John McCain Campaign Ad Hammers J.D. Hayworth As An 'Avid Earmarker'

AP/Huffington Post - Arizona Sen. John McCain launched new radio and television ads Thursday that blast his primary opponent for supporting congressional earmarks.

The four-term Arizona senator is in a tough race against former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a former talk-radio host who is challenging McCain from the right in the Aug. 24 Republican primary.

The ads feature an announcer criticizing Hayworth as "an avid earmarker." In contrast, McCain is described as waging "a determined battle against pork barrel spending." McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said the new ads are running statewide.

The television commercial shows McCain speaking to an audience and shaking hands with voters as a folksy announcer intones that "he fights to save us money." It fades to slow-motion footage of Hayworth as a list of earmarks he's voted for scrolls up the screen.

It closes with a woman saying, "I just don't think we can afford J.D. Hayworth right now."

In the radio ad, a narrator says McCain doesn't think Americans can afford more spending in Washington and describes Hayworth as a defender of earmarks.

In the radio ad, a narrator says McCain doesn't think Americans can afford more spending in Washington and describes Hayworth as a defender of earmarks.

Earmarks use federal funds to pay for local projects in lawmakers' home districts. Fiscal conservatives oppose the practice, saying it breeds corruption and wastes federal tax dollars.

Hayworth spokesman Mark Sanders called McCain's ads "a desperate ploy by Sen. McCain because he knows he's in trouble." Hayworth is raising money to air an ad that attacks McCain's support for the immigration reform bill, but he has not yet aired any television commercials.

McCain has for months been airing TV ads touting his record, including a spot ridiculed online in which the senator demands that the government "complete the danged fence" on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Comments

[realpolitic]

05:27 PM on 05/28/2010

J. D. Hayworth is simply too dumb to be a US senator. We must have some intelligence threshold to hold the office. It seems if one spouts enough jingoistic, anti-establishment nonsense it renders him qualified. Could anyone imagine J.D. Hayworth or McCain, for that matter, among the greats like Jefferson, Madison, and Washington who founded the country. They actually knew history and were well read. He would be the laughingstock among them.

[jeremyfive]

02:52 PM on 05/28/2010

Hmmm. . . And McCain was so nice to tax cheat Joe the Plummer and failed governor Sarah Palin.

[Sad But True]

10:50 PM on 05/28/2010

Sarah, the queen of federal funding and earmarks.

Poor John. Once upon a time he really was a bit of a maverick. Now he's just a washed-up shill.

[KLordsha]

02:16 PM on 05/28/2010

McCain learned from the best. The Obama machine rolls on! http://www.barackobama.com

[JerradMiller]

01:29 AM on 05/29/2010

Obama is ruining this Nation you fool!

[4evryoung]

01:53 PM on 05/28/2010

Earmarks are what get candidates elected. McCain failed to mention the ones that brought home money to Arizona.

[Zoydzz]

01:59 PM on 05/28/2010

Agreed - why elect someone if they aren't going to represent the needs of that state? They both are going to lose because they both are just so dang repelling.

[Donkey Party]

01:21 PM on 05/28/2010

And then McCain immediately turns around and asks for Fed money for aerial recon and National Guard troops. I consider it an earmark whenever there is gross political posturing involved to secure the money and resources they are asking for. Mr. McCain, you call it "potato", I call it, "are you effing kidding me, that's an earmark request, you doddering fool!".

[Sad But True]

12:29 PM on 05/28/2010

Do as John says, not as John does:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/06/mccain-earmark/

[Yikes11]

11:33 AM on 05/28/2010

McAntiques Roadshow couldn't lift a hammer.

[Bloggerrogr]

11:31 AM on 05/28/2010

I love the sound of Republicans eating one another in the morning...it sounds like...Victory!

nom nom nom nom nom...

FWIW

[Archivist1000]

10:53 AM on 05/28/2010

No matter WHAT McCain has said or done.
No matter WHAT message he tries to send .....

His true legacy will always be that he chose an idiot to be his VP.

The more Palin talks, the clearer it becomes that John McCain's judgement can't be trusted.

[AZdesertdog]

10:21 AM on 05/28/2010

a few problems with this:

1) McCain is NOT in a "tough race". he's up by 12 points over Foghorn Leghorn.

2) "pork barrel" spending is not necessarily a bad thing, as that money is going to be spent SOMEWHERE. it's as though McCain is saying "folks in my state don't deserve it".

3) McCain has over $10 million to spend in his war chest; Foghorn doesn't have 10% of that.

I'm certainly not defending the "new (conservative) McCain", but if the choice will be between he and Foghorn, the choice should be McCain.

