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Subscribe to RSSIndiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock breaks down his defeat of six-term Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind.
An epic good-bye letter, passed along by NBC's Libby Leist, from Sen. Richard Lugar, dissecting everything he sees that's wrong with Washington and both parties:
Prepared Statement of Senator Richard G. Lugar on the Concluded Indiana Senate Primary
May 8, 2012
I would like to comment on the Senate race just concluded and the direction of American politics and the Republican Party. I would reiterate from my earlier statement that I have no regrets about choosing to run for office. My health is excellent, I believe that I have been a very effective Senator for Hoosiers and for the country, and I know that the next six years would have been a time of great achievement. Further, I believed that vital national priorities, including job creation, deficit reduction, energy security, agriculture reform, and the Nunn-Lugar program, would benefit from my continued service as a Senator. These goals were worth the risk of an electoral defeat and the costs of a hard campaign.
Analysts will speculate about whether our campaign strategies were wise. Much of this will be based on conjecture by pundits who don't fully appreciate the choices we had to make based on resource limits, polling data, and other factors. They also will speculate whether we were guilty of overconfidence.
The truth is that the headwinds in this race were abundantly apparent long before Richard Mourdock announced his candidacy. One does not highlight such headwinds publically when one is waging a campaign. But I knew that I would face an extremely strong anti-incumbent mood following a recession. I knew that my work with then-Senator Barack Obama would be used against me, even if our relationship were overhyped. I also knew from the races in 2010 that I was a likely target of Club for Growth, FreedomWorks and other Super Pacs dedicated to defeating at least one Republican as a purification exercise to enhance their influence over other Republican legislators.
We undertook this campaign soberly and we worked very hard in 2010, 2011, and 2012 to overcome these challenges. There never was a moment when my campaign took anything for granted. This is why we put so much effort into our get out the vote operations.
Ultimately, the re-election of an incumbent to Congress usually comes down to whether voters agree with the positions the incumbent has taken. I knew that I had cast recent votes that would be unpopular with some Republicans and that would be targeted by outside groups.
These included my votes for the TARP program, for government support of the auto industry, for the START Treaty, and for the confirmations of Justices Sotomayor and Kagan. I also advanced several propositions that were considered heretical by some, including the thought that Congressional earmarks saved no money and turned spending power over to unelected bureaucrats and that the country should explore options for immigration reform.
It was apparent that these positions would be attacked in a Republican primary. But I believe that they were the right votes for the country, and I stand by them without regrets, as I have throughout the campaign.
From time to time during the last two years I heard from well-meaning individuals who suggested that I ought to consider running as an independent. My response was always the same: I am a Republican now and always have been. I have no desire to run as anything else. All my life, I have believed in the Republican principles of small government, low taxes, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and trade expansion. According to Congressional Quarterly vote studies, I supported President Reagan more often than any other Senator. I want to see a Republican elected President, and I want to see a Republican majority in the Congress. I hope my opponent wins in November to help give my friend Mitch McConnell a majority.
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. The most consequential of these is stabilizing and reversing the Federal debt in an era when millions of baby boomers are retiring. There is little likelihood that either party will be able to impose their favored budget solutions on the other without some degree of compromise.
Unfortunately, we have an increasing number of legislators in both parties who have adopted an unrelenting partisan viewpoint. This shows up in countless vote studies that find diminishing intersections between Democrat and Republican positions. Partisans at both ends of the political spectrum are dominating the political debate in our country. And partisan groups, including outside groups that spent millions against me in this race, are determined to see that this continues. They have worked to make it as difficult as possible for a legislator of either party to hold independent views or engage in constructive compromise. If that attitude prevails in American politics, our government will remain mired in the dysfunction we have witnessed during the last several years. And I believe that if this attitude expands in the Republican Party, we will be relegated to minority status. Parties don't succeed for long if they stop appealing to voters who may disagree with them on some issues.
Legislators should have an ideological grounding and strong beliefs identifiable to their constituents. I believe I have offered that throughout my career. But ideology cannot be a substitute for a determination to think for yourself, for a willingness to study an issue objectively, and for the fortitude to sometimes disagree with your party or even your constituents. Like Edmund Burke, I believe leaders owe the people they represent their best judgment.
