Lugar Backs Obama on Iran; Says ‘Hell to Pay’ With Attack

[highplainsdem]

Source: Bloomberg

Senator Richard Lugar, the leading Republican foreign-policy expert in Congress, said President Barack Obama is following the right policy in Iran and warned of the dangers of war.

“The idea of moving with our allies, as many as we can find, on effective sanctions on the country has been the right move” on Iran, Lugar said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt” airing this weekend.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Obama administration have disagreed over how to handle Iran’s production of enriched uranium.

“I understand even some wanting to go to war immediately to stop it where it is and so forth. But even within Israel, the reports are that the debate with Netanyahu is very intense,” said Lugar, an Indiana Republican. “We’re really going to have hell to pay. They will come back on us, and the implications for the Israeli people here are very severe.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-28/lugar-backing-obama-on-iran-says-hell-to-pay-with-arms-attack

[Cane4Dems]

1. one of the only republicans who I actually have respect for

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

6. Yep...

...Lugar has always made sense to me when I have read his positions on such matters.

[caraher]

8. Which is why he couldn't beat a teabagger in the primary

Intelligence and integrity are absolute disqualifications in today's Republican Party.

[BlueMTexpat]

12. Lugar has been one for whom I have

generally had a soft spot too as regards foreign policy. But he isn't radical enough for today's GOP.

[MsPithy]

17. Not so fast...

Lugar is a coward who went along with the insanity that is now the republican party. He did not use his considerable political influence to save his party, which now endangers the whole country.

[sobenji]

18. The crazy was too strong

And Lugar is old and just wasn't up for the fight.

[AngryOldDem]

22. The Tea Party here just piled on, and would not quit.

There was no way in hell that Lugar could make ANY kind of case with them. Richard Lugar is the poster image of who the new GOP is driving out of the party -- moderates who are willing to work both sides of the aisle. He's over 80; IMO he has earned his retirement and shouldn't have to put up with this shit in D.C. anymore.

This week Lugar pointedly said that he will not be campaigning for Richard Mourdock, who has made it a point of pride that it will be "his way or the highway" if he wins. "Compromise" and "bipartisanship" are not in this asshole's vocabulary, and he epitomizes precisely the Tea Party philosophy and why it will drive this country into the ditch if it takes over. (Mitch Daniels has also not formally endorsed Mourdock; he backed Lugar in the primaries.)

Mourdock is so needy for any kind of support that he appeared with Paul Ryan in Indianapolis in a private fund-raiser a few weeks ago --the point has been made that he is so desperate that he will actively embrace the Romney/Ryan ticket, just when a lot of congressional candidates are beating a hasty retreat away from those two.

As far as I know the race is still very tight, and I consider my Senate vote this year much, much more important than that for president. It is all but a foregone conclusion that Romney will win here. (I will still vote for Obama, don't get me wrong.) But a Senator Mourdock scares the living hell out of me.

I've only been a Hoosier for a few years, but I've been a Dem for most of my life, and I can honestly say I miss Dick Lugar in the Senate.

[Historic NY]

2. Meanwhile the rest of his party want to blow the sh-t out of them...

and start another war that their sons or daughters won't fight in.

[fun n serious]

3. Mitt Romney is behind this.

If you listen to the hidden video Willars M Romeny talks about a "Karl rove" equivelant who has worked with Bibi... Says he has a plan. Then.. Bam! Bibi comes out with his cartoon bomb and Faux news is humping it everyday! This is a Sick Campaign move that must have cost Romeny big. I'm usually not a consiracy theorist. Playing these kinds of political games to get elected tells you a little more about who he is and what he will do to get what he wants.

[ancianita]

9. And Sheldon Adelson

[fun n serious]

10. You're not done for the night?

I think its time to take your nite nite meds.

[mountain grammy]

4. Lugar's not running for re-election.

He can afford to sound sane.. By the way, he lost the primary to a right wing, bomb everybody, nut teabagger who Lugar refuses to endorse. The Dem., Joe Donnelly, just might win.

[davidpdx]

7. I think it's a shame he lost

The Republican Party is systematically purging all of their moderates and replacing them with right-wing nutjobs. I hope we have a chance to knock off the guy who beat him. It would give Lugar at least a bit of payback.

