Oh the humanity….

(Politico) — President Barack Obama was leaving a Senate Republican meeting on the budget earlier this month when he unexpectedly bumped into Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) as they both came off the White House elevators. It wasn’t a friendly chat.   Lugar voiced his objections directly to Obama about the U.S. military policy in Libya, raising concerns about its scope and cost and the lack of deliberation within Congress about the NATO bombing campaign.

It was the latest in a steady stream of criticisms Lugar has voiced about Obama’s policies and agenda. During the past several weeks, Lugar has blasted Obama in stark terms for lacking a “vision” in Afghanistan and for delivering an “over-the-top” partisan speech on immigration policy. Protesting Obama’s speech, Lugar has withdrawn his co-sponsorship of the DREAM Act, an immigration-reform measure. On Monday, Lugar sent a lengthy letter to the president about his administration’s “failure” to consult with Congress on the Libya campaign — even as a bipartisan group of seven other senators introduced a resolution backing the military conflict.

Lugar’s overt criticism points to a divorce of sorts between the elder statesman from Indiana and the young president, who regularly touted his relationship with Lugar during Obama’s 3½ years as a senator and throughout his presidential campaign.

The breakup comes as Lugar faces a tough primary from the right in his home state — his first such challenge since 1976.  (Convienient eh?…./SD)

…Lugar — a six-term Senate veteran — voted for McCain in the 2008 race, even though he stayed away from attacking Obama during the campaign and at times said positive things about the Democratic candidate.

Lugar now says Obama hasn’t called him on the phone to chat one on one about his thoughts and feelings — even though some Cabinet officials have solicited the 79-year-old Republican’s advice. Lugar says he attends meetings when invited by the White House, but the perception that he has frequent sessions with Obama has been vastly “overestimated,” as is any closeness with the president. (Keep reading… )