Proving wrong the leaders of the Progressive movement and the MSM, the Tea Party has rocked the political establishment by driving Republican Richard Mourdock to a primary victory in Indiana over 36 year incumbent Richard Lugar.
Lugar, the 80 year-old, six-term Senator, conceded to Mourdock early into the vote counting. Mourdock took 61% of the vote to Lugar's 39%. In his concession, Lugar stated his hopes that Mourdock will win in November. However, a statement released by his campaign had a stinging rebuke of both Mourdock, and, by extension, the Tea Party: (emphasis mine)
I want to see a Republican elected President, and I want to see a Republican majority in the Congress. I hope my opponent wins in November to help give my friend Mitch McConnell a majority.
If Mr. Mourdock is elected, I want him to be a good Senator. But that will require him to revise his stated goal of bringing more partisanship to Washington. He and I share many positions, but
his embrace of an unrelenting partisan mindset is irreconcilable with my philosophy of governance and my experience of what brings results for Hoosiers in the Senate. In effect, what he has promised in this campaign is reflexive votes for a rejectionist orthodoxy and rigid opposition to the actions and proposals of the other party. His answer to the inevitable roadblocks he will encounter in Congress is merely to campaign for more Republicans who embrace the same partisan outlook. He has pledged his support to groups whose prime mission is to cleanse the Republican partyof those who stray from orthodoxy as they see it.This is not conducive to problem solving and governance.
Those groups whose "prime mission is to cleanse the Republican party?" Lugar, of course, means the Tea Party. One wonders whether Lugar came up with these words on his own, or just crib them from Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) or Chuck Schumer (D-NY)?
This is why Sen. Lugar is the now "lame duck" Sen. Lugar, and why the Tea Party is so very effective. When Lugar speaks of straying from "orthodoxy as they see it," is he referring to the Constitution? The Constitution is not orthodoxy, it is the values of a nation. It is the blueprint that allows free people to live free, and provides for the people the opportunity to safeguard those freedoms.
Is he referring to fiscal responsibility? In Lugar's statement, he stated: (emphasis mine)
Ultimately, the re-election of an incumbent to Congress usually comes down to whether voters agree with the positions the incumbent has taken. I knew that I had cast recent votes that would be unpopular with some Republicans and that
would be targeted by outside groups.
These included my votes for the TARP program, for government support of the auto industry, for the START Treaty, and for the confirmations of Justices Sotomayor and Kagan.
It was apparent that these positions would be attacked in a Republican primary. But I believe that they were the right votes for the country, and I stand by them without regrets...
Those groups that would "target" Lugar for his votes? Just one - The Tea Party, and rightfully so! While others can argue the votes for Justices Sotomayor and Kagan (let's see what happens with Obamacare, but no one can argue we knew far too little about Justice Kagan,) and for the START Treaty (an absolutely unnecessary agreement that hurts the United States with unwarranted formality, if not the full text of the treaty,) the Tea Party stands opposed to TARP, and to government spending. These are the votes that destroy a country. You Can Not Spend Your Way Into Prosperity!
For Lugar to admonish those who would be upset with these votes (which he stoically stands by) is elitist lunacy. The Tea Party has proven that its "orthodoxy" is nothing more than an adherence to the Constitution. The Tea Party will "target" those who engage in rampant misuse of the American people's hard earned money. The Tea Party, regardless of the words of Reid or Schumer or Rep. Wasserman-Schultz or MSNBC, has made a commitment to themselves, to America and to its future, which is unshakable. The Tea Party is alive and well.
Congratulations to Richard Mourdock. Congratulations to the Tea Party. Bring on November! There are 181 days until the election.