I've had several memories of Foghorn. the first was back in 1996 near my (then) polling place in North Scottsdale. Foghorn was headed towards me (I'm sure he thought I was a supporter because I was drivng a pickup, and not the gay Democrat I actually was), and all I said was, "please stay back 75 feet from me". his facial expression was priceless.

the other was a few years later. it was about midnight here (3AM eastern), and I flipped onto C-SPAN. there was Foghorn at 3AM in the Congressional chamber, bellerin' out a speech, with the only ones present being the cleaning staff with a fleet of vacuums.

he's always been a guy who likes to hear himself talk.

[Bloggerrogr]

11:18 AM on 05/28/2010

AZdesertdog;
I remember working in Harry Mitchell's campaign to unseat Hayseed. His ties to Jack Abramhoff were what ultimately did him in. Hayseed is the consumate 'made man'.
Finally had my fill of AZ (after 51 years, btw). Moved to Cali, and living nicely near Palm Springs.
The people here are so much nicer...
FWIW

[rssrai]

10:20 AM on 05/28/2010

I would rather see Hayworth the nominee than McCain/McBush because McCain has no ethics, no morals, and will do anything to prostitue himself with the tea baggers. Hayworth on the other hand has been honest about who he is and is what you see is what you get. Who knows who the next McCain/McBush is going to be in his next persona? As a democrat I never disrespected McCain/McBush but now I do.

[Bloggerrogr]

11:20 AM on 05/28/2010

rssrai;
Check out JayDee Hayseed a little more carefully. His ties to Jack Abramoff were enough to get him booted from his District 5 seat. The man is your typical ReTHUGLIikkkan 'made man'.

FWIW

[JerradMiller]

01:34 AM on 05/29/2010

You fool! The pathetic JD is the unethical master! Good ol boy JD lost his seat in Congress to Mitchell b/c he could not keep his grubby hands off Abramoff's stolen money. JD goes on years later and loses his radio gig b/c he campaigns unethically before announcing he is running. JD supports the claim to be unethical while you are spouting off b/c you are angry at him. There is NOTHING honest or respectable about JD Hayworth, the guy is a lier, the guy is a spender, a boozer, a blowhard and best of all, we have the choice to say NO to him!

[SPQR1775]

09:57 AM on 05/28/2010

I don't like Hayworth but I hope he lampoon McCain! Out with the old, John McCain is more a threat to the Union, after all he has been in CONGRESS FOR 29 years and don't have a clue!

[DaleR]

09:55 AM on 05/28/2010

Earmark Earmark Earmark .. Pork Barrel Pork Barrel Pork Barrel.

This is McCain & the republican party in a nutshell. Make a huge deal out of a small issue, ignore the big picture, deregulate, state a direction and then in reality enact the opposite.

Small minds, small thinking, horrific results.

[JerradMiller]

01:35 AM on 05/29/2010

Dems are the leaders of the pork my friend...and then they tax you left and right to pay for it...oh well, at least they like to spend on their pet programs as well, perhaps you are a recipient and my taxpayer money is supporting you??!

[DaleR]

08:10 PM on 06/01/2010

First of all, I'm not your friend; I'm your intellectual superior and as result can accept your stup1d!ty without malice. Would I kick a dog for not being able to use a microwave? F-@ck no. So really, not friends but I dont begrudge you your idi0cy.

M0r0n says: "Dems are the leaders of the pork my friend...and then they tax you left and right to pay for it" --> Genius replies: Nice straw man argument, although in your case probably more along the line of repeating what you heard Beck or Hannity tell you to think. Both parties spend sh!-t loads of money. One difference is that rethuglicans spend sh!-t loads of money, then tell mouth breathing scab eaters like you that they are the party of small gov and "liberals" are spending all your tax dollars, meanwhile cutting taxes for the wealthy, deregulating everything in site resulting in huge deficits and eventually massive job losses. Your a t00l of a party that thinks your a joke. Manipulates you like a puppet.

M0r0n says: "perhaps you are a recipient and my taxpayer money is supporting you" --> Genius replies: Right, the zero dollars the gov takes from the little paycheck you receive from taking my order at the local Quickly Freeze is paying for what?

I'm in the 33% tax bracket sparky so doubt your tax money is paying for anything I might need.

[Actionmac]

09:31 AM on 05/28/2010

MuttKain will get as much millage out of this commercial as he did from the "dang fence" commercial.

Old in thinking and he trying to talk to people who once they have been told to not listen will not listen... teabaggers.

[MyOwnPerson172]

09:21 AM on 05/28/2010

Unless McCain voted against every bill, he has voted for "earmarks" too. Since he's been there so long, his list has to be larger.