Posted on 02/15/2010 12:32:01 PM PST by SandRat
Capitol Media Services photo by Howard Fischer
J.D. Hayworth gets the endorsement Monday of Chris Simcox, one of the founders of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. Simcox shelved his own bid to oust incumbent John McCain in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, a move that could give a boost to Hayworth. Behind them is Rob Haney, chairman of the Maricopa County Republican Party.
PHOENIX — With a blast at what he called John McCain's liberal leanings, former Congressman J.D. Hayworth launched his bid to oust the four-term incumbent in the Republican primary.
At an event outside his Phoenix headquarters Monday, Hayworth hurled broadsides at the senator, saying McCain is on the wrong side of all the issues important to GOP conservatives. That includes the incumbent's call to close the prison for enemy combatants at Guantanamo, his support for some sort of cap-and-trade system of cutting pollution, his vote for the Troubled Asset Relief Program to help bail out financial institutions and his efforts to limit campaign spending.
That's not all.
"Just like the liberals, John opposes waterboarding captured terrorists like the Christmas bomber,'' he said.
And if that weren't enough, he uttered the dreaded H-word.
"John's problem is not that he likes Hillary (Clinton),'' Hayworth said. "John's problem is he's like Hillary.''
His bid got an immediate boost Monday when Chris Simcox shelved his own Republican campaign against McCain to throw his support behind Hayworth. Simcox, a founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, said his supporters told him the move was necessary to have a united conservative front.
The race shapes up to be one of the most contested -- and potentially divisive -- intraparty campaigns in Arizona history.
McCain, hoping to shore up support for his nomination and election, set off this week on appearances around the state. That began Monday with a press conference in Tempe to announce his endorsement by 31 mayors from around the state. He also scheduled appearances this week in Thatcher, Flagstaff, Yuma, Phoenix, Tucson and Payson.
While McCain seeks bipartisan support, Hayworth pokes fun at the incumbent's working with Democrats. Instead, Hayworth, who served 12 years in Congress before being defeated in 2006 by Democrat Harry Mitchell, is making a clear bid for the backing of those who identify themselves as part of the Tea Party movement.
While that may work in a Republican party, it remains unclear how that plays out in a statewide general election.
In 2002 and again in 2006 Republicans chose those who identified themselves as conservatives to run for governor. Democrat Janet Napolitano won both times.
Those same years the Republican candidates for attorney general came from the GOP's conservative wing. The result was victories for Democrat Terry Goddard.
But Hayworth told Capitol Media Services he doesn't foresee his nomination as giving a political leg-up to Rodney Glassman, a Democratic city councilman from Tucson.
"This is an entirely different campaign and an entirely different year,'' he said. Hayworth said while his focus now is corralling Republican votes, "in the fullness of time we're reaching out to independents and to disaffected Democrats.''
He said the political climate has changed since then.
"The political wind is at our back,'' Hayworth said. "People recognize that the change they need is conservative change, not someone who's going to go there, as Mr. Glassman would, and be a rubber stamp for Barack Obama.''
Nor did he believe that a brutal primary battle would leave whoever survives too politically scarred to win in November. That's what happened in the 1970s when two GOP congressmen, John Conlan and Sam Steiger, battled it out, with Democrat Dennis DeConcini from Tucson snatching the seat in November.
"I believe that a good, old-fashioned primary is a good thing for the party,'' Hayworth said. "It will help both John and I prepare for the general.''
Hayworth was careful to thank McCain, a former prisoner of war, for his military service, and even admitted campaigning for the senator during his failed 2000 presidential bid.
"He still fights hard, all right," Hayworth said. "But too often, for the wrong causes.''
“The pro-amnesty/RINO establishment will be throwing a lot of money at McLame.”
McCain already has 6 million. Let’s hope the rest of the country is as generous as our FReepers.
Today, Hayworth officially entered the race.
McCain is hated by most AZ Reps. In 2008, McCain was the only top tier candidate of either party who failed to win his/her home state with 50% or more of the primary vote. McCain is very vulnerable, which is why he has been in a campaign mode for months.
That ain’t makeup — that’s a pic of the braindead maroon from about 30 years ago ... and airbrushed at that.
“This is about the 6th “Hayworth launches campaign” article posted in Breaking News in last 3 weeks. Is abuse of FR.”
Nope, this is probably the MOST important race for most of the FReepers...
I agree. Give this race a month or two. The picture might start to look something like that Crist-Rubio race in FL.
No one gave Rubio a chance early on. Now he looks like a lock.
It’s not always the candidate with the biggest war chest that wins.
I also think all RINO’s in the Districk of Corrupshun are watching this AZ race somewhat nervously.
... and they should be nervous. The peasants are angry ... and we have pitchforks!
Naw...THIS is a used-car salesman!
JD: Go get ‘em
The Kennedy seat is gone and his good “friend” should get the same treatment.
OMG..you know what, yer right!
bttt
Yes !! Just WOW, huh ?
Let the MSM continue to ignore the
people, Sarah Palin, Scott Brown,
the coverage of the 2M who marched
on DC .... and see what else happens
.. ;)
Thank you, Lord.
We need to understand that the Republican political insider lives to talk conservative in an election season and act liberal once they get elected.
The game is over now that more of us realize that guys like McCain have been using us for all these years.
No More RINO’s...
BTTT
And not just the people of Arizona. McCain has done more damage to the GOP platform than any Rino in recent memory. It would be good for conservatives across the nation to rid the (R) party of Senor McCain once and for all. I'm not in AZ, but have contributed to Hayworth a few times now and will do so again. Donation link: http://www.jdforsenate.com/
JD Bump.
Both Palin & Brown are going to campaign for McCain!!
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