McIntosh, Seybold stage endorsement battle

WISHTV.COM

Jim Shella

Updated: Apr 9, 2012 3:53 PM

The crowded race to replace retiring Republican Dan Burton in Congress produced a battle of endorsements today and prompted this question:  Is an endorsement an Indiana state Senator worth as much or even more than an endorsement by the leader of a special interest group in Washington, D-C?

David McIntosh is betting on the leader of Americans for Tax Reform.  Grover Norquist came to Indianapolis to give his blessing to the McIntosh campaign as McIntosh signed a pledge to always vote against tax increases.

“As a Congressman from ’94 to 2000 he took the taxpayer protection pledge, a written commitment to the people of Indiana,” said Norquist at a Statehouse news conference.  “He kept it and he was a leader on the fight to keep taxes down.”

“I want to challenge the other candidates in the race,” said McIntosh.  “Will you also take this tax pledge and join me in assuring the voters of the 5th district that you, too, will never vote to increase their taxes?”

This afternoon McIntosh opponent Wayne Seybold accepted the challenge and signed the Norquist pledge.  Seybold, the Mayor of Marion, was also endorsed by state Senator Jim Banks who chairs the Taxpayer Protection Caucus in the Senate.  That’s an appointment that was announced by Norquist.

The Seybold campaign thinks the local endorsement is more valuable.

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