.McCain Feeling Primary Heat From His Right Flank

[Desertdog]

When an entrenched politician, such as McCain, can feel the heat from the voters, then the less entreched politicians should really be fearful.  Go TEA Party.

.McCain Feeling Primary Heat From His Right Flank


By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS
Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republicans' standard-bearer in 2008, is facing a surprisingly strong primary challenge from the right, evidence that even party leaders aren't safe from the swell of conservative activism heading into the 2010 midterm elections.


Mr. McCain hasn't faced a serious challenge since joining the U.S. Senate in 1987. But seven months ahead of the primary, he is using tough-guy tactics and calling in conservative chits to fend off J.D. Hayworth, an ex-congressman and radio host. Mr. Hayworth, who lost his House seat in 2006 and who is best known in Arizona for his opposition to illegal immigration, has seized the Tea Party mantel of low taxes and small government.

With the senator's approval, McCain allies filed complaints with the Federal Election Commission and the Federal Communications Commission essentially alleging that Mr. Hayworth's three-hour radio show—during which he regularly attacked Mr. McCain—was a form of campaign advertising. In January, Mr. Hayworth and the station agreed to drop his program. Smokey Rivers, Phoenix director of programming and operations for KFYI's owner, San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications Inc., said Mr. McCain wasn't a factor.

Jason Rose, a Hayworth aide, described the move as a "political mugging." Mr. McCain isn't shy about admitting his role in knocking Mr. Hayworth off the air. "I certainly didn't discourage it," he said in an interview. "I'm not saying he couldn't say anything he wanted to, but it's clear that was a political campaign he was running on the radio station."

Continued at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704343104575033181531964738.html

[MechAg94]

Good.  The way he flubbed the election, he should be put out to pasture.

[AZRedhawk44]

McCain didn't flub the election.  He ran as himself.

The Stupid Party flubbed the election by failing to run an actual conservative.

Now McCain is trying to hide himself behind a facade of false conservatism over the last 6 months.

Good luck, buddy.  You're going down.

[HankB]

. . . he is using tough-guy tactics and calling in conservative chits

Wait a minute - McCain has conservative chits?

From who?

How'd he get them? (I mean, other than by having Sara Palin as running mate.)

[Standing Wolf]

Wait a minute - McCain has conservative chits?
From who?

McCain was endorsed as the Republicrat candidate by the editors of the New York Times. 'Nough said?

[Waitone]

Take it to the bank; Lindsey Graham will make appearances for McCain.

[MicroBalrog]

McCain is a principled, authentic conservative and fighter pilot. He'd be in Hayworth's OODA loop before you can say Jack Robinson.

[Waitone]

McCain is a principled, authentic conservative and fighter pilot.

You ain't from around here, air'ya!  McCain (like all politicans) is not what his public image portrays.

[Ron]

You ain't from around here, air'ya!  McCain (like all politicans) is not what his public image portrays.

He is better than Durbin-D, Obama-D, Biggert-R and the future Senator Mark Kirk-R.

[Monkeyleg]

McCain co-authored the greatest assault on the First Amendment ever perpetrated by the government.

I dislike him so much as a senator that I voted for Hillary in the 2008 primary. (In Wisconsin a voter can choose Republican candidates or Democrat candidates in the primary, but no crossover voting is allowed).

[Ron]

McCain co-authored the greatest assault on the First Amendment ever perpetrated by the government.

I dislike him so much as a senator that I voted for Hillary in the 2008 primary. (In Wisconsin a voter can choose Republican candidates or Democrat candidates in the primary, but no crossover voting is allowed).

His historical rating from the American Conservative Union is better than all the Illinois politicians I named.

He just has problems staying on the reservation time to time on really big issues. He isn't a Maverick, he is goofy.

[Boomhauer]

Take it to the bank; Lindsey Graham will make appearances for McCain.

No *expletive deleted*it. Lindsey Graham brownnosed McCain like nothing else...

