Elections

Mourdock takes a stab at Cantor’s Young Guns for supporting Lugar

Alexis Levinson Political Reporter
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Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock jabbed Friday at House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s Young Guns organization, which is supporting his primary opponent, Sen. Richard Lugar.

“I certainly see my philosophy as much more aligned with what [the Young Guns] presented themselves to be than with the philosophy of Sen. Lugar, which has been to be out of touch with his constituents. To vote for ever bigger government, to be known as Barack Obama’s favorite Republican? And he’s getting the help from the so-called conservative Young Guns? There’s a disconnect there that I’m not understanding,” Mourdock said on a conference call on Friday.

The Republican challenger was careful to not attack Mr. Cantor directly, saying that he had heard that the Young Guns “act somewhat independently from what Mr. Cantor does.”

But, he said, “however and from whomever the control is made over the Young Guns, I wish they would be spending their time to build a Republican majority in the House of Representatives rather than throwing their money away on a cause that will not work for them here in Indiana.”

The organization has already drawn fire this cycle for its support for Rep. Adam Kinzinger in his primary against Rep. Don Manzullo, a member-versus-member primary created as a result of redistricting. The Club for Growth has been a vocal critic of the House majority leader, threatening that if he got involved in another member-versus-member primary in Arizona later this year, they would throw themselves in on the other side.

Mourdock said that “the reports that I’ve received that they’re trying to gin up the Democratic vote to show up and vote for Dick Lugar, I think is particularly troubling.”

“If that is the case,” he added, “it’s going have serious repercussions for what their fundraising is as they go forward in the future to otherwise affect House races.”

A poll released on Friday found Mourdock leading long-time Sen. Lugar by 10 points. The primary is Tuesday.

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