Republicans Set Sights on Obama

The Republican candidates sure seem to know who their opponent will be:

In the Republican debate Saturday night, all the candidates were asked about Mr. Obama, and cited their differences on taxes, abortion, immigration and health care. "Sen. Obama has adopted the position of every liberal interest group in this country as best I can tell," said former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson.

But there was also a sense that Mr. Obama had upended the race by using optimism and calls for change to draw support from first-time and independent voters. "We'd better be careful as a party, because if we don't give people something to be for, and only something to be against, we're going to lose that next election," said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

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Republicans Set Sights on Obama

Recent Success Recasts
The Collective Focus;
New National Email Push

By ALEX FRANGOS
January 8, 2008; Page A4

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119972704241472437.html

SALEM, N.H. -- Republican presidential contenders duked it out over immigration and taxes on the final day of campaigning before today's New Hampshire primary, but one candidate in particular shifted the focus of the entire group: Democrat Barack Obama.

The Illinois senator's victory in Iowa and surge in opinion polls here have forced the Republicans to explain who would be the most likely to beat Mr. Obama, rather than Hillary Clinton, in the general election. Republicans have also substituted Mr. Obama as the Democrat to criticize at public events, calling him out for his views on taxes and health care and his lack of foreign-policy experience.