[Clem]

McCain is a moron. The reason he was flying in the Navy was his father’s influence. The reason he got shot down was his own stupidity. After losing to Bush in 2000, he spent the next 8 yrs. doing everything he could to hurt Bush and the Republicans. He then expected the Conservative base to rally around him for the general election. Many Conservatives sat home instead. They came out this year for authentic Conservative candidates in VA, NJ and MA, but I wouldn’t count on them coming out for McCain this year.

McCain wasn’t a fighter pilot. The A-4 he flew was a Navy Attack plane. He was an Attack pilot, and a bad one. Fighter pilots flew F-8s and F-4s during VN.

[HankB]

He is better than Durbin-D, Obama-D, Biggert-R and the future Senator Mark Kirk-R.

In the same way that the H1N1 virus is better than ebola, smallpox, pneumonic plague, and HIV.

[AZRedhawk44]

In the same way that the H1N1 virus is better than ebola, smallpox, pneumonic plague, and HIV.

You win one (1) political innernetz chatboard.

[AZRedhawk44]

RINOs of the world unite!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100223/ap_on_el_se/us_romney_mccain

Romney has come out and backs McCain for re-election, over Hayworth.

Romney, Brown, McCain:  Rudy McRomney reincarnated.  Mitt McBrown?

http://marquettehomelandsecurity.blogspot.com/2007/03/rudy-mcromney.html

[AZRedhawk44]

LOL... Rush evidently agrees with me.  Drew the immediate parallel from Brown/McCain/Romney just now.

[MrRezister]

Don't forget though - real conservatives have a bad habit of supporting 'crazy' ideas like smaller government and thus render themselves unelectable.

Yay for McCain!

[longeyes]

Rumor has it that a lot of his flying was done underwater...

My gripe with him, though, is he seems to gravitate, for some unaccountable reason, to collaborating with people way left of center.

[Waitone]

My gripe with him, though, is he seems to gravitate, for some unaccountable reason, to collaborating with people way left of center.

I think it is a learned response developed while captive of North Vietnam.

[MicroBalrog]

I think it is a learned response developed while captive of North Vietnam.

I would say that this is entirely inappropriate. Whatever his views, John McCain served his country honorably, and there are several witnesses who were imprisoned with him that testify he was tortured repeatedly by the Vietnamese for refusing to turn over information and cooperate with them. With the exception of a single "confession" he signed initially as a response to the torture, John Sidney McCain behaved honorably in prison and at one point refused an offer of "clemency" by the  Communists because it was against the Air Force code for an officer to be released before men who were captured earlier were released.

He has been rendered partially disabled by the years of incredible torture, but has refused to betray his country. I disagree with his political views in almost every way, and I don't think he is a nice person. But I respect his service and the injuries he sustained on behalf of America and the Vietnamese people whom America was attempting to protect from Communist aggression.

[Jamisjockey]

I think it is a learned response developed while captive of North Vietnam.

That was inappropriate.  Any more of that and I'm going to get all Mike Irwin up in here.  Ya'll should know better.

[AZRedhawk44]

I think it is a learned response developed while captive of North Vietnam.

That was inappropriate.  Any more of that and I'm going to get all Mike Irwin up in here.  Ya'll should know better.

Waitone's statement is a quite common sentiment that you hear almost daily on the Phoenix talk radio call-in lines.

"Yay, he served the country.  Doesn't mean he's a good Senator or Presidential candidate.  Frankly, he accomodates the enemy too much."

You hear it every day.

If it makes it onto the FCC regulated air waves, I hardly think it's inappropriate for a political chat forum.

[Ben]

I would submit that based on just three posts since the POW subject came up, that it will lead to impolite posts, which will probably end in a locked thread.  I really recommend keeping the discussion to McCain's political career and the topic's subject.

[longeyes]

Let me say, for the record, I respect McCain's service.  I have no doubt he is a brave man and loyal to America.  But he has been all too often a destructive force politically, at least from my point of view.