The Right Way to Influence a Primary

The Hotline explains why House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) got into trouble
with his own party for wading into a primary race between two
incumbents, while House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) has been
“quietly praised” in his party for doing the same thing.

“Why the
difference? Cantor took heat for funneling some cash through the
Campaign for Primary Accountability, an organization with the express
goal of ousting incumbents in their own primaries. What’s more, Cantor’s
actions sharpened the divide between the old bulls on Capitol Hill and
the hard-charging freshmen who are wholly uninterested in waiting their
turn in the seniority system… Altmire engendered no such good will
among fellow Democrats. Hoyer only got involved on Critz’s behalf after
Altmire attacked Critz for voting with Democratic leadership on a
Republican budget vote… It didn’t help that Altmire had voted against
health care and cap and trade legislation, two of the three major
Democratic initiatives in the 111th Congress.”