Glassman makes Jonathan Alter on Newsweek

by David Safier

The national story is no longer just McCain and Hayworth. Now Glassman is on the radar as well.

Jonathan Alter, who writes in Newsweek and is a regular commenter on MSNBC, wrote a column, McCain Descending. He deplores the change in McCain on immigration issues:

In the past McCain has tamped down anti-immigrant fever. He showed great leadership in pushing for comprehensive immigration reform. But now that he has a tough primary challenge from former radio-talk-show host and blowhard congressman J. D. Hayworth, he's willing to deport all of his principles.

Then Alter brings a third factor into the race, Rodney Glassman:

It may all be for naught. If McCain manages to win the primary, the Democratic nominee, likely to be Rodney Glassman, former JAG and Tucson city councilor, will get new life and energy from all the Hispanics and Anglos in Arizona who think this bill is disastrous. Glassman already has the money to be competitive in November. The bill scrambles Arizona politics in ways that are impossible to predict, but Glassman should be moved from long shot to a possible Democratic pickup. It would serve McCain right if he sold his soul and lost anyway.

Looks like Glassman's campaign is going to have the horsepower to put him into this high profile race, and Alter, admittedly something of a partisan, thinks Glassman could win.

Glassman and his bus were at the Democratic State Meeting at Tucson's Sunnyside High School today. They both looked ready for prime time. After McCain and Hayworth slug it out in the primary, I'm thinking whoever is left standing is going to have a fight on his hands.