GOP establishment circles the wagons around Gramps McCain, gives conservatives the middle-finger salute

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The GOP establishment is circling the wagons around Gramps McCain to defend him from attacks on his right flank from J.D. Hayworth. By doing so, the GOP establishment is giving conservatives who can't stand the "mavericky" John McCain the middle-finger salute.

What is left of the Arizona Republican Congressional delegation endorsed Gramps McCain and lent their names as campaign co-chairs on Wednesday. AZ/DC Blog – Kyl, Flake, Shadegg and Franks endorse McCain J.D. Hayworth said his former House colleages were smart not to cross the four-term incumbent McCain, saying McCain could make trouble for any legislation they might hope to get passed. Sen. McNasty can call out the GOP goon squad. AZ/DC Blog – Hayworth not fazed by ex-Hill colleagues' snub Hayworth added: "John will have the Washington establishment, and he'll have a lot of the greenbacks. I'll have Arizona conservatives and the grass-roots. All things being equal, I'm happier with the grass-roots and a motivated electorate."

Yeah, good luck with that.

Fresh from her coronation as Tea Party Queen, the "Quitta from Wasilla," Sarah Palin, will be in Arizona campaigning for Gramps McCain on March 26 and 27. AZ/DC Blog – Palin on McCain: 'Absolutely, I support him' Well, this makes perfect sense. Palin would likely be the little-known impeached former Governor of Alaska by now if John McCain had not rescued her from obscurity and made her the American Idol of the loony right. She owes him big time for her celebrity fortune. The rest of us should never forget that it was the lack of character and judgment of John McCain who, in an act of desperation, inflicted us with the media's obsession over this undistinguished woman.

Mr. Outsider suddenly turned Mr. Insider, Sen. Scott Brown, the latest GOP flash-in-the-pan hero, will also campaign for Gramps McCain in March. AZ/DC Blog – Scott Brown to stump for McCain in March The day after Brown's upset win, he recorded robocalls for McCain. Well, he didn't waste any time Brown-nosing some wrinkled old butt, did he?

Arizona's "shadow governor," Grover Norquist – he of "no tax" pledge disrepute – has also endorsed Gramps McCain. AZ/DC Blog – Hayworth must explain loss of House seat, Norquist says Norquist said "He (Hayworth) needs to make the case, that at a time when Tea Party activists and conservative activists and Republican regulars are being asked to raise tens of millions of dollars to win Senate seats in Delaware and North Dakota and Massachusetts, for crying out loud, why should we be asked to split up our time, energy and money to replace a perfectly good, in working condition Republican who consistently votes against tax increases and for spending restraint."

Oh really? I seem to recall that John McCain voted against George W. Bush's massive tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy saying they were "fiscally irresponsible." That's back when he was being all "mavericky" and still pissed-off at Bush for crushing his dreams of becoming president. McCain changed his tune as the GOP standard-bearer in 2008. Did this earn him a pass from "no tax" Norquist?

This endorsement should set the Tea Party types to gnashing their teeth: FreedomWorks - the corporate Astroturf sponsor of the so-called Tea Party movement – endorsed Gramps McCain. I wonder if they took a vote of their members first? Nah. While former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) and FreedomWorks' chairman stopped short of outright endorsing Gramps McCain, Steve "Flat Tax" Forbes, the former presidential candidate who won Arizona's 1996 GOP presidential primary, already has done so. Forbes serves on the FreedomWorks Foundation Board of Directors.  AZ/DC Blog -Armey: Hayworth had 'undistinguished' House career

Not a whole lotta love out there in the GOP establishment for J.D. Hayworth. So who does support him? Long-time McCain antagonist and subject of a federal grand jury investigation, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. AZ/DC Blog – Arpaio lends name to Hayworth fundraising It was J.D. Hayworth's ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff that led to his defeat in 2006. If Joe Arpaio is indicted by the federal grand jury, as many observers believe will occur, J.D.'s ties to crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio will be a hindrance not a help.

Early polling in this race has been all over the place. I question the reliability of any of these early polls. If J.D. Hayworth is going to have any chance of defeating the GOP establishment's choice, Gramps McCain, he is going to have to go negative early and often and throw red meat to Arizona conservatives and Tea Party types who cannot stand John McCain. This is going to get ugly.

You hit him from the right, J.D., and I'll hit him from the left.

Oh, and Rodney? Enough goddamn exploring. If you want to run for McCain's Senate seat it's long past time for you to hit the ground running hard. You have an uphill battle, what the hell are you waiting for?