Dems don't wait to attack Mourdock ahead of likely primary win over Lugar

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is already on the attack against Indiana state Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R), a Tea Party favorite who is expected to beat six-term Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) in Tuesday's primary.

"By defeating Dick Lugar and nominating Richard Mourdock, the Tea Party is poised to hand another strong pick-up opportunity for Democrats," DSCC spokesman Matt Canter said in an email sent Tuesday afternoon.

The early attack suggests the DSCC is almost positive that Mourdock will beat Lugar — if they thought Lugar might be able to pull it out, it's likely Democrats would have waited another day.

Canter goes on to attack Mourdock for an alleged pay-to-play scandal and for backing a lawsuit against Chrysler's government-backed bankruptcy plan, accusing him of spending $2 million of taxpayer money on the lawsuit that could have cost Indiana more than 100,000 jobs, in their estimate. The attack has been one Democrats had not yet made publicly because they didn't want to help Lugar, whom most see as a much tougher general-election candidate than Mourdock. 

Democrats believe that they can beat Mourdock in the Republican-leaning state with Rep. Joe Donnelly, a centrist Democrat. But Republicans have argued Mourdock will have no problem beating Donnelly, pointing to Sen. Dan Coats's (R-Ind.) 15-point win over another centrist Democrat in 2010 and arguing Donnelly's support of Democrats' health insurance overhaul will be toxic in the race.

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