Too often bipartisanship is equated with centrism or deal cutting. Bipartisanship is not the opposite of principle. One can be very conservative or very liberal and still have a bipartisan mindset. Such a mindset acknowledges that the other party is also patriotic and may have some good ideas. It acknowledges that national unity is important, and that aggressive partisanship deepens cynicism, sharpens political vendettas, and depletes the national reserve of good will that is critical to our survival in hard times. Certainly this was understood by President Reagan, who worked with Democrats frequently and showed flexibility that would be ridiculed today - from assenting to tax increases in the 1983 Social Security fix, to compromising on landmark tax reform legislation in 1986, to advancing arms control agreements in his second term.
I don't remember a time when so many topics have become politically unmentionable in one party or the other. Republicans cannot admit to any nuance in policy on climate change. Republican members are now expected to take pledges against any tax increases. For two consecutive Presidential nomination cycles, GOP candidates competed with one another to express the most strident anti-immigration view, even at the risk of alienating a huge voting bloc. Similarly, most Democrats are constrained when talking about such issues as entitlement cuts, tort reform, and trade agreements. Our political system is losing its ability to even explore alternatives. If fealty to these pledges continues to expand, legislators may pledge their way into irrelevance. Voters will be electing a slate of inflexible positions rather than a leader.
I hope that as a nation we aspire to more than that. I hope we will demand judgment from our leaders. I continue to believe that Hoosiers value constructive leadership. I would not have run for office if I did not believe that.
As someone who has seen much in the politics of our country and our state, I am able to take the long view. I have not lost my enthusiasm for the role played by the United States Senate. Nor has my belief in conservative principles been diminished. I expect great things from my party and my country. I hope all who participated in this election share in this optimism.
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I'm a hardcore Indiana democrat, but I always liked Dick Lugar. Why? Because he represented somebody that I didn't agree with politically but I didn't think he was a whacko. The man is smart, articulate, and steadfast.
I can see the Republicans haven't learned from 2010. The Tea Party is nothing more than a small handful of blue-blood businessmen, followed by droves of unsuspecting poor white voters that can't think straight because we have a black president.
So sad.
Still, you guys? We're still there? How about $2 billion trip to india? Anybody? Anybody?
In order to be a good leader, you must first learn how to be a good follower.
This, I am afraid is a role the Republicans refused to accept as evidenced by Republican Mitch McConnell s statement after the Democrats won in 2008. "I will make sure President Obama fails"
It made no difference to Mr. McConnell that the Majority of Americans chose the Democrats to take over Leadership of our Country. Mr. McConnell knowingly chose to Ignore the Will of the American People and accept their new role as Followers, instead they chose to become obstructionists for President Obama s entire term in Office.
If the Republicans win in November, I hope they will remember this if the Democrats choose to obstruct also, which I doubt they will, there are too many Blue Dog Democrats who are also in Bed with the Big Money along with the Republicans.
Senator Lugar cared for this country more, rather than for his party. Sad to see good people leaving the government.
Let us all fight and destroy this great country, in the name of democracy!
Six term moderate GOP senator. As moderate democrat, I agree with virtually everything he said, but I think it is retirement time, for his age and length of time in Senate. I am tired of Republicans who play the DOUBLE BUBBLE game on the deficits and the budget. And I am tired of democrats continuing to throw good money at bad programs. It is not wrong to spend tax money on social programs that help people, but wrong to spend on programs that don't work. Pay-Go and Sunset provisions... Name last president to balance budget? More revenue and less spending is only thing to fairly end deficit spending.
This, we can't raise revenue, we can't cut defense, we need more tax cuts for the wealthy, and we need to balance the budget, and we will complain when services get cut and highways and bridges fall into disrepair, and cities cut the number of firefighters and police officers... and the opponent calls people like luger and hatch tax and spend liberals... it is unreal, it is sloganeering, it is propaganda. Lower Spending, Higher revenue, Balanced Budget...A+B=C, what a formula...
WHAT?? A politician spilling the beans that partisan policies are designed in the best interests of the associated party?? and not the PEOPLE???.....That everything IS the party and the party IS everything???
