A majority of Indiana taxpayers support keeping abortion legal.  It’s one of the eye-catching findings in a new WISH-TV Ball State Hoosier Survey.  It finds that 52% of Indiana taxpayers want abortion kept legal in most or all cases.  Just 41% think abortion should be illegal in most or all cases.

Abortion battles are commonplace in the General Assembly.  Now, with Republican super majorities in the both the House and Senate Betty Cochrum, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, is on the defensive.  When asked if she expects that the Indiana General Assembly will see legislation to further restrict abortion she says, “We see that every year.”

Yet the Hoosier Survey also shows even greater support for abortion in certain situations.  In the case of rape or incest 75% think it should remain legal.  That number jumps to 83% when a woman’s life is endangered.  If her health is endangered 76% want abortion to be legal.  That support comes from all demographic groups.  “So even a majority of Republicans support those exceptions that allow for abortion,” says Ball State political scientist Joe Losco.

Cochrum says the poll numbers should encourage legislators to leave the abortion law alone.  “I absolutely see them as an argument,” she says, “and I hope that our lawmakers will take a look at them.”

But pro-life forces are encouraged by the election in November of a large number of candidates who oppose abortion.  Mike Fichter, the President of Indiana Right-to-Life endorsed Richard Mourdock and believes the poll results are a reflection of the campaign run against the losing Senate candidate.  “The super majorities now in the Senate and the House know very clearly the strength of the pro-life position,” says Fichter, “and we will certainly expect to see legislation move forward that will address the abortion issue.”

The Hoosier Survey also finds that opinions here are in line with those across the country.  A similar national poll shows that the support for keeping abortion legal in most or all cases is just one point higher at 53%.  The number of those who want abortion to be illegal in most or all cases is an identical 41%.

It’s been a long day of campaigning for both Democrat Joe Donnelly and Republican Richard Mourdock.  They are in Indianapolis tonight but they started the day on opposite ends of the state.

Donnelly voted in South Bend where he has represented the area as a Congressman for the last six years.  This is his first run for statewide office and he remains the favorite in what should be a close race.  He is still making comparisons between himself and Mourdock.  “We’re conservative and we’re common sense,” he said after voting, “and we’re not a state that goes for extremes and I think that’s what he represents.”

Richard Mourdock, who is in his second term as state Treasurer, voted in Darmstadt, his hometown.
That’s near Evansville and there was a crowd of supporters there to cheer him on.  “This is good stuff!” he told them.

This is a campaign that started about 21 months ago when Mourdock announced his plan to challenge Richard Lugar in the Republican primary.  Donnelly got into the race in the hope that Mourdock would win in May and, if he wins tonight, this has all worked out according to the Democratic plan.

Joe Donnelly is likely headed to victory in the Indiana Senate race according to the bi-partisan pollsters who released a new survey this morning.

The Howey/DePauw poll is the first independent survey taken since Republican Richard Mourdock made controversial comments about rape and abortion in a debate ten days ago. The poll is a joint effort by Democratic pollster Fred Yang and Republican pollster Christine Matthews.

It shows Democrat Joe Donnelly up by a surprising 11 points, 47% to 36% with Libertarian Andy Horning at 6%.  A month ago the same poll showed Donnelly up by just two percentage points.

The poll also shows that Democrat John Gregg is making progress in the race for governor.  He trails Republican Mike Pence by just 7, 47% to 40%.
A month ago those numbers were 47% to 34%.  Libertarian Rupert Boneham is at 5%.

Finally, in another surprising development, the poll shows a battle in the race for state School superintendent with incumbent Republican Tony Bennett up by just four points over Democrat Glenda Ritz.. 40% to 36%.

Hard as he tries, Richard Mourdock can’t make the controversy go away.  His remarks about rape and abortion in last week’s debate prompted two unusual attacks on Thursday.  The first comes from Hustler magazine Publisher Larry Flynt who posed a million dollar challenge to Mourdock in a newspaper ad.  The other is a first of its kind talking mail piece.

The negative mailer from a Democratic political action committee includes a recording of Richard Mourdock’s voice that begins, “Even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape…”  It’s the debate comment that started the firestorm that also prompted the newspaper ad from Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt.  In it, he offers a million dollars to Mourdock if he can prove that his comments were authorized by God, clearly a facetious attempt to play up the controversy.

Campaigning in northern Indiana Mourdock says voters aren’t paying attention to the controversy.  “They’re not talking to me about it,” he said. “I came in this room and several other rooms this morning and the issue hasn’t come up other than from the press.”

Joe Donnelly, meantime, continues to fan the flames.  “Mr. Mourdock’s comments were hurtful to women, to rape survivors and to families,” said Donnelly. “I thought after further reflection he might take those words back but he has not.”

He’s getting help from Ira Shapiro, a Democratic author who wrote the book “The Last Great Senate.”  Shapiro is giving a lecture at the Jewish Community Center and says this race is being watched around the country.  “And this race deserves particular attention,” he says, “because it involves one of the most extreme candidates out there in Mr. Mourdock.”

