Media keepers of the status quo upset at Lugar's defeat

Chicago Tribune ^ | May 10, 2012 | John Kass

[TerriHaute]

A few weeks after the recent synod of the bishops of journalism — known to us taxpaying chumbolones as the White House Correspondents' Association dinner — the secular clergy pronounced sentence on Indiana Republican Richard Mourdock.

Mourdock had the audacity to whomp the heck out of six-term U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar in Tuesday's Indiana Republican primary.

Mourdock's sin, according to the high priests of establishment journalism? He's a conservative, and a constitutionalist, backed by the tea party.

Watching all this from the bordering state once called Illinois — now known as the wind-swept economic wasteland of Madiganistan — makes me wonder what it would be like to live in Indiana or Wisconsin, where Republicans aren't always eager to help the Democratic machine bosses.

So Mourdock's victory isn't making everyone happy. Lugar was of Washington, he was the establishment. He was one of theirs. So the high priests approve another narrative, that Mourdock's victory helps the president because Mourdock is a tea party conservative and, therefore, extreme.

No matter that Mourdock's victory was also an unmistakable message to establishment Republicans that voters are tired of them.

My brother Peter heard a great line on the Indiana campaign and called me as I sat down to write this. He got it from iconoclast Democrat-turned-tea-party-conservative talker Tammy Bruce.

"It was a gigantic grapefruit in the face," she said. "We're Jimmy Cagney and we had a grapefruit, and the establishment is at the table, and we smushed the grapefruit in the face of the establishment."

[muawiyah]

The "newsies" and commentators are angry that the Republican Establishment representatives told them Lugar was going to win ~ so they wrote up all their Lugar stories about winning, then had to change them.

These people are petty.

[muawiyah]

Did you realize the Brooks gal in the 5th district got Christie to come out and pump for her ~ over David McIntosh?

She is the Establishment-E candidate, and she won. McIntosh was, for a while, supposed to be the TEA Party candidate but he ended up with a question about his legal residency ~ (although he won) ~ and linked him in the mind's eye with Lugar, so he lost.

The way I figure it is if Christie is campaigning for you then you are probably a Mittbot.

Now I know that's a simple assumption ~ but maybe not too simple. Christie has a list of people he likes and another very long list of people he does not like.

Is the Mourdock campaign going to make common cause with the Brooks campaign and have folks passing out joint literature packets and sticking up signs.

Time for Mourdock's backers to ask what is going on there with a Mittbot sneaking in under the door lie that and NO ONE AT ALL questioning that relationship.

[iopscusa]

Why do we have to support the God awful Republican Party, it’s a disgrace and it gives Conservatives a bad name?!?

[Average Al]

The guy is 80 years old for crying out loud!

[Mr. Lucky]

I haven't been able to find anything on Brooks which would indicate that she's anything other than conservative. Her website certainly makes her appear so.

Have I missed something?

[expat2]

The status quo is deathly afraid of the Tea Party.

[muawiyah]

Yes, you missed two things ~ that Christie came out to campaign for her, and she mentioned supporting the Hyde Amendment.

In this day and age that's only one of the things you have to support to be considered Right To Life.

The district she's running in is far more Conservative than she is.

[bramps]

A few weeks ago I posted my opinion about the Nov 6 Presidential election. I had stated that in my opinion and from interviewing many clients, neighbors, friends and some just general public individual, I concluded that this was going to be a LANDSLIDE for the Republican Candidate. I now say it's going to be of seismic proportions. These interviews were held in Massachusetts. The only state Jimmy Carter, the previous disaster of a President, won. I think this time Obama might win Guam.
My feelings were greatly supported by two events in some recent elections. 1) A convicted, time serving, extortionist gets 41% of the Democratic nomination votes against the Great Obama!!! And as is predictable, what did the major media make of that event??? Nothing. To me it was as big as the invasion of Normandy in 1944. 2) Richard Lugar, a six term senator, was significantly and soundly beaten. Out to pasture Dick baby.
The American people have had enough of the Democratic turns Socialist agenda. There is no end to their anti growth policies and tax, tax, tax ideas of solutions. Obama is their poster child and he's proud of it. He will be turning his campaign in high gear soon and will be moving toward the center and possibly to the right of center. He did it in 2008 and everyone believed him. They never looked under the covering to see what made sense.
By the way, the media had the election in Indiana a tossup. Some tossup eh Dick.

[upchuck]

six-term U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar

And that is the problem.

What say term limits? 12* years to serve as you will. Then you are gone forever.

*If you cain't get it done in 12 years, it ain't worth doing.

[vannrox]

Lugar has 6 (six) terms of 6 years each. 6 x 6 = 36 years. And what advantage has he brought to the Libertarian cause?

[Jabba the Nutt]

Lugar did the "Full Arlen" with his revelation that he's found "partisanship" in DC and it's all the GOP's fault. I posted the following respectful letter at Dick Lugar's official website:

"Senator Lugar, you blamed partisanship on the GOP in you concession letter. Where have you been?

President George W. Bush came into office as a "uniter, not divider" and reached out to Democrats. The Democrats unleashed a vicious years long assault on ChimpyMcBushhitler. Did you miss that?

The Democrats smeared and continue to smear Sarah Palin from day one, she was nominated for the GOP VP slot. Her children were attacked. Her Down's Syndrome son was attacked. She was blamed along with Rush Limbaugh and the GOP in general for the ramage that severely wounded Gabby Giffords and killed several others. I don't recall hearing from you on this partisanship. Did I miss that?

Obama has called on his supporters to "hit back twice as hard", "to bring a gun to the knife fight", to accuse the GOP of "wanting to pollute the water and air" and to created a TV ad, showing GOP Congressman Paul Ryan shoving an old lady over a cliff. Did you make a peep about this vicious partisanship?

You blame the GOP for partisanship, but you used the GOP for your own advancement for at least 4 decades. You took the money of GOP donors for that same amount of time. And only now, you see a problem with the GOP after you yourself lose? Can you understand my skepticism? Why weren't you honest decades ago and turn independent or run as a Democrat?

The US Senate has been the place where Reforms go to die. You've been on the Death Panel. You will be gone at the end of December. I think then, we'll see reforms get through the US Senate with newly minted Senator Richard Mourdock. What will you learn from that? Anything?