Lugar fights back in early campaign ad

WISH TV

Jim Shella

Updated: Jul 20, 2011 7:47 PM

In his first campaign ad of the 2012 election cycle Richard Lugar tries to cast his six terms in office in a positive light. The new spot is a response to an attack ad from the conservative Club for Growth.

It's unusual both because the primary election is still almost 10 months away and because the Republican Senator is reacting to an outside group. Lugar appears on camera in the ad taking issue with the job creation policies of President Obama.

"He's just wrong," he says. "For 35 years I've battled for balanced budgets and less government."

The ad includes video of Lugar with President Ronald Reagan. It's a message to conservatives who think the Senator is too willing to negotiate with Democrats. Count among them the Club for Growth which began running Lugar attack ads a week ago that include these lines, "35 years. That's how long Richard Lugar's been in Washington. What's he done about our debt?" Former Indiana Congressman Chris Chocola heads up the conservative political action committee.

Lugar is facing a primary challenge from state Treasurer Richard Mourdock and that's one more reason for the early ad campaign that was predicted when the Indiana Week in Review panel discussed the attack ad.

"And I tell you what, they picked the wrong guy to have a fight with," said Republican John Hammond. "Dick Lugar is a very fierce competitor and I think they're going to find that out and so will Richard Mourdock."

Asked if the ad works, Democrat Ann DeLaney said, "I think that ad works because it reinforces the notion that he's been there too long which I think is his biggest liability."

Lugar wants voters to believe it's an attribute. "It is a long time before the primary but certainly the Senator is going to be defending his record," says David Willkie, spokesman for the Lugar campaign.

And he's not about to be caught off guard. The Lugar ads will be on the air for at least two weeks

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