Last week, the Herald-Times (subscription required) reported that the U.S. Senate rejected an amendment that would allow people to “carry hidden guns in 48 states if they have a concealed weapon permit in any one of them.” Indiana’s senators took opposite positions on the vote, with Evan Bayh voting for the amendment and Richard Lugar opposing it.
I am a firm believer in the right to keep and bear arms, and I think concealed carry is a good policy. I am also a firm believer in states’ rights. It is not the proper role of the federal government to be dictating firearms policy to all the states. If concealed carry limitations are constitutional, then the federal government should not interfere with the states setting their own policy on the issue. This anti-conservative amendment is another example of Republicans implementing policy from one city on the east coast for a nation of 300 million, instead of trusting the voters of 50 states to choose the policy that is best for their particular state through their state legislatures and governors.
(Read more after the leap)
From Hoosier Access commenter Nathan Brindle on One Man’s Vote:
“Failed a 3/5 majority requirement by 2 votes, 58-39, 3 not voting.
Here is the roll call vote. F*****g Lugar voted NAY. Bayh, surprisingly enough, voted YEA.
Feel free to find your own local gun-banner senileator and give it what-fer.”
You can tell when Bayh’s senate term is up for a vote – He goes from liberal to moderate.
The comments on Nathan’s blog:
Jeff Naylor writes: “Lugar: Anti-gun, pro-Sotomayor. Sounds like a Dem to me.”
Christopher Hodapp writes: “My God, Lugar has got to go.He gets worse every year that passes, and he’s overstayed his welcome.“
From the IndyStar:
Republican Sen. Richard Lugar plans to vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, calling her “clearly qualified” and “well regarded in the legal community and by her peers.”
Lugar said Friday that he listened to Sotomayor’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week and reviewed her record and recommendations from Indiana constituents and from Senate colleagues.
“Judge Sotomayor is clearly qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and she has demonstrated a judicial temperament during her week-long nomination hearing,” Lugar said in a statement. “Judge Sotomayor has had a distinguished career of public service.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote to approve Sotomayor’s nomination as early as next week. The full Senate should vote before adjourning for their August recess.
Lugar was among the Republicans who voted to confirm Sotomayor to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1998. Lugar generally thinks presidents of both parties should be given deference in their nominations for appointed positions.
But he did not support one of President Bill Clinton’s Supreme Court nominees. Lugar voted for Ruth Bader Ginsburg and against Stephen Breyer.
Fifty Indiana law professors recently joined more than 1,100 law professors from around the country in urging the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.
I’ll start the conversation here, and then round robin to some of our other great conservative sites in the state.
Dan Dumezich for Congressional District One?
I believe that Dan Dumezich should re-think his options and run instead against Pete Visclosky for the first district seat.
- Dan can raise money, both inside and outside the district
- Dan has a strong and well known name in the district and has recently put old turf wars with current Lake County GOP chair behind them
- Pete is as weak as he’s going to be, with PMA lobbying money scandal and having to remove himself from position of earmark power
- The voters in the first district are getting pretty sick of calls for increased taxes to bail out Gary and the northern Lake County communities.
- If Dan wins, we pick up a seat no one thought would ever go R. If he loses by 4-5 points, he is the logical successor to Senator Lugar who will I’m sure soon retire.
I’ll let you the readers tell me I’m all wet, that’s fine, since that’s the primary goal of this site and other similar ones. But, before you cry ‘impossible’ think carefully about the possibilities.
From the Journal Gazette:
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said Tuesday he will support the nomination of an Indiana University law professor to head the Obama administration’s internal law office.
He is the first Republican to publicly declare his backing for Dawn Johnsen, whose selection to head the Office of Legal Counsel has grown into a fight about abortion rights and counterterrorism practices.
Some Republicans have promised to try to block Johnsen’s confirmation either because of her support for abortion rights or because she criticized the legal justification used by the Bush administration for the torture of detainees.
Lugar’s support does not guarantee the Senate will confirm Johnsen. Sixty votes are needed to stave off a filibuster, and vote-counters say they are aware of close to 60 “yes” votes for Johnsen, but they are not declaring victory. One Democrat – Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson – has said he will vote against Johnsen.
Advocacy groups have turned Johnsen’s nomination into a high-profile tussle in Washington. On Tuesday morning, a group of 75 Hoosier law professors signed a letter asking Lugar to support Johnsen.
