When J.D. Hayworth begins his stump speech, he reminds voters he applauds the years of service of Arizona’s senior U.S. senator. He reminds voters that he thanks Senator McCain for his sacrifices and his patriotism. Often, these tributes elicit respectful applause for McCain.

Conversely, McCain’s campaign has been on a ruthless, seemingly-desperate attack since before “day one”. When J.D. was not yet a candidate, and was still hammering away on his radio show against supporters of big government bailouts (the likes of whom include John McCain, Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi), already the McCain Machine was purchasing advertisements with cash from their campaign war chest – some of the ads against Hayworth running during Hayworth’s own radio program.

…sort of like sending hate mail against Santa Claus to the North Pole elves.

This wasn’t the first, or the last, low blow of the McCain campaign. From the top down, the entire organization is still stinging from the defeat handed to them by America’s now-vastly unpopular president, Barack Obama. After just a year in office, suburban voters have abandoned Obama. Youth voters are abandoning Obama. Independents have abandoned Obama. The list goes on, and it’s not surprising that McCain is getting tired of criss-crossing Arizona where the question frequently arises: “How did you manage to lose to this guy?”

Frustration aside, the McCain team seems to delight in taking their angst and anger out on Hayworth. Voters and pundits alike are noticing.

Not long after Ron Paul won the CPAC Straw Poll (a month or so after J.D. Hayworth had cruised to a solid victory over McCain in the Arizona GOP Straw Poll), McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers taunted both the Paul and Hayworth camps for their ability to win straw polls. Why? No general election was ever won based on height of arrogance.

And, of course there is the latest breakdown by Anthony Miller, paid political operative of John McCain and chairman of the LD20 Republicans. After J.D. Hayworth dropped by McCain headquarters to invite the senior senator to a series of public debates, Miller lost his cool, and launched into an expletive-laden tirade against Hayworth on Facebook that included calling the former congressman a “fool” and an “a**hole”.

While J.D. Hayworth would never keep someone on his staff who acted with such disrespect toward his opponent, the McCain campaign seems to be making it a requirement. And that’s a terrible disappointment for this campaign and the debates which should be occurring. We hope that McCain will start reprimanding staff and consultants who act in this disrespectful way, and that McCain himself will rein-in the negative attacks for a real debate on the issues.

…And if McCain knows he can’t win on the issues, perhaps it’s time to retire rather than lose.

Please join JD Hayworth on Monday, March 1st for a West Valley Town Hall Series and Tuesday, March 2nd for a Tucson Town Hall Series.

Everyone is encouraged to attend, speak and ask questions of JD Hayworth as he listens and discusses his campaign to restore a consistent conservative to the US Senate from Arizona. Here is the schedule:

Date: Monday March 1st
Time: 8:00 am – 10:30 am
Venue: Daisy Cafe
Address: 13321 W. Indian School Road, Litchfield Park, AZ
This is a no host breakfast beginning at 8 am with JD Hayworth speaking at 9:00 am.

Date: Monday, March 1st
Time: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Venue: Marley’s Restaurant at The Vistas
Address:  18823 N. Country Club Parkway, Peoria, AZ
This is a no host late lunch.

Date: Tuesday, March 2nd
Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Venue: La Paloma Urgent Care Facility
Address: 4001 E. Sunrise Road, Tucson, AZ

Date: Tuesday, March 2nd
Time: 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Venue: Miller-Golf Links Library
Address: 9640 E. Golf Links Road, Tucson, AZ

Date: Tuesday, March 2nd
Time: 6:15 pm – 6:55 pm
Venue: Precinct 388,  Voyager Resort Inn, Catalina Room
Address: 8701 S. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ

OK, so they may not be Simon and Garfunkel but they are definitely Arizona’s version of the Singing Senators – former singing senators, that is. This was video I shot at the Meet & Greet preceding the Globe Lincoln Day Dinner held today in the Town of Globe. As you can see, this is former State Senators Rusty Bowers (now running for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District) and current Secretary of State, Ken Bennett (running for re-election.)

