WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats have their thumbs on Republican scales in Senate primaries in Missouri and Wisconsin this summer, hoping to improve their own chances of maintaining a majority in November.
The idea isn't quite as far-fetched as it might sound.
Two years ago, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's allies invested heavily in an effort to help Sharron Angle win a contested GOP primary in Nevada after deciding she'd the easiest Republican to defeat in the fall. She won the nomination and lost to Reid.
Now Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri is running ads that strategists in both parties say indicate a preference for one of her three rivals.
A group with ties to Reid has run commercials selectively attacking Republican contenders in Missouri and Wisconsin, where primaries are set for August.
