ELKHART — Richard Mourdock, in the last leg of a grueling grassroots Republican primary campaign against U.S. Senate icon Richard Lugar, laid out his case to a group of local voters Monday, saying there is no room for traditional bipartisanship on core issues pertaining to the nation’s economy.

The Indiana State Treasurer, whose Tea Party-backed campaign started in obscurity 15 months ago, is poised to grab national headlines Tuesday night if results in the upcoming primary election reflect several polls showing Mourdock has a significant lead against Lugar.

The winner of Tuesday’s Republican Primary will face Democrat Joe Donnelly in November’s General Election.

On Monday Mourdock reiterated his opposition to raising taxes or compromising on core issues involving the nation’s debt and a slow-to-improve economy during a Rotary luncheon at the Matterhorn Convention Center in Elkhart.

“I don’t want to kick the can down the road,” Mourdock told the crowd. “I want to deal with the issues.”

Prior to his arrival, motorists along Cassopolis Street were greeted by a band of sign-waving Tea Party enthusiasts supporting Mourdock.

Inside, during his speech to nearly 200 people, Mourdock didn’t mention Lugar by name, instead focusing on policy issues.

“Bipartisanship has taken us to the brink of bankruptcy,” he told the crowd.

Mourdock has argued that Lugar has been too willing to compromise and elements of his campaign have referred to Lugar as President Barack Obama’s favorite Republican.

But after Monday’s address, Mourdock sounded conciliatory as he admitted having voted “many times” for the man his campaign says needs to retire.

The 60-year-old from Vanderburgh County in southern Indiana choked up slightly as he told reporters of a recent private exchange with Lugar at the end of Lincoln Day dinner event in Kendallville.

During the exchange, Mourdock said he reiterated his feelings of respect for the Senator who has been in office for 35 years. If he defeats Lugar Tuesday, Mourdock said, he’ll ask supporters Tuesday for a round of applause to salute the lawmaker’s legacy.

“How do you give 50 years of your life to public service and not have respect for that person?” Mourdock told reporters.

Yet, Mourdock said, Lugar’s votes in recent years show he’s out of touch with Indiana Republicans.

Despite the outgrowth of the Tea Party movement’s call for smaller government, Mourdock said there still does not appear to be enough political will to make the tough budget cuts necessary to reduce the debt significantly.

Mourdock said there is little room for compromise in terms of how to fix the economy because Republicans and Democrats have become polar opposites. Voters have a clear choice between smaller limited government or bigger government, he said.

“One side or the other is going to have to win that argument before we work through this crisis of getting our budget under control,” Mourdock said.

Mourdock was asked about his opinion on election results in France and Greece over the weekend in which voters appeared to reject austerity efforts to overcome issues surrounding debt and how that might relate to efforts by American conservatives to slash budgets.

He said he wasn’t surprised French President Nicolas Sarkozy lost.

“The people who are embracing the call for austerity, particularly in France with Sarkozy, I don’t think were doing a good job of describing why it is so important in the long run,” he said.

The same is true in the United State where Republicans have failed to make their case, he said.

“It’s Republicans who need to be explaining why smaller government, less spending and greater personal responsibility is a good thing,” Mourdock said. “They’re not doing that. If they do that, I think the kind of majorities can be formed that I’m talking about.”

Prior to the speaking engagement, supporters representing several Tea Party groups including Elkhart County Patriots, Tea-Mac and Citizens for Common Sense, of St. Joseph County, waved signs supporting Mourdock.

“Richard Mourdock is probably one of the two most impressive candidates I’ve seen in the 20 years I’ve been politically active,” said Kelly Havens, of St. Joseph County. “The other one, being Jackie Walorski. If we can send the two of them to Congress, they can do for our nation what they’ve been able to do for Indiana.”