Lieberman, Chafee Face ChallengersPretty good article on the
dangers of being a moderate in today's climate.
The primary challenges to the Senate's most liberal Republican and one of its more conservative Democrats are signs of the litmus tests that partisan voters on both sides are applying this year. They come as advocacy groups, including the conservative Club for Growth (backing Chafee's opponent) and the liberal MoveOn.org (which may support Lamont), are increasingly willing to help finance primary challenges to incumbents.
In Tuesday's primary in Texas, MoveOn.org is targeting Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar because of his coziness with President Bush. (While MoveOn is raising money for challenger Ciro Rodriguez, the Club for Growth is doing the same for Cuellar.)
And in Ohio, Sen. Mike DeWine (news, bio, voting record), up for re-election this year, is getting flak from fellow Republicans for joining the Gang of 14. A deal forged by the bipartisan group of senators thwarted Democrats from using a filibuster to block some controversial judicial nominations, but it also preserved the maneuver for "extraordinary" cases.Texas' primary
is next Tuesday; Lieberman and Chafee won't know their fate until the end of the summer.
