Richard Lugar was Richard Nixon's favorite mayor before he ran for the Senate. Defeated in Tuesday's Indiana primary, liberal Democrats and the media are bemoaning the loss of a centrist.
To Democrats, a centrist is someone who gives in to them most of the time. They praise such people and condemn others who stand on their conservative principles as extremists.
Indiana is a mostly reliable Republican state and the victor in Tuesday's primary, Richard Mourdock, should win the general election. But Democrats see an opportunity to hold on to their Senate majority and will contribute money to the Democrat candidate.
I'm all for common ground. I co-wrote a book and do a column about it for USA Today. But finding common ground doesn't mean compromising principles. Richard Lugar stayed too long in Washington and became an argument for term limits. Republican voters in Indiana did just that by limiting the 80-year-old to six terms.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
Publication date: May 10, 2012
