That’s right, folks. The architect of the discredited (and, thanks to principled jurists, largely gutted) McCain-Feingold campaign finance law spent $21 million slapping down challenger (and High Point native) J.D. Hayworth in last night’s Arizona U.S. Senate primary.
Earlier this year on the Senate floor, McCain railed against the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision striking down much of what’s left of his seminal legislation.
Quoting Teddy Roosevelt, McCain said:
There is no enemy of free government more dangerous, and none so insidious, as the corruption of the electorate. If legislators are extorted by any kind of pressure or promise, express or implied, direct or indirect in the way of favor or immunity, than the giving or receiving becomes not only improper, but criminal. All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law.
And yet, to keep his job, the four-term incumbent spent like a scared politician.
Hayworth did himself no favors, partially after a 2007 infomercial he made urging people to contract with a particular company to collect federal handouts emerged … and Hayworth said he “regretted” doing them only because he said there was something shady about the company.
McCain’s expected to win a fifth term. But he gets a little less “mavericky” all the time.
