Nobody got in Sen. Blanche Lincoln's face about health care last week. That was because she did not let them. While her colleagues subjected themselves to brickbats at town-hall-style meetings, Lincoln filled the first week of the Senate recess with controlled events before respectful crowds, like business forums and civic club luncheons. The closest demonstrators got to Arkansas's senior senator were the clusters of people who waved placards from roadsides as her car zipped by. The cautious scheduling, avoiding any risk of an ugly videotaped confrontation, underscored the political hazards of the health care debate for centrist Democrats like Lincoln, who faces re-election next year in a state where Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., defeated President Barack Obama by 20 percentage points. As the politics of health care become more polarized, moderate Democratic senators find themselves caught characteristically in the middle. Their ruling party is counting on their support to enact Obama's top domestic priority. But their constituents back home, in swing states like Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri and Nebraska, have deep reservations about the national Democratic agenda, particularly in expanding the government's role in health care and the economy. Lincoln, the wife of an obstetrician and the mother of twin 13-year-old boys, might feel the consequences more immediately than her counterparts. Not only is she running in 2010, but she sits on the Finance Committee, which is struggling to draft a health care bill capable of winning bipartisan support. If that effort fails, Lincoln may be left to vote on legislation crafted by more liberal committees in the House and Senate. She said she had problems with key components of those bills, but would surely face intense pressure in her party to back them. Might Lincoln actually vote no? 'I wouldn't preclude myself from that, no,' she said in an interview, adding, 'I know I'll be held accountable for that vote.' At the moment, Lincoln does not seem to be in serious political trouble in seeking a third term. Personable and approachable, she is a formidable fundraiser, with $3.2 million in the bank at the end of June. Although she has several announced Republican opponents, none are marquee names. But 2010 could be an unsettling campaign cycle for Democrats, and Lincoln's strategists recognize emerging hints of vulnerability. 'There's a lot of uncertainty here about how this new president's agenda will play out and how much of it this senator can support,' said her campaign manager, Steve Patterson. 