I had a wonderful time both driving out to and visiting with the wonderful people of Globe and Gila County today at their Lincoln Day Dinner. There were about 90 people in attendance including several candidates. The Globe High School JROTC served dinner and Sam Morehead was the emcee. My former colleague with Americans for Prosperity, Tom Jenney, spoke on grassroots activism. Sheriff Paul Babeu talked about the trials and tribulations in Pinal County – a county where until just recently, Republicans never won election. He also talked about the nepotism and corruption that has plagued Pinal County government for years and recognized one of his deputies for stopping the recent killers of Gilbert Police Officer Eric Shuhandler.

Arizona State Treasurer, Dean Martin, was the keynote speaker. Treasurer Martin gave an enlightening account of the State’s accounting system and the Treasurer’s role over the years and how the numbers predicted Arizona’s recession despite Governor Napolitano’s accounting shell games. Martin’s speech was very impressive and it is easy to see that he will do a great job as Arizona’s next Governor.

Other notable candidates present included Bradley Beauchamp, also running for AZ CD-1; Steven Slaton, running for Governor; Sylvia Allen, running for re-election to LD-5 Senate; Brenda Barton, running for LD-5 House;  and of course, I was there representing JD Hayworth for US Senate.

Thanks to the good people of Globe and Gila County for their wonderful hospitality.

John McCain slammed JD Hayworth this week on the birther issue. Gila Courier ran a story pointing out that Hayworth is not a birther and asking the question, who cares anyway.

The funny part of McCain’s attack on JD is that his pal Sarah Palin is as much or more of a birther than JD ever was. Just watch the video below. McCain’s handlers assigned to Sarah during her visit to Arizona are probably going into overdrive to make sure she does not bring up the issue when stumping for the Senator.

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 26, 2010

Jonathan Paton is reaffirming his opposition to the Democrats’ latest plan to push through a government health care bill. But after a year of wavering, what stance has Gabrielle Giffords decided to take this week?

“Does Gabrielle Giffords support Nancy Pelosi’s plan to ram through a government health care plan?” Paton asked. “We know she supports the contents of the bill — or at least she did. Problem is, it’s hard to keep track of all of her different positions on this issue.”

In a long-winded statement Thursday, Gabrielle Giffords said a lot — a whole 469 words — but as usual, she conveniently avoided taking any stance on the issue. Jonathan Paton is making his position clear.

“Southern Arizonan’s have watched this congresswoman do the same thing on nearly every issue, and they have had enough. For the better part of 2009, Rep. Giffords skirted taking a stance on President Obama and Nancy Pelosi’s plans to take over the health care system. She moderated discussions between chosen ‘experts,’ but never shared her own opinion. Then, she went back to Washington and voted for the worst piece of legislation that has gone through this Congress,” Paton said. “Unlike Gabrielle Giffords, I won’t leave you guessing. I won’t say one thing and then do the other. I oppose any plan that would risk our quality of care and hand more power and obligations over to a federal government that is already bloated and indebted to the Chinese. It’s time for Gabrielle Giffords to get the message: Her constituents don’t want this bill. And unlike her stance, that’s not something that changes depending on the day of the week.”

For more information, go to patonforcongress.com

[The following “Dear Voters” letter will appear in the official Secretary of State’s Ballot Proposition Voter's Guide that will be mailed to Arizona’s 3,116,089 registered voters before the May 18, 2010 special election. It’s ironic that Randy Pullen paid the full $100 to submit this argument rather than saving $25 and paying only $75 had he provided the text in electronic format. But hey, it’s only money!  MBW]

Dear Voters,

As you consider Proposition 100, I think it is important to look at Arizona’s budget crisis in context:

In just 3 years, state tax revenues have declined by over 35%. This is the worst recession the state has ever faced. Arizona’s state revenues are at or below 2004 revenues [sic] levels. At the same time, since 2004, Arizona has grown – adding over 140,000 students to K-12 and the University system, over 11,000 new prisoners and over 475,000 Medicaid enrollees. The result is Arizona is trying to do more today with less – to serve a growing population.

Arizona must continue to attract new businesses and new talent to the state, as well as support our existing small businesses throughout the state. With new business, future tax cuts for individuals and businesses will help attract investment and grow our future economy. Making Arizona as business friendly as possible is the key to our long-term economic success.

