Monica Potts on the Blanche Lincoln challenge:
In the final debate before today’s Democratic primary in Arkansas, Sen. Blanche Lincoln and her main challenger, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, played tug-of-war on a lot of issues, one of the most personal of which was money — who had more from outside groups and who spent more attacking the other. (The race’s third candidate, conservative businessman D.C. Morrison, got the only laughs when he said too much money was a good problem: “My campaign, as many people have pointed out, is poorly financed.”)
While Arkansans are paying attention to the race, many view the rush of outside money and attention as befuddling and believe it is sullying the race. Lincoln is still the favorite, but the challengers are pulling her support below 50 percent. She needs an outright majority to avoid a runoff, which would push the race into June.