Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.)

Lugar also takes a long-term view on many policy initiatives. In the 1980s, he led the push for democracy in South Africa at a time when the Reagan administration was backing some controversial regimes. And Lugar has long pushed for developing alternative-fuel sources like ethanol in the U.S., a position that was quite unpopular with many Republicans (though it had wide support in Indiana, where much of the country's corn is grown).

Iraq

Lugar has been calling for an end to Saddam Hussein's reign since 1990. He initially supported the 2003 Iraq war, and remained publically supportive of the George W. Bush's war effort, though he voiced concerns about strategy and the 2007 troop "surge" privately to the Bush administration. He also held more than 30 oversight hearings on the conduct of the war between 2003 and 2007, though he was criticized by many Democrats for not doing enough to halt the march to war. New York Times columnist called him a Presidential "enabler."

The Iraq turning point for Lugar came in 2007, when the Indiana Republican stood up in front of a mostly empty Senate chamber and said "the costs and risks of continuing down the current path outweigh the potential benefits that might be achieved ... persisting indefinitely with the surge strategy will delay policy adjustments that have a better chance of protecting our vital interests over the long term." Those comments drew support from several Republican Senators, and were widely seen as the moment Bush lost the backing of Republican lawmakers.

Shortly after his speech, Luger and then-Sen. John W. Warner (D-Va.) sponsored a bill that would have forced Bush to seek a new war authorization from Congress in September 2007. The measure did not pass. Lugar is supportive of Obama's decision to gradually draw down troops in Iraq. He also supported the nomination of Iraq Amb. Christopher Hill, who was opposed by many Republicans because he did not have direct experience in the Middle East.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation

Ending nuclear proliferation has been a hallmark of Lugar's career - he was even nominated for the 2000 Nobel Peace prize for his work in the area.

In 1991, Lugar co-authored, with Democrat Sam Nunn (Ga.), legislation to fund the removal and deactivation of thousands of nuclear weapons in several countries in the former Soviet Union. His fear - that the weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists or other rogue groups - seems particularly prescient after the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001.

Since 2004, Lugar pushed President George W. Bush to expand nuclear deactivation program to other countries in the former U.S.S.R. He was driven in part by his fear that terrorists would get their hands on fissile material available in the former Soviet Union. In 2004, Lugar worked on legislation to secure shoulder-launched missiles and to close chemical-weapons depots around the world. But the Bush administration adopted only a small version of the idea, and suspended funding in 2005.

The Republican's efforts have earned high marks from policy wonks who say that such legislation has played "a critical role in overcoming the inherent limitations of a unilateral but parallel approach to offensive force reductions."

Lugar also supports increasing federal funding to U.S. cities to better prepare them for hostile attacks.

Trade Issues

Despite indiana's large agri-business industry, Lugar has voted with his principles, often in favor of legislation like NAFTA. In one of the defining moments of his early political career, Lugar led a 1978 filibuster to defeat the AFL-CIO's labor law reform bill that would have strengthened unions' rights to organize.

Health-Care Reform

During the 2009 health care reform debate, Lugar said he would oppose the public option.

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