It isn’t often that I lavish praise on my political adversaries, but Mitch Daniels has earned some high marks for his response to the recent flooding that devastated dozens of counties across Indiana.

Clearly Daniels has learned from the past.

Back in November 2005, Republican U.S. House member John Hostettler refused to tour any of the tornado damage in his southwestern Indiana district. He told the press he didn’t want to interfere with the cleanup efforts.  Hostettler was a tad goofy in his own right-wing way, but he never really lived that down. He lost in 2006 to Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth.

When disaster strikes, it isn’t a matter of Democrats and Republicans. If you’re in charge, people expect you to be there. Period.

I won’t say many nice things about him, but Mitch Daniels did all the right things after Mother Nature poured down on Indiana.

Where his former boss, President Bush, avoided the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Daniels bailed on a trade mission to Japan. He secured federal aid in record time. He toured the flooded areas of the state.

We’ve come together as Hoosiers to face down this storm, and every once in a while, it’s nice to have a moment where politics isn’t usual. Next week, it will be.

(Click here to watch Jen’s Hot Button commentary.)

1. Hey, Big Guy, enough with the rain already.

2. If you can do something — give money, give time, give supplies — to help those who’ve lost everything to the recent flooding, please do so.

3. On the political front, who believes this new gubernatorial poll? (Not it!)

4. And finally, also on the gubernatorial front, is State Sen. John Waterman, R-AlwaysPackingHeat, still running for Indiana’s top job? Does anyone care?