Free Republic

<p>INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Joe Kernan said last night that he will run for a full term as governor next year, strengthening Democrats' chances of retaining the office they've held since 1989.</p> <p>Kernan, 57, reversed a decision he made last December, well before he was thrust into the office when Gov. Frank O'Bannon died eight weeks ago.</p>

INDIANAPOLIS - Frank O'Bannon, who parlayed down-home southern Indiana charm and consensus-building ability into mixed success as his state's governor since 1997, died Saturday, five days after suffering a stroke. He was 73. O'Bannon, who fell ill Monday while attending a conference in Chicago, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, press secretary Mary Dieter said. O'Bannon died at 11:33 a.m., a statement from his press office said. "The governor experienced a drop in both blood pressure and heart rate. Based on the governor's living will, First Lady Judy O'Bannon and the family decided to use no further means of support and...

INDIANAPOLIS - Ending months of speculation, former White House budget director Mitch Daniels filed paperwork Monday to start raising money for a 2004 run for Indiana governor. The announcement outside the Statehouse came from state Sen. Murray Clark of Indianapolis, who said he was dropping his bid for the GOP nomination to head Daniels' campaign committee. "He is the right person at the right time," Clark said in his endorsement of Daniels, who did not attend the news conference so he could make calls for support. Supporters said Clark's withdrawal gave the official start of the Daniels campaign a tremendous...