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Matthew Tully Published 10:27 a.m. ET May 10, 2017 | Updated 40 minutes ago

President Trumps firing of FBI Director James Comey, is drawing comparisons to a controversial figure from 44 years past, President Nixon. Nathan Rousseau Smith (@fantasticmrnate) explains. Buzz60

Jan 20, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; President Donald Trump waves to the crowd after taking the oath of office during the 2017 Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY(Photo: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)

I found myself missing Richard Lugar on Wednesday morning.

Thats not unusual; Ive felt many times in recent months that our political system could use a dose of Lugars logic and reason, and that the Senate was in desperate need of another person of principle willing to put truth and country ahead of partisanship. The election of President Donald Trump has made the countrys loss of leaders like Lugar even more painful.

But Lugar isnt coming back to the Senate. His political career came to a conclusion back in 2012, when Indiana Republican primary voters tossed him aside in favor of a bomb-thrower of a candidate who ended up losing that years general election, but whose rabid partisanship would actually fit in quite well in Washington right now. Lugar left the Senate, taking with him a belief in bipartisan compromise and deep thinking.

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We could use a lot more of both of those traits right now. Washingtons problems are not limited to or caused by only one party. But one party is in charge, and we sure could benefit from more Republicans with the courage to simply do the right thing.

So lets ask the question: In Lugars absence, is there an elected Republican of note in Indiana willing to stand up and question a presidency that is becoming more troubling, more authoritarian and more dangerous by the day?

Is there even one member of the GOP congressional delegation willing to step out of the partisan line and ask serious questions about the firing of FBI Director James Comey? Its sad that this next question seems so silly, but is there a sole congressional Republican elected by the people of Indiana who can convince us that not everything comes down to party loyalty and concerns about the next election?

Ive seen no evidence as of yet that the answer to any of those questions is yes.

Sen. Todd Young, elected to the Senate in November, issued a statement saying, I'm working to learn the facts behind the presidents decision, but I hope new leadership at the FBI will help restore Americans' confidence."

Well, it wont.

What will help restore Americans confidence is a congressional majority that stops treating this failed presidency with kid gloves. What will restore Americans confidence is the emergence of more senators willing to demand answers from the White House. What will restore Americans confidence is a reaction to an historically stunning firing that adds up to more than silence and wishy-washy statements.

Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita, a pair of House Republicans expected to run for the Senate next year, have downplayed the issue, either with silence or, in Rokitas case, with typical partisan rhetoric and a pathetic fundraising appeal.

Politically, thats understandable, as both will need to win over the most loyal Republicans in the state, including a lot of Trump die-hards, in next years Senate primary. But its hard to understand at a time like this how anyone could remain quiet, or just toe the party line, or be so cynical as to exploit the issue for campaign cash. And its hard to imagine that the two lawmakers would have responded similarly if this weeks firing had been carried out by a President Hillary Clinton.

I know each of us sees the world through our own lens, and I know most of us judge behaviors and actions at least a little differently depending on whether they are carried out by those on our side of the aisle, or those the other side. But we should expect more of those elected to lead us. Things like the firing of an FBI director who was conducting an investigation that the president who fired him did not like well, thats when we need true leaders. Thats when we need lawmakers willing to question those on their own side of the aisle. Thats when we need acts of political bravery.

Is there one elected Republican from Indiana with the courage to ask tough questions and demand answers that are not simply spin? The coming days will answer that question.

Thank you for reading. Please follow me on Twitter:@matthewltully.

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Read more from the original source:
Tully: Will any Indiana Republican question President Trump? - Indianapolis Star