Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) told a gathering of local GOPers 10/21 that congressional GOPers "will refuse to compromise" with the Obama admin. "on health care, the economy or anything else" if they win the House majority back 11/2.

Pence also told the crowd of several hundred GOPers that the nation's future is at risk, and "the country could become a failed power" if GOPers don't win. Pence: "We will win this Congress back in 2010 and we will win this country back in 2012."

Pence is widely thought to be mounting a WH '12 run, "though he denies he has any plans." In his speech, he blamed what he called "excessive federal spending" on GOPers as well as Dems. Pence: "More government, more spending, more entitlements, more deficits, more debt, more bailouts, began under our watch," but is now "on steroids."

Pence: "The last Republican Congress didn't suffer from too little compromise, it suffered too much. ... If I didn't make myself clear, no compromise. We didn't come this far to ... seek consensus with the political liberal elite in Washington."

Pence "painted a gloomy future for the nation" if GOPers don't win. Pence: "I think we've arrived at a point of decision in America. We're at a fork in the road. If we miss this moment this year, 10 or 15 years down the road, the United States ... could be indistinguishable from other failing and struggling powers that are found today in Western Europe" (March, Tampa Tribune, 10/21).