Obama: Lugar and I led on loose nukes issue

[JSojourner]

Lugar is qualified to be Secretary of State, Secretary of Agriculture, UN Ambassador, Vice President or President.  He is easily the smartest man on the Republican side of the aisle, and one of the nicest, too -- if that matters.

Obama has repeatedly referred to Lugar as his friend and "mentor" on foreign policy matters.

It's not exactly a secret that Lugar personally dislikes John McCain and that McCain is none too fond of Lugar. I am not sure what the original feud was about but they have not gotten along for years. Lugar may be the only Republican in the Senate who has flatly refused to endorse McCain for President.  He may still offer some sort of tepid, general endorsement of "my party's candidate for President".  But it has not yet come forth.

This has prompted some people to speculate he will not merely be a cabinet member in an Obama administration, but that he will be Senator Obama's running mate.  I certainly do not think that likely. If it did happen, it would be almost unthinkable for anyone to claim Obama is a hypocrite when he promises to change the way political business is done in Washington.  But it's just that -- when making the sausage, ugly process though it is -- you do NOT choose a member of the other party as your running mate.  Especially if that person has generally been a good soldier in his party.  Lugar has.  He's not even a moderate Republican, he's a conservative.  

Obama could do it.  Many, many Democrats would be angry.  Not the least of which would be those under consideration for the job themselves.  You think Evan Bayh might not take it a little personally that Obama chose the OTHER Senator from Indiana...from the OTHER party?  But that said, who else would Democrats vote for if Obama pissed them off in an unprecedented gesture of bipartisanship?  Bob Barr?

But never mind.  It won't happen.  Lugar is anti-choice, extremely pro-big business, a major supporter of a flat tax.  He has supported the war in Iraq from the start and he recently flip-flopped on drilling in the ANWR.  A longtime opponent, he switched his position in 2007. Lugar or Hagel -- neither is likely to be on the ticket.

You got it, though.  Secretary of State is not only likely, it's probable.  I could see Biden as Vice President, Lugar at State, Hagel as Secretary of Defense and Sam Nunn as a roving ambassador for peace, particularly on the issue of loose nukes.

That issue -- loose nukes -- has been Lugar's passion since the Soviet Union collapsed.  I interviewed him about it many times.  He was reasonably pleased with the Clinton administration's response to the issue -- though he felt more attention could have been rendered.  After Bush took office and repeatedly rebuffed Lugar and Nunn, I think he definitely soured on the neocons.

And frankly, he's right.  What happened to the old Soviet nuclear arsenal?  It ain't all in Russia. America owes both Lugar and Nunn a tremendous debt for trying to keep this issue before the world.  And we'll owe Obama a debt if he continues to seriously listen to these wise men and act on their recommendations.

[JSojourner]

Interesting to see this commercial being run in Indiana. Sure Lugar might be popular in his homestate which he has served for many years now, as both a United States Senator and as Mayor of Indianapolis, but I highly doubt that such an advertisement would work in Indiana, though the Obama Campaign can only hope.

If Barack Obama does defeat John McCain for the Presidency of the United States this November, I think that Senator Lugar would be at the top of his list for the position of Secretary of State. Like many of you have said, Lugar would be the most qualified candidate Barack Obama could select. Senator Lugar is a much better selection for the post than Bill Richardson, Joe Biden and Chuck Hagel combined, however I doubt that Hagel would be seriously considered for the position. I could imagine that Hagel would be considered more so for the position of Secretary of Defence in an Obama Administration than Secretary of State. However I doubt that Hagel would even be selected in an Obama Administration.

I agree about Lugar, except to say Biden would be just as solid a choice.  Either way though, it's a no-lose proposition.

I also agree about Hagel -- except that if Obama wanted another Republican (and a conservative, no less) in his cabinet -- Hagel might be a logical choice for Secretary of Veteran's Affairs.  Still, I would prefer to see Lt. General Claudia Kennedy or former Senator Max Cleland in that role.

[JSojourner]

This is pretty much how Obama operates - letting others do the work and then attaching his name to a non-controversial bill.  Loose nukes (is it just me, or is that an ugly phrase ... should be changed) - loose nukes, who can oppose that?  He might as well have sponsored a bill protecting babies from being cannibalized.   

If the matter of containing loose nukes is such a no-brainer, why has conservative Republican Richard Lugar been so vocally critical of his own President for neglecting the issue?