Triumphant Mourdock Seeks Unity Debate Begins Over Whether Indiana GOP Is ‘Mainstream’ Or Veering to Right by BRIAN A
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V17, N34 Thursday, May 10, 2012 Triumphant Mourdock seeks unity Debate begins over whether Indiana GOP is ‘mainstream’ or veering to right By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS - U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar – vanquished by age, longevity, barrel bottom con- gressional approval ratings and an aggressive opponent in Treasurer Richard Mourdock – seemed to be bridging a divided party when he took the stage shortly after 8 on Tuesday night as the magnitude of the 61-39% landslide against Richard Mourdock conducts a rare press conference as part of a GOP unity event with (from left) him registered. Auditor Tim Berry, Secretary of State Connie Lawson, Gov. Daniels, Chairman Holcomb, Lt. Gov. “Hoosier Republican Skillman and Supt. Tony Bennett. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) primary voters have chosen their candidate for the U.S. Senate,” that sent the political world from Indianapolis to Washing- said Lugar in Broad Ripple. “I congratulate my opponent on ton abuzz. It was a reaction to the $4 million in outside his victory in a hard fought race. I want to see a Republi- money spent against him, and Mourdock’s all-out assault can in the White House, and I want to see my friend Mitch on “bipartisanship” that pre-staged the upset. The text had McConnell have a Republican majority in the Senate. I Lugar’s voice. hope my opponent prevails in November to contribute to a “If Mr. Mourdock is elected, I want him to be a Republican majority.” Minutes later came a second written statement Continued on page 3 DC divides into a chasm By MARK SCHOEFF JR. WASHINGTON - Over the course of the 20 years that I’ve worked in Washington, the partisan divide has steadily grown into a chasm. First, the Clinton administration ‘‘She said, ‘There is no greater game made its campaign war room a central than the game of politics.’ And tonight feature in daily policy battles. Later, the George W. Bush administration wasted we won that game.” an opportunity to cement bipartisan - Victorious 5th CD Republican Susan Brooks, comity following the Sept. 11, 2001, quoting former U.S. Rep. Cecil Murray Harden tragedy by attacking Democrats in the 2002 election on security issues. Democrats then became obsessed with payback – and Bush bashing HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Friday, May 4, 2012 continued for years. Today, the parties On the domestic side, Lugar have implacable differences on nearly was at the forefront of reducing the every issue. size and scope of government 15 At each milepost along the years before the tea party threw its journey, I was bullish about American first fit about government spending. www.HoweyPolitics.com politics. At the most critical times, Lugar fought a lonely battle in the legislators would figure out a way to mid-1990s to slash the bureaucracy at compromise. the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Howey Politics I’m losing my confidence meeting resistance even from fellow Indiana following the defeat of Sen. Rich- Republicans. is a non-partisan newsletter ard Lugar in Tuesday’s Republican As chairman of the Senate based in Indianapolis. It was primary. The forces that took down Agriculture Committee, he wrote a founded in 1994 in Fort Wayne. Lugar are working to ensure that any farm bill around the same time that attempt at bipartisanship – even an set U.S. agricultural policy on a glide effort to listen to the other side – will path toward fiscal responsibility. Brian A. Howey, Publisher be met with severe political Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington consequences. Jack E. Howey, editor Lugar will continue Beverly K. Phillips, associate to make substantial con- tributions to economic and editor security policy and interna- tional relations. Maybe he’ll Subscriptions even find that leaving the $350 annually HPI Weekly Senate is liberating. The Sen- ate, however, will find Lugar’s $550 annually HPI Weekly and departure a major setback. HPI Daily Wire. Tuesday was a sad day for 'Call 317.627.6746 U.S. governance. I’m not sure where Congress will turn now to Contact HPI find leaders who can rise Howey Politics Indiana above the partisan fray and 6255 Evanston Ave. get something accomplished Sen. Lugar with Sam Nunn and Ambassador Burns at for the good of the country. the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow. (HPI Photo Indianapolis, IN 46220 by Brian A. Howey) www.howeypolitics.com Profound legislative achievements always require [email protected] the participation of both 'Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 parties. Lugar proved that by teaming He was waging the ag fights 