From a compilation of views on Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar’s loss to Tea Party favorite, former state Treasurer Richard Mourdock…
"If Mr. Mourdock is elected, I want him to be a good Senator. But that will require him to revise his stated goal of bringing more partisanship to Washington
He and I share many positions, but his embrace of an unrelenting partisan mindset is irreconcilable with my philosophy of governance and my experience of what brings results for Hoosiers in the Senate.
In effect, what he has promised in this campaign is reflexive votes for a rejectionist orthodoxy and rigid opposition to the actions and proposals of the other party. His answer to the inevitable roadblocks he will encounter in Congress is merely to campaign for more Republicans who embrace the same partisan outlook. He has pledged his support to groups whose prime mission is to cleanse the Republican party of those who stray from orthodoxy as they see it.
This is not conducive to problem solving and governance. And he will find that unless he modifies his approach, he will achieve little as a legislator. Worse, he will help delay solutions that are totally beyond the capacity of partisan majorities to achieve."
Mourdock will have a tough row to hoe. Indiana Democrats are hopeful of gaining that seat by running the fiscally conservative Rep. Joe Donnelly, and they have a very good chance of achieving that goal. Mourdock is rather badly disliked by all but the rabid Palinites of the state. While this element seems to represent a majority of Indiana Republicans, there are large numbers of potential moderate GOP defectors.
Mourdock, in his best myopic zeal, spent $2 million of taxpayer money on a failed lawsuit opposing the Chrysler restructuring plan. Had he prevailed in that lawsuit 124,000 Hoosiers would have lost their jobs. Mourdock voiced opposition to the entire auto industry rescue, which Lugar supported. Without that rescue a total of 140,000 Hoosier jobs could have been lost, not to mention the collateral damage to that state’s economy.
My opinion? Lugar would make a pretty good Blue Dog Democrat.
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6 Comments:
At least he got Lugar out of the picture... Lugar was a RINO, and hadn't lived in Indiana for 20 years... Representative of the state my ass!
If by RINO you mean someone not partisan enough for your tastes, perhaps you're right. Wingnut Democrats display similar and call the blue dogs DINO. If RINOs and DINOs are what it takes to get this country back working I wish everyone in Congress was one or the other.
Partisanship isn't what will make this country great again. Compromise will be required to heal the divide where we now find ourselves.I could give a jolly goddamn from which political party they originate, I want our Congresscritters to work together to achieve something other than stalemate.
Mourdock is the antithesis of that concept and (if he manages to beat the Democratic challenger) will do nothing except force further stalemate. Lugar was a fiscal conservative who would reach across the aisle and at least attempt compromise. Indiana Republicans screwed up.
MB, Lugar voted more with the Dems than the Pubs... He'd totally lost touch with his 'constituents', and become the typical DC insider. What ever lined HIS pockets was the way he voted. We don't need professional pols, we need civilian pols who WILL respect their constituents will.
Sorry NFO, but I think you've been reading a little too much of Erickson's blog. Since Lugar was elected to the Senate in 1976 his partisan voting record is 91%. He voted against the majority of his party in a grand total of 9% of the time... which is about even with Boehner.
But that, of course, is far too much for the Tea Party atmosphere from which we now suffer. The loss to this country is a genuine veteran lawmaker and fiscal conservative who would soon retire anyway, but who was the single greatest congressional authority on arms control, an expert on agriculture, immigration, science and technology.
His greatest sin, of course, was that he was not a great supporter of the NRA. Neither am I, yet both Lugar and I are strong 2nd amendment supporters and of gun owner rights.
In the end the loss of Lugar won't matter, because there is no way that Tea Party and NRA darling Mourdock will pass Hoosier muster. The seat will go to a blue dog Democrat and not much will change... other than the obvious brain trust loss and the public disgrace of a man who selflessly served this country.
I'll admit I was wrong on his voting record, but I'll stand by the rest of what I said. He lost, he wasn't disgraced... and selfless service? He'd lost touch with his constituents, he wasn't serving them, he was serving HIMSELF. What HE thought was right, since he was a 'senior statesman', he thought HE knew better. If the seat goes Dem, so be it.
From what I've read Mr. Lugar was doing a fine job of representing the wishies of his state...it was just that some of those "needs" satisfied a broad base of moderates...many of whom were not Republican. That is what moderates do and it is the reason our political system used to work. Radicals and extremists on both ends of the spectrum are killing the country by ousting these moderates and pushing extreme agendas.
Mr. Lugar lost, you are correct, and it is Indiana that is disgraced...and it is America that will suffer.
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