Give credit where credit is due. Even the most hardened and partisan of politicians, regardless of party affiliation, should appreciate and honor the manner in which Richard Lugar and Kay Bailey Hutchinson, both Republican members of the U.S. Senate, recently handled important announcements.
Lugar, from Indiana, called for renewal of the assault weapon ban following the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and nearly a score of others in Tucson earlier this month. Others in the Senate have called for similar legislation, but almost none have come from Republicans. Lugar is an exception, and his willingness to take such a public stand marks him as a principled public servant.
The sensible call for renewal of the assault weapon ban – under which the extended round magazines used by the alleged shooter in Tucson would have been against the law – puts Lugar at odds with a majority of his own party. Most everyone in the GOP wants to end the ban. Tea party members are even more vocal in their opposition.
Lugar did not need to take such a public stand on such a volatile issue. It’s unlikely a bill to renew the assault weapons ban will make it the floor for a vote. Lugar could have kept quiet and avoided the flak sure to come his way from GOP stalwarts and others who demand an end to the ban. He didn’t.
Lugar, a moderate conservative, clearly doesn’t kowtow to the crowd or blindly follow party doctrine. He thinks for himself and acts in what he believes is the best interest of his constituents and the nation. That’s the act of a statesman.