I’ve heard the critisism that Lugar is not perfect.  That is true.  While Lugar is more conservative than McCain, Brown, Snow, Collins and many other Senate Republicans, there are some times when Lugar does not vote exactly and perfectly down the tea-party line.  Lugar voted for the bridget to nowwhere — the same funding that Palin asked for and kept.  Lugar voted for the same earmarks that the vast majority of the GOP voted for and supported.  Lugar may be pro-life, he may have voted for all the Bush tax cuts, he may have voted to support our troops, and may be a consistant conservative, — but there are instances where he voted along with the vast majority of the Senate — rather than with Coburn.

That said, Mourdock — who is running against Lugar for the GOP nomination — is a far weaker candidate.  Obama will put Indiana in play and the Senate race will be close.  Polling data shows that Lugar is a sure-thing win to keep the Senate seat.  Mourdock, would require a fight to have a chance to win.  Lugar has 4 million in the bank; Mourdock 400k.  Should Mourdock win, he would need funding diverted from other races to help him compete.   Mourdock’s win would hurt the GOP effort to win the Senate, and would also be a worse person to run along side the GOP nominee.

Tea party purists should turn their focus on defeating Snow.  Snow is a consistant left-of-center vote.  She voted AGAINST the 2001 Bush tax cuts.  She voted for gays serving in the military.  She voted to support Roe v Wade.  Snow is the liberal the GOP should purge.  If the GOP wants to clean house, Brown would be another good target.  He voted for Romneycare, and is a consistant liberal voice and vote in the Senate.  He is a liberal democrat on almost every issue.  For some stupid reason, conservatives have given brown millions and millions of dollars. Brown has over 12 million in cash on-hand.  Money wasted defending a liberal, money that could be spent to help real conservatives win.