A real heavyweight title bout is shaping up in the Indiana senate race as Howey Politics is reporting that former Senator Dan Coates will announce today that he is challenging the incumbent Senator Evan Bayh: The source, former aide Curt Smith of the Indiana Family Institute, said that Coats knows he has about two weeks to gather the 4,500 signatures - 500 per Congressional district - in two weeks.Coats was up for re-election in 1998 when he decided to retire, citing the pressures of constant fundraising. Bayh went on that year to defeat former Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke to reclaim his father's Senate seat.Coats was almost named President George W. Bush's Defense Secretary instead of Donald Rumsfeld, and later was named ambassador to Germany.Coats would join the Republican field that includes State Sen. Marlin Stutzman, plumber Richard Behney, former Congressman John Hostettler and Winchester financier Don. Bates Jr,Coats entered Congress by winning Dan Quayle's House seat in 1980,...(Read Full Post)