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Sen. Richard Lugar to Discuss 1996 Presidential Bid

Sen. Richard Lugar to Discuss 1996 Presidential Bid

February 10, 1997

February 10, 1997, Greencastle, Ind. - United States Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) will discuss his run for president in 1996 during an appearance at DePauw University on Monday, February 17. Lugar will speak at the Center for Contemporary Media, Watson Forum, from 2-3:30 p.m. His address, "Reflections on Running for President," will be presented to a class of DePauw Media Fellows. However, the public is invited, and there is no charge for admission.

The day of Lugar's announcement is a memorable one in recent American history. Just hours before a crowd of Indiana Republicans gathered near Market Square Arena in downtown Indianapolis to hear Lugar's announcement speech the Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City was bombed.

In politics, it is said, timing is everything, and that day, Lugar's timing proved bad enough that his announcement speech was all but swept aside by the coverage of the worst civilian bombing in this country's record.

Lugar joined seven other candidates in the race for the GOP nomination in 1996. They were: Sen. Robert Dole of Kansas, Sen. Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania, Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, California Governor Pete Wilson, television commentator Patrick Buchanan, publisher Steve Forbes and authorec tower snow 2005.jpg Alan Keyes.

One of the most respected senators in either party, Lugar is an expert on foreign affairs. He based part of his campaign on the issue of nuclear terrorism, arguing that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a great likelihood that unsecured nuclear materials would find their way into the hands of international terrorists. Lugar also called for a complete overhaul of the tax system, including the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service and a 17 percent national sales tax.

Senator Lugar will discuss his campaign during the primaries, including his treatment by the local and national media, and the issues that he advanced during his campaign. His address will be followed by a question-and-answer session and a reception in the lobby of the Center of Contemporary Media.

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