Tea Party backs Mourdock for senate

The Tea Party has placed a target on Indiana Senator Richard Lugar. A national Tea Party organization endorsed Lugar primary opponent Richard Mourdock today but this is all about Lugar.

The Tea Party Express, a national organization, sent representatives from California and Georgia to give Richard Mourdock a $2500 check. But they had little to say about the Mourdock candidacy. "We are going to work to retire Dick Lugar from the U.S. Senate," said spokesperson Amy Kremer.

Instead their focus, much like that of Indiana Tea Party members who endorsed Mourdock on Saturday, is the incumbent Senator Lugar. They think he's not conservative enough. "One of the things about Senator Lugar is he has continuously kicked us in the teeth," says Kremer, "kicked this Tea Party movement in the teeth. I think he thinks we're going to go away, thinks we’re just the little people that he knows better than us."

Mourdock still doesn't want to be called a Tea Party candidate but he'll take the endorsement no matter how it's presented. "This is a national race," he said. "That's again why this endorsement is important. Senate races are national races."

The Lugar campaign, meantime, accuses the Tea Party of spreading misinformation and downplays its endorsement. When asked if they would rather have the Tea Party endorsement, spokesman David Willkie said, "Oh, you'd rather have everybody's endorsement as well but that's not always the case and certainly in a case like this, there are many flavors of tea that are out there." This flavor will provide Richard Mourdock not only with money but also with volunteer help and some independent advertising.

The Lugar campaign also announced an endorsement today and it also helps solidify his position as the establishment candidate. It comes from former Secretary of State George Schultz who, in a statement, compares Lugar to Ronald Reagan calling him tough and sensible at the same time.