Late To The News, Steele Throws His Hat Into Ring For President Pro Tem

Sen. Brent Steele (R-Bedford) was out of town last week and, as hard as it may sound to believe, he says he did not learn until he returned home on Saturday that Sen. Robert Garton had lost his re-nomination bid to challenger Greg Walker. Upon learning the news, Steele told the AP's Mike Smith he was thowing his hat into the race to succeed Garton as Senate President Pro Tem.

To show his colleagues that he will remain one of them if he wins, he will limit his tenure to just 2 terms, and he will give up Garton's big private office for a cubicle next to the other senators. He also will not allow lobbyists to meet with senators in their offices because he doesn't think it looks good to the public. Smith says of Steele's bid:

He said he was working the phones in hopes of gaining support and that his legislative experience would serve him well as pro tem. He pledged to serve only two terms if he won the top job.

"I learned a long time ago that if you think you can do something positive, you just have to go for it," he said.

More people should be involved in caucus decisions and what stands it takes, he said. "If we think the governor is wrong, we have to be able to say it," Steele said. "If we think someone (a lobbyist) in the hall is wrong, we have to say it, too."

Even though he's a conservative, Steele assures Smith he can work with everyone. Smith writes, "Although a conservative and opponent of abortion rights, he said he would be willing to work with liberal and moderate Republicans. The caucus' social conservative faction has grown in recent years, and many political observers believe it will have a strong say in who is chosen pro tem." We're still trying to figure out who those "liberal and moderate Republicans" are.

Could Steele be that man the 14 or 15 self-described "real" conservative bloc will support? Sen. Mike Delph, a member of that bloc, says yes. He tells Smith that Steele "would be a leader with integrity that he would support."

Sen. Mike Young (R-Indianapolis), also a member of the bloc, said he might run as well. The important thing Young says is that the leader be pro-life. He thought Steele would make a good leader, but it's still a wide open race according to Young.

AI suspects some business groups will oppose Steele becoming Senate President Pro Tem. You see, Steele is also a trial lawyer and he doesn't see eye to eye on tort-related issues with the business community.