Mass., Ariz. Senate races grab national spotlight

The hotly contested race between Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic challenger, continues to involve health policy issues. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports that Democrats are hoping that former Surgeon General Richard Carmona will turn Arizona "blue."

The New York Times: A Shot Is Sunk, And Taken, In Massachusetts Race
The Warren campaign says this political moment is of little consequence compared with those involving health care and student loans that middle-class voters face every day. "These are the moments that Elizabeth Warren cares about -- they are why she is running for Senate -- not manufactured moments in a long political campaign," said Kyle Sullivan, a spokesman for Ms. Warren. … At the union event in Washington on Tuesday, Ms. Warren took Mr. Brown to task for opposing the federal health care law while using it to his family's benefit (Goodnough and Seelye, 5/1).

Boston Globe: Warren Hits Brown Over His Use Of Health Law
Democrat Elizabeth Warren said Tuesday that "it is wrong"' that Senator Scott Brown has voted to block and repeal President Obama's health care overhaul while he continues to insure his nearly 24-year-old daughter through an extended-coverage provision in the law. Warren raised the topic, first reported in Tuesday's Globe, as she addressed the AFL-CIO's Building and Construction Trades Department in Washington (Johnson, 5/1).

The Washington Post: Richard Carmona, Former Bush Surgeon General, Best Hope Of Turning Arizona Blue, Democrats Say
Carmona has yet to leap a tall building in a single bound, but Democrats here are counting on him to provide some political heroics: They're hoping Carmona will not just take a Republican seat but also give President Obama the boost he needs to win Arizona, the one red state his campaign thinks can be turned blue this year (Sonmez, 5/2).