From the AP (via the Republic, story originated at the East Valley Tribune):
Democratic Sen. Harry Mitchell is considering challenging Republican J.D. Hayworth for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mitchell, also chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, has served in municipal and state government for more than 30 years, but the former Tempe mayor and current state senator has never faced an opponent of Hayworth’s name recognition and financial firepower.
Mitchell planned to announce his decision Friday, but said he is still considering the matter.
“I’m contemplating it, yeah, but I haven’t made a decision yet,” Mitchell said. “I’m just weighing it and talking to people.”
Hayworth is serving his sixth two-year term for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District. He is one of the leading conservative spokesmen in Congress and is a frequent guest on television and radio talk shows.
“Whoever the Democrats nominate to challenge Hayworth had best be prepared for a relentless, nonstop, 24/7 campaign, because that’s the only way we know how to campaign,” said Joe Eule, Hayworth’s chief of staff.
I won’t go into details, but judging by my server logs, “relentless” is an understatement. There are a lot of people digging for dirt on both Hayworth and Mitchell, already.
The ominous news of the president’s plummeting approval ratings followed him like a dark cloud. A Washington Post-ABC News poll found that Mr. Bush has never been less popular with the public. On nearly every important measure of character and performance, he was given lower marks than ever before. For the first time, according to the poll, a majority of Americans even questioned the president’s integrity. And fully 55 percent of respondents to a new USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll said they believe the Bush administration has been a failure.
The fact that Mr. Bush is struggling in his own political purgatory (for the sin of incompetence) is bad news for Hayworth. the Democrats need to take back control of congress to stop the Bush train wreck.
Dirt on Hayworthless is NOT hard to find. Bring it on Baby! I need a hobby this year……
Please God, let this be true. We need a viable challenger against Hayworth.