Indiana: Dick Lugar’s Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

Sen. Dick Lugar’s (R-Ind.) re-election campaign has seen better days, even this cycle.

The six-term Senator faces a tough primary against state Treasurer Richard Mourdock on May 8, but this must be Lugar’s worst week yet for his prospects. A request for response from Lugar’s team was not immediately returned this afternoon.

In the meantime, here’s the countdown of Lugar’s lackluster week:

2. Lugar will have to cough up $4,500 to pay back the government for his Indianapolis hotel stays during visits to the Hoosier State, according to a Politico report out this morning. Forget the actual sum: The news underscores Lugar’s residency problems again. He doesn’t own a home in Indiana, and his office made taxpayers foot the bill for his overnight trips — accidentally, Lugar says.

3. A new Democratic poll released Monday showed Lugar with a slim, 6-point lead over Mourdock. Sure, it’s an internal poll from the campaign of likely Democratic Senate nominee Rep. Joe Donnelly. But the poll also shows Lugar’s lead has been cut in half over the past several months.

4. Lugar filed to appeal a local elections board decision that ruled him ineligible to vote. Legal experts say he’ll probably win his appeal, but talk about damaging headlines:

“Lugar Appeals Ruling That He Is Not Indiana Resident”

“Lugars appeal Election Board’s residency ruling”

http://atr.rollcall.com/indiana-dick-lugars-horrible-no-good-very-bad-week/