However, in the interim, it is appropriate for Arizona to look for a temporary revenue source to maintain critical government functions such as public safety and education services to our growing population. As such, a temporary one-cent sales tax increase is a reasonable solution to this problem. A majority of Republican legislators, along with Democrats in both state houses voted to place Proposition 100 on the ballot.

Combined with a comprehensive tax reform package that reduces future taxes for both individuals and businesses, Prop 100 would be an appropriate tool to help Arizona build towards economic recovery and meet the needs of a fast growing state.

Sincerely,

Randy Pullen

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 26, 2010

Prescott AZ – Rusty Bowers, a conservative republican running in AZ’s 1st congressional district, signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. The Taxpayer Protection Pledge is sponsored by the Americans for Tax Reform and for over twenty years has been a standard carried by candidates with conservative principles. Bowers will visit Washington next week as part of a whirlwind trip where he will meet with other conservative groups, including the Americas for Tax Reform, so he can work with other conservatives to make conservative ideas become policy.

The Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge began in 1986. It aims to create “a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government’s power to control one’s life derives from its power to tax. We believe that power should be minimized.” Signers of the pledge commit themselves to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”

Rusty joins 34 members of the Senate and 172 members of the House who have signed the pledge, including Senators Kyl and McCain, and Congressmen Flake, Franks and Shadegg. Rusty signed because he believes that “The spending policies of this administration and past Congresses have put us at tremendous financial risk. I see no alternative but to cut spending and relieve the burden on the American taxpayer. The typical Arizona family cannot mandate an increase for their spending wants, neither should Congress. The time has come for Arizona families to tell Congress what their credit limit is.”

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 26, 2010

After Tuesday’s debate between AZ CD-1 Candidates in Show Low on economic issues, Bradley Beauchamp has distinguished himself as the strongest, most knowledgeable candidate in this crucial field.

The debate, originally scheduled between candidates Bradley Beauchamp, Rusty Bowers, and Paul Gosar was narrowed down to two candidates when it became apparent that Gosar was a no-show. Beauchamp and Bowers therefore, were left to display their knowledge of today’s economic issues.

According to a poll taken immediately after the well-attended event, Beauchamp received 90% of the votes cast, and Bowers merely 10%.

Karen MacKean, from Smart Girl Politics, commented on the evening, saying, “It was a spirited exchange between Bowers and Beauchamp, but Bradley Beauchamp clearly comes across as the conservative Constitutionalist. He is passionate, articulate and understands the issues.“

The debate, once again, proved that Beauchamp is the one candidate who is not only willing to travel the district, but can also diagnose, identify with, and improve the economic issues of today. His knowledge of business, commerce, and the Constitution are ideal for a district eager to hear sound reasoning and solid ideas.

“As a small businessman in Arizona, I understand the pressures we are all under. I also understand that best way for America to come out of this recession is to let the free-market work,” said Beauchamp, following the debate. “The people willing to create jobs are burdened enough by the government as it is. I will make sure the government gets out of the way and lets capitalism work for the people, as it was intended to.”

Bradley Beauchamp was born and raised in Arizona. He worked his way up from washing dishes in a café and laboring in a turquoise mine to becoming a schoolteacher, successful attorney and most importantly, a defender of the Constitution.

Bradley Beauchamp graduated from Northern Arizona University and began teaching

government and civics in Globe, Arizona. After several years in the classroom, and desiring to study the Constitution more in depth, he was accepted into the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Upon graduating he returned to Globe to practice law in the small towns and rural communities of Arizona. He is endorsed by many Republican leaders in Arizona’s First Congressional District, including Charles Christensen, Bobbi Peterson, John Rhodes, Terri Kibler, and Rick Fernau.

