Well Done Senator Lugar

From the give credit where credit is due department, well done Senator Lugar. The payroll tax cut extension package contains language that would require a speedy decision from the White House on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Senator Lugar inserted the language into the bill that forces the administration to make a decision within 60 days on whether or not to allow construction on the pipeline. While Obama can still nix the project if he determines it is not in the national interest he will appease his environmental friends at the expense of antagonizing labor. Lugar said, “This bill will stop President Obama’s delaying tactics. This is a tremendous victory for our security and for creating jobs. It is absolutely incredible that President Obama wants to delay a decision until after the 2012 elections apparently in fear of offending a part of his political base and even risking the ire of construction unions who strongly support the project. It is the largest shovel-ready infrastructure project in the United States,”

Regular readers of this blog no that I've been pretty stingy in my praise of Senator Lugar and his Tea Party challenger, Richard Mourdock. My memory of Lugar goes back to when he was the mayor of Indianapolis and was dubbed "Nixon's favorite mayor". His lifetime conservative rating is 77 which puts him to the left of those who usually anger us, Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Scott Brown but well ahead of Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. Yes, I do wish he would retire but I will not endorse his opponent whom I remember since his first run for Congress from Indiana's eighth congressional district in 1992. Before you jump on Mourdock's bandwagon you might consider his chances of winning the general election. He lost three congressional races. The only poll conducted so far gave him a 17% approval rating compared to Lugar's 59%. The Democratic candidate, Joe Donnelly may give Lugar a good race but he would walk over Mourdock. Mourdock is not a safe bet.