The Chicago Tribune has a nice profile of Indiana U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, who is getting quite a reputation as THE voice of small-government conservatism. This excerpt gives the flavor of the piece:
At a time when much of the Republican base is growing disenchanted with the direction of the party, Pence is emerging as an emphatic and effective conservative voice. Some believe it is only a matter of time before he achieves true national prominence.
"Mike is the tip of the spear for the small-government conservatives in Washington today," said former House Majority Leader Dick Armey.
His manner may be easy, but his views are unambiguous. He is a dedicated social conservative who publicly criticized the Senate's top Republican, Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), when the former heart surgeon came out this summer in favor of relaxing the federal ban on stem-cell research. And he is a determined budget-cutter who has repeatedly clashed with his own Republican party leaders over federal spending levels.
RELATED: INDIANA PARLEY reports that Pence and Sen. Richard Lugar, who co-authored proposed shield legislation for journalists, have differing opinions over whether bloggers would be covered. Lugar says no, Pence says probably yes.
