FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:          
Monday, August 2, 2010                 

PHOENIX, AZ – During a press conference at his campaign headquarters today, Congressman Hayworth unveiled his campaign platform, unoriginally dubbed the “Contract with Arizona.” We find it odd that Hayworth would wait until three weeks before the election – and after early voting had already started – to tell voters what he’d do if they elect him.

In response to Congressman Hayworth’s laughably thin “Contract with Arizona,” McCain 2010 Communications Director Brian Rogers released the following statement:

“Congressman Hayworth’s so-called ‘Contract with Arizona’ is nothing more than a patchwork of failed legislative proposals from his own past, ideas stolen from other politicians, and initiatives that Senator McCain and his colleagues are already pursuing. It’s laughable that Congressman Hayworth would use this big moment to issue a term limit pledge that he’s already broken and promise to introduce a bill — the ‘Enumerated Powers Act’ — that’s already active legislation co-sponsored by Senator McCain. Arizona voters deserve better than an agenda sketched out on the back of cocktail napkin.

“It’s strange that Congressman Hayworth spent the bulk of his press conference this morning actually defending the wasteful and corrupt earmark spending process that’s mortgaged our children’s future and landed Members of Congress in jail. Just as voters revoked Congressman Hayworth’s contract in 2006 by throwing him out of office, they’re in no mood to elect a big-spending Washington lobbyist and ‘free money’ infomercial pitchman in 2010.” – McCain 2010 Communications Director Brian Rogers

Notes on the content of Congressman Hayworth’s so-called “Contract with Arizona”:

• In the “contract,” Hayworth pledges to introduce in the Senate the ‘Constitutional Citation Act,’ which he admits is the same as the  ‘Enumerated Powers Act,’ a piece of legislation first proposed over a decade ago by Rep. John Shadegg. Apparently Congressman Hayworth is unaware that Senator Tom Coburn already introduced the Enumerated Powers Act in the Senate as S. 3159 in June 2008, and again as S.1319 in June 2009. In both cases, Senator McCain signed on as an original co-sponsor the day the bill was introduced.

• In the “contract,” Hayworth pledges to serve only two consecutive terms in the United States Senate. But as a congressman in 1998, Hayworth said he would only serve six terms in the House, and then lost in 2006 trying to run for a seventh. Congressman Hayworth broke his word before, so how can the voters trust him now?

• In the “contract,” Hayworth pledges to introduce in the Senate the “Congressional Responsibility Act,” a piece of legislation he introduced multiple times in the House, but failed to get a vote on. Does Congressman Hayworth think failed proposals from his own legislative history are really the best prescription for America’s future?   

• In the “contract,” Hayworth pledges to introduce in the Senate his ‘Enforcement First Act.’ But when Hayworth first introduced the legislation as a member of Congress, he wasn’t even able to get a committee hearing on the bill, let alone a vote. And while Hayworth recently claimed the Enforcement First Act had “more than 100 co-sponsors,” the bill in fact had a mere 33 co-sponsors.

• In the “contract,” Hayworth pledges to support all efforts to repeal and/or defund Obamacare. But Senator McCain is already fighting the battle to defund that legislation, and is a co-sponsor of Senator Jim DeMint’s bill that would repeal Obamacare.

• In the “contract,” Hayworth pledges to introduce efforts to audit the Federal Reserve. In fact, the Senate already voted unanimously early this year – with Senator McCain voting yes – to do exactly that.

• In the “contract,” Hayworth pledges to introduce legislation to reform the earmark process. This is a shallow attempt to cover his own abhorrent record on the earmark issue. Congressman Hayworth was an “enthusiastic” pork barrel earmarker during his 12 years in Washington, while Senator McCain has never requested an earmark.

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