Caught in a fairly tense primary fight for his Senate seat, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is releasing two radios ads in his home state, touting himself as "Arizona's last line of defense" and a persistent thorn in President Barack Obama's side.
The spots draw heavily from the themes of the 2008 campaign -- specifically in their vilification of Obama and the casting of McCain as a High Noon-style philosophical warrior.
They're also reflective of a candidate feeling intense pressure from his conservative base, as Ben Smith notes. The old McCain styled himself as a congressional maverick, willing to forge legislative compromise for the public good. The message in these spots is far different -- placing the senator at the forefront of the Republican Party's efforts to derail Obama's agenda.
Below are the scripts:
AD NUMBER 1:
NARRATOR: He's lived through a battle or two, vanquished many a foe. But perhaps but no battle in our lifetime is more vital than the one John McCain fights now. A battle to save America, save our jobs. John McCain leads the charge to slash government spending, bloated bureaucracies, and ridiculously unaffordable ideas like government run health care.
MCCAIN: President Obama is leading an extreme left wing crusade to bankrupt America. I stand in his way every day. If I get a bruise or two knocking some sense into head in Washington, so be it. I'll keep fighting for jobs and economic growth for Arizona as long as I'm in the Senate.
NARRATOR: John McCain is Arizona's last line of defense. Character matters.
AD NUMBER 2:
NARRATOR: We know what he endured, turned down a chance to go home early. It was against the prisoner's code. John McCain has spent his life representing Arizona, fighting for the little guy, standing up to titans, afraid of no man, saying yes to jobs and small business, no to big government. John McCain is leading the fight against President Obama every day, standing tall and outspoken, helping Arizona families.
MCCAIN: My lot in life has been to wage war against wrong, like today's massive spending at the worst possible time. Send me back to the Senate. We will win that fight for Arizona.
NARRATOR: John McCain is Arizona's last line of defense. Character matters.