Senator Lugar Charts His Course Against the Winds

[ccharles000]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/us/politics/28lugar.html?_r=2

WASHINGTON — Mavericks are not in vogue these days on Capitol Hill, a place where hyper-partisanship and obduracy seem to be their own rewards.

But Senator Richard G. Lugar, an Indiana Republican who played that role long before it had a brand name, is standing against his party on a number of significant issues at a politically dangerous time to do so.

A reliable conservative for decades on every issue, he nonetheless fought President Ronald Reagan — and prevailed — on apartheid penalties and over the Philippine presidential election. He went head to head with Senator Jesse Helms in the 1990s over the nomination of William F. Weld, former governor of Massachusetts, as ambassador to Mexico.

Now, in the heat of the post-primary lame-duck Congressional session, he is defying his party on an earmark ban, a bill that would create a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants, a military spending authorization bill and an arms control treaty with Russia.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Lugar may be a reactionary bonehead,

but he's an honest one.

[WCGreen]

2. Diogenes looking for that principled republican....

Eureka, he found one...

[SteveG]

3. Lugar is a Principled Old School Republican

They used to exist. I didn't agree with them most of the time, but they were actually decent honorable people. He may be the last of the line.

[MiniMe]

4. I used to think that McCain was one of those, but my opinion of him has

changed.

[AlinPA]

5. He is a dinosaur in the republican teabagger world. They are in charge now. nt