Daniels: GOP has done 'not too darn much' to outline agenda

Republicans have done "not too darn much" to affirmatively outline how they'd govern if given power, one of the party's highest-profile governors said.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), a potential 2012 candidate for president, said his party needs to "fill in the blank," so to speak, about its policy agenda.

"Not too darn much," Daniels told Time's Mark Halperin when asked what the GOP has done affirmatively to put itself in a successful position. "That comes next."

Republicans have been under pressure by Democrats and members of their own party to outline some concrete ideas on which they'd look to take action upon winning control of Congress.

The GOP leaders in either chamber have suggested such a document is coming shortly after lawmakers return to Washington from August's congressional recess.

But Daniels said  voters understand Republicans have made gains due to Democrats' troubles in the White House and on Capitol Hill, and the GOP can't just sit back and rest on voter discontent with incumbents.

"Certainly, the gubernatorial candidates, that [Mississippi Gov.] Haley [Barbour] and others have recruited and the congressional candidates I'm aware of are as good a crop," Daniels explained. "But other than that if you want to ask about policy, I think that's a blank yet to be filled in and I'd tell audiences at home, I'd say, 'We Republicans are on second base faster than I thought we'd be, but we didn't hit a double.'"

Daniels is a two-term Indiana governor and former Office of Management and Budget director for President George W. Bush, who's rumored as a potential candidate to challenge President Obama in 2012. So is Barbour, the director of the Republican Governors' Association, the campaign arm to help the party win as many governorships in November as possible.

Both have been coy about their intentions, however. Daniels said as recently as last week that he's done nothing to initiate a presidential campaign in earnest.

Find a video of the interview below: