INDIANAPOLIS – As the “GOP’s nastiest primary” wears on, Hoosiers are recognizing Congressman Rokita for the career politician he is, not the outsider he’s attempting to be. On back-to-back days this week, Congressman Rokita was the target of the Indy Star’s Matt Tully and The Statehouse File’s John Krull. Both men are seeing not just Congressman Rokita’s out-of-touch policies and bombastic mudslinging, but his hypocritical attempts to hide the fact that he’s been running for office since 2002.
If his outsider brand is tarnished by nearly 20 years of a taxpayer-funded salary, neither columnist expects Hoosiers to favor a candidate with nothing to offer them except “temper tantrums” and the occasional “cynical cheap shot.”
From The Statehouse File: Commentary: Rokita, Donnelly and true strength
Todd Rokita just wouldn’t get it.
…The first is that his Republican Party controls every branch of government at both the federal and state levels. If government isn’t functioning, guys like Rokita must be part of the problem, not the solution.
The second reason Rokita’s boast is odd is that he hasn’t drawn a private-sector paycheck pretty much since he started shaving. If government has its share of pigs at a trough, Rokita’s snout is in there among them.
But, like the president whose voters he’s courting, Rokita isn’t concerned with matters of truth, fact or even getting things done.
He just wants to look tough and thinks snarling all the time does that for him.
It doesn’t.
It just shows that he’s scared or devoid of any ambition greater than climbing the next rung on the ladder.
…Rokita’s campaign by temper tantrums demonstrates he couldn’t grasp the conversation I had with Donnelly.
…“If Sen. Lugar was here in this office today with you as a senator,” Donnelly said, looking me square in the eye, “I think that would’ve been an awesome result as well.”
This is one more thing Todd Rokita doesn’t seem to understand.
Graciousness is a sign of strength.
And character.
From the Indy Star: Tully: Todd Rokita adds to his cheap shot resume
Todd Rokita has topped himself. And when you’re talking about Todd Rokita, that’s not a good thing.
The most cynical cheap shot artist in Indiana politics today, the 4th district congressman took his behavior to a new low in recent days.
…But this is the Rokita Way. His cheap personal attacks against GOP rival Luke Messer led to the primary being labeled the nastiest in America this year. Like I said, we shouldn’t be surprised. This is Todd Rokita, after all.
What do you expect from a guy who has lived on taxpayer-funded paychecks for two decades but who now tries to portray himself as an outsider? Or a guy whose response to the most recent school shootings was to drop a new campaign ad in which he is seen firing an assault-style rifle? Or a guy whose slogan is “defeat the elite,” a hilariously out-of- touch line for a career politician who, according to a recent Associated Press report, has spent millions of taxpayer dollars to promote himself while serving in government.
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