Coats campaign for Senate enters new phase

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Dan Coats for Senate campaign entered a new phase Monday.

Previously a Dan Coats for Indiana Facebook page was the only concrete evidence of a campaign.

Now, there are hundreds of volunteers working to get Coats on the ballot for a potential challenge to Democrat Evan Bayh, according to campaign spokesman Kevin Kellems.

One of them, Brian Schutt, manned a table in the campus center at IUPUI soliciting the required petition signatures.

"Obviously Dan Coats brings a level of expertise and experience that the other guys don't have," said Schutt. "And so we want to have the most competitive guy in the race."

That will require the collection of signatures from 500 registered voters in each of the state's nine congressional districts and not everyone is willing to help.

"Ok, no problem, take care," said Schutt to a passing student who declines his request.

And some of those helping may offer only limited support.

Jeff Coyle, vice chair of the IUPUI College Republicans said, "I'm not sure if I would vote for him yet. I'm still going to have to weigh the different candidates although I do think he should at least be given an opportunity to run in the primary."

Petition signer and IUPUI student Eric Meyer said, "Everybody deserves a chance to be on the ballot."

Petitions are also being distributed in offices and at political meetings. Dan Coats has just eight days now to collect the 4500 names.

"Signing would not be an endorsement of him," Schutt tells a student who agrees to sign.

Unless Coats meets the signature requirement the issues won't matter. Meantime, somebody who thinks Coats won't make the ballot has started a Web site called the " Dan Coats Belly Flop Chronicles ."

Coats will be in Indiana Tuesday for the first time since he expressed interest in the Senate race. There is still no word whether he will make any public statements.