By Scott Tibbs, November 1, 2011
Richard Mourdock picked up a big endorsement when FreedomWorks For America announced that they would endorse him over incumbent Senator Richard Lugar. Here is a good post about the endorsement from FWFA and a devastating list of all of Lugar's anti-conservative votes going back to 1977.
With FreedomWorks and the Tea Party Express backing Mourdock, the momentum to replace Lugar is growing. Republicans are growing increasingly tired of Lugar's voting record, from voting for the assault weapons ban (which has since expired) and the Brady Law to confirming both of Barack Obama's nominees to the Supreme Court.
It is that aspect of Lugar's record that deserves more examination. Some people (including some conservatives) would argue that the President should be able to choose who he wants, absent incompetence or corruption. For posts within the administration, that is a good policy. After all, when Obama leaves the White House, his cabinet will also leave. The Senate should have oversight, but should defer to the President's judgment and electoral mandate.
Lifetime judicial appointments - especially to the Supreme Court - are another matter entirely. Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan will continue to serve on SCOTUS for decades after Obama leaves office, and their warped "interpretations" of the Constitution will continue to do great harm. We have seen how Ruth Bader Ginsburg has worked against liberty for the last 18 years, and how her votes (especially on campaign finance "reform") have been in direct conflict with the literal, word-for-word text of the First Amendment.
It is the duty of the U.S. Senate to ensure that we are not appointing judges who substitute their own political agenda for the law. While it is true that elections have consequences, the President is not the only elected official in Washington. Elections for U.S. Senators should also have consequences, and one of those consequences should be stopping extreme-Left nominees. That is why this is arguably Lugar's worst transgression against conservatism.
