J.D. Hayworth's Campaign Announcement Ruined By Evan Bayh

It was a slow news day and there was no reason in the world why loud mouthed neo-fascist J.D. Hayworth shouldn't have been the top political story du jour. And then Evan Bayh rained on his parade. Yesterday was official announcement day for Hayworth's run against John McCain. Even before the announcement, he had threatened McCain that if he kept yapping about "Abramoff" (who, ironically, McCain protected as Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee) Hayworth would double down on McCain's far more serious Keating 5 scandal.

"If John McCain really wants to make this a campaign about ties to lobbyists we will very forcefully respond to his outrageous conduct and Bahamian vacations with convicted banker Charlie Keating,” said Jason Rose, a spokesman for Hayworth... Rose said the senator’s camp is already using Abramoff in a “whisper campaign” against Hayworth, a characterization a McCain spokesman scoffed at.

“This isn’t a whisper campaign,” said Brian Rogers, McCain’s communications director. “The people of Arizona made a judgment about J.D. Hayworth’s ethically questionable role in the Jack Abramoff scandal when they voted him out of office in 2006. By stark contrast, the people of Arizona have overwhelmingly re-elected John McCain on numerous occasions.”

Sunday we went through some of the reasons Hayworth has a good chance of defeating McCain in the August 24th primary. Although Palin sticking with her benefactor, most other teabaggers are adamantly opposing McCain. California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has already come out against him and teabagger kingpin Jim DeMint has sent a not too subtle signal that he'd like to see McCain lose. Appearing with Hayworth at his announcement in Phoenix were Arizona political heavyweights Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, State Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Gray, and state Sen. Ron Gould, of Lake Havasu City. But the biggest news of the event was that Chris Simcox, founder of one of the more popular right-wing militias, dropped out of the race and endorsed Hayworth. I wonder if Rubio will endorse Hayworth.

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.

Republicans and teabaggers have the luxury of tearing each other apart in a primary because the Democrats don't have a viable statewide candidate willing to go for the Senate seat. McCain's support-- pivotal support-- for Bush's $800 billion Wall Street bailout could help Hayworth, who has framed him as "too liberal" on taxes, social issues, immigration, and bailing out the banks. A radio talk show host, Hayworth is a good enough communicator to devastate McCain with his own dizzying record as the Senate's most consistent flip-flopper.