Not too late

WASHINGTON-A packed room of political movers and journalists on Wednesday watched Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' slideshow on education policy and listened to his self-deprecating quips. But once it was over, they found few clues about the Republican's presidential aspirations, other than he is "happy" the opportunity to run in 2012 is still available. Daniels has said now that his state legislative session is over, he'll make a decision in a matter of weeks.

Daniels appeared at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington ostensibly to discuss his education reforms, which just passed in the Indiana legislature. But he quipped, "You are here on false pretenses. I just came for a meal." But the promised lunch was nowhere to be found, as one reporter posted on Twitter: "No free lunch at Mitch Daniels AEI event. Figures."

When Daniels agreed to speak at the think tank a few months ago, he said of this planned reforms, "I knew I would either be able to report on our failure or a breakthrough. There were some breakthroughs, at least by our lights."

With Republican majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, the reforms don't represent a striking political victory, but they are nonetheless striking policies. They limit teachers' collective bargaining rights to salaries and wage-related benefits. They allow high schoolers to graduate their junior year, skipping a typically unproductive senior year, and use their senior year tuition toward post-secondary education: university, community college, vocational school. The legislation also provides vouchers for low-income families to send their children to private schools.

"From a social justice aspect, it is the right thing to do," Daniels said about the vouchers.

But most people in the room had more than education policy on their minds. After a few questions about education, National Public Radio's Mara Liasson stood and apologized for changing the subject, but asked whether it was too late for someone to join the 2012 presidential race who was not "a billionaire or a celebrity." Daniels responded that it wasn't, which he said was a "happy surprise" for himself. The fact that the GOP field isn't already set is also a "blessing" to the public, he added.

"Unless you're a political professional or running a bed and breakfast in New Hampshire, it's a darn good thing that we'll have a nomination campaign measured in months not years," he said. The day earlier, in New York, Daniels told a gathering of reporters that if he decided to run, he would say so and not form an exploratory committee-"nothing cute."

Under the intense attention, Daniels remained self-deprecating. Asked about advice he would give to other governors on political strategies, he demurred, "You're asking someone who's tried and failed a lot of times. Any advice I have for others is to learn from mistakes, I guess."

A reporter asked him to expand on his comment that after Osama bin Laden's death, the United States' national security struggles weren't over. "I don't think that's all that deep a thought. I don't know how much deeper I can go," he said to laughter. "But well done, well handled. Let's just hope it presages more such successes."