Now where, oh where have I heard this type of blind allegiance......
It is hilarious that the DEMOCRATS are the main people upset about Lugar getting run out of office :-)
I lived in Indiana early in Lugar's career and he was okay then ,, a moderate,, but he went further and further Left later on .. he didn't live in Indiana since 1978 and only Libbies see that as logical.
Folks,, Obama is going to get blasted by Romney , even James Carville , your little red neck Clinton man ,, suggests Democrats are way too cocky.
Obama was forced into making a declaration over Gay Marriage after Biden shot his mouth off in Atlanta. Biden is a disgrace as a VP and cannot seem to stay out of trouble ,, but he is clearly senile , a comforting thought for only Leftist Socialists.
Romney will beat Obama easily . The wailing wall of the Left is not even aware of how much trouble Obama is in :-)
Willard will win easily??
Really.. And, except for angry middle aged white Faux News. what demographic group will willard possibly appeal to??
Ummm.... There isn't one.. Not one...
Sure ALAN, your word is good enough for me. I can take that to the bank, right fella???
are we capable of self government anymore? if not, then what? will we fall into the "man on horseback" trap that lured germany and italy to their destruction, and nearly destroyed the world in so doing? will we fall victim to chaos and anarchy, civil war, revolution?
if we do not learn to work together, to compromise, to sacrifice for the good of the county, is there any hope for us?
"Legislators should have an ideological grounding and strong beliefs identifiable to their constituents. I believe I have offered that throughout my career. But ideology cannot be a substitute for a determination to think for yourself, for a willingness to study an issue objectively, and for the fortitude to sometimes disagree with your party or even your constituents. Like Edmund Burke, I believe leaders owe the people they represent their best judgment."
A gentleman and a statesman - one of the very few republicans I can say that about. His loss is the country's loss.
Could Reagan win a Republican primary today? He would have to run as a Democrat to have any chance. Anyone thinking that the Tea Party is bringing the Republican party back to it's roots should consider this. This is how far right the party is now. They have no idea what Socialism is yet use it as their mantra. Similar to how the Democrats are the spending party. Please do some research and see which presidents were the biggest spenders and produced the largest deficits.
cts,
Research? Are you nuts?! All we have to do is listen to RUSH!
CTS: I made a similar point earlier. Reagan repeatedly raised the debt ceiling (even chastised Democrats for playing chiken with it) dramatically increased the size of "Big Governement" and was realistic enough to know when to compromose.
Frankly, I couldn't stand the guy and my faith in an all powerful being is somewhat restored by the knowledge that 2 of his 4 kids, both of them with Nancy Girl no less, are card carrying Liberals!!! But compared to this current crop of bomb throwing whackos in the GOP he almost looks like a breath of fresh air.
As always, the Right have over played their hand. A backlash is inevitable.
"Legislators should have an ideological grounding and strong beliefs identifiable to their constituents. I believe I have offered that throughout my career. But ideology cannot be a substitute for a determination to think for yourself, for a willingness to study an issue objectively, and for the fortitude to sometimes disagree with your party or even your constituents. Like Edmund Burke, I believe leaders owe the people they represent their best judgment."
A gentleman and a statesman - one of the very few republicans I can say that about. His loss is the country's loss. And the GOP remains controlled by fanatics.
All of these politicans are so dirty you have to take a shower if you get within five feet of them, yet the press will tell you how great they are (it's not like they are tied to each other at the hip or anything). The system is a joke and when you have anyone in there for more than 6 years, you get guys just like Lugar who literally have to sell their sole to accomplish something, but all they really accomplish is something they don't believe in, but it's the best they can do so we celebrate that as a compromise and call that good politics. Well It maybe good politcs but it's not good leadership.
"Voters, voters every where, Nor any thought to think"
Voters, voters everywhere, and all their heads did shrink.
Voters, voters everywhere, their politicians stink.
Let me translate that for you...I believe in "A" but "B" will pay me more so I voted "B" and shame on you for telling me I should stick to my beliefs.
