Coats blasts Obama; praises Daniels

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Updated: January 24, 2012 11:12PM

Indiana GOP Sen. Dan Coats used President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech Tuesday to find find fault with the Democratic president’s policies and to applaud Hoosier Gov. Mitch Daniels in how he has managed Indiana.

Coats issued the following statement:

“The President talked a lot about fairness and protecting the middle class, but it’s his failed economic policies that have unfairly put all Americans at risk.

“The Obama economy has left our country in worse shape than before the president took office. Millions of Americans wake up every day without a job, and many have given up looking for work entirely. It’s time for a change. With a $15 trillion national debt and increasingly insolvent entitlement programs, this administration cannot continue to avoid the fiscal emergency we face.

“Americans expect and deserve more from their leaders. In Indiana, we have a more effective and efficient government because of the strong leadership of Gov. Mitch Daniels. Gov. Daniels has proven that with a credible plan and a willingness to make tough decisions, government can do more with less while still serving the people.

“We need that type of leadership in Washington today. It is time for President Obama to put the future of our country over the politics of the moment.”