Health policy and the campaign trail: Reports from Minnesota and Virginia

News reports highlight how health policy issues -- and the health law in particular -- are playing in these races.

The Associated Press: GOP Seeks Jolt To Senate Race Against Dem Franken
Mike McFadden leaned his sturdy frame over the front counter of the Shady Drive Inn as the owner aired the same frustrations with political gridlock that some of her regular customers grumble about. Then she asked the Senate candidate point-blank: "What party are you affiliated with?" McFadden tiptoed into the answer: "Well, I'm an American first," he said. "But I'm a Republican." … McFadden is embracing a lot of ideas that many fellow Republicans are fighting fervently to kill. He supports an immigration overhaul with a path to citizenship. He says President Barack Obama's health care law must go, but he wants a replacement that replicates some of its goals (Bakst, 7/21).

The Washington Post: In Virginia's 10th Congressional District, GOP Struggles To Woo Minority Voters
With the GOP's most conservative voices opposing immigration reform and the federal health-care law -; issues of great importance to Latinos and Asians -; Republicans acknowledge the challenges they face in appealing to those groups. Their goal, at least initially, is to chip away at Democratic dominance (Schwartzman, 7/20).