The Mourdock campaign, meantime, calls the Flynt ad “sleazy” and says Joe Donnelly needs to call for a halt to the new campaign tactics.  The official response from the Donnelly campaign regarding those campaign tactics is “no comment.”

But the reality is that Joe Donnelly is getting lots of help at the moment and Richard Mourdock is still having trouble changing the subject.

4 women who say they were conceived in rape are now making a video designed to help Senate candidate Richard Mourdock.  Mourdock’s campaign has been hurt by the controversy surrounding his statement that a pregnancy caused by rape is “what God intended.”  Pro-life forces from around the country are rallying to support him.

At an Indianapolis television production studio a pro-life foundation is creating a video that features the 4 women who say they want their voices heard in the political firestorm surrounding Richard Mourdock.  Pam Stenzel, who came in from Minnesota says of Mourdock, “What he said is every life has value.”

“There is no apologies for what he said,” says Monica Kelsey of Woodburn, Indiana.  “My life matters.”

Meantime Democrat John Gregg has a new ad in the race for governor that attempts to tie Republican Mike Pence to Mourdock.  It includes video of Pence saying, “I support his candidacy for the Senate” in footage taken following the controversial comments.

A second ad from a union political action committee is meant to help the Gregg campaign out.  It quotes Mourdock and then says, “He’s just like Mike Pence.”

Pence says he thinks voters understand his position.  “I have a very consistent record on the right to life in the Congress,” he says, “and I’ve consistently voted for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother.”

But for Pam Stenzel and the others this is about more than an election.  “This discussion needs to go on way beyond Tuesday,” she says.

There’s a new controversy involving GOP Senate candidate Richard Mourdock today.  Democrats say his use of a photo in a TV ad is inappropriate.  The photo shows Mourdock alongside Governor Mitch Daniels and it’s what Daniels said in an appearance on a national cable TV show that caused Democrats to cry foul.

The ad in question is the endorsement of Mourdock by Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, an ad that hit the air Monday and was changed on Thursday to include a photo of Mitch Daniels.  Then, Thursday night,  Daniels was on the Colbert Report where he was asked if he was endorsing Mourdock in the Senate race.  “Um, I’m a non-combatant, actually, in deference to my new job at Purdue,” said Daniels.  “I’m not trying to duck your question.”

Daniels said he has taken a vow of political celibacy.  And that’s what causes the Democrats to question his appearance in the ad.  “We think it’s appropriate that the governor, given his standing and the fact that he’s becoming the President of Purdue University, to ask the Mourdock campaign to remove his image,” said state Democratic Chairman Dan Parker.

State Republican Chairman Eric Holcomb says there is nothing wrong with ad.  “The governor said he was a non-combatant and not actively involved in campaigns,” said Holcomb, “but in part of that interview that was edited out the governor actually said he will be voting for Richard Mourdock.”

Plus, Holcomb says, there is no need to airbrush the past.

Democrats announced Thursday that they will spend over a million dollars on an ad replaying Richard Mourdock’s controversial comments on rape and abortion.  First Mitt Romney announced he disagreed with Indiana Senate candidate.  Then the President weighed in.  Plus, Arizona Senator John McCain issued a new statement regarding Mourdock Thursday.

Richard Mourdock started his day Thursday with a fundraiser hosted by South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint.  He is trying to get his campaign back on track as the firestorm that was sparked Tuesday night subsides.  Mourdock was then the lunchtime speaker at the Crawfordsville Kiwanis Club where there was no mention of his controversial comments, not from him and not from the audience.

And while John McCain questioned Mourdock to CNN’s Anderson Cooper Wednesday night, suggesting his support hung in the balance as he called on Mourdock to say  he was wrong and “ask the people to forgive him,”  McCain issued a statement Thursday morning renewing that support.

It was the President who tried to capitalize on the Mourdock controversy telling talkshow host Jay Leno, “This is exactly why you don’t want a bunch of politicians, mostly male, making decisions about women’s health care decisions.”

Mourdock reacted with an attempt to tie the President to his opponent.  “Well, I’m surprised that the President of the United States is talking about what’s happening in the Senate race in Indiana,” he said.  “I wish he’d come to Indiana to support Mr. Donnelly,  we’d be glad to pay for his airfare.”

Democrat Joe Donnelly continued his normal campaign routine, too, taking part in a cooking segment on WISH-TV’s Indy Style.  In an interview afterward he did his part to keep the controversy alive.  “I think it’s how this whole campaign has been on his side,” said Donnelly.  “He’s been so extreme on social security, on medicare, on the actions he took on Chrysler and so it’s part of a pattern.”

Mourdock believes the firestorm is over and his attitude reflects that.  What he won’t know until Election day is just how much damage was done.

Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock is now saying that his comments about rape and pregnancy during Tuesday’s debate have been twisted.  Democrats are trying to capitalize on this self-inflicted injury but Republicans from Mitt Romney to Mike Pence have issued statements distancing themselves from Mourdock’s comments.

