Some of the tastiest cat fud yet from Arizona:
Former Arizona Congressman J.D. Hayworth says he is planning to run against John McCain for his U.S. Senate seat.
Hayworth, a Republican, told The Associated Press late Friday he stepped down as host of his radio program on KFYI-AM, a conservative radio talk show in Phoenix. Legally, he would not have been able to remain host of the program and be an active candidate. […]
“We will formally announce at a later time, but we’re moving forward to challenge John McCain,” he said. “I think we all respect John. I think his place in history is secure. But after close to a quarter-century in Washington, it’s time for him to come home.”
He said he wasn’t serious about running against McCain until a recent “outpouring of support” from Arizonans asking him to run changed his mind.
“Arizonans have a clear choice — a clear, commonsense, consistent conservative, or they can remain with a moderate who calls himself a maverick,” Hayworth said.
Pass the popcorn.
UPDATE (David): Can it be that Hayworth really doesn’t have a campaign website? Who the hell announces for a statewide race without one ready to go?
RaceTracker Wiki: AZ-Sen
Even if Hayworth doesn’t win, he may bloody McCain up. 2010 may not be so bad!
If Hayworth pulls it off we need a strong canidate. It is a fairly blue state and plus you have Goddard on the Governors race and he should win by a fairly solid margin. I think that this seat is now in play. Who are we going to nomminate?
So, who do the Democrats have who we can get into this race incase we’ve got Hayworth as our candidate? Or even better yet, if McCain is but then all the tea baggers stay home.
And I wonder how Palin campaigning for McCain will go now.
The only person I’ve heard publicly side with Hayworth over McCain is Pat Buchanan. Perhaps DeMint would get aboard the Hayworth train, but I feel like Palin’s stumping for McCain should secure a solid chunk of the far-right.
Oh, and no way does/can Janet Napolitano run. She’d get creamed.
I know he hasn’t been in office for thirty years and hasn’t really been through the ringer, but he has owned a business, started a non-profit, served in the military and been elected to the Tuscon city council. I don’t know if I always agree with the wait your turn philosophy, but I know that argument can be made and it is valid.
http://www.rodneyglassman.com/
I thought when teabaggers hate another Republican they call him the L-word.
Even the college student government party with whom I ran had a website lined up before announcing. Let’s hope that he can put in more effort than this!
Although, I imagine it was a rather rushed entry into the race when he saw McCain running that radio ad.
Since he’s publicly endorsed McCain, it looks like the height of cravenness to run against him now.
A better choice would be Jim Pederson, who represented us very respectably in 2006 against Jon Kyl. There’s also Neil Giuliano, the popular Republican-turned-Democrat former Mayor of Tempe. I’d be leery of trying to get anyone currently holding elected office (such as Corporation Commissioner Paul Newman) to run for this seat, given how big a long-shot it is.
…conservative radio? And would it be possible to get one of these guys to challenge every Republican while we focus our primarying on a handful?
Scenario 1 – It forces McCain to retire. This race becomes far more competitive.
Scenario 2 – McCain emerges victorious yet bloodied. Add on the possibilities that he has either further alienated his base and/or has further tarnished his moderate credentials by going to the right to placate the Republican base. This race becomes more competitive.
Scenario 3 – Hayworth wins. There is also the possibility that HE becomes bloodies and has to deal with swing voters after taking down the (supposedly) moderate McCain. This race becomes far more competitive.
Scenario 4 – Hayworth is elected Senator. A faux moderate and media darling is exchanged for an unabashed conservative that lost his Republican-leaning seat four years ago. A little setback in terms of votin behavior is a small price to pay for a HUGE gain in PR ability.