People too often confuse opinion with fact. When that happens, we have a citizenry that cannot think. When people do not know how to think, they also don't know how to vote and are never aware that they are very easily manipulated. Indiana is a good bellwether for the rest of the country.
Sadly very true. A great defender of the people lost in the last senate election. Russ Feingold supported policies that were unpopular with the left as well as the right at different times but they were in the best interest of our country. He worked across the aisle and sponsored bipartisan legislation. He lost to Johnson who is a mindless pawn of the right. All due to what you have pointed out. How can we be a better country by electing candidates that refuse to use their minds and vote only for the sake of their party.
The path the Republicans and Tea Party people have chosen can only lead to several outcomes for the nation---none of which are good. We will either have a civil war and split the country into blue and red states, or one party will become dominant (as in a Fascist state) in order for us to get anything done. The current gridlock we have cannot be sustained. Compromise is not a dirty word. Politics cannot work when one side is so fixed on ideology they cannot agree on anything with the other side. Such behavior is not good for a democracy and only results in good people running from politics and spending their time watching American Idol. I only see things getting worse with all Republican moderates retiring or being run out of office by the ultra-right wing elements of the party. I hate the idea of splitting the country, but I hate the thought of living under a Tea Party government more.
Partiansianship would be a welcome sign based on the past few years of neither side wanting to give in (even a little) in order to pass legislation. There are too many hard core Dems and Reps who will not bend and each side is responsible for the hold ups on much of the legislation. We need more representatives willing to work with the other side to come up with reasonable solutions that benefit all.
The Koch brothers are destroying our government.
Public only campaign funding is one solution.
Then do away with citizens united ruling.
Then go after ALEC and C-Street "church" members.
Good riddance! Lugar's idea of "problem solving" is to vote for what a DemocRAT would vote for. His actions speak much louder than his words with which he tries to claim the opposite - he is a big-government, big-spending RINO and that is his approach to problem solving. And his voting to confirm Kagan and Sotomayor who are certainly two of the most leftist and unqualified Supreme Court Justices ever, is unforgivable. And the guy hasn't even lived in Indiana for 30 years!
He voted for Sotomayor and Kagan because he was bending to the will of the PEOPLE!
This is what conservatives don't seem to understand!
Senators are not the RNC chairman! Barack Obama was a democratically elected president, and there was nothing wrong with Kagan or Sotomayor.
Was it who Lugar would have picked? NO! But he did his duty, period.
Lugar said in his book that the TeaBaggers will all go to Hell !
The long winded liberal kudos for Lugar and his decency would ring a little more true if their majority leader (Reid) had a thimblefull of the Comprimise Lugar stated was the reason for his defeat.
Reid, who his Nevadans didnt have the balls to fire in the last election, is the most intractable, stiff, uncompromising, majority leader I've ever seen.
Reid is the entire reason this country is not improving.
Talk about no Comprimise, Reid won't allow any measure to come up for a vote in the Senate. Because he knows it will lose. and his party has control.
Reid is the trouble, not , as yet, unelected tea partiers.
But, liberal commenters to socialist echo chamber MSNBC will soon see when you will go down in flames in November with milquetoast Romney and a republican house AND senate putting America back to the Reagan Clinton and W economies we all know and loved (notice I excluded HW a known prudent comprimiser!)
when i was 18 i voted for Ronald Reagan twice and for many years was a proud republican over the years i have seen a great decline in the Republican party!!! i even voted for John McCain in the last election his biggest error was choosing dingbat as his running mate??? now I've become a democrat and in memory of beloved Ted Kennedy I give my whole hearted support barack obama may God bless this mess of a political nightmare we have all suffered! may God's will be done
As someone who tends to vote Democrat, I have been known to switch teams to support someone who stands up for his or her beliefs and voices opinions that are reasonable, if not always popular. I have admired Sen. Lugar for years, and know that my Reagan-Republican, Hoosier grandparents would have been proud of how he represented their home state. Here's hoping our nation will one day abandon extremism in favor of appreciation for a good debate, listening to and respecting differing points of view, and even being open to changing our minds in the face of good old-fashioned common sense. Mr. Lugar, you are destined for greater things than politics. I look forward to seeing what you do next.