Lugar expects to seek 7th Senate term in 2012

Republican Sen. Richard Lugar said Wednesday that he plans on seeking a seventh term in 2012 in a bid that would extend his
run as the longest-serving U.S. senator in Indiana history.

After speaking about world affairs and taking questions during a luncheon at The Summit Club, a private dining club in South
Bend, the 78-year-old Lugar said he will run again, though he has not formally announced his candidacy.

"I suppose there will be a place and a time to do that, to rally the forces, to get the fundraisers going and all of
that type of thing. But that's my intent day by day," he said. "Most people in the Senate know I will be around,
therefore they have to deal with me on that basis."

Lugar, who was first elected in 1976, had no Democratic opposition for his last campaign in 2006, although he did face a
Libertarian and two write-in candidates. At the time, state Democratic Chairman Dan Parker said Lugar was just too popular
among voters and Democrats' money and time would be better spent elsewhere.

Parker said Wednesday that he hasn't yet turned his sights to 2012, because he's too focused on this year's Senate
race. Democratic Rep. Brad Ellsworth and former Republican Sen. Dan Coats are running to replace Democrat Sen. Evan Bayh,
who is not seeking re-election.

"That's a lifetime away for me," he said.

Lugar has been criticized by some conservatives for a few recent votes, including his voting in favor this month of confirming
Elena Kagan, a Democrat, to the U.S. Supreme Court. But the senator said confirmation hearings have become too partisan, describing
them as free-for-alls that focus on political affiliation rather than qualifications.

"I came to the conclusion that Ms. Kagan is qualified and voted for her," he said.

As to criticism that he isn't conservative enough and is too willing to work with Democrats, Lugar said he tries to build
consensus for opinions he holds.

"I try to point out what I believe is important for the country and ways we can move ahead on it," he added. "I
think I've had a pretty good record of success in this."

Answering a question about bipartisan consensus from the audience after his 30-minute speech, the senator said the political
bickering in Washington at times becomes too much.

"We've had such gridlock, it comes almost to a mindless degree that is aggravating to the public and a whole lot
of us," he said.

When President Barack Obama was running for president in 2008, Lugar was featured twice in a television commercial along
side Obama in an apparent attempt to show that the then-Illinois senator was willing to work in a bipartisan manner.

Asked Wednesday how he thought Obama was doing, Lugar said the president hasn't provided the needed direction while trying
to tackle big issues such as health care, regulatory reform and the struggling economy, especially when there were 60 Democrats
in the Senate and passing legislation was easier.

"The failure of the administration to be able to bring about economic recovery beyond 9.5 percent unemployment or really
sort of a disaster in terms of new jobs formation or what have you, is job No. 1 undone," he said.

Lugar believes Obama's popularity in the polls is falling because of a sense of pessimism around the nation.

"There's a foreboding that this is going to go on and on and on," he said. "He can say, 'I inherited
a mess and I've done the best I could to dig out of it.' But at the same time, these extraordinary initiatives which
are being claimed as triumphs as a matter of fact, the jury is still out as to whether they were triumphs or disasters."