Despite a pledge not to get involved in its own primaries, the National Republican Congressional Committee knows who it wants to see com out of two competitive runoffs in Alabama, and they're making their preference known. In both cases, the leading Republican failed to win enough votes in the June 3 primary to avoid a runoff, and the GOP has no interest in losing what will be two competitive southern seats.

In the southern Second District, where Republican Terry Everett is retiring after eight terms, State Rep. Jay Love and State Senator Harri Anne Smith will duke it out in the July 15 runoff. The initial front-runner, Smith finished with 22% of the vote, while Love took 35% in the six-candidate field. Last night, national Republicans held a fundraiser for Love, who has largely self-funded his campaign, attracting many top House GOP leaders.

Technically the event was not sponsored by the NRCC, and was held at the offices of an insurance industry group in Washington. But spokesman Ken Spain heaped praise on Love when the Associated Press asked about the race, making clear the committee's intent. The winner of the runoff will face Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright, who won the Democratic primary outright.

Up north, Democrats hoping to keep retiring Rep. Bud Cramer's seat on their side will lean on State Senator Parker Griffith, who coasted to a Democratic primary win in early June. Republican insurance executive Wayne Parker barely missed his chance to win his nomination outright, winning 49% of the vote to attorney Cheryl Baswell Guthrie's 18%.

The Republican Parker has received checks in the mail from five of his GOP colleagues already in office, including fellow Alabaman Spencer Bachus. While the NRCC has not endorsed any candidate, it doesn't leave a lot to the imagination when chairman Tom Cole hands Parker a $5,000 check, as Roll Call's John McArdle writes today.

Both races will be tough for Republicans -- Griffith represents his district's population center and Bright is the popular mayor of a major city -- but it's doable. Cole has started to weed out the weaker candidates, something he'd been criticized for failing to do in special elections earlier this year. Better late than never, one would suppose.