Monday, February 23rd, 2009...9:14 am
Even the Liberal New Republic…
The New Republic has posted an article with a quick take on the 2010 US Senate race here. On the Democratic side, they mention that Janet Napolitano would have been a strong candidate but for her jumping to Homeland Security. They don’t mention any other possibility. They quote Jorge Luis Garcia as saying that he hasn’t heard about anyone else, which might indicate that the “Draft John Adams” folks need to get the word out a bit better about their guy.
On the Republican side, they name Jack Harper (Jack Harper!) as a conservative dissatisfied with John McCain that could run. Harper lacks the stature to make a serious challenge from the right, but they fail to mention others that do, like Russell Pearce or J. D. Hayworth. If you think that the only person willing to make the run is Harper, of course you are going to dismiss any possible challenge as “minor.” Of course, if you are looking for a list of serious challenges against McCain, it would be best not to, as the author of the piece did, talk to Brett Mecum, whose job it is to convince people that there are no problems with any Republican office holder.
15 Comments
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Did that article say that Republicans hold a majority of our U.S. House seats? Sweet. I knew those final precincts in CD1 and CD5 and CD7 and CD8 would come in for us. But not in CD4. That’s Ed’s seat.
Jeeze!
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:11 am
Geez…I didn’t even notice that. This guy did a heck of a job on research.
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:53 am
Or, he is a clairvoyant who can see beyond the 2010 results….maybe?
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:49 pm
We should all be grateful that the New Republic is even aware that the State of Arizona exists.
February 23rd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Harper has filed an exploratory committee for AZ Secretary of State:
http://www.azsos.gov/cfs/PublicReports/2008/597453AB-75AB-40F6-8E77-120C3F171516.pdf
Who knows if he’ll maintain it…
February 23rd, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I am not a candidate for US Senate at this time. Thank you.
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Who would dare run against Senator McCain? Not after being the Republican nominee for US President, with all that exposure he got.
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:29 pm
It’s BECAUSE of the exposure that McCain got that conservatives and the grass roots of the Arizona GOP would consider a challenge. Is it coincidence that McCain has taken a sudden ‘interest’ in local issues in Arizona? McCain needs to fortify his base in order to remain competitive (or with dominating support) in an Arizona primary election. Although I doubt that Harper could raise the money, it’s possible that he would have good grassroots support and he’d work hard going door-to-door throughout Arizona. When was the last time that any of us saw McCain on a doorstep in Arizona other than at any one of his seven homes…?
Pearce would also be a viable candidate, because he is conservative, articulate and has tapped into the frustrations that legal Arizona citizens have with the overrun of illegals and the societal ills they brought into our state – health care needs, drug gang activity, public safety issues; etc.
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Anyone in the GOP who is “real Republican” knows that Russell Pearce should run agains John McCain.
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
GOP Mom, Esq., you gave me the nudge I need to totally get behind Pearce running in the Republican primary. Run, Russ, run.
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Maybe Obama really thinks that Republicans aren’t that bad but he’s handing them a whole lot of control that they don’t deserve.
After picking Napolitano to hand the seat back to McCain, he picked off Ken Salazar (putting the Colorado seat in play, where Salazar would have held it easily). Now all the signs point to that he’s going to raid our bench again and pick Kathleen Sebelius to be Health and Human Services Secretary. It’s not a coincidence that Sam Brownback retired a couple of days after Sebelius withdrew her name from cabinet consideration the first time around, and in redder than red Kansas, Sebelius wins easily (recent polls made that very clear) but if she’s gone the seat almost certainly stays Republican.
Obviously Obama didn’t learn about the value of getting that sixtieth seat in the Senate from the recent stimulus problems he had, because he’s doing everything he can to prevent Democrats from getting there in 2010.
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Any publication that calls on Jorge Garcia for political insights has no business reporting on Arizona.
February 24th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Attorney “GOP mom” — you are correct in wondering why we haven’t seen Senator McCain here in Southern Arizona at any “town hall.”
February 24th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Wamba is not a Fool.
February 24th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Oh, no, Jack, PLEASE say it ain’t so. We need you in the United States Senate. Please don’t deny us your leadership. You can’t be that cruel, Jack. Please have mercy on us and serve in the U.S. Senate. Oh, how will we function without you?!?!