Hatch overcomes primary challenge

The veteran Utah senator campaigned heavily on his seniority and experience, maintaining that they put him in a powerful position to work on issues related to deficit spending and health care costs. Meanwhile, a Missouri candidate is being hammered over his stance on the insurance mandate.    

The New York Times: Hatch Overcomes Challenge In Republican Primary In Utah
Mr. Hatch campaigned heavily on his seniority. He argued that he would be positioned to lead the Finance Committee should Republicans take control of the Senate, giving him a powerful perch to attack deficit spending and the ballooning costs of Medicaid and Social Security (Healy, 6/26).

St. Louis Beacon:  Republicans Challenge Nixon's Contention That He Has 'Never' Supported Insurance Mandate
Missouri Republicans are hammering at Gov. Jay Nixon over his assertion in Webster Groves earlier this week that he has "been pretty clear"' that he opposes the federal mandate that would require most Americans to purchase health insurance by 2014.  Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and two of the Democratic governor's GOP rivals -- Dave Spence and Bill Randles -- contended that Nixon has been anything but clear during the past three years of public debate over the issue.  They asserted that the governor is trying to be on the correct side of what Republicans predict will be a U.S. Supreme Court decision Thursday striking down the mandate (Mannies, 6/26).