for overseeing the federal government's $2 trillion budget. He was the first Hoosier Cabinet member since Doc Bowen served in the Reagan Administration.

In June of 2003, Daniels resigned the position with the president's cabinet and returned to Indiana.

Daniels told when he made the decision to run for governor, he took it seriously, and began an intensive campaign to meet people and find out what really makes them tick. While campaigning across Indiana, he said he never stayed in hotels, he stayed in the homes of people, getting to know what their real needs are.

The credentials attached to Daniels are many, but he didn't speak of them at the Lincoln Day setting in Milan. Instead he talked about the great town of Milan and how it is known far and wide for their 1954 team. He talked about running a campaign that would lead him to the governorship where he has plans to take action on what he has heard from the people while on the campaign trail.

Daniels holds many degrees and has an impressive resume that includes not only his time in Washington, but his community involvement as well. To name a few, he is an elder at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis; founder of The Oaks Academy, an inner-city school that promotes academic excellence and racial reconciliation based on religious principles; served as trustee or director of Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, and many other institutions. He has served on a variety of boards and received honorary degrees from universities, receiving the Chauncey Rose Award, the school's highest honor from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

The governor hopeful and wife Cheri have four daughters, which he spoke of fondly, saying "I will never comprise the privacy of my family for politics."

Kenneth Copeland, Republican
Chairman of Ripley County, named the republican elected officials, having them stand for recognition at the dinner. He thanked Ginger Bradford, President of the Ripley County Republican Women's Club, for all their work in decorating and preparing for the evening.

The National Anthem was led by State Representative Cleo Duncan, who also briefly spoke along with Senator Johnny Nugent.

Mike Sodrel who is vying for Congressman in the 9th District spoke, as well as Billy Bright, and Ben Newell's representative (his wife). David Ford, who has spent the past 10 years in the Senate, gave a short presentation and is hoping to be the next lieutenant governor of Indiana.

The evening concluded with Clerk Ginger Bradford drawing names for door prizes.