ELKHART —
Just eight days away from what appears to be the most challenging campaign in his 35 years as a U.S. senator, Richard Lugar talked at length at an Elkhart Rotary event Monday and avoided mentioning by name his fellow Republican opponent, Richard Mourdock.
Instead, he told a crowd of nearly 200 people at the Matterhorn Conference Center he believes his role as an expert in foreign relations remains worthwhile.
Lugar talked extensively of the impact made through legislative and diplomatic efforts he and former Sen. Sam Nunn headed up to reduce the stockpile of weapons of mass destruction in parts of the old Soviet Union, a program that began in 1991 and continues today.
While the United States has made significant progress, Lugar said there are several thousand more weapons that remain a worrisome issue.
At the same time, Lugar says he’s very aware of Indiana voters’ concerns about the national debt, the economy and unemployment.
“We’ve called 1,400,000 people in our phone banks and found without deviation every day and every night, these are the issues they want to discuss,” Lugar said. “We’ve been discussing those. ... Even outside of these traumatic experiences there is another outside world and it’s not a happy place.”
The U.S. faces other diplomatic challenges with numerous countries, many of which Lugar, the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, continues to play a significant role.
“These are situations that are part of my life all the time,” Lugar said. “I believe I can continue to work with the president of the United States, members of Congress — whoever they may be.”
Lugar spoke for more than 30 minutes without notes and interspersed stories of his days as mayor of Indianapolis to his earlier years and involvement with of the Rotary Club.
Lugar’s appearance at the Matterhorn barely appeared like a campaign stop. There were no campaign signs or any other signs of campaign paraphernalia. But he did field questions after his address that touched more directly on his primary election battle against Mourdock.
Lugar is in one of the toughest races in the senate this year as conservative super political action committees and Tea Party groups have thrown their support behind Mourdock.
Lugar faces Mourdock May 8 in the Republican primary. The winner will face Democrat Joe Donnelly in the fall.
The political atmosphere has become more heightened as a result of the Supreme Court ruling allowing for unlimited amounts of campaign funding with very little accountability. Lugar was asked about how that has affected the race.
Political operatives who are behind many of the Super PACs, Lugar said, are searching for “playgrounds.”
“They’re really not that interested in candidates,” he said. “They’re interested in showing their clout. They can terminate the career of anybody and do so without any responsibility of revealing where the money is coming from … and they dwarf all the gifts from generous Rotarians such as you.
“If somebody can dump a couple million dollars into a race anonymously, then the guy who is operating FreedomWorks For America or something else makes a big salary out of it … (and) has a very different motivation.”
One of loudest Super PACs opposed to Lugar is the conservative group, Club For Growth. It is headed up by former Indiana Congressman Chris Chocola.
Doc Atkins of Elkhart asked Lugar why the Club for Growth and Chocola are so opposed to Lugar’s re-election. “I don’t understand,” Atkins asked.
“I don’t either,” Lugar replied, drawing laughs and applause. “I felt at the time when we served together, Chris Chocola and I had a very good relationship. But for some reason, maybe Chris came to a different view.”
Mourdock is scheduled to speak next Monday at Matterhorn.
Local News
Related Photos
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U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar greets a member of the public after speaking to a Rotary Club meeting Monday at Matterhorn Conference Center in Elkhart. DAN SPALDING
Sen. Lugar touts foreign policy expertise in Elkhart
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