Dems attack Lugar's living arrangements

WISH TV

Updated: Feb 9, 2012 7:00 PM

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar lives in Virginia. It's not a legal problem, according to the Indiana attorney general. It may be a political problem, however, if Democrats and Tea Party supporters get their way. They are all trying to make the case that Dick Lugar is disconnected from Indiana.

A new web video from a Democratic political action committee, American Bridge, points out that Lugar is registered to vote at an Indianapolis home he sold 35 years ago. He lives in McLean, Va., and while the video suggests something sinister, the senator is following an accepted practice.

"It's just like the United States military," said Lugar campaign spokesman David Willkie. "If you're a military personnel and in defense of this country, in service to this country, and you're overseas, you keep your last place of residence."

But a recent admission by Lugar that he stays in hotels when he comes back to Indiana has prompted Indiana Democrats to challenge him to disclose where he stays at taxpayer expense, and how much he pays.

"He owes it to the people of Indiana to disclose what he spent the money on," state Democratic Chairman Dan Parker said.

It's all an effort to boost the chances of Lugar primary opponent Richard Mourdock by reinforcing the fact that Lugar is seeking a seventh term. The accusation is tough to refute.

"He's not disconnected from Indiana," said Willkie. "He stays in Indiana, he's meeting with Hoosiers constantly. He's working with his family farm, he goes to church here in Indiana."

That doesn’t satisfy Parker, though.

"Well, he's clearly lost touch," Parker said, "so it's incumbent on him to tell us how he's spending our tax money."

Lugar generally stays at the downtown Marriott when he's here in Indianapolis.

Democrats said he should maintain a second residence here. The Lugar campaign said he can't afford it.

But then, this isn't really about where he lives, it's about the charge that he has lost touch with his constituents.

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