It's only the middle of 2013, and, in what has to be a brutal reminder of the task ahead of them, already the National Republican Senatorial Committee has been publicly called out for failing to lick Erick Erickson's boots in the approved way in preparation for the GOP's attempt to take back the Senate in 2014. It's the NRSC's job to reelect Republican incumbents as well as try to win Democratic-held seats, and defending incumbents can lead to
serious conflict with the ever-crazier base of the party:
“We Republicans who value our principles should not give free rides to any incumbent solely by virtue of their incumbency. We conservatives should relish the opportunity to become scalp collectors. If the NRSC goes broke defending incumbents that Republicans in states seek to replace with better candidates, I am more than willing to help them go broke,” [Erickson] wrote.
Good for you, Erick son of Erick—people
should fight for their beliefs, even if that means going against their party committees. Progressives should do that more. But also, it's good for
us, because given the aforementioned craziness of the GOP base, this is the road to more Todd Akins, Richard Mourdocks, and Christine O'Donnells. And that, of course, is why the NRSC has to be nervous. Because in 2014, we're likely to once again see a Republican nominee for Senate in a contested state—or even what should be a Republican state—be just a little too honest about what they (and other candidates from their party) think, giving Democrats the boost they need. The big question is just who it's going to be this time.