Mourdock called reporters together at state GOP Headquarters to perform damage control directed at voters who might be turned off by his suggestion that God that sometimes intends for rape victims to become pregnant.  He was emotional as he said he abhors violence and believes God does, too.  “If they came away with any impression other than that I truly regret it,” said Mourdock. “I apologize that they came away and I have certainly been humbled by the fact that so many people think that that somehow was an interpretation.”

But Mourdock made no effort to back away from the principles that were stated this way in the New Albany debate.  “Life is that gift from God,” he said, “and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape that it is something that God intended to happen.”

Democrats, including Mourdock’s Senate opponent, Joe Donnelly, see opportunity.  Donnelly stood in front of a domestic violence shelter to issue a brief statement.  “His words were extreme,” said Donnelly of Mourdock, “but maybe as important to survivors of sexual abuse, and there are too many hard working people in the building behind us who deal with this on a daily basis.”

But Mourdock also tried to use this circumstance for political advantage.  “I spoke from my heart, I spoke with my principle,” he said, “I spoke with my faith and if others want to somehow turn those words and use them against me, again, that’s what’s wrong with Washington today.”  Yet if Mourdock is to get to Washington he needs to change the subject and his lukewarm apology likely failed to accomplish that goal.

Mourdock’s schedule changed considerably because of this controversy.  He passed up a rally staged by the National Federation of Independent Business and New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte didn’t come to town as planned.  She was to make 3 campaign stops with Mourdock today.

Mitt Romney is the latest big name Republican to weigh in on the Indiana Senate race.  A new Romney TV ad for Richard Mourdock is his first ad for a Senate candidate anywhere in the country.   He appears on camera, explaining why he thinks it’s important for Mourdock to defeat Democrat Joe Donnelly.

The ad stems from a Romney rally in Evansville in August.  At the time the Republican Presidential candidate offered to help Richard Mourdock any way he could.  That help now includes the broadcast message with him saying, “With so much at stake I hope you’ll join me in supporting Richard Mourdock.”

Mourdock believes it will influence undecided voters in a red state.  “We know a lot of those people are going to be voting for Governor Romney,” said Mourdock, “and the fact that he’s taking a stand for us I think is going to help.”

But Democrat Joe Donnelly is already using Romney in one of his ads in a scene from the first Presidential debate.  “My experience as a governor,” says Romney, “is if I come in and lay down a piece of legislation and say it’s  my way or the highway I don’t get a lot done.”  For months Donnelly has accused Mourdock of taking a my way or the highway approach.

Now his campaign tries to belittle the outside GOP help that includes appearances by as many as a dozen U.S. Senators.  “Unfortunately those don’t add up to Senator Lugar,” says Donnelly campaign spokeswoman Elizabeth Shappell.  “It’s clear that Richard Mourdock is trying to hide the fact that he is a Tea Party extremist.”

But suddenly in a state where this no Presidential battle, both campaigns are telling voters to go to Mitt Romney for guidance.

Senator Richard Lugar won’t campaign for Richard Mourdock yet he is campaigning for another Republican, Attorney General Greg Zoeller.  Lugar is staying out of the Senate race but he’s clearly not quitting politics.  It helps make the point that his refusal to campaign for Mourdock is personal and intentional.

Just last Thursday Dick Lugar hosted a fundraiser at the Conrad Hotel for Greg Zoeller.  Zoeller has distributed photos of it on his website and his facebook page showing Lugar delivering remarks, posing for pictures and working the crowd.  We caught up with Zoeller by phone in Washington, DC.  “I’ve supported him over the years,” said Zoeller, “so I was glad to have his help and would accept it again.”

For Lugar, it’s the return of a favor.  Zoeller appeared in one of his ads before the May primary.  But it comes at a time when others are trying to convince voters that Lugar and Mourdock hold similar views without the benefit of a Lugar campaign appearance.  “Richard Mourdock is so much closer to Richard Lugar than the other gentleman,” said South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham at a Mourdock event yesterday.

It’s an argument that’s hurt by this this list of differences between Lugar and Mourdock that was still on the Internet today as Mourdock tries to downplay the need for a Lugar endorsement.  “It has been the longstanding tradition of Senator Lugar which is fully his right,” said Mourdock yesterday, “to campaign or not campaign for whomever he likes to campaign for.”

Lugar gave Zoeller fundraising help but Zoeller says he needs to run on his own.  “You can’t really borrow credibility from somebody else in this game,” he said.  Yet that’s exactly what supporters of Richard Mourdock would like to see when it comes to winning the votes of Lugar Republicans.

The Mourdock campaign removed the webpage listing differences between Lugar and Mourdock after we brought it to their attention.  They say it was an “orphan” link that they thought was taken down after the May primary.

The bottom line is that Mourdock was spelling out his differences with Lugar then and wants to spell his similarities with Lugar now.