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A Senator’s journey from bipartisan maverick to right-wing ideologue—one flip-flop at a time. In theory, John McCain's right-wing madness could come to an end on Tuesday, when he is expected to prevail over former Rep. JD Hayworth in Arizona’s Senate primary. Faced with a stiff conservative challenge, McCain has spent this election cycle defying many of his long-held moderate positions. In fact, his transformation from aisle-crossing, party-bucking maverick (see this 1998 Mother Jones interview) to cookie-cutter conservative has been years in the making. During his 2008 presidential bid, he began to lurch rightward on a litany of issues in his...

John McCain holds a comfortable lead in the contentious Arizona Republican Senate primary, according to the most recent public polling, making him the strong favorite against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth on Tuesday. But it’s been a costly road to a fifth term for the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, and the experience is likely to leave a lasting and unsightly stain on his legacy. It’s not just the $20 million he’s spent already this election or the scorched earth campaign that he’s run. Rather, it’s the choices he’s made and the positions he’s embraced — and what it reveals about him...

Sen. John McCain was once one of the major Republican supporters of immigration reform, arguing for comprehensive legislation as recently as 2008. Faced with accusations of supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants, McCain has moved to a much tougher immigration stance during his Republican primary. But after the primary vote next Tuesday, will the old McCain come back? The winner of the GOP primary in Arizona is likely to have a straight shot to the Senate seat, NPR reported yesterday. But first McCain must beat opponent J.D. Hayworth, a former congressman who has attacked McCain for his previous support of immigration...

PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Sen. John McCain spent another $3.6 million last month in his bid to secure re-election. He's now spent almost $20 million on the race, nearly all of it since former Congressman J.D. Hayworth began challenging him in the Republican primary earlier this year.

PHOENIX (AP) - John McCain's Republican primary challenger suggests the country would be worse off had McCain won the 2008 presidential election. (snip) Responding to a question from the audience at a Phoenix tea party meeting Monday, Hayworth says he doesn't like President Barack Obama, but a moderate Republican would be even worse than the Democrat. Speaking of the Arizona senator, Hayworth says: "I think the last thing we needed was a progressive trying to wear a Republican cloth coat as president of the United States."

The slayings of 10 aid workers in Afghanistan by the Taliban are a stark reminder of what could happen without American involvement there, U.S. Sen. John McCain said. McCain stumped Sunday at Mesa State College for Grand Junction native Jane Norton, urging about 150 people to get out the vote in the Republican primary election. Norton faces Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck in the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate, and the winner will face the victor in the Democratic Party primary pitting Sen. Michael Bennet against former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. (snip) McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential...

As the video popped-up this week of far-left, ultra wealthy, and privileged CBS “News” anchor Katie Couric going after then Governor Sarah Palin while mocking the names of her children, it reminded me all over again how much Palin is owed an apology from the “leadership” of the McCain campaign. This anti-Palin “let them eat cake” video rant by Couric (filmed the day McCain announced the traditional values Palin as his running mate) serves as further proof that most in the mainstream media are not only liberal and unethical, but dangerously out of touch with everyday Americans and everyday life....

With one word, "yes," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, solidified his maverick status and no doubt fanned the flames of conservative resentment already running high against him, as he voted Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee to support the nomination of Elena Kagan for a seat on the Supreme Court, the lone Republican to do so. "I'm going to vote for her because I believe this last election has consequences," Graham said of Kagan, adding that her positions are "in the mainstream" and saying it was "not a difficult decision." As if to underline his conservative status, Graham reminded, "No one...

Link to radio clip audio Length of radio clip: 60 seconds Text of radio clip, as follows: PALIN: Hi, this is Sarah Palin. This is the time when conservatives must stand up and fight against the Big Government policies of President Obama and Democrats in Congress. No one is a more forceful leader than my friend, John McCain. Every day John is fighting the President's radical plan to put Washington bureaucrats in charge of your health care. It's John McCain who is fighting for transparency and against backroom sweetheart deals. If we have a chance to stop the Democrats in...

Sen. John McCain has announced that he will vote no on confirming Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan, citing her handling of the military recruiting as dean of Harvard Law School.

