Moderates in Mourning

Indiana state treasurer Richard Mourdock, a Tea Party-backed Conservative candidate, defeated long-time Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar by 60 percent in the Indiana primary yesterday.

This was a huge win for the Tea Party movement, and a blow to Republican moderates.  Not that NBC Politics considered it a victory.  They reported the news with a political obituary for the 80 year-old, six-term Lugar.

“Republican foreign policy elder statesmen Sen. Richard Lugar, 80, first elected to the Senate in 1976 was defeated in the Indiana primary Tuesday by state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who was backed by conservatives ranging from the National Rifle Association to local Tea Party activists to the Washington-based fiscal conservative group the Club for Growth.”

Notice the reporter, Tom Curry, uses the passive voice.  He makes note of Lugar’s age and the number of years he served in the Senate, and refers to the Senator as an “elder statesmen” connoting dignity and experience.  Curry takes his time getting around to naming the winner in the paragraph, and notes that Mourdock was backed by – boo, hiss! – Conservatives.  It’s enough to make a Moderate shudder.

Curry then quotes National Senatorial Committee chairman Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who grouses, “It will probably make it more of a contest if Sen. Lugar is not the nominee, but I’m confident we’ll hold the seat.”  What a vote of confidence that is.

Still NBC Politics reports that, “In a statement Tuesday night once the outcome was clear, Cornyn said Mourdock ‘has the NRSC’s full support and we are committed to helping elect him as Indiana’s next U.S. Senator in November.’"  Too bad they weren’t so committed to helping Rick Santorum win. 

The NRSC keeps sending me and my friends donation letters and we keep throwing them out.  These days, what money I have goes to the Tea Party instead.  Not only does my money go to a good cause by donating to Americans for Prosperity or the Morristown Tea Party, but donating to MTP (which deals strictly in issue education, not political campaigns), I can get a cool tee shirt or bumper sticker.

Late last week and early this week, pundits were asking where the Tea Party is.  Well, there they are, working away in Indiana.  As you can see, the Tea Party is certainly about more than just rallies (happy now?).  It’s about rallying Conservatives out of their hiding holes, coming out of their suburban shells and standing up for lower taxes, smaller government, less regulation, and freedom, right in their own backyards.  It’s also about supporting worthy Conservative candidates who will represent true American values and limited government.

Congratulations to Mr. Mourdock and the Indiana Tea Party, and best of luck in the upcoming Senatorial election!