Posted on 01/12/2011 9:42:37 AM PST by digger48
On the surface, the Indiana Tea Party groups’ efforts to keep Republican Richard Lugar from a seventh term appear to be a David vs. Goliath scenario.
First elected to the Senate in 1976, Lugar garnered 86 percent of the vote in 2006 to keep his seat for a sixth term. Come 2012, he is expected to have a challenger.
Hoosiers for a Conservative Senate 2012 is galvanizing the support of Tea Party groups around the state to find that challenger.
State Treasurer Richard Mourdock and State Sen. Mike Delph is already considering a run for the seat.
On Jan.. 22 at Heartland Ministries in Tipton County, Hoosiers for a Conservative Senate 2012 will host Tea Party organizations from around the state. Up for discussion will be the groups’ universal support of a single candidate against Lugar.
Greg Fettig, spokesman for the group, said 60 Tea Party organizations have already agreed to send representatives to the initial meeting, which he expects to attract national media attention.
There are believed to be 80 Tea Party organizations in the state, including groups in Miami, Tipton and Howard counties.
About 125 Tea Party leaders are expected to be in attendance, two from each organization, according to Fettig.
“This is round one of many rounds,” he said. “We want to create unity as a Tea Party.”
Fettig said many Tea Party members were not happy with the 2010 candidacy of Republican Dan Coats, who won re-election to the Senate. He said members were divided in their support among Marlin Stutzman, Don Bates Jr. and Richard Beinhy in the race for the nomination last May.
“We couldn’t reach a consensus,” he said. “People around the country have said Tea Party groups can’t organize. We want to prove them wrong.”
Fettig said the first meeting’s purpose will be getting the Tea Party groups to work together so the most conservative candidate will be elected in 2012.
Potential candidates are expected to address a caucus in June.
“We want to focus on one candidate, then work to gather support from other organizations,” Fettig said. “We have to convince people who have supported Lugar in the past to consider another candidate.”
Craig Dunn, chairman of the Howard County Republican Party, said the Tea Party organizational meeting is not a surprise.
“The Tea Party people were less than thrilled about the Dan Coats nomination,” he said. “They realize it would be a better position to narrow the field and have a one-on-one race against Lugar.”
Fettig said if the Tea Party groups can’t agree on a single candidate in 2012, then it will not be possible to defeat Lugar in 2012.
He noted that Rep. Dan Burton won the GOP nomination in the 5th Congressional District when there were several challengers.
It's got a petition to pass around to get him on the ballot and other assorted pleas and pamphlets.
Why, according to this outfits polling, old Dick is juas the bestes and most popular politician in Indiana, and even bests most of the national figures on either side of the aisle by 20-30%!
If we won’t use the “vitriolic language” then by golly the media will use it for us.
"...just the bestest..." sorry, fat fingers today.
I got the envelope also and I wrote my thoughts on the return donation form and sent it back with no money. I let them know, in no uncertain terms, that I will do everything in my power to see him defeated in 2012. I also asked him to resign for the good of this country.
The TEA Party needs to find a good, solid challenger. Would Mike Pence be interested?
you know what...I didn't even catch that!
I got the same envelope from Lugar and it promptly went in the trash. My only regret is that I didn’t return it telling him why he would not get my support.
I'm sure they 'see' their use of the word 'target' as different from a conservatives use of the word 'target'. They will point out that we can't see the difference, because we are so illiterate.
I thought you were poking fun at Arianna Huffington.
Lugar hasn’t represented the interests of Indiana for many years. RINOS and RATS must be shown the door.
I don’t see Lugar as responsive to the people who put him in office.
I moved from IN about 3 years ago. If I had recieved that mailing I would have done the same and follow up with an email and phone call asking for his resignation.....
He is worthless.....
I got one too. I was going to return it with some strong opinions, but decided against it.
Lugar should resign but he won’t, and yes, we the TEA Party have him in the crosshairs.
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