“A lot of stars seem to be aligning for Republicans in this year’s midterm elections, and here’s a crucial one that hasn’t gotten sufficient attention: Party leaders have used quiet diplomacy to reduce the chances the GOP’s tea-party wing will crown primary candidates who can be easily portrayed as odd or extremist,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“This is no small thing in the pursuit of this year’s grand prize, which is winning control of the Senate.”

The Week: Will the GOP sideline social conservatives too?

Iowa U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst (R) has cited her National Guard duty to rebuff criticism for missing more than half of the votes in the Iowa Senate this year.

But a review by The Gazette shows that few — 10%, or 12 of the 117 missed votes — came on days when she was on active duty.

“Scott’s happiest days as a young man were in New Hampshire… So it’s going to be great to have a senator that was born virtually in the state of New Hampshire. Jean Shaheen, by the way, was born in Missouri!”

— Former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu (R), quoted by Yahoo News, at a rally kicking off Scott Brown’s Senate candidacy.

A new Anzalone Lizst Grove Research (D) poll in Arkansas finds Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) leads Rep. Tom Cotton (R) in the U.S. Senate race among likely voters, 48% to 45%, with 7% of the electorate undecided.

More evidence Pryor is ahead: The AP reports that Cotton called for a series of five debates with Pryor.

Reid Wilson: “Of the $2.6 million spent on TV in Arkansas so far, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) has accounted for 7% of the total ads. Rep. Tom Cotton (R) has accounted for just 5%. The remaining 88% comes from outside groups.”