June 3rd, 2012
10:25 AM ET
11 years ago

Sen. Warner hits Mourdock's 'wacky' idea

Washington (CNN) - Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia on Sunday classified Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's views on bipartisanship as "wacky."

Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union" beside Republican Sen. Dick Lugar, who lost his party's primary to Mourdock in May, Warner warned of the GOP candidate's ideas.

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"I think what Mr. Mourdock said is wacky," Warner told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley. "I don't know what Constitution he wants to defend."

Warner's criticism came in response to a recent Mourdock interview during which he said that "bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view."

Mourdock, Indiana's treasurer, beat Lugar, the six-term senator known for his work across the aisle, on a fiscally conservative anti-compromise platform.

Doubling down, Warner said that finding common ground in Congress will be the only way to tackle the debt, taxes and entitlement reform, all of which he said are necessary to right the country's fiscal course.

"The notion that this election is going to be so overwhelmingly for one side or the other, that there's going to be a clear picture and one party's, you know, going to be able to rule the roost, I just don't see that happening," Warner said.

Similarly, Lugar said it would be a mistake to postpone larger discussions until after the election and suggested that the conversations begin now, perhaps surrounding previous plans submitted by the Simpson-Bowles Commission or the Gang of Six.

Congress will need to address the growing deficit and debt ceiling by year's end to stave off dramatic mandatory reductions in spending, among other cuts, agreed upon by both parties as part of last year's debt-ceiling deal.

If compromise could begin now, Lugar said, "I think the American people would be more relieved, and their thoughts about the Congress certainly would be much better."

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Watch State of the Union with Candy Crowley Sundays at 9am ET. For the latest from State of the Union click here.


Filed under: 2012 • Congress • Dick Lugar • Mark Warner • Richard Mourdock • Senate • TV-State of the Union
soundoff (32 Responses)
  1. 60minuteman

    "bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view." – This IS the problem with republicans!

    June 3, 2012 10:51 am at 10:51 am |
  2. Tony

    Mourdock said that "bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view." Governor Walker of Wisconsin said that his strategy was to "divide and conquer" unions. Both are Republicans. Now, which party is more partisan? Which party likes to divide Americans?

    June 3, 2012 10:53 am at 10:53 am |
  3. T'sah From Virginia

    ►"bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view."◄
    Dang, Mourdock actually said that?? That is what he wants US to do?
    I agree with Mark Warner but it’s just a little more than WACKY!!!
    It’s more irresponsible, one-sided, crooked and a little bit TACKY!!!

    You see, that’s the problem, Republicans really believe
    That it should be “their way or the highway,” if you know what I mean
    The Republicans went so “far-right” and they are STUCK there by the TP
    And now they want to “drag” the rest of America to their side – I mean, REALLY????

    Pahleeeezzzzeee – The majority of America is not made of WACKY!!!

    Obama 2012 – The Only Trusted Way Forward!!

    June 3, 2012 10:54 am at 10:54 am |
  4. Rudy NYC

    I think "wacky" is being polite. Mourdock is the Indiana state treasurer, under Gov. Mitch Daniels. The same Mitch Daniels whose Attorney General was convicted of voter fraud, and yet Daniels still wanted to keep the man in office. That is the mold from which Mourdock has emerged.

    June 3, 2012 10:55 am at 10:55 am |
  5. Name

    It's real sad in America where the Right want's to take this country. Wake up America this is not us we are not a communist country we MUST STOP them. God Help Us.

    June 3, 2012 11:03 am at 11:03 am |
  6. marine1978

    I see the Civil War political history coming back to life. President Obama dreams he is like President Abe Lincoln. I believe is closer to President Jefferson Davis. Like Davis Obama always wants to win the arguement while Lincoln would rather lose the arguement but win the war. In order to have true bi-partianship you must have a leader like President Lincoln. He had the leadership skills to talk parties of a different opinion to work together for the common cause. Remember Lincoln started left but through the war he ended up to the right because he learned his orginal liberal view on slavery was wrong and had the moral courage to change. The 37th, if irecall correctly, was the Congress during the war that gave the start on many of our present government systems. They passed the legal Tender Act estblishing our present money system. They passed the Homestead Act to start the westward expassion, they paassed an act giving Congressmen and senators public land to build colleges and universities. They gave laons and public land to start the intercontinnetal railroad. They did this and more in a time of war and dem and republians working together for a common cause. The last thing that is so familar are the tatics of dems and republicans. Back then the dems used race to fire up voters against and said some of the most vile racial terms. Republicans answered with dem as cooperheads, traitors, secret societies who performed treasonable acts. The dems followed thoses tatics right up to the 1960's and started using them again just reversing the roles as republicans are for racism and the dems are the heros. So not much has changed in a 150 years or so.

    June 3, 2012 11:31 am at 11:31 am |
  7. Rudy NYC

    Name wrote:

    It's real sad in America where the Right want's to take this country. Wake up America this is not us we are not a communist country we MUST STOP them. God Help Us.
    ----------–
    From the perspective of the average citizen, there is no difference between a society where government controls all of the businesses, and a society where businesses control all of the government.

