Lugar Battles the Tea Party

27 December 2011 |permalink | email article

THE veteran senator from Indiana, in a little noticed appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, had an important message for Republicans on Christmas: Don’t let the Tea Partiers—like the one challenging Dick Lugar in his primary—cost the GOP control of the Senate in 2012.  First elected to the Senate in 1976 Lugar is being challenged from the right by Indiana state treasurer Richard Mourdock. Notably, Lugar slammed Tea Party activists and candidates from the last cycle—for costing the Republicans the chance to win the majority in 2010. “They wanted somebody who was more of their tea party aspect, but in doing so they killed off the chances for a majority.” Lugar said. “This is one of the reasons why we have a minority in the Senate right now.”

Quotable

More Americans approve of the job that President Obama is doing than disapprove for the first time since this summer—a five percent increase since the Dec. 16-18 survey. It seems that the standoff with House Republicans over the payroll tax cut did no damage at all to the president—and a further climb in the polls could mean that the White House has scored a significant public relations victory.—The Gallup Poll.

“Barack Obama sees America differently. He believes in an “entitlement society” in which “government should create equal outcomes.” ”President Obama has reversed John Kennedy’s call for sacrifice. “He would have Americans now ask, What can the country do for you.?”—Mitt Romney, according to New York magazine, has begun to focus directly on Obama, not his Republican primary opponents, and pushing his campaign slogan, “Believe in America.” 

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