FWIW, I had been corresponding with tea partiers in Indiana regarding dumping Lugar. I recommended against it because of his seniority and his overall voting history. However, many of the Indiana tea partiers were appalled at his support of L.O.S.T. and his recent voting patterns. From what I understand Lugar is significantly -- and negatively -- mentioned in Dick Morris' new book "Screwed!" I ordered the book yesterday so I should be getting it shortly. (If anybody is interested, I'll start a thread on the book after I have read it.)
His loss is not good for the country or Republican party. The Republicans continue to drift to the right...
I sincerely hope that Dick Morris' opinion played no part in deciding whether or not to support Lugar. Morris is a political animal, his motivations are very individual and his word is honestly worth mud.
From what I've been reading the last straw for the tea party was his votes to confirm Obama's SC nominees. oh well Sanity once again loses to the crazy. Richard Mourdock didn't waste any time “I have a mindset that says bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view,” Mourdock said on Fox this morning
Eventually, we'll have the federal government held hostage by a few nutty congressman from the midwest. The Bible Belt can easily form a big enough political bloc that will prevent any legislation from being passed. Anything short of one party having a supermajority and control of the white house will result in nothing but gridlock.
Congressmen can only do so much. In fact if you look at voting records between the houses, Senators from rural states vote in lock step across parties for certain interests like farm subsidies, ethanol, etc.. Whereas if you look at congressmen from those states (including at large congressmen from states with only 1 rep) they tend to vote all over the place. As an example, in North Dakota both senators (Rep. John Hoeven and Democrat Kent Conrad) voted for the farm bill but their at large rep voted against it. All 3 are statewide candidates but because the power of a single rep is muted in the house combined with the fact that most congressmen represent only smaller portions of states leads to a much more varied voting record. Basically the problem is the senate because of senators of small states have disproportionate voting power and can form regional blocs. The entire midwest votes in uniform across party lines on a variety of issues. The South is conservative but they really don't have the pet issues that the Midwest has. The Midwest has some of the lowest populated states in the US that disproportionately use federal aid. So not only are they getting subsidies but also disproportionate transportation spending, health care spending (mainly in the form of rural health care), communication spending, etc.. In short, the Senate blows. The house can stay. Lets just turn the Senate into a ceremonial body or kill it altogether. Nebraska got their **** together and switched to a unicameral legislature in the 30s. Sadly no one else did.
Ronald Reagan couldn't survive in the current Republican party considering that he raised spending and taxes and even contemplated complete nuclear disarmament.
Count me in, heard Morris recently on a radio show talking about Barry and Hillary's parting gifts(the treaties they create that will weaken and bankrupt us) for America when they get the boot from the Whitehouse. Truly sickening what these traitors are doing to our country.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...paign-while-criticizing-partisan-environment/ Lugar's concession statement Too bad fewer and fewer Republicans think this way.
Yup, more and more nuts are getting elected to the Republican party. The party is headed down the path of self destruction, wonder if and when it will reverse course.
I don't know much about the general election race, but I wonder if Lugar's comments and attitude will open the door for the Dem to win? If so, the war between the Tea Party and what's left of a mainstream GOP is going to escalate dramatically.
Love everything about that show, the theme music is still ringing in my head, after all these years I can play it note for note.
Not exactly. People like the Koch Brothers are but the vast majority of Tea Partiers are not. Also many of those elected in the last Republican wave were not independently wealthy.
No that race is close to toss-up status now. The Dems are running Joe Donnelly who is a current US Congressman from Indiana. Lugar wins overwhelmingly because of Name ID but Mourdock doesn't have that advantage. Now this is a Republican leaning state but not so far to the right to where you can just openly spout tea party slogans and expect to win. After all Obama did win Indiana in 2008 (although there's no way in hell that happens again) Nonetheless, Republicans at the very least will have to dump a ton of money into a race that they didnt have to spend anything on. And Lugar, who built up a nice warchest, wont give a dime of it to Mourdock after this. With little name ID, Dems have a chance to frame how voters view Mourdock and if they do it right and paint him as an extremist, then Donnelly can absolutely win this.
