The American Spectator

Former Sen. Dan Coats appeared earlier today at a unity press conference with Indiana Republican Party Chairman Murray Clark and the four men — John Hostettler, Marlin Stutzman, Richard Beheney, and Don Bates — he beat in Tuesday’s primary for the 2010 GOP senatorial nomination. Coats won with just 39 percenet of the vote while conservatives were split between Hostettler and Stutzman.

But today the focus was on one thing: Beating likely Democratic nominee Brad Ellsworth in the fall. Said Coats:

We kept the focus on the goal - and the goal was to replace an enabling Democrat senator - enabling this liberal agenda that’s taking place in Washington led by our president, led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. The goal was to replace that with someone that could go to Washington and represent the voice of Hoosiers. Standing up against this federal takeover - this liberal leftist agenda that I believe even a lot of Democrats can’t support.

We’re going to reach out in the Fall to Republicans, conservatives, Tea Party people, moderates, even Democrats that may have some remorse about voting for this President, particularly in light of what this agenda has been so far.

We are in deep trouble on a financial basis here in this county and we all know that. And there are still threats from abroad that have to be addressed and these are serious issues. The focus is going to be on the issues, not on character, not on personalities, not on who raises the most money.

Republicans hope to turn their competitive primary to their advantage as they run against Ellsworth, who will be chosen by the state party central committee because Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) announced he wasn’t running for re-election too close to the primary filing deadline for any Democrat to qualify. Ellsworth is seen as vulnerable due to his health care and stimulus votes.