Senate Races 2012: Republican Establishment Tries To Tamp Down Tea Party Insurgency

WASHINGTON -- Six-term Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) seemed all alone in facing an insurgent Tea Party primary challenge from state treasurer Richard Mourdock, who is backed by big money from the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks. In the past few weeks, however, top GOP senators, establishment Republican groups, and big-name donors have stepped in with a mix of ads touting Lugar's long career and blasting Mourdock in an effort to save the embattled incumbent.

On Tuesday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) endorsed Lugar and announced they would cut ads to support him. Last week, the American Action Network, a conservative group with ties to the Republican Party in Washington, D.C., launched a campaign of negative ads against Mourdock, costing $590,000. Major donors, including former fundraisers for President George W. Bush and McCain, are putting money into pro-Lugar super PACs.          Read Full