A m e r i c a n P o s t – G a z e t t e

Distributed by C O M M O N S E N S E , in Arizona

Republic reporter Yvonne Wingett skews coverage due to her cozy relationship with Supervisors

The Arizona Republic ran a front-page story on a court decision yesterday which held that County Attorney Andrew Thomas could not prosecute corrupt Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, but outside special prosecutors could. (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/02/25/20100225wilcox0225.html) Unfortunately the article was so slanted it sounded like it came from the Supervisors’ press secretary, Richard DeUriarte. Oh, that’s right, he used to work for the Republic as an editorial page writer, no wonder.  Arizona Republic Reporter Yvonne Wingett, who hangs out frequently at the Supervisors’ office palling around with DeUriarte, is already well-known for her slanted articles defending the corrupt Supervisors. Yet the Republic does not include any kind of disclaimer next to her articles about this cozy relationship, and she continues to write articles that leave out half the facts. Wingett’s article claims that County Attorney Andrew Thomas suffered a defeat in court yesterday when Judge Leonardo threw out the indictment of Supervisor Wilcox. This characterization was not accurate. Even the more liberal columnists at the Republic, E.J. Montini and Laurie Roberts, have gotten it right and realize that this is about the Supervisors trying to do everything they can to avoid prosecution. (http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/EJMontini/74741 ) The Supervisors have even tried to block the appointment of Special Prosecutors (which in their minds would ostensibly avoid any “conflict of interest” – -a “conflict of interest” they manufactured by having their hand-picked attorney Tom Irvine, former attorney for the Democrat Party, represent BOTH the judges and the Supervisors). Since the judge’s decision stops them from blocking a Special Prosecutor any longer, E.J. Montini described yesterday’s decision as Judge Leonardo giving Thomas what he wanted – the prosecutions should be handled by a Special Prosecutor. Wingett’s article made it sound like a defeat for Thomas, when in reality, it was more of the same – biased liberal judges stalling Thomas’s attempts to prosecute two corrupt Supervisors. This is typical yellow journalism by Wingett – try to make something look like a major defeat for Thomas that is not, and plaster it on the front page. If Thomas or Arpaio have a major win, it is relegated to the back pages of the Valley and State section next to the obituaries. Judge Leonardo berated Thomas and Arpaio for prosecuting the Supervisors in his decision. This is not surprising, considering  the cozy relationship the Supervisors have with judges due to their control over their budgets. Leonardo may be from Pinal County, but he knows the repercussions of attacking another county’s supervisors. If he has any hopes of ever becoming a higher-level state court judge, he knows he can’t look like he’s siding with the conservative Thomas and Arpaio. He did what he could in the situation: criticize Thomas and Arpaio, but allow the prosecution to continue. Leonardo didn’t address the fact that the Supervisors have had their judges hand-picked for them on the prosecutions of Wilcox and Stapley and the investigation of the corrupt $340 million court tower. Judge Daughton, who was handpicked out of retirement by liberal Presiding Judge Barbara Mundell, and responsible for letting the Supervisors steal away Thomas’s entire County Attorney civil division, has even had a complaint filed against him by an employee due to his obvious bias against Thomas. A Democrat, Daughton contributed to Thomas’s Democrat opponent for county attorney. Wingett’s Republic article doesn’t tell you any of that. In fact, she deliberately leaves out facts the reader needs to know in order to understand the whole story. Her article repeats Leonardo’s accusation that Thomas is “trying to gain political advantage by prosecuting political opponents such as Wilcox.” Yet she doesn’t bring up the fact that the other half of these high-profile prosecutions of Supervisors involves Don Stapley (his photo was featured prominently in this article), a prolife Republican. Thomas filed the Stapley indictment first, the Wilcox indictment came later. Obviously, Thomas is not prosecuting Stapley for partisan points as Leonardo asserts. Judge Leonardo chose to make a political statement from the bench, he is using the bench for politicking. Besides an initial indictment on 118 criminal counts for false reporting, Stapley has been indicted on 23 criminal counts for raising money for his campaign that he then spent on personal items instead: $6000 of these funds were spent at Bang and Olufson electronics, along with $1300 for hair implants, $400 for candle holders and $10,000 for furniture for his home. He also spent these funds, solicited as campaign money, to buy tickets to Broadway plays and movie theatres, flowers, grocery store bills, massages, department stores and trips for his family to Sundance, Utah to ski, a trip for his son and friends to Florida and a three-week vacation in Hawaii for his entire family at a beach house costing approximately $11,000. Wilcox is accused of voting on giving taxpayer-funded government grants to the radical left wing activist organization Chicanos por la Causa, while accepting loans from the organization. Don’t you wish you were a Supervisor so you could get away with this kind of white-collar crime and have the liberal judges and newspapers rush to your defense? It is a double standard that these well-connected Supervisors with a long history of corruption get away with  crimes because of their control over the judicial system.