[sobenji]

19. No...Lugar endorsed Mourdock

But I wish for just once he would have a spine and do the right thing and pull it back and endorse Donnelly and the president.
But alas, it won't be.

[mountain grammy]

21. oops, you're correct, he sure did

but so far hasn't campaigned for him. That will probably change too with Donnelly polling well. At one time, Lugar was a reasonable conservative. Every now and then his intelligence breaks through.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

5. Lugar should endorse Obama

and tell the teabaggers who through out to suck it

[Zambero]

11. That might help put Indiana in play

But I predict Lugar will remain neutral.

[BlueMTexpat]

13. It would be wonderful if many of his former supporters would

vote for Joe Donnelly in the Senate race, even if they can't bring themselves to vote for the Prez.

One can always hope.

[AngryOldDem]

23. He should, but he won't.

Why give the crazies any more ammunition? It won't pull anybody up short; it won't make them think; it won't make a difference other than to confirm whatever wrong ideas they had about the man in the first place.

Lugar is done with it all. And I don't blame him.

[FarPoint]

27. An out -n-out endorsement would be great.

He is still pisst at the teabagger taking him in the primary.

[Ash_F]

14. Netanyahu is loosing support

Likud almost lost control of the government a few months ago. Lugar is absolutely right that "debate with Netanyahu is very intense"

On top of the Iran issue are austerity measures, backlash against privatization and draft protest. You know, the usual garbage Right-wing leaders dump on their people.

[hrmjustin]

26. i hope that labor wins the next election over there

[cyclezealot]

15. A sane Gobber can still be found..

How rare. & That is why he was defeated in the Rep primary.. What is not known , Netanyahu has hardly a united front in Israel.. And he does not have the executive power of an American president.. The Israeli military is very much afraid of Bibi's warmongering. . wish we could say such for American Republicans. But, their religious ideology probably commands them to Biblical prophesy.

[Norbert]

16. The Tea Party Idiocy

In 2006 Lugar won reelection handily. The Democrats didn't even field a candidate.

2012 should have and would have been a repeat of 2006. But Lugar was labeled a RINO and wasn't "conservative enough" for the Teabaggers. Now Donnely and the Democrats stand a good chance of taking a senate seat that if logic prevailed they should have never had a chance to.

A little info on Lugar. The Teabaggers gave him a chance to grovel back and beg forgiveness ala Orin Hatch. Lugar would have none of it which pissed off the Teabaggers even more. There are things I disagree with Lugar on but I think he is an honorable man and has done some good things as a US Senator.

I Don't trust Mourdoch in the least. He is a Teabagger who will say anything to get elected. Hopefully Donnely can seal the deal by labellying Mourdoch a flip-flopper.

Indiana not nearly is no Mississippi. I know several Hoosiors that love their state but are frustrated at the turn of events in Indiana (Mourdoch, Right to Work, Girl Scouts a "radicalized" organization ect). I think Indiana has a chance to go purple at some point in the future. A Donnely win would be a good start and a huge loss to the Tea Party morons. I just wish Pence could be turned back but Smiley to too much of a Tea Party golden boy.

[sobenji]

20. Nice Indiana state of the state

Pence is too strong, I like Gregg but really he doesn't stand a chance.
Donnelly is a blue dog, but way better than Dick Mourdock.
I wish Obama would close the lead here a little. He was all over the state in 08, first with the primary, then the general, but I understand why he's not, but at least send Biden . It would help the down ticket.

I see lots of Mourdock and Pence signs, a few for Todd Rokita (R- redindiana) but none for MittWit.

[hrmjustin]

28. welcome to du

[KevTucky]

24. When they have no room for a man like Lugar

their party is in trouble. The country suffers as a result.

[indypaul]

25. Agree Lugar is loss to Senate

However, he has played the game for about 40 years and kept the
wing nuts at bay but always relying on their votes and playing to
their issues. This is like taking a tiger to lunch and when the food
has been eaten and the meal finished the beast remains hungry
and the host is now the last course of the meal. This same thing
is happening on the national scene. Romney thought by taking
Ryan as his running-mate would calm the beast and he could proceed
with his run to the center. NOT THIS TIME. Sorry the beast remains
hungry and you, Mr. Romney, are on the menu now.