Lugar Will Not Support Mourdock If He Wins

You heard it here first that Sen. Richard Lugar had no intention of backing Richard Mourdock to replace him in the U.S. Senate if he loses the May 8th primary race to him. Lugar has used his vast financial resources to wage a scorched-earth campaign against Mourdock to help ensure his defeat in the November general election against U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) if he loses to him in the primary. The National Review's Brian Bolduc asked Lugar's spokesman, Andy Fisher, to confirm that Sen. Lugar would support Mourdock if he won the nomination, and he refused to answer the question. In contrast, Mourdock's spokesman unequivocally stated Mourdock's commitment to supporting the entire Republican ticket. Instead, Fisher would only say that Lugar would welcome Mourdock's after Lugar wins the primary.

In an interview with the Christian Broadasting Network's David Brody, Lugar blamed his tough race on the fact that he is one of the few Republican incumbents up for re-election, and out-of-state conservative groups seeking to unseat him because he is not sufficiently conservative. Lugar noticeably overlooks his self-inflicted residency problems that have plagued his campaign and the short shrift he has increasingly given to the state's residents after 35 years in the Senate in favor of spending his time on foreign junkets rather than visiting and listening to people in his home state. Lugar suggested that Mourdock would have little chance of winning the November election if he is the nominee, while he thinks his chances against Joe Donnelly are much better despite indications that his favorable ratings have fallen well below 50%, which typically portend the death knell of an incumbent. What Lugar is conveying is that he will do everything within his power to propagate a negative outlook on Mourdock to ensure the fulfillment of his prophecy.