Lugar has said that, barring something extraordinary, a president should be able to choose top aides even if they support policies the opposition party opposes. He has also said Congress should not require as many posts be reviewed and voted on; about 500 positions require Senate confirmation.
I’m so glad that Dick Lugar is rushing so quickly to replace Arlen Specter as the most annoying member of the Senate Republican caucus.
Specter expected a filibuster of Johnsen last week, but since he’s switched it’s probably no longer an operative consideration.
There is at least one conservative Democrat that opposes Johnsen’s nomination, which would have given the Republicans at least the 41 votes to filibuster the radical Obama nominee. With Lugar’s rather spineless decision, that becomes more difficult.
For review, let’s look at some of Johnsen’s statements about abortion:
(Read more after the leap)
Cuba. A country 92 miles from America’s most southern point. And a nation which stands alone. An island country, where communism reigns and thousands try to escape from each year.
A nation clouded in mystery, as well as trouble.
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 passed by Congress prohibits aid to Cuba and authorizes the President to create a “total embargo upon all trade” with Cuba. President Kennedy in 1962, expanded the embargo to include imports of all goods made from or containing Cuban materials, even if made in other countries.
Then August 1, 1962, Congress amends the Foreign Assistance Act to prohibit aid to “any country” that provides assistance to Cuba.
In 1963, the Kennedy administration prohibits travel to Cuba and makes financial and commercial transactions with Cuba illegal for U.S. citizens. Thus, the door has been closed for the last 46 years.
President Obama campaigned on the idea of a fresh look at the U.S. foreign policy. He has said that he would be open to meeting with Raul Castro, who took over as Cuba’s president for his ailing brother, Fidel. Obama also supports easing limitations on the number of visits and the amount of money sent to Cuba by family members in the U.S.
But like his predecessor, George W. Bush, Obama has said he believes the embargo provides important leverage with the country’s leaders.
Indiana’s own US Senator, Richard Lugar believes maybe it’s time to reexamine the whole policy towards Cuba.
(Read more after the leap)
With President Obam just finishing his visit Elkhart to push for passage of his Stimulus Bill, Indiana finds itself right back in the spotlight.
Senator Lugar turned down a chance to ride on the brand new Air Force One with the President on the way to this little trip. Of course Evan Bayh had no such problem and quickly agreed to the free tax payer paid trip to sell a political idea.
Mike Pence took it to Barney Frank by explaining that government spending typically isn’t the best way to create jobs, when interupted he then snapped at Congressman Frank with “you’re misrepresenting my point.” Good job to a man that could be the Speaker of the House in 2012, Rep. Mike Pence.
The Mayor of Carmel Indiana, Brainard, conducted an interview with CNN suggesting that mayors would be better suited to using stimulus money. So while Governor Daniels is being very cautious about potential infrastructure projects and reminding schools and communities that they cannot use the money to balance their budgets, Mayor Brainard is getting in line to suggest “just give us a bunch of cash.” I’ve met Mayor Brainard and I think he has his eyes on higher office, possibly even a run for governor in 2012.
When the government begins handing out cash, the are suggesting the handouts will include some strings on how the cash is used by corporations. Is this legal?
Senator Richard Lugar, before he even had the chance to get asked, may have turned down a potential opportunity to serve in Barack Obama’s cabinet. Though this story appeared on WTHR’s website the day after the election, it does not give any indication as to when the question asked.
Indiana republican Senator Richard Lugar says he is not interested in serving in a Barack Obama White House.
There had been speculation that the next president might select Lugar to serve on his cabinet. But during a recent news conference in South Bend, Lugar made clear he wanted to continue to serve in the Senate.
“I responded to a student question earlier in the day. They were asking whether I was interested in a Cabinet position or some other situation. And I said, ‘No, I’m not,’ because really from the time that I came back from the Navy, tried to save our family business, this is with by brother, a farm and a manufacturing concern, I’ve wanted to be my own boss – an independent spirit. And that I have been able to do as mayor of Indianapolis or as senator. I appreciate that opportunity. I think I can be the greatest value to the country, really giving independent judgments. It’s the best judgment I can give. So whoever it is, whether it’s my friend John McCain or my friend Barack, I’m going to do the best we can when called upon,” he said.
