By Becky Pallack | Arizona Daily Star
The botched rollout of the Affordable Care Act is the big issue in the races for two Arizona congressional districts — which are among the hottest races in the nation.
Republican candidates are trumpeting Obamacare as the reason Democratic Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick and Ron Barber won’t win re-election .
They’re making statements using words like “horrific,” “abhorrent” and “disastrous.” The attack ads have begun, and outside money will pay for much of the fight on both sides.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is “ready to commit significant resources” to help Republican candidates defeat Barber and Kirkpatrick, political director Rob Simms said last week.
He believes the two representatives are “exceptionally vulnerable” and give the party its best opportunities to pick up seats nationwide.
The Arizona chapter of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity already has spent at least $200,000 to target Barber and Kirkpatrick for their support of the Affordable Care Act.
Watch for liberal groups to pour in the money, too, said Kirkpatrick opponent Andy Tobin. “They will so overload this race with millions of dollars,” he said.