'Washington: 703.248.0909 up with then-Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., at a time when the economy was 'Business Office: 317.627.6746 to write and pass a measure that growing and Washington didn’t face has dismantled thousands of nuclear a massive budget deficit. He wasn’t weapons in the former Soviet Union. riding a popular wave of fiscal conser- © 2012, Howey Politics Indiana. Lugar and Nunn worked vatism. He was creating it based on All rights reserved. Photocopy- together to overcome a strong resis- the Hoosier values that he brought to ing, Internet forwarding, fax- tance to international affairs in the Congress every day over more than ing or reproducing in any form, early 1990s. The focus then was on three decades. whole or part, is a violation of the faltering economy – and Washing- I cite these examples of ton was riveted by a special Senate Lugar’s legislative career because federal law without permission election in Pennsylvania that revolved I was working for him at the time from the publisher. v around health care. Lugar and Nunn -- as his deputy press secretary from forged ahead, perhaps saving count- 1992-94 and as press secretary from less lives over the last generation in 1995-97. It was a privilege to see the process. firsthand what each Hoosier civics HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, May 10, 2012 student should be taught about public service. Lugar is an “Ideology cannot be a substitute for a determina- exemplary legislator, leader and an exceptional man. tion to think for yourself, for a willingness to study an issue I have no way of knowing whether the Lugar cam- objectively, and for the fortitude to sometimes disagree paign made mistakes, but the voters of Indiana surely did with your party or even your constituents,” Lugar said in a on Tuesday. statement on Tuesday night. “Like Edmund Burke, I believe Somehow, they didn’t see, or chose to ignore, that leaders owe the people they represent their best judg- the very thing they were looking for in a senator – some- ment.” one who works on their behalf across partisan lines – is That’s what Lugar gave to Indiana for 35 years. exactly who they had in the incumbent. Whoever wins his Senate seat in November should listen to Even though he was facing a tough re-election, Lugar and do likewise. v Lugar stayed in the arena. He lost, but he stayed true to himself and true to the approach to governance that the Schoeff is HPI’s Washington correspondent. country desperately needs at this time of overwhelming challenges. he hadn’t done that.” Mourdock, from page 1 A few minutes earlier, Daniels made the case that Mourdock is stitch and cloth right out of the Hoosier GOP good senator,” Lugar said. “But that will require him to quilt. “He comes right out of the heart and mainstream revise his stated goal of bringing more partisanship to of our party,” Daniels said. “That is his longest single suit, Washington. He and I share many positions, but his em- among many. That win he had yesterday, you will remem- brace of an unrelenting partisan mindset is irreconcilable ber, some will let slip the fact that Richard began this with my philosophy of governance and my experience of campaign with more than two/thirds of all the mainline what brings results for Hoosiers in the Senate. This is not Republican chairmen supporting him as he went along. He’s conducive to problem-solving and governance. And he will been elected twice in five years. A couple of million Hoo- find that unless he modifies his approach, he will achieve siers have voted for him in those two elections. He is really little as a legislator. Worse, he will help delay solutions that well positioned to be on the ticket with success this fall.” are totally beyond the capacity of partisan majorities to And, thus, the flotsam and jetsam of this historic achieve.” Senate primary is in evidence, and it will take weeks and At a unity press conference early Wednesday months to sort out. morning, HPI asked Gov. Mitch Daniels about the second Is Richard Mourdock an Lugar statement, which could “extremist”? Is the Indiana be a precursor to a Republi- GOP the proverbial “house can civil war. Many Lugarites divided”? were fuming at not only the Indiana Democratic Chair- tone and tenor of the Mour- man Dan Parker – a savvy dock campaign, the fact that “labeler” as Republican Chair- he subcontracted out much man Eric Holcomb observed of his fundraising, organiza- – believes so and will work tion structure, TV ads and to portray him as such. “He direct mail, but that he took believes Social Security and issue of the Lugar modus Medicare are unconstitu- operandi. If Lugar had not tional,” Parker said. “Is that in accepted the outreach of U.S. the Republican mainstream? Sen. Sam Nunn, for instance, He’s against the direct elec- the Soviet nukes would be tion of U.S.