Posted on 12/25/2011 9:37:10 AM PST by Qbert
Sen. Dick Lugar (Ind.) facing a primary contest from the right in his reelection bid said past Tea Party-backed challenges had “killed off” Republican efforts to take the Senate in the past and could undermine a GOP majority again in 2012.
“A Republican majority in the Senate is very important, and Republicans who are running for reelection ought to be supported by people who want to see that majority,” Lugar said in an interview which aired Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.
“I think the majority of Tea Party people understand that too,” he added.
Lugar who is facing a tough primary challenge from Tea Party-backed Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R) said he was the best GOP option to win the seat and that past attempts by grassroots groups to install candidates they found more conservative had backfired. "If I was not the nominee it might be lost," he said of his seat. "Republicans lost the seats before in Nevada and New Jersey and Colorado where there were people who were claiming they wanted somebody who was more of their Tea Party aspect but they killed off the Republican majority."
"This is one of the reasons why we have a minority in the Senate right now," he claimed.
Lugar said that conservative Indiana voters looking for a candidate should look at his record. "I would say to them respectfully that it is me."
"I have a very conservative voting record over the course of the time I've served," he said.
"Certainly unique, I think, in the Senate, of having been a farmer, a small businessman, a Naval officer, a mayor, a school board member. These are grassroots functions that people are dealing with."
Lugar also denied claims Senate Republicans had undercut the House GOP in the payroll tax fight and warned that the protracted fight would make it “very difficult” to find a year-long tax holiday extension.
Lugar defended the Senate compromise negotiated by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) He said McConnell was committed to a year-long extension but that the deadlock necessitated a short term deal.
“I think that Mitch McConnell offered an avenue, an approach that said this is a serious business, we have to talk about a year solution, but this is not likely to be resolved in the next few days,” said Lugar.
He said senators were forced to act to avoid the wide-ranging repercussions if a deal was not struck saying that wage earners would have seen “the tax holiday go… apart from those who are unemployed on unemployment compensation or the doctors in Medicare.”
He said the Senate GOP position was “why don’t we, as a matter of fact, talk for a period of time but do so after the 1st of January.”
Lugar sounded a pessimistic note about reaching a deal in the next round of fighting over a yearlong extension.
"I think it will be very difficult. Just as the committee of twelve found it would be very difficult even if the objective was to reduce the deficits, the problems of our balanced payments.”
“We just simply find it’s difficult to do in this context, but not impossible," said Lugar.
Lugar said his provision to fast track an administration decision on the Keystone XL pipeline helped sell the deal to Senate Republicans. “One factor that led the Senate to come to a conclusion was the Keystone pipeline,” he said.
“At least 20,000 new jobs, six and a half billion dollar investments from the Canadians and much more oil independence for the United States. A real winner, but President Obama because of environmentalists surrounding the White House apparently literally said we won't do anything until 2013. We said you need to make a decision within 60 days.”
Our war on rinos has only just begun....
Just as Tea Party challenges are going to kill Lugar’s tenure in the Senate.
Lessee, he’s been in power since Carter.
He may be right, but who cares? The bottom line is we want to move the nation closer to the Constitution. We had some victories and some losses. The object is not to win for Republicans, but to win for liberty.
My opinion is that removing Hussein in 2012 ought to be the goal all of us work together on. Some here on FR disagree.
I was glad O’Donnell booted Castle. Angle and our Alaska candidate would have won if the party had gotten behind them.
Lugar should be replaced with a conservative.
All good reasons for tar and feathers.
Vichy Republicans. Well spoken.
What was that joke, America gave France someone who didn’t call her ‘fraulein’.
Lugar is going to be primaried next time, and he knows it.
Luger looks like a 100 year old “Howdy F-ing Doody”
They seem to think that their job is to “not lose” while the other side has real fighters who believe in their issues passionately and think that their job is to either “win” or to die trying. They fight and make the case, these guys don’t even bother to make the easiest of cases, such as pointing out that they wanted all that good stuff the Dems were talking about but for a longer time. I don’t mind losing if they would at least make the case. They don’t even do that and it is discouraging.
he is a great rancid POS.
move it or lose it Senator.
Millions of dollars determine consumer choice. There are some devoted to the brand but the majority are simply Pavlovian drooling dogs.
Along comes truth-in-advertising and the shysters panic.
Sometimes I feel like like the 70-80 year old leadership in Congress just wants to kick the can down the road until they kick the bucket or retire and could really care less about fixing the problem
People argue that there are already term limits because people don’t have to vote them in. But incumbency brings so many election advantages, so how about “Term-cations” where there can be only so many CONSECUTIVE terms served and then you have to stay away during one election cycle to give the new people a fair and equal shot at it? Then they could run again after that. And their retirements should be capped.
Great info- thanks SWAMPSNIPER.
(Voting for an ACORN, ACLU, pro-abortion, anti-prayer, activist judge? That about sums up Dick Lugar.)
It was not the Tea Party.
It was Rove and the other Romney assassins.
This scolding coming from a RIno Puke named Lugar.
His loyalty is to the party more than to the country or his constituency. The GOP has proven repeatedly that they do not deserve our support, because they will not stand up for us. We will vote for individuals who espouse our beliefs, not just because the Old Party sells their endorsement to some weak-kneed party sycophant
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