Two more former House Republican colleagues of GOP Senate challenger J.D. Hayworth have thrown their support to incumbent Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Former Arizona Congressmen Matt Salmon and Jim Kolbe on Tuesday joined Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl and GOP Reps. Jeff Flake, Trent Franks and John Shadegg in officially endorsing McCain's re-election to a fifth Senate term.
Like Flake, Franks and Shadegg, Salmon and Kolbe also served alongside Hayworth in Congress. Hayworth, who formally announced his Senate bid on Monday, was elected to the House in 1994 and lost his seat in the 2006 election.
The McCain campaign issued written statements from Kolbe and Salmon praising McCain.
"Senator John McCain is the fighter Arizona needs help get our economy moving again, confront the mounting deficit that threatens our future, and protect our national security,” said Kolbe, an 11-term veteran who did not seek re-election in 2006. “John is the only candidate in this race with a demonstrated commitment to Arizona, and I am proud to support him."
"Senator John McCain has a consistent conservative record of fighting the outrageous pork barrel spending in Washington, strengthening our nation’s security and defending innocent human life,” said Salmon, pinching Hayworth's claim that the challenger is the "consistent conservative" in the race. “I am honored to support Senator McCain for re-election to the U.S. Senate. He is clearly the right man at this challenging time to represent Arizona’s conservative values in the Senate.”
There's not much love lost between Salmon, a three-term House member who later served as Arizona Republican Party chairman, and Hayworth. Salmon helped popularize "Foghorn Leghorn" as a nickname for Hayworth, who has found the unflattering comparison with the cartoon character difficult to shake.
A flashback from the Oct. 30, 1998, installment of The Arizona Republic's long-running "Political Insider" feature:
Ah say, ah say, is Rep. Matt Salmon
pickin' on fellow Republican Rep. J.D. Hayworth?
Last Friday, Salmon called Hayworth ''Foghorn Leghorn'' after the Looney Tunes' bumptious cartoon rooster.
''From his high-stepping strut to his puffed out chest,
this jaunty Dixie chicken has all the charm of a Southern politician at a church picnic,'' says the Foghorn Leghorn Fan Club's biography.
Salmon was unaware a reporter was present when he made the crack about Hayworth, who hails from North Carolina.
''It was a harmless joke. He has a booming voice, the big
chicken has a booming voice,'' Salmon said later. ''I hold no animosity toward the guy.''
Hayworth's aides said the congressman would have no
comment.
The "Political Insider" item went on to suggest that
Hayworth's assignment to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee had rubbed Salmon and Shadegg the wrong way.
4 comments:
McCain has this election in the bag! He has so much support. And JD has who? Oh, yeah just Arpaio and one other who I can't even remember (that's how important his support is).
It seems like everyone is going with McCain. Coincidence? JD should just quit now.
I find it facinating to watch all the outpouring of support for John McCain. All the while, JD is trying to climb out of the hole he dug for himself. He has too much baggage to try Congress during these challenging times.
JD, what a guy, this guy is not so hot in Congress already, this guy is not so hot on who he associates with, this guy is not so hot being sly dog on radio campaigning, this guy has legal debt up to his ears. I am not quite sure who thinks this is a good match for Congress, but I say, keep your corrupt life to yourself and let McCain continue battling the lefties in Washington!
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