This just in from the Jim Deakin campaign. Deakin will visit the campaign headquarters of JD Hayworth today at 2 PM to issue the challenge.

For Immediate Release: February 26, 2010

February 26, 2010

John Hayworth
3129 E. Cactus
Phoenix, AZ 85032

Mr. Hayworth,

It has come to my attention that you have extended an offer for a series of debates with John McCain. As the original challenger to the U.S. Senate seat he currently occupies, I have been requesting the opportunity to debate Mr. McCain for months. I have approached several organizations including TEA Party groups, with a request to organize our debates. Now that you are in the race, I welcome your participation, and your efforts in prompting Mr. McCain to come and debate his challengers before the Arizona voter.

I understand your contention, and agree with you that our current Senator must participate in debates with us. However, I also understand that this Senators’ time is limited and a great deal of his attention must be focused on vital tasks in Washington D.C. as he finishes his final term as our representative.

In the meantime, you and I are here, in Arizona, with no encumbrances. I see no reason why you and I cannot start the debate season without his participation. So let’s get started.

I have been the TEA Party Activist candidate in Arizona for 14 months. The Greater Phoenix TEA Party and the Flagstaff TEA Party/ROC’n are ready and eager to host a number of debates. Mr. McCain will always be welcome to join us when he is in available.

Regards,

Jim Deakin

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 26, 2010

TaxDayTeaParty.com Announces Endorsement for Conservative U.S. Senate Candidate J.D. Hayworth

PHOENIX. February 26, 2010. TaxDayTeaParty.com announced their official endorsement of conservative U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth after seeing substantial support in a poll last week.

The endorsement can be found here: http://taxdayteaparty.com/2010/02/hayworth-vs-mccain/.

When asked if activists would support Hayworth in his run against John McCain in 2010, 79-percent of thousands of respondents said that they would indeed support Hayworth. McCain received 8-percent.

The poll can be found at http://taxdayteaparty.com/2010/02/poll-would-you-support-jd-hayworth-against-john-mccain/.

McCain is vulnerable to the more conservative Hayworth on taxes, pro-life and pro-family issues as well as illegal immigration. Hayworth also has a better lifetime rating from Citizens Against Government Waste than the 28-year member of Congress. Senator McCain also opposed significant tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 while Hayworth supported them.

McCain voted for the $850 billion bailout of the big banks which included $150 billion in pork, proposed a $300 billion bailout for mortgage lenders and, according to the Heritage Foundation, sponsored an amnesty bill that would have cost taxpayers $2.6 trillion over the long-term. More recently, McCain is co-sponsoring legislation with Democrat Senator Byron Dorgan to massively expand government’s role with vitamin and health supplements.

For more information about the campaign or to make a donation please go to www.JDforSenate.com.

February 25, 2010

Dear Scottsdale/CD5 Taxpayer:

Three upcoming taxpayer events are listed below. Be sure to check out the picture of our gigantic inflatable ATM machine, which we will deploy in front of Scottsdale City Hall for the rally against the Bed Tax on Tuesday afternoon, March 2:

http://www.americansforprosperity.org/022510-three-big-taxpayer-events-scottsdale

(ATM stands for “Already Taxed to the Max.” The message of our upcoming statewide ATM campaign is that politicians should stop treating taxpayers like an ATM machine whenever they get short on cash.)

If that link doesn’t work for you, just go to www.aztaxpayers.org and scroll down under What’s New until you see the photo.

