“He does not have a house in Indiana but that is immaterial to this,” the spokesman said then.
According to Willkie, Lugar is “an owner” of the “604-acre family corn, soybean, and tree farm in Marion County, Indiana.” Moreover, Willkie said, the 79-year-old Lugar “actively manages” and pays property taxes on the farm.
<snipped>
Willkie also said, however, that Lugar does not stay at the farm when he is in Indiana.
“There’s no house at the farm that you would stay in, so far as a physical residence,” Willkie said. “There’s a multitude of places where he stays.”
http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/01/lugar ... n-indiana/

I haven't paid much attention to this race because until recently I believed there was little doubt Sen Lugar would dispose of his Tea Party challenger then easily win re-election to his 7th term. Real Clear Politics and the Cook Political Report have been calling the race "Likely Republican" for months now.

I seem to remember watching the hearing after the Taitz Screech at the Indiana Election Commission where someone challenged Lugar as to eligibility to be on the ballot since he doesn't live in Indiana, but owns a residence near DC.

The board decided that since Lugar got 3 state attorneys general to issue him a letter saying he was good to go, they kept him on the ballot.

You are right, there are some folks who are truly pissed at Lugar. How can you represent a state when you don't really live there and haven't for 20 years or so?

The Election Commission turned down the challenge. However, it did raise a bunch of eyebrows. He is just so out of touch with the people of his state.

Lugar sold his house in Indiana decades ago but he still used the address for his DL, vehicle reg. and voter reg. That was brought up at the challenge.

I know. I was there.

Those are all issues relating to "domicile," a legal issue separate from "residence." Lugar presented a compelling and successful argument that he always intended to return to Indiana. Whether Lugar was legally successful or not, many Hoosiers have little respect for Lugar or desire that he return to office.

This week, the National Rifle Association and the conservative Club for Growth each launched new television ads targeting Lugar’s long tenure in Congress.

The latest poll in the state, taken at the end of last month, shows Lugar seven points ahead of his challenger but attracting just 42 percent of the support. Still, he leads among those who identified as independent or as leaning Republican by 26 points, which can be an advantage in an open primary.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articl ... 13805.html

Groups supporting Mourdock have spent a total of nearly $1.5 million, while a handful of groups have come to Lugar’s aid, spending nearly $800,000 in response.

Lined up behind challenger Mourdock, predictably, are FreedomWorks and the Club for Growth, two Washington-based groups that make a practice of supporting fiscally conservative challengers in Republican primaries. FreedomWorks has spent nearly $300,000, almost all of it on polling, online ads attacking Lugar, paid- organizing staff and signs. The Club for Growth, typically preferring the air wars, has spent more than $850,000 flooding the state with TV ads, direct mail and radio advertising attacking Lugar’s record and promoting Mourdock as the conservative choice.

Also backing Mourdock is the National Rifle Association, which gives Lugar an F grade and endorsed his challenger in March. The group has spent over $320,000 on phone-banking, TV, radio, and mail. The group has borne a grudge against Lugar since he voted for the Brady Bill in 1993, as The Atlantic Wire has pointed out. And it’s perhaps not the backing Mourdock wants, but Majority PAC, the Democratic super PAC dedicated to Senate races, reported spending $10,000 on Internet ads attacking Lugar.

The American Action Network, founded by former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and all-around GOP activist and fundraiser Fred Malek, sprung to Lugar’s defense, pledging nearly $600,000 worth of ads earlier this month. So far, the group has spent nearly $344,000 of that.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/20 ... e-primary/

I will note that in my part of rural Indiana, there is great and visible hostility to Lugar. If mere vehemence adds up to votes, he'd be gone. The homes that do have anti-Lugar signs generally have lots of them and endorse other Tea Party candidates. I'd agree with the general conclusion that if Lugar wins the primary (as he probably will), he has a comfortable ride to victory, but a bagger victory could put the seat in play.

Former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin threw her support behind Treasurer Richard Mourdock’s (R) bid to unseat six-term Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) today.
http://www3.atr.rollcall.com/indiana-sa ... or-senate/

Timing is everything, especially in a political campaign. Come out negative too early and you can turn off voters. Wait too long to try to brand your opponent and you might find it hard to get your message across.
That seems to be the case with the campaign of six-term Sen. Richard Lugar, whose efforts to paint tea party-backed state Treasurer Richard Mourdock as untrustworthy last week had all the markings of a desperate attempt to toss anything and everything at Mourdock to see what might stick less than two weeks before the vote that could end Lugar's political career.
<snipped>
The campaign's effort to make a dent in Mourdock this close to the primary begs the question: Has Lugar waited too long to try to brand his opponent?
<snipped>
Meanwhile, 36 years of successful branding has labeled Lugar as a bipartisan operator with deep roots in Washington, a no-no among tea partyers and conservatives.
http://www.indystar.com/article/2012043 ... imary-race

The survey, taken Tuesday and Wednesday by Wenzel Strategies on behalf of Citizens United, places Mourdock at 44 percent and Lugar at 39 percent. Nearly 17 percent remain undecided with just 12 days to go until the Indiana Senate primary.
Citizens United is backing Mourdock in the May 8 contest.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75645.html

The Howey/DePauw Indiana Battleground Poll, conducted by two prominent Republican and Democratic pollsters, shows Mourdock with a 48 percent to 38 percent lead over Lugar.
http://www.indystar.com/article/2012050 ... dyStar.com

Lugar is history. That's what the Republicans get for playing pattycake with Tea Baggers and neoclowns.

Lugar is history. That's what the Republicans get for playing pattycake with Tea Baggers and neoclowns.

If Mourdock wins the primary, expect St Sarah to take the credit.

Democrats, though, said that attitude [not working with the other side] is one reason they think their candidate, U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, can win in November if Republicans nominate Mourdock.
Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker pointed to the poll's finding that 60 percent of the likely GOP primary voters polled want a senator to focus on trying to solve the nation's problems, "even if that means working with elected officials across the aisle to do it."
Only 30 percent of those polled preferred their senator to focus first on standing up for conservative principles, even if that meant rejecting bipartisanship to solve problems.
That, Parker said, is "the one number in this primary poll that tells me the matchup for Joe Donnelly against Mourdock is going to be a good one."
http://www.indystar.com/article/2012050 ... t|Election 2012

Democrats think some of the issues helping Mourdock now -- his backing by tea party activists and his opposition to the auto bailout that helped Indiana-based auto companies and suppliers -- are ripe for [Congressman Joe] Donnelly to use against him in November.

Still, voter turnout for either party is not expected to be big. In 2008, 185,692 Hoosiers cast absentee or early ballots in the primary election. As of Thursday, only about 89,000 people had voted early or requested an absentee ballot. Of those, about 55,000 were Republicans and just fewer than 34,000 were Democrats.
http://www.indystar.com/article/2012050 ... od|mostcom

"Sore loser" statutes have generally been upheld.

If Mourdock wins the primary, however, the Senate seat becomes a probable Democratic win. He's crazy and stupid and repulsive enough to drive people to vote for a Democrat.

Go Mourdock, except the unanticipated could happen....