Lugar vs Mourdock
Select an issue: The Obama Agenda Supreme Court Nominees Illegal Immigration Obamacare Abortion Second Amendment Auto Industry Bailout/Takeover Tarp - The Wall Street Bailout Earmarks and Wasteful Spending START Treaty Term Limits & Government Reform
The Obama Agenda
Lugar StanceDick Lugar has been cited as “Barack Obama’s Favorite Republican” 1 and has seemed star-struck with Obama since they first served together in the Senate. Lugar appeared in a campaign television advertisement for Obama during the 2008 presidential election, then went on to serve as a co-chair for Obama’s inaugural committee, 2 and is now co-sponsoring several pieces of liberal legislation supported by President Obama. 3  |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock does not support Barack Obama. Obama’s agenda of runaway federal spending and expanded government control over nearly every aspect of the economy is contrary to the tradition of free enterprise and limited government that makes America great. Mourdock is a loyal Republican who has campaigned tirelessly across Indiana for Republican candidates.  |
Supreme Court Nominees
Lugar StanceDick Lugar has voted for all of Barack Obama’s liberal activist Supreme Court judicial nominees, including Sonia Sotomayor 4 and Elena Kagan 5. He also supported far-left Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock would have voted against Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, citing clear evidence of their strongly held liberal biases toward government supported legal abortion and their openness to weakening our 2nd amendment rights to bear arms. Mourdock believes that judges should respect the original intent of the Founders when interpreting the meaning of the Constitution. |
Illegal Immigration
Lugar StanceDick Lugar has repeatedly voted for amnesty for illegal immigrants, and is a main sponsor of Obama’s DREAM act 6 that will fast-track amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. At the same time, Lugar has opposed efforts to secure our borders. |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock opposes the DREAM act and any other legislation that would provide amnesty for illegal immigrants. Mourdock believes that we must act immediately to secure our borders and enforce the law. |
ObamaCare
Lugar StanceDick Lugar refused to join Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell and 32 other Republican Senators in signing a legal brief in support of Florida’s lawsuit challenging the Constitutionality of Obamacare. Indiana is also a plaintiff in this lawsuit. |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock believes that Obamacare is blatantly unconstitutional and must be repealed, defunded or overturned by the courts. If left in place, Obamacare will bankrupt our nation, destroy private sector jobs, create mountains of bureaucracy, promote abortion with federal dollars, and co-opt the states to do the bidding of the federal government. |
Abortion
Lugar StanceDick Lugar has enthusiastically voted to confirm liberal nominees to the Supreme Court that have publicly supported legalized abortions and government funding for abortions. Lugar has also voted for federally funded research on human embryos and against limiting taxpayer-funded family planning clinics from advocating abortion. |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock is strongly pro-life and believes that Roe v. Wade represents a serious misreading of the original intent of those who established our Constitution. |
Second Amendment
Lugar StanceDick Lugar earns a “D+” rating from the NRA and an “F” from the Gun Owners of America for being a strong advocate of gun control. Lugar has voted for the “assault weapons” ban, the Brady Bill, the DC handgun ban and other gun control legislation. 7 |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock previously earned an “A” rating from the NRA. He understands that gun control does not equal crime control and that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right guaranteed by the Constitution. |
Auto Industry Bailout/Takeover
Lugar StanceDick Lugar voted with the Democrats to bailout General Motors and Chrysler using our tax dollars. Then he remained silent while the Obama Administration illegally used TARP money to bail out and take over much of the American auto industry. |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock opposed the taxpayer funded bailout and takeover of the U.S. auto industry. As State Treasurer, Richard recognized that the Obama Administration’s federally-orchestrated bankruptcy plan for Chrysler would cost Indiana pensioners millions of dollars. On behalf of the pensioners, Richard fought the Administration’s plan all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. |
TARP – The Wall Street Bailout
Lugar StanceDick Lugar voted for Obama’s $700 Billion TARP financial industry bailout that increased the national debt limit to $11.3 Trillion and did nothing to help prevent the recession. |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock understands that TARP has become a slush fund for unelected bureaucrats in the Obama Administration to promote their agenda of placing more of our economy under Federal control. 8 This program should be ended immediately. |
Earmarks and Wasteful Spending
Lugar StanceDick Lugar has consistently voted against ending or even reforming the corrupt system of “earmark” spending, even joining with Democrats to stop Republican Senators from placing a 3-year moratorium on all earmarks. 9 |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock opposes “earmarks” and believes that this non-transparent process of adding often wasteful pork-barrel spending to the federal budget prevents a meaningful debate and vote on these projects while making Congress susceptible to corruption. |
START Treaty
Lugar StanceDick Lugar joined with Democrats to pass the START treaty that promises to reduce our strategic nuclear arsenal and restrict our ability to develop a missile defense system. 10 |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock believes that while reducing the world’s nuclear arsenals is an important goal, we must not do so in a way that compromises U.S. sovereignty or impairs our ability to defend our nation. |
Term Limits & Government Reform
Lugar StanceDick Lugar opposes term limits for members of Congress. Additionally, Lugar has voted numerous times over the last 35 years to raise his own salary in the United States Senate. |
Mourdock StanceRichard Mourdock believes that serving in the office of U.S. Senator should not come with a lifelong tenure. He supports a reasonable term limit, in the form of a Constitutional Amendment, of twelve years for members of Congress. In addition, Richard believes the practice of Senators taking automatic pay increases is inappropriate and must stop. This is particularly true when Congress refuses to balance the federal budget and so many Americans are struggling. As State Treasurer, Richard has shown leadership by refusing to accept automatic salary increases during these tough economic times. |
