UK: When running for reelection, you can't run against Washington anymore

The Economist

PJ:  May the more extreme win?

The Arizona sixth-district race

When insurgents are incumbents

Two first-term Republicans strive to adjust their message

THE Republican freshman class of 2010 was carried into office by a wave of anti-incumbency anger among conservative voters. Now those newcomers are Washington incumbents themselves. They have had to beat back primary rivals accusing them of helping Barack Obama and failing to curb rising deficits. Embattled first-termers have flaunted endorsements from popular conservative politicians and pointed to impeccably flinty voting records, as graded by right-wing lobby groups. The more shameless have simply dusted off their 2010 anti-incumbency campaigns, in some cases wholly neglecting to mention that they are the sitting members.

To date, every Republican freshman facing a contested primary has won. That run of luck will end on August 28th, when two freshmen face each other in a primary contest for the redrawn sixth congressional district of Arizona, in deep-dyed conservative territory near Phoenix.

Read it at The Economist:
http://www.economist.com/node/21560302