Lugar Gets Knocked Out

After 36 years in office, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana suffered the same fate that has sent other veterans in the Congress back home, as his career was unceremoniously ended in a lopsided defeat in his state's Republican primary.

"Downfall of a Statesman," was the headline in one Capitol Hill newspaper, though there are alternate ways of looking at why Lugar was defeated by Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock - maybe Lugar tried for one term too many.

The success of the Tea Party in 2010 should have been a big red flag for Lugar, but he seemed slow to react to the challenge from Mourdock, who routed the veteran Republican Senator all across the Hoosier State, winning by over 20 points.

A number of times in recent months, I gave Lugar a long look in the hallway as I walked by him. It was the same ole genial Lugar, seemingly not a care in the world.

I didn't really sense any fire in the belly for 2012, as Lugar ends his career as one of the few sitting Senators to be whipped in a primary vote.

After Lugar conceded, Mourdock wasted no time sending out a fund raising email to supporters.

"We’re now facing a tough General Election campaign, and our bank accounts are depleted," the email read.

"We left everything on the table to win the primary. And our opponent, Joe Donnelly, has over $800,000 to spend immediately in an attempt to smear us to start the General."

As for Lugar, he joins a growing list of lawmakers who won't be back in their current jobs on Capitol Hill, as 45 House members (25 Democrats and 20 Republicans) and 11 Senators (6 Democrats, 4 Republicans and 1 Independent) are already on the "casualty list" for 2012.

(Before you send me hateful emails, it has been referred to as the "casualty list" for years by the Roll Call newspaper.)

For many years, Lugar walked a fine line in the Republican Party, buffeted by conservatives for being too moderate, but able to work with Democrats to forge deals on a host of issues.

"His idea of being "moderate" was what most of us call liberal," said Bill Runyon, a retired Indiana Circuit Judge, who is one of my listeners in the Hoosier State.

"His idea of "reaching across the aisle" amounted to voting with the Democrats and getting nothing in return."

That type of Republican angst has come more and more into focus in recent years, as both parties have jettisoned their swing votes in the Congress - Southern Democrats are almost extinct, as are moderate Republicans like Lugar.

Lugar arrived in 1976 when Republicans had to go along with Democrats to get anything done - now a new breed of GOP lawmaker has come to Washington, D.C., bent on being in charge - not playing second fiddle.

Whether you think that is good or bad isn't the point.

The point is that Sen. Lugar didn't make enough changes to stay on for another term in the Senate.