    June 3, 2012 11:36 am at 11:36 am |
  8. RNK

    A big part of the problem is that the republicans do not recognize that the democrats have any legitimate right to govern – even when the democrats win the elections. When republicans win an election they see it as a mandate to completely upset the system we have. Some day the folks who vote for the republicans will realize how much they lose if they are not in the top 1%. Then they will be crying and wanting help. Then we need to ask if we want to help them after all the damage they've done.

    June 3, 2012 11:42 am at 11:42 am |
  9. vic , nashville ,tn

    Few people follow politics every day but Billions of dollars flowing into political campaign something wrong

    Extremist following the politics everyday they are sending their members to DC in the name of Tea party

    We need real change

    June 3, 2012 11:52 am at 11:52 am |
  10. Rudy NYC

    RNK wrote:

    ....Some day the folks who vote for the republicans will realize how much they lose if they are not in the top 1%. Then they will be crying and wanting help. ....
    ---------------
    No, they won't. Instead of crying for help, they will be yelling and blaming liberals, just like they always have done. The conservative middle class voter is a willfully misled voter. They think that they can move up the economic ladder under conservative leadership. They live in impoverished red states and blame Democrats for the conditions, too blinded to think for themselves and make the connection that the governance that has failed them is Republican.

    June 3, 2012 11:59 am at 11:59 am |
  11. chucky

    Republicans have lost all decency or sanity. They are just going to bully people until the wealthy pay no taxes. You might as well vote for al-qaida–they hate this country and it's people just as much.

    June 3, 2012 12:59 pm at 12:59 pm |
  12. Bren

    I am an Independent. Once the socialist dictator and his merry gang of socialist clowns in Congress are out of the White House, I hope to see moderation, compromise, and bipartisanship in Washington again.

    June 3, 2012 01:01 pm at 1:01 pm |
  13. lynn

    poor little lord fauntleroy doesnt piay well with others .

    June 3, 2012 01:12 pm at 1:12 pm |
  14. llosano

    People in Indiana should really be STUPID, WACKY if they ever elect this crazy guy (Mourdock) as their senator; they will be shooting themselves on their feet.

    June 3, 2012 01:14 pm at 1:14 pm |
  15. Josh

    "Republicans will have to ride in the back seat." -Barack Obama when he had a majority in the senate and the house. In response to that republicans dug in and now demand their way or the highway. Neither is helpful and both deserve criticism. The only good news with the lunacy going on in both parties is that it's strengthening the chance for a third party to get into the oval office in the future.

    June 3, 2012 01:16 pm at 1:16 pm |
  16. Canadian Jim

    It is obvious to anyone from outside the American bubble that Republicans view anyone who has a different point of view then them as "unamerican." As Lincoln said, "a house divided against itself cannot stand." This is the future of the United States unfortunately, and it is the result of intransigence on the part of the Republicans. The problem is that the Republican view of the US has become religious ideology and as we can see in places like Afghanistan and Iran, you cannot negotiate with religion. Tea-party Taliban, the Religious Right and those beholden to money and corporate greed will drive this once great nation into the sea. Everyone outside your borders can see it plain as day.

    June 3, 2012 01:16 pm at 1:16 pm |
  17. Oodoodanoo

    I think Mourdock was joking when he said it, because it looked like he was smirking.

    Which reminds me - are there ANY funny Republicans?

    June 3, 2012 01:24 pm at 1:24 pm |
  18. gar

    Calling his policies "whacky" is an understatement. "Destructive" "UnAmerican" "Neo-fascist"
    Those are more appropriate labels for the reactionary lunatic.

    June 3, 2012 01:24 pm at 1:24 pm |
  19. murdoch's view of democracy . . .

    my way or the highway . . . .

    June 3, 2012 01:25 pm at 1:25 pm |
  20. Matt

    How is it "wacky" to stand for principles?

    June 3, 2012 01:31 pm at 1:31 pm |
  21. time

    Mourdock's views are anti-American and a slap in the face of our founders, who understood the concept that all people won't agree and honest discussion and compromise is the most effective way forward.

    June 3, 2012 01:39 pm at 1:39 pm |
  22. hypatia

    A thug expressing completely totilitarian views? Unheard of! (sarcasm at eleven)

    June 3, 2012 01:46 pm at 1:46 pm |
  23. Ancient Texan

    Name– The "right" is not the party taking the nation toward Communism, the Liberal/Progressive branch of the Democratic party is the culprit.

    June 3, 2012 01:56 pm at 1:56 pm |
  24. sqeptiq

    The American people are what's whacky. They elect a president to deal with our problems and then turn around and elect a congress determined to prevent him from doing anything to deal with our problems. That's beyond whacky.

    June 3, 2012 01:56 pm at 1:56 pm |
  25. Bruce

    THis is so sad. Governing IS compromise. To say that one won't compromise guarantees failure and hatred. We've had over 3 years of Republicans bloicking everything. THey swore their allegiance to Grover Norquist instead of the American people. HOw sad is that.

    June 3, 2012 02:00 pm at 2:00 pm |
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