They forced a moderate Republican out of the race for New York's 23rd congressional district last year (though the perverse result was that this allowed a Democrat to win in a normally safeRepublicanseat), and claim the credit for electing Scott Brown last month in Massachusetts.
In Indiana, the Republican faithful contrived to put asafeseat at risk by tossing out the incumbent of 36 years, Dick Lugar, in favour of Richard Mourdock, a tea-party hero.