Dick Lugar Allowed To Vote In Indiana Again

Virginia resident and Indiana Republican Sen. Dick Lugar will be allowed to vote in the state he represents, after all.

The local elections board had ruled Lugar and his wife ineligible to vote because they actually live in McLean, Va., having moved out of the Hoosier State 35 years ago when Lugar came to Congress. Lugar had continued to use the Indiana address of the home he sold at the time.

But Friday, lawyers for the Marion County Election Board and the veteran senator cut a deal resolving a complaint brought by opponents, the Indianapolis Star reported.

Lugar will be able to vote as long as he registers from the address of a farm his family owns in Marion County.

While the legal issues for Lugar may be resolved, there is still the political issue of living out of state, and Lugar's campaign tried to address that by arguing he's been abiding by the advice of state and local officials all along. If the issue is pressed further, it will represent "continued pettiness on the part of a handful of disgruntled political opponents," campaign spokesman Andy Fisher said in a statement.

Here is the campaign's statement:

March 30, 2012 - Throughout his Senate career, Senator and Mrs. Lugar have relied upon the legal guidance of the Marion County Election Board, the Marion County Voter Registration Board, and the offices of three Indiana Attorneys General that their voter registration was proper and legal. This has been completely unchallenged throughout the years and only in the course of this campaign has it been pushed by his political challengers for mischievous purposes. There has never been a question that Sen. and Mrs. Lugar are, and have been, residents of Indiana and Marion County. Today, the court has obtained from the Marion County Election Board assurances that the Lugars may vote from the Lugar family farm which has been in the family for generations and has been managed by Senator Lugar continuously for many years, and this is now where they should vote. With this new legal guidance the issue of the Lugars' voting registration is resolved. Any further challenge will clearly be nothing more than continued pettiness on the part of a handful of disgruntled political opponents.

Comments

[The ORF in Largo]

12:27 PM on 04/02/2012

If Sen Lugar was a Democrat there would National Media attention and calls for investigations
of voter fraud. Faux Noise would be on this 24/7.

[Dan Crabtree]

02:38 PM on 03/31/2012

Yet our secretary of state was forced to resign because his address was not in his voting precinct..odd indeed as lugar has not lived in indiana for thirty five years and very seldom even comes back to the state..he's done just does not know it yet..

[A Mendocino Farmer]

12:17 PM on 03/31/2012

As long as he brings home the bacon Indiana will keep him, he's bought and paid for and as a senior senator his access to the levers of power make him indispensable. Indiana's beguiler....

I think John Steinbeck put it best amidst his opening salvo in Cannery Row. To wit:

“It has always seemed strange to me... the things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second.”

[legitane]

12:14 PM on 03/31/2012

How can anybody represent a state in the Senate and not be allowed to vote there ?

[Turkeyrun]

10:07 AM on 03/31/2012

My questions would be this. Where in the past has Lugar voted, in Virginia or Indiana? Is his drivers license in Virginia or Indiana? I am not saying there is fraud here, but the potential is there and the Senator should probably answer those questions. Seems to me that is the same problem that Santorum had when he lost his election.

[Madtek]

09:36 AM on 03/31/2012

Well there's some out and out voter fraud! And you just know Faux noise will be all over this, right Hannity?? O'Really??

[hopeisalive]

09:21 AM on 03/31/2012

This with the now ability, due to redistricting, to run for become a Representative who doesn't live in the District seems to violate a basic principle of the politician representing the people of his/her State or District. Why would anyone vote for someone who doesn't even know their area or problems?

[central cal]

01:42 PM on 03/31/2012

I happen to think Lugar has been there way too long. Save us from more Robert Byrds. However, since he is a senator and not a member of the House of Representatives, the issue of redistricting is not relevant unless they are redrawing state lines.

[hopeisalive]

04:59 PM on 03/31/2012

It is still strange to think that those who are elected to represent people, don't live in the district of the people they represent. As for Senator Lugar, it is hard to think of him other than to remember all that he hasn't done for his State.

[ray77]

09:04 AM on 03/31/2012

He's what is wrong with career politicians. They represent their parties ideologies, not the people they supposedly serve! How would he know what his constituents want, he hasn't lived around them for THIRTY FIVE YEARS!

[Mig15]

09:03 AM on 03/31/2012

Lugar should not be allowed to serve as a resident from Indiana. Furthermore, he is a major player in supporting bloated government and government waste. A good Conservative will replace him soon.

[fatpratt]

08:49 AM on 03/31/2012

It is Sen. Lugars party that fights him in Indiana. He is too partisan for them.

[Robert J Cook]

08:12 AM on 03/31/2012

I have read so many complaints about Senator Lugar, so here is my question, If you dislike him so much,Why do you keep electing him? It is the same way with Boehner,Cantor,Ryan and McConnell, everyone knows they are obstructionist,but I would bet that Boehner,Cantor and Ryan all get re-elected in November,and why? So they can attack the workers and women of the country for two more years? Please explain why people continue voting for people they know are wrong?

[Mig15]

09:00 AM on 03/31/2012

You can say the very same thing about any Kennedy. Why? So they can contiue to bankrupt our country? Support failed social program that comes down the pike?

[Robert J Cook]

09:40 AM on 03/31/2012

Mig what failed programs are you talking about? As for bankrupting our country, you may want to check and see who started the snowball down the hill, the biggest hunk coming from two unpaid wars, big tax cut for the rich, and a big payout to Pharma and Wall Street, which lead to more money having to be spent to keep the country from sinking further into depression. So my question still remains. Why do you continue sending these people to Washington?

[sir winston]

07:53 AM on 03/31/2012

This is my point of veiw.
There is not one elected official that gives a dam about the american people.It is all about them.
They will say anything to get you to vote for them.And once they get elected,they forget what they promised to do.They do just the opposited.Am I right.

[MUDPUPTN3]

08:50 AM on 03/31/2012

You better believe you're right!!! I've said for decades, we the people need to start at the top and clean house by voting out every elected official on capitol hill and start over!! Personally I think we should start by electing no doctors, lawyers, judges, community organizers, what the heck elect no one with a college degree!! Just start by electing intelligent, honest, hard working people and go from there. They couldn't possibly screw up the country anymore than all the so-called highly educated crooks have!

[sir winston]

07:48 AM on 03/31/2012

All parties are crooked.

[rufusxfirefly]

07:47 AM on 03/31/2012

Another thief being given a pass by the board of thieves.

[Loyal Hoosier]

07:15 AM on 03/31/2012

I would like to see his state tax returns. Does Sen. Lugar even file in Indiana?

[Yellow Hand]

09:00 AM on 03/31/2012

That should really be investigated. If he did, he would have filed a false tax return by using an address he does not own any property. As a born Hoosier and IU grad who has moved to the DC area, I would love to do that for tax purposes but would be thrown in jail if I did. Senator Lugar does not represent the Hoosier state well and if this is the type of falsehood he has represented and just brought to our attention, he should resign. No court has the authority to allow criminal behavior.

[Mig15]

09:04 AM on 03/31/2012

Great question. You can bet he will get away with it no matter what the issue is.