CHICAGO — Three years after he was elected with support from Sarah Palin and other tea party activists, Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger finds himself in new territory: the target of a primary battle waged by people who say he's not conservative enough.
While similar challenges prompted some GOP lawmakers to move to the right or temper their rhetoric, Kinzinger has tried to hold his ground and become more visible and vocal than ever. He has made the rounds on TV talk shows to argue for military action in Syria — a position he shared with President Barack Obama — and he has criticized the groups targeting him for contributing to paralysis in Washington.
It's a calculated gamble by Kinzinger, who enjoys the advantages of incumbency in what's considered a safe Republican district. But he argues it's also an opportunity to show other Republicans — especially in blue states such as Illinois — that the GOP can make gains by welcoming younger voters and minorities, by not "going on cable TV all the time and yelling and screaming" and by accepting it's a big party and "we're not going to agree on everything.
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