U.S. Sen. John McCain and Gov. Jan Brewer continue to hold leads over their opponents, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll. In a June 16 poll of 707 likely Republican primary voters, McCain is leading the three-way primary with 47 percent support. Former Congressman J.D. Hayworth stands at 36 percent, while veteran Jim Deakin has 7 percent. While the poll shows a continuing lead — McCain was at 52 percent to Hayworth’s 40 percent last month — a longstanding political rule-of-thumb indicates incumbents are vulnerable when they slip below the 50 percent mark.

PHOENIX (AP) — The National Rifle Association has endorsed John McCain in Arizona's Republican Senate primary.

Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer reiterated her support for Arizona’s senior Sen. John McCain yesterday. Brewer, who in February endorsed McCain in his primary battle against Rep. J.D. Hayworth, told Fox’ Greta Van Susteren that the race is tough. “It's interesting. Sen. McCain, of course, has represented the state of Arizona for a long time. And J.D. Hayworth has served in Congress for eight years,” the governor said. “I believe philosophically, they're different breeds of politicians. And people will just have to make that decision. I've known Sen. McCain for a long time, and I think he's served Arizona well.”

Sen. John McCain’s town hall meeting reflected his packed schedule during his visit Wednesday as he ran the gamut of his campaign. McCain, who visited Lake Havasu City for the second time in three months, spoke about several issues including immigration, health care, the economy and foreign affairs during a Town Hall meeting Wednesday afternoon at the Hampton Inn. McCain’s stop in Havasu followed Town Hall meetings in Clifton and Parker as well as appearances at the Lake Havasu Chamber of Commerce, Fire Station No. 2 and the grand opening of his Mohave County Campaign Office in Havasu. McCain said...

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will host his first fundraiser for Arizona Sen. John McCain, facing a tough primary battle against former congressman J.D. Hayworth, at a McLean home later this month, advisers to the governor say. The June 14 fundraiser will be at the home of Bobbie Kilberg, president and chief executive of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. Kilberg, an adviser to McDonnell, is a member of McDonnell's new government reform commission. Other hosts include businessman Fred Malek, the commission chairman who has been under fire in recent weeks because of questions that have been raised about his past, former...

TUCSON, AZ (KGUN - TV) - Arizona Senator John McCain now says soldiers sent to the border should be armed. This revelation comes one day after Senate democrats shot down McCain's border plan to send 6,000 soldiers to the border. At a town hall meeting in Tucson, McCain first told 60 of his supporters in attendance that President Obama's plan to send 1,200 soldiers would not work because the soldiers would only be assigned to "desk jobs." (snip) Nunez asked: "What do you say to the those who accuse you of throwing out numbers, sending 6,000 troops to the border,...

Please help. I plan to keep this thread alive until McCain loses the primary. Let's NAIL THAT RINO! Please help scout for headlines to bring here. I will ping people here once a week with choice headlines and links. [Since it's the OPPOSITE of high volume, several have already signed on.] If you would like to be on this once-a-week ping list, please let me know. Any helpful links will be appreciated. "The most recent online scores from the American Conservative Union are from 2008. In that year, John McCain scored 63 and had a lifetime average of 81.43. ......

KINGMAN - U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth used his smooth radio voice Saturday afternoon to rile Mohave County residents against not only his opponent, Sen. John McCain, but also incumbents on both sides of the aisle, President Barack Obama and the president of Mexico in a campaign stop at the First Assembly of God Church. His run for McCain's seat was not a personal attack on the incumbent senator, Hayworth told the crowd of about 125 spread throughout the sanctuary. "After 28 years of service, I want to thank Sen. McCain for his service to this country and welcome him...

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Senator John McCain tells KGUN 9 News he sympathizes with the illegal immigrant students who put their residents in the United States on the line to show their support for the DREAM Act. The bill would grant students who are under the age of 16 and illegally in the country a path to citizenship if they meet certain requirements. The three undocumented students face deportation after a sit in demonstration inside McCain's Tucson office. The senator later met with the students to hear their side of the story. "Their situation is one that they're in jeopardy. They...

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