Event Type: Tea Party Protest
Topic: HONKING for Health Care Freedom
City: Scottsdale
Date: Saturday, February 27
Time: 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Host(s): Scottsdale Tea Party Patriots
Location: Harry Mitchell District Office, Camelback and Scottsdale Road, SE corner.
Ideological Orientation of Host(s): Patriotic/Free-Market/ Conservative/Libertarian/Constitutionalist
Contact/Sign Ideas: Judy Hoelscher, judy@shadowlakes.com
More Info: http://www.meetup.com/Scottsdale-Tea-Party/calendar/12706997/ Keep calling Congressman Mitchell! His Scottsdale number is 480-946-2411. DC number: 202-225-2190.

Here is a video from our last Honking event, in Flagstaff:
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/021710-video-honking-health-care-freedom-flagstaff

Event Type: Rally Against the Prop 200 Bed Tax
City: Scottsdale
Date: Tuesday, March 2
Time: 4:30 to 5:30 pm
Host(s): AFP Arizona, Scottsdale Tea Party Patriots, Stop the Tax – NO on 200
Ideological Orientation of Host(s): Patriotic/Free-Market/ Conservative/Libertarian/Constitutionalist
More info on the Bed Tax: http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article/4423
Media Inquiries: Ryan O’Daniel, (480) 941-0781, Tom Jenney, (602) 478-0146
Protest Info: Among other fun things, AFP Arizona will deploy its giant ATM machine, to make the point that the people of Scottsdale are Already Taxed to the Max. We are encouraging the people of Scottsdale to vote NO on the Prop 200 Bed Tax.

Event Type: Tea Party Meeting
Topic(s): Defending American Freedom
City: Scottsdale
Date: Tuesday, March 2
Time: 5:15 to 7:30 pm
Host(s): Scottsdale Tea Party Patriots
Location: Arabian Trail Library, 10187 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road, 85255
Ideological Orientation of Host(s): Patriotic/Free-Market/ Conservative/Libertarian/Constitutionalist
Contact: Honey Marques, h.marquesz@cox.net, (808) 283-3661
More Info: http://www.meetup.com/Scottsdale-Tea-Party/calendar/12374001
More statewide taxpayer events are posted at www.aztaxpayers.org. Scroll down to the top items under What’s New.

For Liberty,

–Tom
Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
(Arizona Federation of Taxpayers)
www.aztaxpayers.org
tjenney@afphq.org
(602) 478-0146

[Ran across this press released today and now the Arizona Guardian is reporting that Sen. Thayer Vershoor has formed the "Axe The Tax - No on 100" committee to fight Jan Brewer's signature policy priority... apparently the Arizona GOP Governor Primary has been advanced to Tuesday, May 18th.  MBW]

Seven in 10 entrepreneurs saying ‘No’ to 1¢ sales tax increase

PHOENIX, Ariz., Feb. 25, 2010 – Results from a special poll of Arizona small business owners released today by their leading representative association show 71 percent of them voting ‘No’ on Proposition 100, the May 18 ballot referendum seeking a three-year, 1¢ increase in the state sales tax.

“The response to this special survey of our members on Proposition 100 came back fast and emphatic,” said Farrell Quinlan, Arizona state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, Arizona’s and America’s leading small business association. “NFIB/Arizona is actively exploring how our organization and members can be most effective in the campaign to defeat Proposition 100. Small business owners’ opposition to increasing the sales tax is overwhelming and their voice will be heard during the statewide debate over raising our taxes.”

Unique among most associations, NFIB bases its legislative lobbying positions and political action solely on what its members tell it, through regular balloting, are the issues vital to their survival as small business owners. The special ballot on Proposition 100 was faxed and e-mailed February 17-19.

“In conversations I’ve had with many of our members, there seems to be an over-arching attitude that they spend their daily lives balancing revenues with expenditures so they expect state government to do the same,” said Quinlan. “Arizona is not an under-taxed state. We have the fifth-highest sales-tax burden in the nation. The average Arizonan annually pays $1,440.83 in sales taxes, which is 43 percent above the national average. Add to this income taxes and the new state property tax we all pay and Arizonans are indignant that the state must make do with what it has.”

Should Proposition 100, adding 1-cent to the state sales tax rate for 3 years, be passed into law?

Yes   24.8%
No  70.6%
Undecided  4.6%

NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists send their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.

