Mitch Daniels misses most meetings of the National Governor’s Association but he made the one with President-elect Barack Obama in Philadelphia late last year.

He told the Indianapolis Rotary today, however, that he “couldn’t get a word in edgewise with my colleagues wringing their hands and begging with tin cups!”

Do you think he’ll make the next meeting?

I’ll ask for predictions from the Indiana Week in Review panel on tonight’s show.  Here are mine in advance:

Political Story of the Year for 2009: 

Government Reform.  I say Mitch Daniels will succeed in his efforts to consolidate government to the degree that he can claim victory.

Surprise of the Year: 

Its unfair of me to pose this one but, since I did, here goes:  Republicans and Democrats in the General Assembly will cooperate for the second year in a row.

Politician to watch in 2009:

Congressman Mike Pence.  His new position as GOP Conference Chair will make or break his ambition for higher office.

Its time to start the end of the year stuff.  Here are my nominees for top Indiana political stories of 2008:

1.  Barack Obama carries Indiana

2.  Mitch Daniels wins re-election

3.  Hillary Clinton wins Indiana primary

4.  Evan Bayh considered for Obama running mate after assisting Clinton primary win.

5.  Democrats maintain control of Indiana House of Representatives.

6.  Mike Pence becomes GOP Conference Chairman in Congress.

7.  Township Assessors voted out of office. 

8.  Greg Zoeller wins Attorney General race.

9.  Tony Bennett wins Superintendent of Public Instruction race.

10.  Jill Long Thompson defeats Jim Schellinger in Indiana primary.

Change begets change at the Statehouse where 5 agency heads are leaving or moving to new positions in the Mitch Daniels Administration.

Replaciing Ron Stiver at the BMV is Andy Miller, the utility player in the administration.  Miller started as Secretary of Agriculture and currently serves in the Office of Disaster Recovery.  I won’t disclose the name of the Republican who suggested that “office of disaster recovery” is a good title for the BMV.

Mitch Roob moves from FSSA to the IEDC and proves his political skills (at least to me) in the process.  2 days ago I asked  Roob if he was on the way out at FSSA and he answered, “Well, I won’t be there forever.”  I asked if he had groomed his successor and he said, “yes.”  Roob, however, wouldn’t get more specific.  Deputy Ann Waltermann Murphy takes over at FSSA.

Governor Mitch Daniels informed state employees that there will be no raises in 2009.  That includes lawmakers, judges, and the governor.

The move will help balance a suddenly out-of-whack state budget (budget gap: $763 million.)

Here are the numbers for Daniels:

2008 pay:  $95,000

Scheduled 2009 raise (13%):  $12,350.

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Still photos on the web and video on television newscasts keep showing Governor Mitch Daniels standing alongside Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich during a meeting with President-elect Barack Obama last week.

According to Daniels press secretary Jane Jankowski the governors at the meeting were assigned to sit in the order the state was admitted to the Union (Indiana 19, Illinois 21.)   That alone accounts for the close proximity, she says.

Somehow, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour (state #20) is out of view.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will take part in a meeting with President-elect Barack Obama next week.

The Tuesday meeting in Philadelphia will focus on states and their budgets in the face of the economic crisis.  Governors from both parties are invited.   Democrat Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania is the host.

-Township officials turned out in force to begin the fight for their jobs.  The vote to do away with most assessors who were on the ballot is a bad omen for them. 

-Governor Mitch Daniels kept a relatively low profile, answering a few questions from reporters after revealing the new Benjamin Harrison bust, then retreating quickly to his office.

-Former Jill Long Thompson staffer Jason Tomcsi was in the hallway renewing contacts. 

-Union members who lost the chance to renew collective bargaining for state employees (when Long Thompson lost) gathered near the rotunda and talked up plans to organize hotel workers.

I’m a little late with a list of Indiana Winners and Losers from Election night but that won’t stop me.

BIG WINNERS

Barack Obama.  No more references to 1964. 

Kip Tew, Jonathan Swain, Evan Bayh and everybody else who got on the Obama bandwagon.

Mitch Daniels.   He has a mandate.

Pat Bauer.  His majority grew.

Beth White.  No disasters.

BIG LOSERS

Early voting opponents.

Jennifer Hallowell.  McCain’s regional coordinator came off a failed Guiliani campaign for this.

Mike Montagano.  All those upset predictions were way off.  Time to find a job.

Brian Bosma.  He needs to win the majority in 2010 and can’t think about higher office till he does.

All the township assessors who lost their jobs.

Who will be the Republican to take on Barack Obama in 2012?

The speculation is everywhere and some of it focuses on Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.

David Broder in the Washington Post suggests there is a lesson for Republicans in the re-election of Daniels,  whom he says may offer the best example of a distinctive approach to government.  He quotes Daniels saying “fiscal restraint works” and “effective government works” and, as for social issues, ”I’m trying to bring the state together to do hard things — not look for ways to divide us.”

Likewise, in a New York Times opinion piece WillIam Kristol labels Daniels as a “possible 2012 G.O.P. nominee.”

Apparently neither of those writers saw the final Daniels TV ad of the 2008 campaign.  He looks into the camera and says, “This is the last time you’ll have to watch me in an ad like this.  See, governor’s the only office I’ve run for, or ever will.”

You only do that if you mean it.