The Republican U.S. Senate primary is getting interesting. A new poll says former Sen. Dan Coats would beat Democrat Brad Ellsworth 54 to 33 percent, while former Rep. John Hostettler would beat him 50 to 30 percent, and state Sen. Marlin Stuzman would win just by a 41 to 36 percent margin. In a roundabout way, that makes Coats the front-runner, and none of it is good news for Ellsworth.
But Hostettler has been endorsed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and Stutzman, who has won a series of Tea Party straw polls, has picked up the endorsements of Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and the American Conservative Union. In this year of anti-Washington, throw-the-bums-out sentiment, the two candidates not gaining any traction are the newcomers, Richard Behney and Donald Bates Jr.
Bates had the best line at Monday night's debate at Franklin College:
"On this stage today, there's about 50 years of combined political experience. I must say to you, I'm not responsible for a day of it."