For Immediate Release: February 25, 2010

Hayworth Asks For As Many McCain Debates As McCain Asked Of Obama, Conservative Challenger Wants At Least Ten Debates with 24-Year Incumbent

PHOENIX, Ariz. February 25, 2010. Senator John McCain asked for ten debates when he faced Barack Obama in 2008. And conservative U.S. Senate challenger JD Hayworth doesn’t think the people of Arizona deserve less.

At McCain Campaign headquarters in Phoenix on Thursday morning, Hayworth presented an official letter to McCain staff requesting the public debates for Arizona voters. The letter specifies that he wants – at minimum – the amount of debates that McCain asked for in the 2008 campaign.

“Senator McCain has always demonstrated himself to be willing to face off with his opponents in political campaigns. I look forward to a vigorous and respectful series of joint appearances where we can discuss how we view the future of the Republican Party and our country,” said Hayworth.

Hayworth feels that, given the years Senator McCain spent away from Arizona to run for President, he can certainly spend a few days away from Washington to better inform the people of Arizona he represents

“It should not be acceptable to any Republican, indeed any Arizonan, that Senator McCain would debate more in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina than he would before his constituents,” Hayworth said.

“What a welcome change it would be were presidential candidates in our time to treat each other and the people they seek to lead with respect and courtesy as they discussed the great issues of the day, without the empty sound bites and media-filtered exchanges that dominate our elections,” McCain said in a letter to Obama released by McCain’s campaign in June of 2008.

That public letter to Obama asked for the candidates to travel by plane together to the first of ten debates in the spirit of the Goldwater-Kennedy race that never came to fruition.

“The Hayworth campaign encouraged all Arizona and national media to immediately schedule debates with the McCain campaign. They should begin in March,” Hayworth officials said.

Hayworth agrees and is encouraged that McCain has shown a propensity to engage in public discourse with those who disagree with him on key issues. Hayworth and McCain disagree on tax cuts, fighting illegal immigration, pro-life and pro-family issues as well as other key conservative concerns. McCain has also urged such ideas as “Question Time” for the American President.

“My campaign is open to all ideas regarding the format of these important debates including town hall formats,” said Hayworth. “But we won’t settle for anything less for Arizona than Senator McCain asked for America in 2008.”

by Nick Dranias
Goldwater Institute
 
The U.S. Supreme Court has sent a strong signal that it will seriously consider intervening if the fate of matching funds in Arizona’s system of publicly funded campaigns is not determined quickly by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In January, U.S. District Court judge Roslyn Silver ruled in favor of the Goldwater Institute and struck down the matching funds portion of Clean Elections, calling it “unconstitutional under the First Amendment.” However, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit voted 2-1 to put Silver’s ruling on hold until it acts on the case.

In response, the Goldwater Institute Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation filed an emergency motion with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy to lift the stay from the Ninth Circuit, arguing the Ninth Circuit “defied” the principles enforced in Citizens United v. FEC by keeping alive the threat of matching funds being handed out to state-funded candidates during Arizona’s 2010 election cycle. Justice Kennedy is the author of the majority opinion in Citizens United, which struck down laws that had prohibited groups of individuals–whether corporations, unions or informal associations–from freely spending their money to express their support or opposition for political candidates.

Last week, Justice Kennedy denied “without prejudice” the Goldwater Institute’s emergency motion after referring it to the full Court for consideration. The referral to the full Court was an unusual act, signaling the possibility that Justice Kennedy considered taking more sweeping action on the case. Instead, the Court decided to give the Ninth Circuit an opportunity to rule on the pending appeals, saying if the Ninth Circuit does not decide the matching funds issue by June 1, 2010, the emergency application can be filed again.

Because the state can start handing out matching funds to taxpayer-funded candidates on June 22, 2010, this shows the Supreme Court wants candidates and their supporters to have reasonable certainty about the rules that will apply to the 2010 statewide elections.

In fact, there is a good chance that the First Amendment will be vindicated before the primary election begins; oral arguments are scheduled before the Ninth Circuit on April 12, 2010.

Nick Dranias holds the Clarence J. and Katherine P. Duncan Chair for Constitutional Government and is Director of the Joseph and Dorothy Donnelly Moller Center for Constitutional Government at the Goldwater Institute.