WASHINGTON - Sen. Richard Lugar, a heavyweight in U.S. foreign policy, intends to stay in the Senate despite speculation the Indiana Republican may be the next secretary of state, said a spokesman on Monday.
“He’s been very clear that he won’t be serving in any administration, that he likes his current job and will stay put,” Lugar spokesman Andy Fisher said in an email.
Lugar, 76, has been mentioned as a possible secretary of state for Democrat Barack Obama as well as previous candidates. He is the Republican leader on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee where Obama’s running mate, Joe Biden, is the chairman.
The Indiana lawmaker also was mentioned as a possible Cabinet member or running mate for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain.
Lugar has worked for years on nuclear nonproliferation and visited Georgia after its brief war with Russia in August. He briefly ran for the 1996 Republican nomination for president. He was elected to his sixth term in the Senate in 2006.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Adrees Latif (Lugar in Tbilisi, Georgia in August.)
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4 comments so far
Just as well. US foreign policy is in tatters with no thanks to this administration and the Republican cronies in the senate. Besides, John McCain is not going to be the next president.
- Posted by SangsMR LUGAR is much to smart to be lead into that swamp.The NEO CONS have made a mess that will take years for the USA to gain the trust of the worlds people, In the mean time world leaders will steer clear of WASHINGTON.
- Posted by airplaneI think the idea is that Obama — not McCain — would select Lugar to be Sec’y of State.
- Posted by JoshSangs aside from the retarded nature of your comment, please read the post first… he was on tap for BOTH sides.
- Posted by Ben