Candidates fending off reformist challengers

At that time, Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, was considered in danger of becoming the next victim of a Tea Party movement uprising that was threatening Republican candidates who were viewed as straying from conservative orthodoxy.

In what was taken as a sign of his nervousness, he brought in his 2008 vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, who vouched for his conservative bona fides. Now he enjoys a double-digit lead in the polls over his challenger, former representative J.D. Hayworth.

In Florida’s Democratic primary for US senator, Representative Kendrick Meek was nearly written off earlier this summer as he was being buried under an avalanche of television ads from his wealthy opponent, political novice Jeff Greene. Today, Meek leads Greene in the polls.

The contests offer more evidence that establishment candidates can prosper in this year of the outsider. They also are a reminder that personal wealth cannot overcome personal flaws, particularly among political novices.

Long before Hayworth emerged as a likely challenger, McCain took steps to protect himself, according to advisers. He concluded soon after he lost the 2008 presidential race that his party’s base was rapidly moving into a posture of total opposition to President Obama. McCain quickly became an outspoken opponent of the president on virtually all major issues.

McCain also knew that conservatives still viewed him with suspicion, despite the fact that, during his presidential campaign, he had softened his opposition to the Bush tax cuts and significantly hardened his position on immigration. With that in mind, he sought to prevent conservative groups and outside money from coalescing around a potential primary opponent.

In the Florida race, Meek suffered from a lack of statewide recognition and money. When Greene got into the race, his free spending quickly raised his profile and his poll numbers. Some Democratic strategists doubted that Meek could overcome Greene’s superior resources.

Then the Florida media, led by the St. Petersburg Times, began to hammer Greene, questioning his real estate dealings, exposing his extravagant lifestyle (including lavish and raucous parties aboard his 145-foot yacht), his hobnobbing with boxer Mike Tyson, and his harsh treatment of staff and crew.

WASHINGTON POST

Murkowski delivered that message three days before a plane crash killed former senator Ted Stevens, who for four decades consistently delivered billions in federal dollars for roads, bridges, ports, pipelines, and military projects that transformed the 49th state.

Stevens’s legacy looms large in tomorrow’s Republican primary, in which Murkowski is trying to fend off Joe Miller, a decorated combat veteran, former judge, and blame-Washington candidate backed by the Tea Party movement and former governor Sarah Palin.

Reminding voters of the riches from seniority looks like it could sweep the better-known, better-financed Murkowski to the nomination and a likely victory in November over the Democrat on the ballot.

The last Republican to argue that Senate longevity matters was Utah’s Bob Bennett, who was rudely swept aside by members of the Tea Party movement and other GOP voters at the state convention in May.

Murkowski, 53, ranks fifth in the Republican leadership and serves on the Appropriations and the Energy and Natural Resources committees, crucial for Alaska, which is rich in oil, gas, and minerals. If Republicans win control of the Senate in November, Murkowski would head the latter panel.

During campaign stops, she tells Alaskans that she shares their frustrations with the federal government, especially since President Obama took office in January 2009. She says the government has been overstepping its bounds, intruding on states’ rights, and spending too much, and she insists she’s fighting back.

She helped lead an unsuccessful charge against allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to issue regulations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saying that encroached on the power of lawmakers. Last month, she voted against extending unemployment benefits. She also opposed Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court, questioning her view of the Second Amendment and gun rights.

Miller, a graduate of Yale Law School and West Point, has never held elective office. He calls Murkowski a late voice to the conservative chorus.

For much of her career, Murkowski has been known as a centrist, and Miller says she has a history of voting with Democrats.

“She has a very liberal voting record and that also reflects her views of government as being the answer to all ills,’’ he said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS